kariandusi

Located in Kenya, East Africa, in the Great Rift Valley on the way to Nakuru-Kariandusi pre-historic site was discovered by Dr. Louis Leaky in 1928 and excavated between 1929 and 1974. In the Pre-historic site there are a number of Stone Age objects, these includes hand axes, knives and a molar of the straight tusked elephant which once existed in England and the rest of Europe before it came to extinct. Diatomite is also mined here and is used for face painting by the Maasai and today is used mainly for making paints and insulation.

The Kariandusi archaeological site is amongst the first discoveries of Lower Paleolithic sites in East Africa. There is enough geological evidence to show that in the past, large lakes, sometimes reaching levels hundreds of meters higher than the Present Lake Nakuru and Elementaita, occupied this basin.

Dating back between 700,000 to 1 million years old, Kariandusi is possibly the first Acheulian site to have been found in Situ in East Africa. Dr. Leakey, a renowned paleontologist, believed that this was a factory site of the Acheulian period. He made this conclusion after numerous collections of specimens were found lying in the Kariandusi riverbed.

This living site of hand-axe man was discovered in 1928. A rise in the Lake level drove pre-historic men from their lake-side home and buried all the tools and weapons which they left behind in a hurry. The Acheulian stage of the great hand-axe culture, to which this site belongs, is found over a very widespread area from England, France, and Southwest Europe generally to Cape Town.

Tourist attractions within the site include:
>> Camp Site
>> Nature Trail
>> Archeological Site
>> Museum
>> Picnic Site
>> Diatomite Mining Site
>> Caves
>> Monumental Church Building

Other destinations of interest in Kenya

Wild animals in Borana Ranch

Borana Ranch lies at the foot of Mount Kenya, with the snow-tipped peaks and glaciers of Mount Kenya to the south and a panorama of mountains and desert to the north, Borana provides an idyllic setting for any Kenya safari experience.

Lying just sixteen miles from the equator and 6,500 feet above sea level and adjacent to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the unique geographical location makes the 35,000-acre ranch a sanctuary for a wide diversity of wildlife. The ranch is home to fifty indigenous tree families and over 300 species of birds. Borana Lodge is set on the edge of the Samangua Valley with panoramic views of Mount Kenya, the Borana plains and the Ngare Ndare forest.

Borana and its environs constitute one of the most beautiful parts of Kenya. In one day guests can enjoy the dry lowlands at the foot of the escarpment, the rolling plains at the top and the cool, snow-capped magnificence of Mt Kenya.

ACCOMMODATION

Is in six cottages, two with double beds, and four with queen size beds all with open fire place, bathrooms and private veranda.

Properties include: Borana Lodge,   Larangai House,

ACTIVITIES AT BORANA

1. Game drives with rangers and trackers with knowledge of the area and the wide diversity of flora and fauna.

• The fleets of radio-linked, custom-built, four-wheel drive, open-sided vehicles are driven by supremely knowledgeable driver/guides. Borana is a private ranch and there are no game park rules and no one else will ever obscure your view of the big game that lives here.
• Night game drives here are very popular because this is when most animals are active, allowing guests an insight into the nocturnal life of the bush that is not available in most of the parks.
• The resident guides know the ranch intimately and can usually find the wild animals that guests most want to see.

1. Guided game walks, bush walks with an experienced guide.

• A guided bush walk is one of the most tranquil ways to see wildlife. Borana’s experienced guides lead these hikes and share with the guests their vast and extensive knowledge of the land and its wildlife, flora and fauna and birds.
• Guests walk through the bush in complete confidence – knowing that they could be with no better guides.
• Viewing big game on foot is extremely enjoyable and allows guests to trail game in complete safety. The slower pace means that guests also have a chance to see smaller animals that they would miss or scare off if traveling at a faster speed.

1. Horse rides, exploring the ranch on horseback

• Borana Horseback safaris offer guests an intimate and exciting view of Africa’s game and Borana has horses to suit all abilities.
• When the Dyer family first came to Borana, horses were the only means of transport. The family’s love of horse’s remains and horseback continues to be one of the best ways of seeing big game. We thoroughly recommend it to all our guests, whatever their ability.
• Today, three different stables house the horses used by guests and riding safaris can last from a few hours to many days.

1. Bush meals – farm fresh meals prepared where and when you want them.

Other attractions include: Mountain Biking, Ranch Days, visit to Mount Kenya and Family Experiences.

Read more on Borana Adventures

WILDLIFE PRESENT WITHIN BORANA RANCH

ACCESS

1. By daily schedule flight from Wilson Airport (Nairobi) to Lewa Downs, by private charter flight direct to the Borana airstrip.
2. By road from either Nanyuki or Nairobi, (2 hours) drive.

Read More about Borana Ranch

Elephants Watering

A shift from the traditional visit to game parks and game reserves is redefining adventure safaris in Africa and specifically so in Kenya. Due to human – wildlife conflicts experienced in the past in the areas around National Parks and Game Reserves the resultant exodus of wildlife from their natural habitats has caused numerous private wildlife parks/sanctuaries to be coined out of large private ranches to preserve endangered wildlife species as well as maintain a balance between human activity and the environment.

Eco Tourism is a management style aimed at using an ecosystem for economic benefits as well as preserving the natural surroundings. Private game concession areas have executed this well and have been at the forefront in creating destinations with low visitor numbers and high wildlife densities.

Apart from, practicing eco tourism, these private game sanctuaries also closely monitor the resident animals and conduct valuable research on the social habits of these animals. A good example is the Ol Pajeta Conservancy located in the northern frontier district of laikipia in Kenya.

About The Ol Pajeta

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a leading “not-for-profit” wildlife conservancy and the largest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development. Working closely with the Government of Kenya, the conservation activities are carried out to the highest international standards.

The revenue generating enterprises include world-class wildlife tourism and a fully integrated livestock production system. All surplus internally generated revenues are used in conjunction with donor funds to support an extensive community outreach programs and to sustain conservation initiatives beyond Ol Pajeta boundaries.

In summary, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to grow as a monetarily self-sustaining and innovative model that achieves conservation in a manner that produces substantial social benefits at both at the local and national level.

Adventure Safaris in Conservancies Unlike the traditional safari in the Game Parks, A safari to these conservancies combines an array of adventure activities.

Some of these activities may include: • Day and night game drives, • Guided bush walks, • Meeting Conservancy Researchers and learn about wildlife data and monitoring, • Monitor wildlife with resident rangers and researchers • Use radio-tracking equipment, e.g. to find the resident predators, • Learn about the special techniques of ‘conservation agriculture’ practiced on the ranches, • Learn about local cattle pastoral care, and pioneering integration techniques with wildlife, • Visit a local school or development projects supported by the Conservancy, • Cultural visits to local communities, • Camel safaris, • Horse Safaris, • Fishing, • Mountain Biking

In Kenya today, there are numerous conservancies located in Laikipia which have earned the admiration of many adventure seekers. It is clear therefore that combining both a traditional safari and a visit to one of the conservancies will satisfy the soul of the true adventure seeker.

Family Experience

El Karama

El-Karama Ranch/Reserve, situated on the Laikipia Plateau between Mount Kenya and the Great Rift Valley, It’s a family owned run ranch. At an altitude of 5700 feet the climate is pleasant, and the scenery: rolling savannah and bush land, rocky ranges of hills and meandering rivers is perfect and beautiful. This small patch of Africa is animated by a great diversity of many fascinating people who make it their life, work, and home. The ranch raises quality Sahiwal cattle to sell as breeding stock; the Maasai people being among the most regular customers. El-Karama ranch is a successful cattle operation, but because of the extensive methods used the landscape is almost completely unaltered from its natural state.

ACTIVITIES   AT  EL-KARAMA

• Day and night game drives

• Fantastic horse safaris with El Karama’s own horses

• Walking safaris with ranch trackers

• Fishing in the Ewaso Nyiro river (please contact us re: licenses)

• Artist’s retreat

• Camel Rides

• Fly camping

• Bird Watching

WILDLIFE

 As a result El-Karama has a flourishing population of wildlife with over 70 species of mammals, and nearly 400 species of birds. Of the well known African big game, El-Karama is home to; elephants, hippo, buffalo, elands, impalas, gemsbok, crocodiles, lion, leopard and cheetah. In addition to these there are such species as the rare and geographically restricted includes the, grevy’s zebra, the unique Laikipia hartebeest, Oryx antelope, and the unusual reticulated giraffe. Recently African hunting dogs have also reappeared on the ranch.
People here familiar with temperate environments are usually astonished by the diversity and abundance of animals visible: their presence and activities, calls and tracks are part of every moment you spend on a horse exploring this country. And as for the birds the variety is infinite: from the big to the little, the bright or the camouflaged, the ones you see and the ones you hear. From the moment you first pick up a binoculars you’ll be hooked and names such as ostrich, Kori bustard, martial eagle, marabou storks, herons, honey guide, paradise flycatcher and fin foot will become exciting new discoveries as you meet the birds they belong to.

ACCOMMODATIONEl Karama has bandas that provide a comfortable and affordable retreat in a stunning piece of wilderness on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River.

Various accommodation options include four double bandas, a family cottage, and a spacious individual bathroom. Facilities include an attractive communal dining area which over looks the Acacia clad Ewaso Nyiro River and a fully equipped kitchen. El Karama offers a full board and a self catered option as well as natural campsites.

ACCESS

El-Karama can be accessed by a Four Wheel Drive preferable, by road from Nanyuki – approximately one hour on tarmac road (25kms) and all weather roads. Private airstrip for charter flights

El Karama Room

Elephants in Ol Pajeta

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a leading “not-for-profit” wildlife conservancy in the Laikipia District of Kenya and the largest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa.

Mission statement: “The Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to conserve wildlife, provide a sanctuary for great apes and to generate income through wildlife tourism and complementary enterprises for re-investment in conservation and community development. Working closely with the Government of Kenya, our conservation activities are carried out to the highest international standards.”

 The revenue generating enterprises include world-class wildlife tourism and a fully integrated livestock production system. All surplus internally generated revenues are used in conjunction with donor funds to support an extensive community outreach programs and to sustain conservation initiatives beyond Ol Pajeta boundaries.

In summary, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to grow as a monetarily self-sustaining and innovative model that achieves conservation in a manner that produces substantial social benefits at both at the local and national level.

Conservancy Work

Working at a landscape level, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy aims to secure habitat for the purposes of wildlife conservation. In particular Ol Pejeta works to conserve the highly endangered black rhino and is now the Largest Black Rhino Sanctuary in East Africa. As an integral part of the Laikipia/Samburu ecosystem, Ol Pejeta is home to the “Big Five” and carries one of the highest wildlife densities in Kenya.

Ol Pajeta Morani

Community Development

Through business enterprises and with the help of willing donors (both large and small) the Ol Pejeta Conservancy works to develop the funding necessary to pay for our wildlife conservation work, and to provide financial assistance to projects that assist the people living within the neighboring communities.

By the end of 2007, Ol Pejeta Conservancy had raised and dispersed over 1 million US$ in support of its community development programs. The conservancy works with the local government and elected community representatives across the district to identify projects that qualify for assistance from the Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

All deserving projects supported are assessed on a case by case basis, and must represent some form of contribution to the community. The community development efforts intend to concentrate on the following core areas: health, education, water, roads, provision of agriculture and livestock extension services and the development of community-based conservation tourism ventures.

Based on regular socio-economic surveys, the conservancy aims to provide the necessary support required to address real needs and to make a real difference to the lives of the people who live nearby. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy welcomes support from willing donors to assist in the following areas: Education, Health, Water, Roads, Agriculture and Livestock Extension, Community-Based Tourism among others.

Chimpanzee in Olpajeta

Safari on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy

The ultimate Kenyan holiday experience!

Situated between the foot hills of the Aberdares and the magnificent snow-capped Mount Kenya, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy boasts an amazing variety of wildlife including all the “Big Five” (the endangered black and white rhino , leopard, elephant, buffalo and lion) as well a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees, the only one in Kenya.

While visiting the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, you will be accommodated in one of the five luxurious properties:

SWEETWATERS TENTED CAMP

Offers the finest quality tented accommodation, overlooking a large watering hole backed by a spectacular view of Mount Kenya.

Activities of Interest • Bird walks • Morani and the visitor’s centre • Chimpanzee sanctuary and information centre • Camel rides • Day game drives • Night game drives • Walking safaris • The ereri multi-cultural manyatta • Rhino patrols

Find out more 

OL PEJETA HOUSE

Offers large luxurious rooms, a stunning garden with watering hole, and two swimming pools .

Activities and Facilities: Day & Night Game drives, Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Visits to Morani Information Centre, Safari sundowners, Bush luncheons and dinners, Nature walks in the company of our resident naturalist, Bird watching, Camel rides, Lion tracking and Beauty treatments

Find out more

OL PEJETA BUSH CAMP

Situated on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River this small bush camp will offer guests the opportunity for interactive conservation safaris.

Activities Available:  • Day and night game drives • Guided bush walks • Meet Ol Pejeta Researchers and learn about wildlife data and monitoring • Monitor Elephant, Rhino and other wildlife with resident rangers and researchers • Use radio-tracking equipment, e.g. to find the resident cheetah ‘Toki’ (featured in BBC documentary ‘Toki’s Tale’) Track lion with the Ol Pejeta predator-monitoring ranger • Track Rhino (by special request only, max 2 guests per patrol) • Visit ‘Baraka’(a blind black rhino), observing him at close range at the rhino/wildlife treatment centre • Take part in training walks with the Ol Pejeta tracker bloodhounds • Learn about the special techniques of ‘conservation agriculture’ practiced on the ranch • Learn about Boran and Ankole cattle pastoral care, and pioneering integration techniques with wildlife • Watch wildlife from a hide overlooking a waterhole, or even spend an exciting night there (with dinner, drinks, bedding, and night-vision monoculars). • Visit a local primary school or medical clinic supported by Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Find out more

PORINI RHINO CAMP

Hidden in a secluded valley and set amongst shady acacia trees on the banks of a seasonal river, the camp consists of six spacious guest tents, each comfortably furnished with en suite bathrooms.

Activities and Facilities  Available:  • Large Safari tents with a double and single bed, solar electric lights, en suite bathrooms with flush toilets and safari shower. • All meals and picnic lunches, free mineral water, sodas, gin & tonic, beer and house wine. • Custom built 4×4 safari vehicles for game drives. • Expert driver-guides. Morning, evening and night game drives in Ol Pejeta Conservancy. • Escorted walk with Maasai guides. • Sundowner drinks to watch the sunset from scenic viewing points. • Transfers from Nanyuki airstrip to Porini Rhino Camp.

Find out more

KICHECHE CAMP

The Laikipia Camp is a small luxurious tented camp, nestled at the foot of indigenous forest overlooking a waterhole. Its twelve guests will be hosted by the inimitable Andy and Sonja Webb.

Access and convinience

In Kenya today, the Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the closest place from Nairobi to see the Big Five – Approximately 3 hours scenic drive by road from Nairobi.

What are the Big Five?

The term Big Five was originally used by big-game hunters and refers to the five large mammals that were sought in Africa. The members of the big five were chosen not so much for their size but more because they were notoriously difficult to hunt (which is why the leopard is on the list and the enormous hippopotamus is not). The term has remained and is still used in African safaris.

The Big Five consists of the lion, the African elephant, the African Buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros (either the black rhinoceros or the white rhinoceros).

Night Game Drives

Due to The Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s private status it is able to offer the unique pleasure of night game drives.

Night game drives last approximately two hours and are your opportunity to see some nocturnal wildlife on Ol Pejeta. The night game drives are a very enjoyable experience: you will travel in an open game drive vehicle with very knowledgeable guides. During the drives, your tracker uses a powerful spotlight searching for the nocturnal animals.

Expect to see a wide variety of animals not normally seen during the day, including aardvarks, bat-eared fox, porcupines, bushbabies, bushbucks, mongoose, genet cats and a number of nocturnal birds.

Typcal luxury camp

The Kenya tourism industry is well-established and Kenya is a relatively safe country to travel in with a well-developed road network (although the state of the roads may test the resolve of any traveler). Rail and bus travel is easy but advice should be sought before embarking on any journey.

Malaria is prevalent in Kenya so precautions should be taken. There have been outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever in the past but these have been in areas where tourists do not visit.

As in most African countries, there is a huge range of cheap souvenirs to be purchased along the roadside. These are handmade but mass-produced, so always check the quality before buying. Materials include ebony, soapstone and ivory.

Kenya is a year-round holiday destination with excellent game viewing throughout the year. Visitors coming solely for the migration will need to plan carefully as the migration varies from year to year. People who want fewer crowds will want to visit in the rainy season.

When to travel to Kenya

The traditional answer for when to go to Kenya is from January to March as this is when the weather is hot and dry and most comfortable for travelling. This is the best time to visit Kenya for bird viewing on the Rift Valley lakes. Game viewing at perennial water holes is also good at this time.

April to June and October to December are less popular times for experiencing a Kenya safari as these are the rainy seasons and flooding often occurs. However, it is usually possible to get around easily during these times and the rains do not hinder visibility and is the best time to go to Kenya if you are wanting less of a crowd.

Best time to visit Kenya for the Migration

One of Kenya’s greatest attractions is the annual wildebeest migration between Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This takes place between June and September, but can vary from year to year and is a must see for visitors on a Kenya safari.

A detailed guide to the migration and which months offer prime game viewing where in the Serengeti-Masai Mara ecosystem.

The Masai Mara Wildebeest Migration is a fluid, dynamic affair and is dependent on local rains and fresh pasture. It’s important to know where – and when – to go at certain times of the year: here is our monthly guide to the migration.

November: Once the southern Serengeti’s short rains have fallen, thousands of large mammals travel fast, heads down and hooves stomping, to the Serengeti’s southern plains and the Ngorongoro Highlands.

December through March: The southern section of the Serengeti is where all the action plays out during this time. This is when the game animals give birth to their young and start preparing for the northern trek. Over 8,000 calves are born on each day of the calving season; yet less than half will live to see their five-month birthday. Predators like the Serengeti lions and cheetah pick and choose from the thousands of potential victims.

April: The adults and surviving young shift their attention to the central areas of the park, moving towards the Serengeti’s western corridor. This funnel-shaped piece of land runs from the Central Serengeti in a western direction to the park boundary near Lake Victoria’s shore.

June: Arriving at the corridor around June, the millions of grazers are forced to cross the Grumeti River. There’s usually an unpredictable waiting period of one to two weeks as the animals prepare for the life-threatening crossing. Ironically, it is usually the first animals that attempt to cross that are taken by the Grumeti crocodiles – super sized predators that feast as the long train of wildlife tries to cross.

July: From here attention shifts north as the migration enters the private Grumeti Reserve, with a small portion splitting off and heading northeast, to the Lobo area.

June to August: This is usually the best time to see the migration. In August the migration reaches the far northern area. There are a few excellent camps in this area from which you can witness this natural phenomenon.

Mid-August to early November: The animals cross the Sand River and head into the Masai Mara. They will stay in the Masai Mara where water is always available, until the November rains in the south Serengeti beckon once again and the cycle begins anew in November.

Guide to the Migration in the Serengeti.

Every year, the Serengeti’s short November rains signal the beginning of one of the world’s most amazing wildlife spectacles. Several million hooves kick up the dust as they move through the Serengeti plains in a search for green pastures.

Looking for a Tanzania Safari? Check out our Safari in Tanzania page for more information and rock-solid recommendations.

Some two million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra and gazelle travelling a year-long route in a snorting, dust-raising column that can stretch for 40km – it’s the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration, one of Nature’s greatest shows.

You need to time your visit well as the herds move to the rhythms of the seasons: read all about it in our Important Migration Months feature.

It’s not just tourists who follow the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration closely: the predators move in as need drives the game into dense concentrations. With the addition of lion, leopard and crocodile, the journey is punctuated with drama.

The circular rhythm of nature plays out in one of her most magnificent arenas as thousands of animals live and die to the breath of the Serengeti seasons.

There is a small amount of permanent water in the Serengeti, and the migration is closely tied to rainfall patterns. As a result, the migration follows a relatively predictable cycle, but the exact timing does vary from year to year.

Samburu Girl

Beads are captivating for the guest, but for the young girls of Samburu they suggest bondage.

Tourists often wonder at the exquisiteness of the multicolour beads adorned by girls in the Samburu population. For Rampaini Letereuwa, nevertheless, the red beads that adorn her nape are a root cause of great trouble.

The 13-year-old is pregnant, and her family plan to kill the baby as soon as it is born this week.

“I know my baby will be dumped into the jungles to die or be killed like so many others who have been exposed to a identical destiny,” said Letereuwa, through an translator at her parents homestead near ol Donyiro marketplace in Isiolo district.

She has never gone to school and, like every other girl her age or possibly even younger, Letereuwa is a “child bride,” having been briefly paired off to a Samburu warrior (moran) in a customary routine known as aishontoyie saen (beading).

Bead colours

When ever a girl is beaded, which essentially means being studded with costume jewelry by a moran, her parents construct her a house where the moran, usually a related, is permitted to indulge in sexual contact with her.

Different beads carry distinct meanings. Engaged girls don red beads.

Women who are not engaged and those who are married don beads of various colours. White beads express purity and health, black means burden while orange plus yellow is a symbol of hospitality.

“A particular colour of beads is used by a moran to temporarily wed a girl from his family,” says councillor Moses Lerosion of ol Donyiro ward.

He quips: “When a girl is beaded, she is simply not expected to get pregnant because she is not circumcised and our community emphasizes that an uncircumcised woman should not bare a child.”

The custom of Female Genital Mutilation remains widespread inside the Samburu culture.

The necklaces to bead the girls cost about Kenya Shillings10,000 and are usually bought in Nairobi stores.

Great Honour

“The morans routinely execute raids and stealing animals from neighbouring communities to help them raise funds to purchase the beads,” the local councillor, said.

An ol Donyiro elder, says that a number of parents in the region still regard the beading of their own daughters by morans as a show of great honor.

“After effective raids, the moran would give his in-laws livestock and offer the girl’s mother nyiri nyiri (special meat boiled in fat),” explains te local councillor.

Additionally, the beaded woman is still free to marry to any other suitor because in most cases, the girl and the moran are from similar clan and inter-clan marriage is outlawed.

Ms Orietta Lemungesi, a woman leader, says an impregnated girl is seen as an outcast, causing induced abortion using crude techniques for example pressing the tummy with hard gadgets, the knees and elbows.

In case an ‘undesirable’ child is born, it is either discarded in the jungles or given up for adoption in another region.

Ms Lemungesi is presently supporting a four-month-old baby who was born through beading and abandoned by its kin.

Most likely everyone had such a desire when sitting in a cozy apartment and without raising from an armchair it would be desirable to come to be on any fantastic wood glade or under a beautiful birch at a stream, where the sun, caressing the rays it is poured by different colors of a rainbow through rustling leaves of a beautiful tree. Have you imagined? Fine, isn’t it so? But frequently not always it happens to spend time on the nature and so its caress, a landscape, color would be desirable. What to do? Purchase of a picture of a picturesque landscape in the interior always won a great popularity of wealth people.

And knowingly! However men of means are completely not silly. From pictures the certain charge of the energy directed on those and as other drive of a latent condition always proceeded. Internal condition influences your future affairs in your life. How to define, how truly to choose a picture? Many artists writing landscapes of the nature try to transfer all charm, realness of what they depict. But how to value, that painting which you have got is good or not? How to say “All true – it is simple!”.

The present value of a picture is permissible to estimate what a person has. “What is it?” – you will ask. Everything is very simple: Feelings. Yes, yes! Impressions, emotions which are betrayed by a picture it is permissible to learn what it actually represents. If the picture causes negative feeling from within and as in general that does not cause even if in a case if this picture of the most famous artist then it is a picture which costs nothing.

At one time it was fashionable to arrange exhibitions of erotic art. Even turns were built in regional showrooms: public aspired to be convinced that poet Hlebnikov did not say lies, having said: “Freedom comes nude”. In an erotic wave of that time any intellectual maintenance was not looked through. And those exhibitions were, frankly speaking, extremely poor.

There was at least without a deceit and without claims for a high art.

A new spectator generation cannot be got by erotic baits. What is the use from an exhibition in a nu genre, if there is only an elastic body and no drop of imagination? It is not that from a loin the philosophy necessarily should be born, but the spectator all the same would like to catch certain “surplus value”… In this sense the exposition of “nude” looks almost exemplary. On the one hand, the promised naked men and women are really present, and even at fair quantity, with another – there is a possibility to occupy not only libido, but also other feelings.

The era was one for everybody, and here heads and hands are arranged in own way. The general denominator is deduced hardly that it is necessary to enlist pluses to organizers, instead minuses. To make a similar exhibition harmonious and conceptual would mean to go against a reality, obviously to simplify a motley picture. The human anatomy does not vary already for thousands of years; however at the sight it is subject to essential vibrations.

Well, to choose a picture is not an easy process. And the buyer should come to it with all the proper considerations and willing.

Are you fond of abstract paintings? Searching for a spot to talk about art? You are welcomed to go to this site – here you can review, comment on, and purchase many abstract art paintings directly from the artists at the best terms available.

Luckily we live in the world of digital technologies. It wouldn’t be wise not to use this truly unique opportunity. Modern online technologies help us break the borders and search modern abstract art paintings all over the planet. Visit various social networks, look through respective topics, participate in discussions in niche forums. All this will help you keep abreast of the events concerning your interests. And, subscribe to the RSS on this blog to keep track of new publications on the topic.

It is possible simply to put money in a bank and to wait until they bring an income. But it is possible to earn much more money by means of the art market. And during the last years private persons started to be involved in fine arts even more than the large companies.

Many of known today collectors began with zero: visited art interiors, consulted to experts, choosing their interesting style. Among the people who are putting up money in art, there are the most different: from mathematicians to financial analysts. They have managed to consider advantages of the given business allowing not only to put up money profitably, but also to have possibility to be among the fine.

It is considered that the most profitable is an investment of money in antiques because the given market is enough developed and has the already certain game rules. Thus the buyer has a confidence that the got picture will not go down in price unlike modern products, therefore they perfectly approach for investments of a long period. Naturally at the moment it is almost impossible to buy a picture of a brush of the great artist for a low cost. It is connected with the fact that the most part of works is already stored in private collections or museums. Even if masterpieces also appear in the market, their will cost considerable. Though thus experts do not give a guarantee about authenticity of product, therefore it is more preferable for a beginner to buy something less valuable.

According to the opinions of owners of galleries and dealers, recently not only sellers differ in high literacy, but also buyers who prefer to refuse purchase if authenticity of a picture is not confirmed. The best protection against fakes for today is the special certificate and consultation of experts. The greatest percent of experts is made by museum workers – were or operating, each of which, as a rule, has a narrow specialization.

Modern art cost in times less than antiques though it increases quickly enough. However to the beginner it is uneasy to understand variety of the modern art which is presented by various styles: a drawing, a photo or products of abstract artists. Without a professional advice it is not possible to manage.

It can seem to any uninitiated that pricing in the market of modern works of art develops chaotically. Actually, according to experts, cost is defined by the established criteria. To begin with cost is influenced by not so much quality of a picture, but by the biography of the author: participation in exhibitions, galleries. If the part of products of the artist is already stored in known museums it already specifies in popularity of the master and accordingly does an investment of money more profitable.

According to experts, it is not necessary to search for ingenious artists in the street, not recognized geniuses do not exist presently. All of them were found already by galleries, presently not only art salons search for talents, artists constantly offer the products. Undoubtedly, at the moment the picture of the modern artist is much heavier for selling, however in due course investments into modern painting become more favorable, than in antiques.

In recent times the modern photo was appreciated, today more fashionable is figurative painting. Private persons most often purchase decorative art though Russia was considered the native land of abstract art. The photo basically is got by fans, trying to put up money in the most known names. And except the biography the product price is influenced by the level of the artist and its special thinking developing in a context of world directions.

Love abstract paintings? Searching for a place to talk about art? You are invited to visit this site – there you can observe, comment on, and buy many abstract art paintings directly from the artists at prices that are affordable to most people.

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masai mara game reserve

It’s undoubtedly the great savanna of Africa. Within a few minutes of flying into the Mara, I spot an elephant and giraffes on the plains below, and on the banks of the Talek river, a pair of hippos out of the water.

It’s the season before the great migration and the plains are filled with tall grasses of different patterns in shades of gold and green.

There’s little to tell if there’s anything in the vast grassland that spreads to the horizon, touching the magical Mara Thomson’s gazelle. The mother cheetah’s belly is nicely rounded, and there’s very little left of the antelope. Meantime, the cub is still enjoying the meal, its nose red with blood of the prey.

“Cheetahs are diurnal animals. They hunt during the day,” explains the driver guide at Mara Intrepids. “They are not as strong as the lion or the leopard, so they have to eat fast or else their kill will be stolen by another animal. They can even be chased away by hyenas and vultures.”

We think we’ve done well by spotting the cheetah within a five-minute drive of the lodge but we’re in for another surprise.

Literally another five minutes away, we come across another cheetah with two cubs on an anthill. The trio watches us lazily but the mother’s ears pick the sound of the cowbells and she sits up alert, scanning the plains. The herd of Maasai cows is far in the distant and not sensing any danger to her cubs, she flops down again, relaxed.

A Jackson’s widowbird grabs our attention as the black bird with a long tail hops in and out of the tall stems.

“It’s a male in its breeding plumage trying to attract a female,” explains our guide. It seems to be the season as we spot other on the same mission.

Between May and June, the plains are full of long grass. It makes it difficult for the smaller animals to browse. It’s mostly the big animals like giraffes and elephants and the bigger antelopes that you can see around.

And it makes hunting difficult for the cats so they come up with strange strategies. You’ll see lions and cheetahs trying to climb trees and anthills to get a high vantage point.

Cheetahs don’t usually climb trees because their claws do not retract like those of the other cats’ but because they need to locate prey, they’ll try anything, even hunting zebra.”

Cheetahs are not strong so they hunt smaller antelopes, which they chase to exhaustion. This helps the diminutive cat to go for the jugular of the exhausted prey to make a quick kill.

This is really unusual. Twenty minutes after our sighting of the second cheetah, we meet the star of the BBC Cat Diary Live. Shakira — not to be confused with the pop idol — and her three cubs.

At this point, if l could get a paw print as an autograph of the movie queen, l’d be thrilled. But no such luck. It’s “Shakira had five cubs but two were killed,” Gichuki tells us. “Cheetah mothers keep moving frequently when they have cubs so that lions and leopards don’t get them.”

Just as the sun begins to fade away in the horizon splashed with gold, a pride of lions appears — 11 of them — the males with their long manes, females and cubs. The male roars and rolls over on it back with all four paws in the air. The females stir from a long siesta ready to prowl the plains.

“This is my favorite time in the Mara,” says the guide, “because there’s not much traffic so it is easy to spot animals and have them to yourself.”

A tawny eagle perched on a lone balanites tree scans the vistas for a hunt as a wattled plover, the largest of the plovers, feeds on the ground.

We stop under another lonely tree on the plains for a sundowner. “In another few weeks it will be July, and the plains will begin to fill with the wildebeest as they cross in from the Serengeti,” the guide narrates the seasons of the Mara.

“There will be 1.5 million wildebeest entering from Sand River and going to the far end of the Mara before turning around to make the cyclic round journey. By the end of November, all the grass will have been eaten by the wildebeest and the 400,000 zebra and other animals.

We’ve seen plenty of animals in one afternoon within a 10-kilometre radius of the lodge. The following morning, the plains are quieter as the great orb ascends from the horizon and warms the day. We’re looking for rhinos and leopards but they remain elusive, so we settle for a hearty breakfast by the banks of the river, with hippos grunting below in the muddy waters of the Talek.