September 9 – Loldia Conservation Area

This is the first place we have really had bugs.  They even sprayed inside the room while we were at dinner.  And I did find a few ants now and then.  And four spiders, one of which hopped. No thresholds on the two doors so a gap for both. 

There is an electric fence surrounding the property.  It is a low fence, so the impalas jump it to come inside for grazing and protection.  

They have guards with guns that escort you at night.  For one thing, there are hippos in the lake and the papaya bushes that come out at night to graze just a few yards from the buildings, but on the other side of the fence.  

And we see the guards/ staff walking the electric fence line during the day, presumably to ensure no breaks. 

Today’s plan was a morning boat ride and then a trip to the flower greenhouse operation.  We skipped the boat ride as Mary had been up much of the night not feeling well.  About mid-morning she was doing better so we took a drive. 

We went through some herbal fields where we saw people harvesting herbs.  One field had bright orange flowers.  Sammy didn’t know what they were but said they were a type of herb.

The flower farm has 7 or 8 gigantic greenhouses.  Each is probably at least the size of a football field.  They grow mostly roses with some hydrangea and ornamental grasses.  We toured about 3 of the greenhouses and a couple of fields with grasses and experimental flowers. 

Then we went to the area where the flowers were stored in large, refrigerated rooms.  The flowers are then sorted and graded and bundled into individual bouquets.  It is approximately 48 hours from the time the flowers are picked until they arrive in Europe (mostly the Netherlands).

It was most interesting.

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More Flower Farm
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Back at Loldia there was a gigantic hammerkops nest in one of the gigantic fig trees on the grounds. 

In the lawn in front of the main house is a large, irregularly shaped stone.  One depression had water in it.  At lunch Heather added some grain to the stone.  Some birds visited for baths and food.  And we saw what looked to be some sort of little rodent, like mice, who decided to dine there as well.

In discussions on one of our drives Sammy, our guide, indicated that he was Masai.  His father had had five wives and Sammy was one of 40 children.  He has one wife and 3 children.  Times have changed.