On Sunday, we left for an overnight trip to
Olorgesailie. This is a prehistoric site in southern Kenya where I helped run the excavations and camp for 6 years, from 2004-2010. I was really excited to see many of the Kenyan excavators again, some of whom I haven't seen for many years, as well as for Toby to have his first experience at a real archaeological site - and sleeping in a tent!
We (me, Toby, and Ella) first took a taxi to a place called
The Hub in Karen, a suburb of Nairobi. The Hub's tag line "more than a mall" is a very appropriate description. There's a place inside the mall similar to a Chuck E. Cheese that was pretty amazing to see. Toby thoroughly enjoyed it! In between the playing, we had a delicious brunch.
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| This is basically Kenya's version of Chuck E. Cheese |
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| This was kind of like an electronic whack-a-mole game |
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| Toby was really good at this car racing game - he kept winning free games! |
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| There were kid-sized motorized cars to drive around the open plaza area (for a few bucks of course) |
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Toby with the Hub mascot
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After finishing up at the Hub, we met up with Mercy and headed south to Olorgesailie. Toby spent a good amount of time reading or sleeping in the car, but he also really enjoyed the amazing views of the Rift Valley as we drive down into it. (Sorry, I didn't get any photos of the views.)
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| Toby reading Calvin and Hobbes in the back of the car |
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Toby snoozing on my leg in the back of the car
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Finally, we made it - Olorgesailie!
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| Toby immediately started throwing carbonate rocks off the side of Camp Cliff |
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| Me and Toby at the end of Camp Cliff |
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| Nice view, eh? |
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| Toby checks out our home for the night (a tent) |
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| Toby exploring |
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| Toby learning the bathroom ("choo") flag system - if the flag is up, the bathroom is occupied. If it's down, the coast is clear. |
We had a delicious dinner, but given that it was late compared to Toby's bedtime, we beelined for the tent as soon as dinner was over and he slept like a rock all night. (Unfortunately I had a fever and sore throat so did not sleep well - the fever is gone, but the sore throat is lingering still.)
The next morning, I spent a little time meeting with my boss, Rick, who is also the head of the research project here. Then we headed out to visit the two active excavations: one at Olorgesailie (Hyena Hill), and another one about half an hour south in an area called Ol Doinyo Nyokie (which we usually just call Nyokie).
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| The row of tents on camp cliff, with Toby and Mercy playing |
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| Me doing some light reading inside our tent |
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| Toby loved riding in the back of the Land Cruiser, getting super dusty |
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| Visiting an excavation at Hyena Hill - my boss and the project director, Rick, is in the center of the photo |
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| Toby helped look for fossils in the screen at Hyena Hill |
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| Toby digging (in a safely out of the way area) at Hyena Hill |
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| You can see the main excavation further up the hill |
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| Toby was disappointed not to find any bones, but still enjoyed the experience |
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| Here Toby is using a brush on the hillside |
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| Some local Masaai cows paid us a visit at Hyena Hill |
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| Toby really enjoyed all the dust devil activity at Nyokie |
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| Walking across the landscape with Jenny (left), Ella (middle) and Toby (right) to visit Nyokie |
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| We got to Nyokie as the excavators were finishing for the day |
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| Mativo explaining the excavation to Toby - Mativo had dinner at our house 4 years ago when he visited the US to participate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, but Toby was too young then to remember him now |
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| Toby was very excited when Mativo carefully picked him up and lowered him into the excavation after he took his shoes off so he wouldn't accidentally step on any fossils (standard rule) |
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| Mativo racing Toby back to the vehicles |
The visit was really wonderful, and worth the nearly 3 hour drive back to Nairobi (since we hit rush hour traffic).
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