Safari Shakedown

The second section of my trip to Kenya was one of those "You HAVE to do this once in your life" Events...A full-on, 100% authentic, African Safari!


When Lucy and I were talking about what to do while I was there, she asked if I wanted to go on Safari. "YES! Of Course!" I said.
"I can get us a deal on a three day Safari" She replied.
"Three days..." I answered with trepidation. "Sooo....you just drive around and look at animals for three DAYS?!?!" (In my mind I was thinking "Oh man, how boring must that be! One day is enough!")

People, I couldn't have been more WRONG!

Going on safari is the best thing ever!

You are taken by a guide, who is all at once your driver; finder of animals; finder of best-possible-view-of-animals; fountain of knowledge for all things Safari, Eastern Africa, and life in general, and your protector from said animals and any sort of unsavoury people who might try to bother you/sell you anything they can on the streets.


The Safari started in Nairobi, our guide picked us up early in the morning and we drove to the Maasai Mara, one of Kenya's many national parks, and one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. On the way, we drove through the Great Rift Valley, which runs from Syria to Mozambique.



Our Safari Bus!

Maasai Warrior by the road

We checked into our campsite, and went off for an evening safari to start the event off right. Right away, I was hooked. Driving around looking for animals is intoxicating! You get a hint of a hoofprint, a shadow by a bush, and that's it- all you can think about is finding the next member of the Big 5 (Elephants, Lions, Water Buffalo, Leopards, and Rhinos).


Outside the tent/cabin

Posing in the Bus, of course

Queuing for Lion-Action

The next day, we left early and spent the entire day int he Mara. We drove all over, seeing all the different aspects of the terrain, and the different animals that call the Mara home during the Wildebeest migration. Serengeti, Mountains, River Valley, all were unique and beautiful.


Ostrich Daddy protecting his eggs


Elephant mudbath

Safari Stunnas! 

We were there at the perfect time. The "Circle of Life" is nowhere more true to life than the African plains. The Wildebeests lead the way through their migration. The animals all follow each other, Wildebeests and Gazelles eating the grass, Lions, cheetahs, and Leopards eating the small animals, Vultures and Hyenas eating the carcasses left over...it puts the food chain into a stark relief that most of us fail to appreciate today thanks to Costco and Vons.


Wildebeest Migration...It looked just like the scene in the Lion King, no joke!

Thomson Gazelle, Wildebeest, and Zebras coexisting

Rhino Mom and bebe


Zebras

Water Buffalo

Grant's Gazelle's

Giraffes-My Fave!

Cheetah Mom and Bebe


Hippos!

Our last day, we left the camp around 6 am for an early morning ride. The Lions hunt in the morning, and almost all the animals are more awake in the early hours of the day, choosing to siesta during midday.

Sunrise over the Mara


Chillin' and waiting for some Buffalo!

Awww!

Everything we saw was so much more impressive than anything you see n TV or in a zoo. The animals live their lives, catering to no one but their natural instincts, ignoring the buses full of chattering humans, focusing completely on survival in all its forms. If you want to understand the basic laws of nature, see it in it's purest form, and have a spiritual experience different than any other, I cannot imagine a better way than by immersing yourself into it like you do on Safari.



"There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows." ~Isak Dinesen

Amazing.

<3 Kim

Party on Down to Kenya

Best Vacation Ever? Quite possibly. I figured I might as well put that out there right away. Visiting Kenya was one of the coolest, most unique, stimulating, and memorable vacations I've ever taken. Having friends who are undertaking research in exotic locations really does make travelling easier. No excuse, and not time like the present when you have someone there, who knows the culture, and you know they are there for a very limited time. 

While I love travelling all over Europe, and I have been to Central America as well, there is something so alluring and daunting about visiting Africa...There is so much tension, passion, volatility, beauty, corruption, diversity, and history throughout, and all of these things permeate the diverse culture groups, nations, and regions. It can be a bit overwhelming (to say the least) to try and understand the historical and current situations in any given country, let alone across the whole African Continent.  

Eastern Africa is wholly a different world from Western Africa, Southern Africa, Central Africa, etc. After state lines were drawn, and colonial rule ended, the tensions between cultural groups who had been forced to live under the laws of a country that they had no input in creating, or who had their tribes split across national lines with no thought given to the lives and locales of the native population, grew and strife has been present in varying forms ever since. 

My friend Lucy has been living in Nairobi, Kenya since November 2009. She is studying maternal healthcare in refugee groups in Kenya, specifically the Somali refugees who have settled in Nairobi. 

I went to visit Lucy in September 2010, arriving at 6 am after a loooong flight!

Miss Lucy et moi

Nairobi is a very diverse city. People come from all over the country, from so many different tribes and regions, to try and earn a living in Nairobi. Full of hope, and crime, and a constant tension between the government and the people, with so many humanitarian organisations all over the place, with impressive wealth and crippling poverty encompassed within abutting neighbourhoods, Nairobi reminds me of any other big city in the world, but it has a dangerous touch and an underlying will to survive and thrive that I think is unique to developing countries.

I really enjoyed driving around the City and seeing all of the unique aspects of life in Nairobi. We visited the Giraffe Conservation Centre, the Elephant Orphanage, and went to a show at the Cultural Centre where we saw performances from lots of the cultural groups across Kenya. It was fascinating to see the recreations of these tribal traditions that have been performed for hundreds of years. 

Roadside Shop

At the Giraffe Centre

Mmmm tasty!

 At the Elephant Orphanage

The food was also diverse, we ate at a very western bakery and cafe, an Ethiopian restaurant, and bought some of the freshest, most flavourful produce I've ever had in my life for pennies. 

One of the most memorable parts of Nairobi though has to be the Maasai Markets. Homemade items of amazing quality and even better prices are laid out stall by stall in a sprawling layout. Sellers chat to you as you walk by, trying to get you to purchase their wares. Bartering is expected, and an art form in Kenya. You never take the first price offered, everything is up for negotiation, and if you're skilled enough you may come away from a stall with three blankets, two bags, a small carved hippo, and a new friend for 2000 shillings. After starting out being offered one blanket for 1000 shillings. It's an exhilarating experience, and one that definitely improves with practice. Lucy is amazing at it, but I was dismal at first, ending the week adequate, but nowhere near as good as she is! 

After leaving Nairobi, we headed off on Safari for three days. But that's a whole post of it's own...

On the way to Safari...

The Great Rift Valley

Until then,

Kim

When it's Summer in the City...

Summer was full of visitors for me...Everyone wanted to get  a piece of Scotland in 2010! And really, if you're going to come visit, it's either got to be July-September, or Christmas-New Years. Outside of that, there's a good chance you'll experience the type of weather I was writing about the other day...And the only redeeming factor about the winter visits is that Edinburgh does it RIGHT for Christmas and New Years! They go all out with events, festivals, carnivals, Christmas Markets, torchlight processions, etc.

Moving on, because I know you know how much I hate the crap weather right now, back to the sunny(ish) days of summer!

Early July brought the Lovely Amy and her boyfriend Matt to Edinburgh.

I had never met Matt before, and apparently Amy had told him that he was going to have to impress me. HAHA poor him! But he passed with flying colours, and put up with Amy and I ganging up against him for the week. Smart man. They're first night in town, I hosted a wee dinner party for Amy, Matt, and some of my friends. It was impromptu and tasty, just as a summer dinner party should be!


After spending some time in Edinburgh, Amy and Matt rented a car and drove the highlands for a week. Talk about brave! Amy had to remind Matt what side of the road he was supposed to drive on when he forgot what country he was in...

While Amy and Matt were up north, I had two more visitors for one full day-Dannika and Lara from Seattle!


They were at the tail end of a long European vacation (jealous? I was!) And arrived at my flat tanned and happy at 1 am in the middle of the week. After very little sleep (we hadn't seen each other in AGES!) We spent one very full day wandering Edinburgh, trying to get the feel for the whole city in 24 hours. I think we did a pretty good job. We even got to flirt with a handsome Scottish bartender!
Whoops! Eyes Closed!
After I got my American fix, August brought Lucy and Siobhan back from their respective fieldwork sites for a vacation! It was so good to see my Anthro girls back in Scotland again, but just made us all realise how much longer there was before they were going to be back for good!

It was a fun few weeks though, topped off my a performance by Siobhan's boyfriend Corey's band Earl Grey and the Loose Leaves.


Shib left the next day, and that was also moving day! I left my lovely flat (sniff) and moved into a two person flat with Kate, who I had lived with in my other flat. I really did NOT like the person who moved into my flat, and was so tired of having new flatmates so often, so I decided that the move was for the best. Kate and I get on really well, and the flat is nice a comfy, so I'm not too sad about having left...even though there is no lift and the bus is much farther away...Extra exercise is good right?!?!

Anywho, Kate and I threw a superhero party the week after I moved in. Meet Flame Girl and Lightning Girl!


We're so Fab!




Although it was sad when Lucy and Shib had to go back to Kenya and Poland, I only had to wait two and a bit weeks until I saw Lucy again...this time on her turf...


<3 Kim

The Seven Bridges Road

"There are stars in the southern sky, southwards as you go, there is a taste of thyme sweetened honey down the Seven Bridges Road."

Is it just me or is that song such a lovely example of a poetic nod to the place we can always call home? When I hear this song, it immediately makes me think of being in California. Yes, I know Steve Young wrote this about The South (capital T Capital S), but in my opinion, this song has such a larger applicability. We all have that place, whether it is the home we grew up in, or the city we feel most kindred to, or anywhere that includes THOSE PEOPLE that just make you feel ok, and comfortable, and when you are in that place, for just a few days, or even minutes, everything is alright with the world. We all need to have this type of home. Not just the place when your possessions reside, but when your heart resides.

"Sometimes there's a part of me, has to turn from here and go, running like a child from these warm stars down the Seven Bridges Road"

Story of my life much?

I feel like I've been "that child" for a long time now...Since last summer I've been thinking quite often about whether, and where, I will make a home. Do I want to stay in the UK? I really have no idea. Am I ready to move back to America? Possibly. Back to California? Again, I really don't know. Every time I hear about someone taking a big step in their life, like getting married, or having a child, or buying a house it makes me feel even more acutely how far I am from any of these things. But does that really matter? We live in such a large, complex world, why do I think that achieving these three 'milestones' will suddenly launch me into adulthood? I have a Master's degree, and numerous years of good work experience. I pay my bills and budget and save money, I travel and I try to do things that will benefit the future that I want. I'm not crystal clear on what that future IS, but I know that it includes travel, and learning, and growing a vegetable garden and writing a book.

Perhaps, like the fluid concept of "home", the concept of "grown-up" is something that doesn't have to be defined in a concrete manner. Perhaps being a "grown-up" is one of those things that no one ever talks about but everyone knows...they know that there is no such thing, and that milestones can be whatever you want, you can buy a house, have a marriage and 1.5 kids, or get three PhDs, live in a box for research, and give birth to another Middle Earth for a future generation to turn into a blockbuster trilogy!




So here's to the dreamers, and schemers, and mortgage-evaders! We need to run like a child from the warm stars of comfort every once in a while, because then when we come back, home really is sweeter...

<3 Kim

Dreich* And Some Weeknight Roasting

If I needed any reminder that it is still winter in Scotland, today's weather would do it. Snow this morning, followed by hurricane-force winds and driving rain throughout the day and evening. A day for warm boots, long wool coats, and a hat to keep off the rain. "What about an umbrella?" You may ask-Well, they are utterly useless in this country. Why do you think there are so many sheep in Scotland? THEY NEED MORE WOOL!

Although, at least wool is fashionable...

So, back to the topic at hand. Needless to say, I arrived home drookit, lie a hielan shep straight oot the burn!**

The only alternative? A tasty dinner. Cooking helps me relax, and take control after a day of fighting tooth and nail to not get blown straight to Shetland! I spent a good 30 minutes in my Investment Committee meeting today figuring out what I was going to make for dinner...It started like this:

Roasted Eggplant and tomatoes, spruced up with just a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

This was the first time I roasted tomatoes, and I have to say, they were AMAZING! They take on a sweetness and depth that fresh tomatoes never have. These do their thing alongside the eggplant, which roasts down into a silky, flavourful bite that anyone who claims to not like eggplant would have to be crazy to resist! Let the eggplant and tomatoes get a bit charred and you have the makings of a stunning antipasto. OR...

You can add the roasted vegetables to some sauteed onions, garlic and artichoke hearts, toss with whole wheat pasta, and mix in some fresh, peppery arugula and creamy British Stilton cheese. 100% awesome. 100% warming and satisfying.

What was the deal with the weather again? Oh...right...who cares?!?!


Á Bientôt,

Kim



Scots Vocab lesson:
*Miserable, cold and wet (weather)
**Dripping wet like a Highland sheep straight out of the stream

Sunny Days and Transatlantic Tears

AKA, A Tribute to Miss Saab...

May 2010 was the month that my dear friend/flatmate/voice of logic Yara left Edinburgh to move to New York. After two gruelling years in Edinburgh Law School, she was finally free to take on the job of a lifetime: Legal Advisor for the Lebanese Delegation on the UN Security Council. That's right. The United Nations Security Council. That, my dear friends and family is an impressive 25 year old! I have no doubt that if anyone can be the change they want to see in the world, it's her!

At Yara's Going Away Party

Yara is a fabulous person, one of those once-in-a-lifetime friends. I am so lucky to have her, and I'm so glad she came into my life! Being Lebanese raised in Cyprus, Yara, like myself, has a predisposition to sun-worshipping, and a severe dislike for the cold, wet, nasty aspects of life in Scotland. Luckily for us, the last day before her big move happened to be one of the most glorious days of summer! (yes, let's not talk about the fact that we had our summer over and done with by the end of May...sad day!)

The last day...Sunny and warm and the perfect send-off!

At the airport...there are tears in this picture!

I miss this girl like whoa! But I'm so glad that she is doing such amazing things! Overall, I have to thank Edinburgh Law School, the Mediterranean Gastronomic Society, and a questionable Lebanese friend in common for bringing her into my life!

Edinburgh Law School...the Beast!

So let's raise a proverbial glass to my dear friend, and may she have many sunny days to come!

Pierogi with the Pope

Krakow was the capitol of Poland from 1038 to 1596. The first written record of the city dates to 966 AD, when it was already a notable commercial centre. But legend has it that the city was founded by Krakus, a mythical ruler, who built Krakow above a cave that was occupied by a dragon, called Smok Wawelski. People have been settled there since, and as such, Krakow is an old, OLD place, where myth is intertwined with history, religion is handfast with strong cultural ties, and the deeply engrained traditions of Poland-both on a regional and national level, are blatantly recreated, showcased, and immortalised for the tourists, and (I hope) for the younger generations as well.

There has been a trend in the past 50 years of migration from Poland to the UK. There are strong Polish communities throughout Britain, as many Poles come to the UK riding on the European Union's wave of open workforce opportunities. It was this Diaspora, and their migratory habits, that took my dear friend Siobhan to Krakow for her PhD fieldwork, and which led to me visiting said friend for a long weekend in June 2010!

Oh hi there Shib!












One of my favourite thinga about Europe is that there is so much HISTORY! Everything has a story, or a slew of stories, and in small towns that are over a thousand years old, these stories are are mish-mashed up against together, one leads into another in Krakow as you slowly walk around the main square...the strictly Catholic St. Mary's Basilica is linked to the medieval market filled with flower stalls and "pretzel" sellers, which is linked to the side streets full of Polish and Italian restaurants, and numerous cafés branching off of the main Market square, which can bring you around in a circle until you finally find yourelf bumping up against Wawel Castle where the Pope is buried, and then you're back around to the dragon, who's cave can be seen from the castle.

Said Basilica

The Main Market Square

Wawel Castle...THere are 4 different periods of architecture squished together into one fantastic building

Back in the main square...Art Installation avec Kim and Shib

One of the best things about Krakow is that everything is very inexpensive-not cheap, because the things you buy are amazing quality, but what you get for your zloty is AMAZING! This comes in handy when you're a foodie who half-chooses vacation areas based on cuisine. The pierogis! Steamed, fried, served with bread (or ON bread) and grilled onions! The pretzel bread (which is quintessentially Krakow) that you buy for like 30 cents on the street! The cheese! The ice cream and waffles (and waffle sundaes)! and the vodka!

I love it when coffee comes with a treat! Cafés are a BIG part of daily life in Poland...

I think my face says it all...Fried pierogis served on a PLATE MADE OF BREAD!!! Needless to say the whole thing was not able to be consumed!

At the "Singer Bar" Where every table is a sewing machine table complete with sewing machine...and flavoured vodkas!

The infamous Krakow Bread rings aka pretzels...super cheap and delicious...this is breakfast/snack on the run for the Krakovians (and tourists)!

Ice cream at the amazing Wedel chocolatier in the main square












Even though I only spent three days in Krakow, it definitely gave me a feeling for Eastern Europe, and the unique cultures and sentiments that exist in this part of the world. Communist Socialism has left a hefty mark on Poland, and Catholicism continues to be a dominating influence. With Poland's semi-integration into the EU (they are part of the European Union, but not on the Euro) And the opening of the borders, the influences of Eastern Europe and the West sometimes clash. Religion, sexuality, education, old traditions and responsibilities with new opportunities...It's very similar to what the US went through in the early 20th century...minus the Communist bit, of course. And it's quite exciting to see how the Polish people have adapted to the huge changes of the past 20 years both within their country and outside their borders.

Art installation in an old square

Anti-Krak sentiments?

Kim and Siobhan :-)

Poland was such a great experience, and I would really love to see more of Eastern Europe, Perhaps road trip from Poland down into the Czech Republic, then into Slovenia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and end up in Turkey? Hmmm...Sounds like a plan to me! ;-)

Until next time,

Kim