Happy New Year!

I'm writing this on New Year's Eve.  I can hear the music, especially the rhythmic drums as they set the stage for the celebration.  People were gathered in the bar, opting to drink first, then eat.

Since it has been decades since I've seen the new year arrive, I thought, no sense in changing that now.  Besides, somewhere in the world it is already 2013.

2013.  Can you believe it?  I can remember like it was yesterday when we rolled into the year 2000 and what a big deal that was.  And now.  Now we're into the second decade of the millennium.  Crazy how fast time is flying.

We went to see the animals at Amboseli National Park this morning early, and then again late afternoon.  The treat was seeing two male lions from afar, then they moved closer, until they crossed the street right in from of us.  That made our day.

Tomorrow right after breakfast, we leave for our journey back to Nairobi.

I've missed posting, and I have especially missed the Internet, but I wouldn't trade this experience for the world.

The Kenyans that I met were so warm and welcoming.  They all greeted me/us by saying "make yourself at home," and you get the impression that they really meant it.  They seemed especially excited to see someone who looked like them, but was not from Africa.

Side note - Sorry that I have posted these daily writings late.  It's been a flood, I know.  Read what you can.  Check out the pictures, and move on.   I promise not to be mad at you.

Side note 2 - I inquired about visiting the American Embassy here, but was told it is way out of the city,  after is was bombed by Al Qaeda in 1998, along with the one in Tanzania.  It was rebuilt fortress-like to protect it, and the people who work there.  I decided to wait and visit the one in Abu Dhabi.

Side note 3 - All vehicles entering the hotel were checked for bombs by a guard at the gate, with a long mirror extending under the car.  This happened in New Delhi, too.

Side note 4 - There were several check points along the way, with spiked strips across the highway that were manned by armed police or soldiers.  We were told they were checking for illegal cargo coming in the country from Tanzania.

Side note 5 - Huge trucks transport everything throughout the country, as the railway system is non-functioning.  Most of the roads were two-lane, so weaving in and out of them along the road as we passed them, was colorful.  

There is a city tour of Nairobi that is supposed to happen later this morning.  Then we head to the airport for our night flight home.

Finally, I have video of the ride along the way back to Nairobi, but it has "disappeared."  Here's hoping I will discover where it's saved on my computer, to share it with you later.

As always, thanks for sharing this with me.

Herb were planted along the walkway at the lodge.

This is in Amboseli National Park.
The views were breathtaking.

A young girl carrying a baby on her back.

Kenya's version of a bodega, at a gas station.

I've seen this a lot.
These are large bottles, maybe water bottles,
getting readied to be carted away.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Ok, we haven't seen any lions yet, and there are no tigers or bears here, but there were plenty of other delightful critters.

We saw a menagerie of animals - baboons, hyenas, donkeys, water bucks, gazelles, and pigs. We also saw herds and herds of elephants, gliding along. They're incredibly graceful for as big as they are.  A large group passed right in front of our van, crossing the street to get to one of the swamps, which is their water supply. We were told they will spend the day there, then return to the forest areas to sleep. What is amazing is that they know where they're going.  I would need GPS!

On our way back to the lodge, we saw a huge solitary elephant, which was a male. The large males do not travel in packs.  The herds we saw earlier were made up of mommies, babies, and young males.  Once the males are grown, they don't travel with the pack.

The pictures didn't begin to capture the beauty of park and the animals that make it their home.  

Beautiful view of Mount Kilimanjaro, which is in Tanzania,
about 10 miles from where we were.

A herd of elephants crossing the road in front of us.

A wildebeest

A buffalo

A hippo

A male ostrich; females are tan

Yes!  Lions crossing the road in front of us

Another view of Mount Kilimanjaro

One more

Giraffes near the roadside

Zebras near the road, but ran when we got close.

I have wonderful video clips, but I'm having trouble uploading them.  I hope to resolve the issue when I get back home.

More soon.

Masai Village

When we arrived at the lodge, we had lunch, checked into our rooms, and we were asked to be back up front a couple of hours later, as we would be visiting a Masai Village.

When we arrived at the village, there were ladies lined up to greet us in song and dance.  The young men joined them with a jumping dance.  Everyone had on red colorful outfits.  The color red is used in welcoming and in weddings.

We're being given instructions by this warrior

The Masai people lined up to greet us

After the greeting in dance, we all squatted in prayer before we began our tour of the village.

Side note - Most Masai women have shaved heads.  Others have very short haircut. It is their custom for women not to have long hair.

Side note 2 - All of the Masai people are branded on both cheeks beginning at six years old.

He was my guide.
Note that his cheeks are branded.

The Masai people are nomadic, and live a very primitive life.  This village had 150 people, made up of a chief, with ten wives, and all of their offspring.  The adult child visit other tribes to find mates, then the men bring their new wives back to their village.

The huts are built by the women.  It takes about two months to complete one.  It is made out of tree branches, making up the frame, and is covered in cow dung.  The houses are in a circle, with a large, open area in the middle.  This is where they keep their cows, which are vital to their existence.  Their is a barrier between where the cows are kept and the houses, made of cut bushes, to keep the cow from getting too close at night while they sleep.  Some of the warriors (men), stand guard at night.

Kids playing in front of their homes

Close-up of a home

From Wikipedia.  I wanted to get this right.
The structural framework is formed of timber poles fixed directly
into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches,
which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks,
grass, cow dung and human urine, and ash.
The cow dung ensures that the roof is water-proof. 

In the morning, the cows are moved to pastures to eat.  The Masai people use everything on a cow, including the cow's blood.

The meat is used to eat.  The hide is used as bed coverings, and the bones are used to make things to sell.  They are dependent on these sales to help support the families.

The boys/men use their spears and bow and arrows, to shoot the cows in the jugular, where they drain about a litter of the cows' blood.  The cows' renewed blood supply is believed to make them healthier.

The Masai people then add milk to the blood and drink it.  It helps to build endurance on the long walks with the herds, and generally it is believed to help to keep them strong and healthy.

Although nomadic by nature, the village we visited has been there for five years.  A school was built for them that serves seven villages, and because of the desire for the children to be educated, they have stayed put.  One of our guides was a volunteer teacher.

There is an outhouse for the village, and a pumped water supply.  The women carry the water the short distance in buckets to their homes.  There is no electricity. Light and heat are provided by the campfire they make inside the huts.

Me with two warriors

This is inside one of the homes.
I told the guy there was no way he could stand upright inside,
and he proved me wrong.

I asked the kid who was my guide, if he ever desired to leave this lifestyle, and he immediately said no.  He said we like our life as is and don't want to change it. Interestingly, he had been educated away from the village by Catholic missionaries. Even though some leave for school, they almost always come back to this simple life.

I just returned from lunch at the lodge, where I noticed one of the servers had the branded cheeks.  I asked him if he was a Masai, and he confirmed that he was.  I asked him if he was "cheating" by working outside his village, and he said it was allowed and that their were about 30 of them working at the lodge, although they weren't all from the same village.

Side note 3 - There is a medicine man in each village, who attends to the medical needs of the people.  He is able to address about 80% of their needs with local herbs, with the other 20% needing attention at the area hospital.

They are fascinating people.

Hello Kenya!

I'm drafting this post on the patio of my tent in the Amboseli Sentrim.  It is a lodge set just outside of Amboseli National Park.  It is very rustic, and incredibly peaceful. We're about ten miles from Mount Kilimanjaro, which is located in Tanzania.

Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

Tony, our driver

Side note - This is the first time since I left home, just shy of 18 years old, that I had such a symphony of sounds to fall asleep to.  There were the call of bugs and critters in constant communication.  In spite of the noise, or maybe because of it, the setting was serene, and the sleep, sweet.

There are about a dozen tents scattered throughout the lodge.  Some single, some for families.  I was supposed to be rooming with someone, but begged off once we arrived, and I've had the pleasure of peace and solitude of being alone.

Allow me to back up for a minute.

The flight was scheduled to leave Dubai at 2:30 on the 30th.  Thank God, we departed on time and arrived on time, but the experience at the gate was colorful.

Side note 2 - As big and beautiful as Dubai's airport is, it has very little seating at the gates.  The way they do things here is, you go through security, passport check, and another security check, then you go to your gate area.  You can't get inside the gate area until about an hour prior to boarding.  So, you have to find a seat in the very limited seating areas outside the gates.  Often you're on the floor.

Side note 3 - Back to Amboseli - There's a guy, I'm guessing about 40 years old, who is in a small clearing near my tent, flying a tiny remote-controlled plane.  The noise sounds like mosquitos buzzing.  Do guys ever grow up?

Now back to the gate -

It was surprising to see the gate agents had put, what looked like a large bathroom scale, at the gate entrance.  Everyone entering had to weigh their carry-ons.  This was different, but OK, whatever.  Mine was overweight because I put my computer, and all of my other gadgets in it so that I could roll the bag instead of carrying it on my shoulder.  So, I had to take my computer out and check the bag.  No biggie.  Saved me the hassle of dealing with it on the plane.

As more and more people showed up at the gate, it was crystal clear why they had the scale.  Folks were showing up with a carry-on bag, plus three or four additional plastic bags stuffed with all kinds of things.  Everything was weighed, and everything overweight had to be checked.  Some arguments ensued with the gate agents, but mostly everyone was cool.

Side note 4 - Boy, was this experience in complete contrast to my Prague flight.  We went from very pale crowds to a sea of deep, rich brown.  There were about a dozen white folks in the area, and quite frankly, they looked a bit frightened.  I thought that was kind of funny since they were headed to a land full of colored folks just like these.

Anyway, the flight was great.  As I said, we left on time and arrived on time.  We had a completely black air crew.  That was pretty extraordinary in my world of travel.

Once we arrived at the airport, getting the visas was an arduous ordeal that took TWO hours!  When I finally made it to the counter, the guy looked at my passport and said I couldn't enter because I only had two blank pages for the visa stamps in my passport, and you must have three.  Thank God a supervisor OK'd it.  When I asked why, the answer was, just cause.  So, before I take another trip, I must visit an American Embassy to get pages added to my passport.  I'm hoping to take care of that in Nairobi.

Then, it was off to a caravan of five vans, taking us the four hours south to Amboseli.  I was traveling with an East Indian family who lives in Dubai.  Two couples, each with a daughter with them.  One of the girls was ten, the other fourteen.  They made great traveling partners.  Our driver was especially kind, friendly , and very informative.  As tired as we all were, having traveled five hours to get to Nairobi, and then an additional four hours to Amboseli, the time went by fast.

We're arriving at the lodge

This is my tent

The path leading to my tent

Comfy Bed

Sitting Area

View outside

Sitting area outside at the back of tent

Uniforms

Almost everyone wears a uniform of some kind here.

The local, and Arab women from other countries, wear abayas, the long black dresses.  The local men wear kandouras, the long white robes.

Most jobs require uniforms.  The men who pump the gas at the service station wear all-blue.  The guys who work inside the adjoining store, wear blue and white.  The ones who wash cars wear all-blue overalls.

Janitors wear uniforms.  The manager wears a different one.

Folks who work in the mall in the stores each wear a specific uniform for their particular store.  Again, the managers wear a different one.

There is a real effort made to distinguish folks here by class.  I think that's the main reason for the uniforms.  At a glance, you can tell the social standing of the person by what they're wearing.

VIP seating and sections abound.  I was at an outdoor bazaar a few days ago, and there was a VIP entrance, complete with a red carpet.  It appeared that anyone wishing to pay the extra cost, could use that entrance.  That is usually not the case.

In schools, the students wear uniforms.

Here, the wealth is new and proudly displayed, and with it, the prestige.  

On the other hand, it reminds me of some really wealthy folks, who are very inconspicuous.  There is no way they would be recognized as wealthy from the way they look or carry themselves.

Not so here.

I'm on my way to Kenya tonight for a safari trip.  I'll be ushering the New Year in with some critters.

More soon from the Mother Land.

Witty Writer

The topic is Spanx.  The article is long, but you get the gist of it on page one.

From The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/at-spanx-the-battle-of-the-bulges-is-on/2012/12/26/15a1ab32-4542-11e2-8e70-e1993528222d_story.html

Introducing Miss Milu

Ben and Lupe's pride and joy, and Grandma's newest sweetheart.

Just hours old

Look at all that hair!

A lovely family portrait

Babies are a reminder of the miracle that life, and giving birth is.  It is especially poignant at this time of year.

Thanks for allowing me to share our joy with you.

Mom's Letter to Her Two Year Old

A mom writes a letter to her daughter to be read when she's on her way to college.  I wish I would have thought of this.

As seen on The Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-wruble/college-advice-for-daughters_b_2264720.html

Camel Beauty Contest

There is an annual camel festival that is happening now.  It runs the last two weeks of December.  This is a huge event.  I went to a smaller version of this last year, and it was fun being a part of the festivities.  I intended to go to this one, but when I looked into it, I discovered the ride there is 3.5 hours long, 7.0 hours round trip.  I decided I didn't want to see the camels that bad.  Really, the thing I wanted to see was the camel beauty contest.

Enjoy this clip about it that was featured on www.cnn.com today.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/12/27/pkg-defterios-uae-most-beautiful-camel.cnn

Best Cookies . . . Ever!

Some of the best chocolate chips cookies on the planet can be found locally in Sacramento at the Doubletree Hotel.  They are baked fresh everyday.  They can be purchased at the coffee shop counter.  These are the cookies that they leave on your pillow when you stay there.  A dear friend sent me some, and even though they were delayed getting here, they were still absolutely delicious.

They make great gifts for the cookie lovers in your life.  They come in a lovely keepsake Doubletree tin.

If you're not in the Sacramento area, don't fret.  The Christie Cookie Company sells cookies nationally and they are cut from the same cookie cutter.  Pun intended.

The Christie Cookie Company offers several varieties.  The Doubletree, just one.

So, end your year sweetly, enjoying this wholesome, time-honored treat.

Yes.

I know.

I know.

I should be getting paid big bucks for these endorsements.

Side note - The other chocolate chips in my world are Ben and Frankie, and with Milu and Zadie, I now have mini chocolate chips.

Ben's a Daddy!

Milu Rogriguez Sharpe arrived just hours ago weighing 5lbs 5oz, 19 inches long. Mom and baby are doing great.

Is he a proud papa or what?

More soon.

View from "Top of the World"

I decided at the last minute to spend Christmas in Dubai, visiting the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.  Although I had seen it from afar many times, I had not made the trek to see it up close.

What follows is a video clip, that could serve as an ad for the place, but it features some interesting facts.

http://www.burjkhalifa.ae

Access to this magnificent structure is through the Dubai Mall, which is the world's largest mall, with 1200 stores.  It's crazy big.  All of the top retails stores in the world have stores here, including, but certainly not limited to - Hermes, Versace, Rolex, Burberry - and on and on.

Back to the Burj Khalifa -

There is a fee of 100 dirhams, which is just over $27, to visit the observation deck on the 124th floor.  Or, if you choose not to wait in lines, you can purchase the 425 dirhams ($115) ticket and move to the front of each line.  It is best to purchase the tickets online, to avoid waiting in this line, too.

The elevator ride was the smoothest I've ever experienced.  We arrived on the 124th floor in a flash.  My ears popping was the only indication that we were going up or down, and moving really fast.  We arrived on the observation deck, that includes a terrace where you're outside, feeling the cool breeze.  It was a hazy day, but still the view was pretty amazing.

View from the car

View from a window on the way up

View of the city from the observation deck

Notice the shadow of the top of the building

Another amazing "straight up" view from the terrace

A better view of the shadow

The observation deck

Great view of the water, but not very clear in this photo.

This is the terrace.

My UAE brothers and sisters take extravagance to a whole new level.  For one of the smallest countries in the world, I wonder if this need for being recognized as the biggest and best is an effort on their part to be noticed by the world.  If so, they've succeeded.

Merry Christmas!

It's still Christmas Eve in the US, but it's Christmas morning in my world.

Last year at this time, I had just moved into my apartment, and was waiting for a furniture delivery.  Today, I'll be reading, resting, and watching TV.

Here's hoping that this holiday is wonderful for you and yours, and that this new year is the beginning of the best years of your life.

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Prague is not the place to be if you have a problem with drinking.  Beer, wine and hard liquor are everywhere - in the fruit stand across the street, in the grocery stores, in the makeshift winter wonderland outdoor kiosks - any place that sells food, sells liquor too.

I began the day going on a three mile roundtrip trek from the hotel, looking for the Futura Museum. When I arrived at the Google Map location, it was not there.  First of two times the Google boys failed me today.  The second was getting back home, when I lost internet service, and thus the mapping service.  OK, this one wasn't their fault.  Anyway, I was turned around, so I stopped to ask directions and wound up at a quaint little coffee shop where I was forced to sit and drink my cappuccino because they didn't have take away cups.  It was a lovely respite, and I'm glad I did.

Back outside, I headed in the general direction of the hotel, and by the grace of God, turned a corner and recognized my neighborhood.  I went to the stores nearby and picked up dinner because I knew I wouldn't be leaving the hotel anymore today.  The hotel only provides breakfast service.

There were snow flurries the entire time I was out, but it wasn't so bad as to prevent me from going.

I was looking for the sculptures of David Cerny.  It seems like Prague hasn't decided whether to laud him or condemn him.  Whatever your stand, there's no argument that his work is provocative.  A sample, and my favorite,  is below.

Not sure what he calls it, but I can think of a few names.  How about you?
You can stick your head inside to watch a video
of two politicians feeding each other.
Bizarre, yes.  Provocative, for sure.

What follows are more pictures of the area I was in today, they include a statue of Winston Churchill.

These guys are selling fish that are kept alive in the barrels.
You pick the one you want, and they kill it and prepare it for you.
I passed them several times, and when business was slow,
they were passing around a huge Vodka bottle.
That's one way to keep warm.

Another street view

Winston Churchill

This nativity scene is made completely out of straw
and is located inside the Prague Castle Complex.
This is from the guided tour.  I forgot to include it earlier.

This has been a great trip.  Tomorrow I'm headed home with many fond memories.

More soon.

Is It Better to Have Loved and Lost . . .

than to never have loved at all?

This came to mind as I was watching the movie, "Hope Springs."  Let me preface my comments by saying I love Meryl Streep.  She's an amazing actress and her partner in the movie, Tommy L. Jones, is also a favorite of mine.  Having said that, this movie was painful to watch.  In fact, just over half way through, I gave up.  To those of you who haven't heard about it, it's about a couple married for 31 years who go to a therapist to try to renew the passion in their lives.

Painful.  Painful.  Painful.

If they were trying for an adult rom-com, as I've read in some of the reviews, the writers missed it by a long shot.

Anyway, that got me to thinking about the adage that I began with -

"Is it better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all?"

I don't know, but this is how I see it.

There was this neighborhood restaurant that the boys and I used to go to a lot for breakfast, and they always had these beautiful pies for sale in the front counter where you paid.  They were garnished just so, and looked delicious.

They were not.

The crusts tasted like cardboard and the filling was straight from the can, leaving that metallic taste behind.

They were not good.  At all.

In fact, I tried several, thinking I was always picking the wrong one, but none of them ever tasted as good as they looked.

So, would it have been better to imagine how good they would be, or was it better to eat some and be incredibly disappointed?

Same thing with falling in love -

Is it better to experience it and get hurt, or keep the image of what you expect it to be, and live in blissful ignorance?

What do you think?