Yesterday was my birthday, or "siku ya kuzaliwa" in Kiswahili. My amazing husband baked me this cake in our Cookswell charcoal jiko. I think it was the first cake he's ever baked, and in a charcoal oven at that! It turned out perfectly, and he frosted it with a delicious icing made from Blue Band (the local butter substitute). The night before my birthday we had a small party with the hyena researchers and went to Serena Lodge for drinks, followed by cake back at the camp. The day of my birthday, Chris and I went for a game drive - just for fun! - and he treated me to a massage at the lodge. It was amazing, and much needed after all the bouncing around on the roads around here. I also got to talk with me family back in the US, and I got lots of great messages from friends and family back home, which was a real highlight of my day. Last night, we went back up to Serena for dinner. They have a salad bar, with actual lettuce!, as well as tons of other delicious food, so we were fasting all day in preparation. We ended up meeting up with some more good friends at the Lodge and sharing drinks and dinner together. It was another perfect birthday in the Mara!
