Reflections from our weekend at Loisiijo

“My highlight during my three-day stay at Loisiijo was waking up at 4: 38 am in the morning when it was pitch-black to see a pack of 14 lions on the safari. I also enjoyed the view outside of my room. I could see a group of baboons across the river, chattering loudly. The flowing river was so peaceful to watch. And lastly my highlight was the mosquito net blocking out the bats.”

-Zhamoyani

For me the highlight of the trip was definitely getting the chance to sit down and write some poetry. Using lines taken from a previous exercise we created short poems. Its not something that I get to do every day; very calming and introspective.

-Eddie Lee

My favorite part of our incredible weekend at Loisiijo was watching the beautiful sunrise and sunset over the mountains. They’re the most beautiful times of day; we could see outlines of each other but no details, the air is crisp and breezy, and there’s a red circle of light showing where the sun is hiding behind the mountains. Being awake at sunrise is exhilarating and beautiful, in a way that makes you feel as though you are truly alive.

Jessie

I can’t stand mornings.  I am a witch. However, the first few hours of “morning” at Loisiijo today were my favorite.  After tearing myself from my blankets at 4:30 in the bridal suite, the rest of the girls and I walked to the main lobby.  We drank fresh coffee, hot chocolate, Masai tea and ate cookies before walking over the footbridge to the other side of the river and our two landrovers to start our game drive. Before the sun had even risen we saw fourteen lions. Nature’s neat. 

Thea

This weekend, all the girls stayed in the bridal suite at Loisiijo which was awesome.  It not only had a flushing toilet and an outdoor shower, but also an amazing porch overlooking the river.  During our resting time, we sat on the porch and looked out at the baboons drinking and playing on the riverbank.  It was so peaceful to sit and just look out.  There was plenty of resting overall this weekend which was much needed by all of us.

Charlotte

Rest in a cooler climate has made all the difference these past two days. I would also like to provide a brief synopsis of Oloika, the Musical, which was largely put together this morning in the fancy-van-that-has-more-room-in-it by the girls and Laurie. Here is a basic skeleton of the plot: We begin with the journey from JFK to Kenya via Rwanda, cover several days on the worksite and at camp, Act I closing before we leave for Loisiijo lodge. Intermission is spent in an overheated safari vehicle.  Act II for the most part covers our two days here, and the week we have remaining will hopefully provide some new inspiration. So far, we have several songs ready, including “Is It a Road?,” “Moving Bricks,” “Moving Bricks (Reprises 1,2 and 3)” (we’ve decided that all stage transitions will include a segment of moving actual bricks across the stage to various locations), and a “Safari Montage,” a tap number featuring a pride of fourteen lions, with Laurie eventually heading the pyramid for the time step. Other songs include “What Isn’t Happening (On the Worksite),” and a series of vaudevillian vignettes featuring Thea and me singing thirteen different variations of the classic “I Have a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts (deedleedee),” a song we’ve shared over many a cup of evening coffee. We are tentatively in the process of inserting a final duet between Ycar and me, the two star-crossed lovers of the musical. I am forced to choose between Ycar, Groton student turned warrior on the African plains, and my love of home. At the crucial moment  before my decision, Thea’s voice is heard over the audience singing our song, and tearfully I join in, recognizing that even with my love for Ycar, staying would be impossible.  Stay tuned for the finale.

Marianna

The. Fighting. Giraffes.

(P.S. We’re all exhausted, so this is our freebie blog. Forgive us.)

Racy

Waking up at 4:40 in the morning (well for me that’s the middle of the night) was not the easiest to say the least. But it was so worth it after seeing a pride of 14 lions! Even Shani said it was the most lions he had ever seen together at once. Another exciting part was when we chased a hyena around and made it drop its prey. Can’t say I’ve done that before. Coming back after our morning game drive and resting in our luxurious bridal suite was so nice! It made me realize how much I love running water and how much I take it for granted.  The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time.

Varsha