Guest Blogger – Sara Brown

By Sara Brown ~

My roommate, Kaitlin and I first arrived at Rimpa Estates late into the evening, so we didn’t see the magnitude of our surrounding until the following day, when we were taken on a tour of the grounds. They were beautiful, the air was dry and the wind was crisp. The trees twisted and knotted in beautiful designs, and the leaves were bright and full. The land itself seemed to have arched and caved into different and always more intricate patterns. And grounds were covered in animals, both wild and raised on the farm. There was something refreshing about our new surrounds, something I hadn’t seen before. They were unique and full of life that was not tamed by man. So for the next month we explore the land whenever we got the chance.

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Photo Credit:Sara Brown

Kaitlin and I both love photography, and we knew that being in such a beautiful country would give us ample opportunities for amazing pictures. So we went out trying to capture the lands and the life on that land. This meant we kept trying to get as close to the animals as possible, mind you, we both agreed that it would probably be for the best if we stayed away from the animals who had the sharp horns, and the animals that had the venomous fangs. That mostly left the zebras, cattle, sheep, and giraffes.

There was one instance where we spent several hours following zebras. We got some rather nice photos but neither of us could get as close as we wanted to the harems. You see, when zebras are out and about they have what seem to be spotters, or guards who pay attention to the surroundings while the rest of them eat, frolic, and sleep. Now I noticed that I could get fairly close to them without scaring any ways as long as I didn’t point my camera at them. We assume that comes from the fact that zebras seem to be poached quite often.

There was one Zebra in particular that I took a liking to. There was a spark there something that intrigued me. That zebra let me get extremely close to it, often staying behind when the rest of its harem ran off to stare me down. Now whether it’s because the zebra found me interesting or because I mistakenly entered into a dominance battle with it we will never know. All I have to say on the matter is that Kaitlin is very wrong and that Zebra and I shared a strong connection, a bond if you will.

One thing I learned while I was in Kenya was that wild life is unique and precious. I was surrounded by it at Rimpa. They all had their own purpose, their own form of happiness, and family. The people who run Rimpa understand the importance of preserving that wildlife.


Sara Brown is a friend of the Rimpa family who accompanied Kaitlin on her African adventure. Sara is a graduate of the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor’s in marketing.