Final Update from Kenya + Zanzibar!
July 27, 2024
Being in the Maasai Mara was the icing on top of our amazing trip. Our days were chilled out and filled with cultural emersion and getting to know each other even better. On our first evening there, we did a bush walk, where we all learned how to become warriors #iamawarrior. We chanted and danced, threw spears, jumped high, and did archery. Abby was a natural with the bow and arrow. The next day, we hiked up to a viewpoint to gaze at the savannah. We relished the challenge and were rewarded with amazing views and giraffes off in the distance. Luckily, Annie and Katherine brought their cameras and snapped all the pics. In the afternoon, everyone joined in a game of soccer/football, which was carried by our star players Ari, Charlie, Sam and Michael. With energy and passion, our team killed it and we won the game. And after a long day of physical activities everyone was tuckered out and needed a nap. In the evening, we all danced around the fire to our favorite songs. As always, Isabella requested Tyla. The kids all piled into one big tent and talked the night away. On our last full day, we went to a nearby Maasai community. They dressed Willy and Brooke up in traditional Maasai clothing, and greeted us with some cool songs and dances. Everyone joined in in the festivities and we were brought into the village. We learned how to cook Ugali, start a fire, make a house, and make jewelry. The material for the houses was a concoction of clay and cow poop, and Laudie was the first one brave enough to pick some up and start laying it down. We played around with the kids and made some new friends. As usual, souvenirs were purchased by all, and the kids practiced their bargaining. In the afternoon, we played more football, more card games, and spent our time enjoying each other’s company. In the evening, we surprised the kids with some s’mores, which the kids were super pleased with. We had extra and some of our Maasai hosts got to try their first ever s’more. I think it was much sweeter than anything else they’ve ever eaten. Then, we got to have a last night celebration with some cake and more dancing and singing. It was the perfect send off. Yesterday, we packed up all our things and piled into the cars for the last time. We drove all day back to Nairobi, to a fancy hotel where we had our banquet dinner and our final moon up. We piled our plates high with yummy food and fun desserts. Willy passed out some silly polaroids of goofy moments from our trip for everyone to cheer us up. At the airport, we all said a tearful goodbye, and acknowledged how lucky we were to have had such and amazing group and trip. I know there are many moments and friendships that we will remember forever. It truly was an adventure of a lifetime. Thank you 💗!
With love, for the last time 🥲
KEZ 3B
Brooke and Willy
Incredible African Adventures!
July 21, 2024
Holy moly guys! The past several days have been an absolute dream come true. Ol Pejeta brought us every possible animal experience we could have wished for. We had a long drive to get there from Nairobi but it went by fast because we were so excited. As soon as we arrived to Ol Pejeta, we took off on our first safari drive. We got a feel for the conservancy and saw some cool animals like a very rare striped hyena, giraffes, water bucks, zebras, and cape buffalos. But the grand finale came right at the end of our drive, when we drove right next to some elephants in the bushes. We must have intimidated them because they started grouping together while trumpeting and stomping. It gave us chills. Charlie was jumping up and down with excitement. Many of us agreed it was the coolest thing we’d ever seen.
The next morning we went to the conservation department headquarters where we got to learn about all the great conservation work being done on the grounds. They have made great strides to help the animals there. They also do really cool work to support students and farmers around the area. After the talk, we went to visit Gilbert, a community member making strides to design smoke free and more efficient stoves. Annie, Isabella, Katherine and Brooke helped him by stomping out the muddy clay mixture with our feet. Willy put on some jams and we danced around squishing the clay in our feet. Gilbert had some very cute puppies that Laudie loved. Afterwards, we went to visit a small farm, and helped plant some Acacia trees, that in 6 months will be planted in Ol Pejeta. Acacia trees are important because the Rhinos and Giraffes feed on them. Within a half hour of hard work, we had planted over 150 seeds. Michael even named the trees after his favorite Pokémon! Back at the campsite we had a huge ping pong tournament where Abby and Katherine were dark horses.
That evening, we went on a night drive. The highlight from that was when we got to see a pair of lions up close. The male lion roared at us and it was a special moment. Apparently, they were on their honeymoon. Later in the night, Laudie made some incredible hot chocolate and Willy and Sam put on an incredible Moon-up featuring an elaborate scavenger hunt.
The next morning, we got to be a part of something really special. We got a chance to visit the last two Northern White Rhinos in the world, kept inside Ol Pejeta. We learned about the conservancy’s efforts to revive their species from the brink of extinction, and lend a helping hand by cleaning out their space. Abby and Ari had big smiles on their faces while brushing out the water troughs. Isabella, Katherine, Laudie and Charlie got busy scooping up poop. Annie raked out some sand and hay from their sleeping area. Sam and Michael lent their muscles to carry the heavy wheelbarrow of poop out to the disposal. It was uplifting to be able to lend a helping hand to a good cause, and we were rewarded by getting to visit the rhinos. We got to have a nice lunch at a cool restaurant where we all got smoothies and yummy food. We played a game called 3 men in a boat which let us tell our crazy stories and tested our ability to make up a story. Afterwards, we visited the chimpanzee sanctuary and got to see some chimps and baboons. This was Sam’s favorite animal he saw! In the afternoon, we headed out to do some lion tracking. After about an hour and a half of searching and no luck, we almost gave up. On our last attempt, we hit the jackpot. We found a pride of 8 lions, three of which were cubs. The lions laid low in the grass and we got to watch them and enjoy their presence for a few minutes. On our way back from the lion tracking, we were blessed with a rare sighting and a huge surprise, a cheetah. Willy was so happy to finally see one, as he had been wishing for it all summer. In our time on safari we couldn’t have been more lucky. It seemed like everything was working out perfectly for us, and we decided that it is because our aura is on infinity. After dinner, Brooke and Michael one upped the previous moon-up and did an even better scavenger hunt. We all played some group games called fishbowl and code names after which led to some big laughs and bonding.
Yesterday morning, we went to learn about the cattle ranching and how they use the cattle to help out the other wildlife in the conservancy. We then headed out on a long drive to Lake Naivasha. We stopped at a place to do a boat safari, and got to see some hippos! Katherine and Brooke felt a bit nervous in the beginning, but we ended up having a great time. We got to see some hippos both in and out of the water. We also saw some wildebeest and fish eagles. We ended the evening after arriving at our campsite for the evening. We had an awesome dinner where most of us got pizza. After dinner, we chilled out on a big tree log by the lake. Some of us just chilled out and talked and Ari and Annie got especially comfortable laying down on the log. Sam took the opportunity to friendly troll some people. This morning, we had an early wake up call to do another long drive to our last destination, the Maasai Mara. Isabella’s music taste kept the car entertained so we never got bored. Everyone is looking forward to learning about the Maasai culture and enjoying our last few days as much as possible.
With Love,
KEZ 3B
Brooke and Willy
Thank you’s from the kids:
Katherine – thanks mom and dad for sending me on this trip, i’ve had so much fun. love you!
Sam- thank you mom and dad for sending me on this trip. Its awesome, Love you all so much!
Abby – Thank you mom and dad for everything. This trip has been a life changing experience, and ill never forget it. Love you guys so much 💗🫶🏼
Ari- Thank you mom and dad for letting me go on another moodance trip. Ive really enjoyed this trip and I’m so grateful. Thank you and love you!!
Laudie- Thank you so much for sending me on this amazing trip. Love Laudie
Isabella-Having so much fun!! Thank y’all for letting me do this trip💛 see ya soon, love y’all!
Charlie- Been an awesome time so far. Thank you guys. I am very thankful. See you soon.
🗑️👍⏰💨. 🙏🫵👲👲.👁️🦃.👀🫵🔜.
Annie- I’m having the best time ever!!! Miss y’all so much and I’m so grateful to be here!! Love y’all!!❤️
Michael- Been having a blast so far. I miss y’all and love y’all so much. I cant wait to see you guys and thank you for blessing me with this amazing trip.
Sunrises and Scuba!
July 18, 2024
The past few days have been a whirlwind filled with early morning sunrises, lots of amazing scuba dives, henna tattoos and laughter. Since we last posted, a bunch has happened. Abby, Annie, Sam, Katherine, and Laudie got Open Water Scuba certified. After their successful pool session, they got to dive in the ocean for the first time. Most of the kids really enjoyed the diving and said that it was so much cooler than they had thought it would be. Highlight marine life from our dives were scorpion fish, sting rays, puffer fish, mantis shrimp, and a sea turtle. Abby and Laudie were really excited to see a mantis shrimp because they are super colorful and Brooke taught them that they’re very strong and can punch really hard. The group that got to see the sea turtle felt so lucky! During our time on the boat, we listened to some good tunes, which prompted Michael, Sam, and Charlie to give everyone in the group rapper names, which you’ll notice in the shout-outs. Each of the girls got it henna tattooed on their arm by Big Mama.
On our second afternoon in Zanzibar, we traveled to the other side of the island for a sunset sail. We got to ride in a traditional sailboat out on the pristine waters. The kids all said the water looked like gatorade. There were some drummers on board and they drummed and sang some cool tribal songs. We danced and enjoyed the music. We even got to take a pit stop to swim and everyone jumped off the top of the boat and had a photo shoot. Some of the pictures turned out better than others lol. The next day after our scuba diving, we walked out on the sandbar and battled some sea urchins to look for cool things on the reef. We saw some sea stars and soaked up the sun. In the evening, Ari and Brooke went on the beach to look at the stars. We could see the milky way and some constellations. The group played some card games almost every night and on this particular day we collected some hermit crabs and watched them run around on the table. On our last full day, we did a tour of stone town, where we got to walk the ancient streets and learn about the history of Zanzibar. Our guide Seif kept us safe and showed us a great time. After our tour, we got to have a surprise rooftop dinner. Charlie, Sam and Willy tried a crazy dessert called Fruit Fallooda. After we ate, Isabella prompted the group to do some karaoke and we all sang and danced the night away.
Today, we said goodbye to our friends in Zanzibar and headed back to Kenya. The girls took a picture with Big Mama and she gave them free bracelets. The kids wrote Seif a really sweet thank you note which he seemed super touched by when we gave it to him upon our departure. On our first flight of the day, we were the only passengers on the plane, which made it feel like a private jet. The stewardess let us play music and we had an epic dance party. It was a special moment we’ll all remember for a long time. Now we’re safely back in Nairobi and preparing to take off for the next part of our adventure! The kids are all looking forward to the upcoming safari and rhino conservation. Here are their shout outs:
Annie- heyyyy!!! miss yall so much and im having the best time!!!! please change my flight to go through paris not amsterdam and have take out shi ki when I get home!! love yall❤️❤️ From, East Side
Abby- hey mom dad jack and pooch! love yall! im having so much fun in africa and i miss yall so much! cant wait to see yall when i get home (also pls change flight to paris not amsterdam if possible) ♾️💗 From, Dark Night
sam- Jambo!! I am having so much fun, this is the best trip ever! Love you all so much. I wish you all were here❤️ From, Sizzlin Sam
Isabella- Hii Mom, Dad & Wellsy!! Miss ya’ll SO much but having so much fun! Can’t wait to see y’all when I get home! PLEASE have plain panera bagels stocked when I get home💛💛 and also it woyld be great if i could fly home through Paris! Love yall SO much 🥰 from, cheezit
Michael- Hi Mom, Dad, and madeline. I miss y’all so much. I can’t wait to see you when I am home. I’m having such a great time, from M-Slide.
Charlie- Hello parents, this is Charlie. I am having a good time in Africa. Thank you for sending me. See you guys soon. Love, C Budda.
Laudie- Hi Mom and Dad. I miss y’all so much, but i am having a great time. i cant wait to see yall. Love Laudie Pack
Katherine- hi mom and dad, i miss you guys and cant wait to see you! love you, compton katherine
Ari- Hi mom, dad, erin, and libby!!! i love and miss you guys sooo much. Africa is great and im having an amazing time. I love you guys and will see you soon -Thugga ari
With Love,
KEZ 3B
Brooke and Willy
Early Exploring in Kenya + Zanzibar!
July 12, 2024
Jambo from Africa!
On our first night, Brooke and I waited excitedly at the airport for our kids to get through customs. The first half of our group arrived, and instantly connected! When we all got impatient waiting, we went to get hot chocolates for the group. When everyone finally got through, we loaded up the cars and headed to Wildebeest Eco Camp! We got some late buffet dinner with the other groups and headed to bed. The group was super excited to head to Zanzibar!
The next morning we got to sleep in a little and then took a bus to the airport for our flight to Tanzania. We got some tasty cinnamon rolls and vanilla lattes in the airport cafe and boarded our flight. The flight was filled with laughs, banana grams, and riddle games-which Charlie kept figuring out first. Abby showed off her ability to fall asleep quickly. When we landed, we took a long bus ride to our hotel. It was a great chance to get a look into the lives of locals in Zanzibar. We were all handed some tropical welcome drinks when we got to our hotel. This went down particularly well with Sam, who ordered more at dinner. The kids were amazed at how nice the beachfront hotel looked. At dinner, the resort was hosting Swahili night, meaning authentic Swahili food, and incredible Swahili dancers and drummers too! Ari and Annie got pulled out to dance first and they broke it down! By the end of the night, everyone in the group got to dance with the Swahili ladies!
At our first moonup, we broke the ice by running around the beach looking for crabs. After Michael caught a massive one, we sat down and got to know each other a little bit better. Our first LODs were announced, Charlie and Laudie. We ended the night with some card games and Katherine impressed us all with her card shuffling skills.
On our first scuba diving day, many of the kids kicked it in the pool for their open water lesson. They did a great job and are getting excited to officially be certified tomorrow. Out at sea, the already certified divers discovered that Michael has insane animal spotting abilities. On our spice tour, we got to smell and taste some spices and guess what they were. When we were finished, everyone bought some cool perfumes to take home. During the bus ride home, Isabella was making all the good aux requests, keeping the group happily rolling along.
All in all, our trip is off to a great start. We have some awesome diving and excursions planned for the next few days, and we can’t wait to share it all with you! Until then, with love,
KEZ3B
Willy and Brooke
Safe Arrival in Kenya!
July 10, 2024
Hello Kenya + Zanzibar Families!
All students have landed safely in Nairobi and the group is headed to their first activity! The trip is off to a great start and we can’t wait to share more updates from their adventure.
-Moondance HQ
