Sister Friends Tale 2.0

Sister Friends Tale 2.0

Lang'ata Roads 1824 Bar and Lounge

All great things seem to come to an end was an old saying, out here we use, "comes to a pause until that play button is struck once again."

This was a discovery at the very end of this tale, thanks to an old friend Jacqy, we sat talked and enjoyed some good food on this Mummy's First Night Out. 

If you are in Nairobi and you got that taste for good food, in this context meat😋, this is one spot that will knock off your senses. If you don't fancy meat but could surely use some "coma filling fish" then 3Dee Apartments is what you need. You order fish and the chef gets you the mother of fishes, I'm talking about some 12 inch fish, yeah you heard me- grilled, sauced up, fried you name it.

To recall a few; Kalmati- that sweet tooth delicacy, the things people had to go through to get this recipe though. Chocolate cake- that never lasted a day. Biscuits- that even Enzo would not let go of and eat his heart out cause well they were made out of Crazy (Coconuts) Love😛.

Enzo's Biscuits- (E-Biscuits)

                    

So-Gone Chocolate Cake

Kalmati Troubles

Nairobi at heart coming to a halt, nothing like its roads. This caught my eye the very night I arrived and couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of it during the light of day.

Boards with routes and exits, I just can't imagine when this starts working in Dar, the number of people who will take the exits to find themselves at a wrong destination. There is always that first time.

One last time back through the Namanga border and I just had to capture this sunset. Such a serene site setting mood for the rest of the year, I cannot wait for the monthly adventures, be it borders, harbours, airports I am ready to go.

I don't know how you stepped into 2019 but it better be something like this. Happily as a first time discovery when you take that first step out that balcony soon as the door screams open. It's either that or you are crawling your way out cause you are that stuffed turkey and thanks giving is a long way to go before someone can have you. 

Sister Friends Tale 1.0

Sister Friends Tales 1.0

 Dar-Arusha-Nairobi-Arusha-Dar- 20th Dec 2018 - 7th Jan 2019

This here is a sister friends tale, that began a long time ago. The kind you would do anything for cause well they get you, build you, cheer you.
Started with suspension several feet above sea level to witness the beauty in the tributaries as they wound their way to mouth into the ocean. I have no names here but just appreciated what was at sight.

My 1 hour flight to Arusha is all I needed to start up this journey and I was determined to get to my final destination with no delays so was my exit from the airport to a pre-arranged airport pick up to "Mezaluna Area" in Arusha for my Shuttle Ride.
So I stole moments like these to just capture flowing skies, majestic views that come so briefly.
😍

The shuttle ride to Nairobi I think is a genius way to both enjoy the road and save up on making your way there.
It is a 5 hours comfortable drive through and the Namanga Border is splendid to cross. I was on the wrong side of the bus to capture the sunset but heck I had a second chance on return to make it right.

The shuttle stopped at Jevanjee Garden at Monrovia street just next to Parkside Hotel. Uber works in Nairobi unlike in Arusha which is very weird so you get plenty of options.

I took my taxi drive to my destination and much as it was somewhat late to enjoy the view I could tell I loved the roads and architecture in Nairobi.

At last I got where I needed to be, to the beginning of my sister friends tale.

This here is my forever friend who I met many many years ago and we swore to be sisters.

 Ironic how it turned out, she became my sister-in-law 😉 but not something we dwell upon cause we became family way long ago.

I was eager to wake up the next morning and see my nephew. A 15 months old little fella so you can imagine the energy to match his that I had packed up for these holidays.

The very next morning this was our first shot of many many many more to come.😃
Who cares about the bad hair days, "we woke up like this look is what we were going for."
EB- Papii, and his Aunty.
I love kids so it takes no struggle at all to bond with them, even more if you got that first day first face bond and packed up all the tricks a child ever needs up your sleeves.
I am literally smiling as I write this just thinking how EB lights up to the most silliest of things we could do, like repeatedly in a soft voice whisper to him, "Dadaa Dadaa" and he cracks up and whispers back the same.
Don't underestimate him though he's got genius discovered and knew my whole schedule for the day.



Wake up, disturb aunty to open the door for me to go fight my porridge😒, let her think she escaped back to sleep and wait for her, the moment she opens up the door again to run and meet her by the doorway cause I know now the day has just begun. Watch her brush her teeth, sit by the table and watch everyone else eat whilst I recite back what I learnt the previous day; Sita, Tisa which also sounds like Sita, Tatu, Saba, Akabanga in the cutest way possible and Baby Jesus.
By now he got us cheering and ready.

👈Funny how he always decides who he wants, clearly not Santa 😂. His look right now speaks volumes, "heck what is an old man like him playing dress up for? is that a real beard or should I just pull it to see? Why is he just sitting there, isn't he supposed to be riding with reindeers and delivering gifts?


            👉Miles across, a family tradition lives on. Those trips to Lushoto every end of the year resonance echos of laughter, kids running around, bonfire stories, thanks giving for the year that is about to end and views like these. "Irente view"

Every end and beginning of the year has now become a sister friends tale, a family story with a new destination. 

Home away from home

Home away from home

Rwanda---Kicukiro Street 329 House Number 12

An Airbnb experience to die for, yes... this beautiful house is
an Airbnb place you cannot miss to stay in whenever you go to Rwanda.✈
I am a very meticulous person when it comes to setting up things. This seven bedroom house seemed like the best option for my gang of 13 people.
I love people but this person; the host of this place is just on a whole new level. I made Didonc's acquittance sometime in July as I was looking for a place to stay in Rwanda to attend a conference in November.
We discussed details of our stay and commute to the conference area all the way to the Marriot Hotel in Kigali. I trusted in him and him in I throughout the process but of-course it takes some great friends who kept to their promise for showing up.

13 people became 17 and we had to add a second house to this mix which was literally just 2-3minutes walk.

Didonc arranged for airport pick up and drop off, he had transport arranged to and fro the Marriot Hotel which was 20 minutes drive from where we were staying.
The house staff was great and the security of this place is just 😍; the kind you leave your room unlocked and all is well.

When the rooms look exactly like the pictures.
Have you ever wondered as you were admiring the pictures of the place you were going and you tell yourself, "well, I better have my hopes down on the low low so that I don't get disappointed."

I had a no freaking way moment 😱😍 when I got there.

We wanted a BBQ party and he made that happened. All we needed to do was order all we ever needed.
Nothing as great as going to a foreign place and making it feel as homely as possible.

Surely the name of this place resonances how it truly feels, "a home away from home."
😍
Looking forward to Rwanda 2.0, this time a little exploration with Mother Nature would do.

Unplugged

Unplugged from it all, up in the Northern part of Tanzania in a place called Magoroto Forest, Muheza-Tanga. 

October 26th - 28th, 2018

Imagine waking up to such a view, we arrived around 1930hrs after a 5 hours drive from Dar es salaam. For those of us who just want to enjoy the road and let someone else take control then "UnzipTanzania" is your go to place.

Arriving to tents that are ready for you, with a warm blanket and  a towel. UnzipTanzania made the experience even more greater, added on a Maasai wrap around and torches for each of the happy campers under their care.

Don't worry about where you get your shower cause that's taken care of, if you want some warm water to go with, you got it.

Talk about being spoiled;😊 pick up from work, stop over at Mlimani city for some "whatever shopping" you want, working seat belts, driver who keeps to his road rules and hell did I mention who they sent from UnzipTz to make sure you are well cared for.

Easy to the eyes, humour to last an eternity, professional photographer, tour guide, entertainer, lifeguard; which actually reminds me of an incident, that's pretty hilarious right now but not at that moment😂.....Geez what are you not "Fahad Fuad."

Two nights of no network with great company is all the reasons to enjoy bonfire talks, darts for a target practice or should i say not target practice for those who kept going beyond the dart's board...😅

Choosing a trail to hike to was fun, to reach to the view point was the target but that's not for the faint hearted. We made it and celebrated our victory, funny how our return back felt like we were going to yet another view point, more up hill and the right recipe to giving up easily. If you got a good team that pushes you, takes your back pack just so you are lighter, pours some water to make sure that heat stroke doesn't get to you.

If you haven't been there, you are missing out. Go see Magoroto for yourself, take a dip in that cool water, relax and enjoy yourself.

Pack up some great company, lots of fun ideas, hiking shoes or not cause well you can go barefoot.

A Salzburg Experience

A Salzburg Experience

Paediatric Emergency Medicine Seminar

by

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 

 21st - 27th January, 2018

Schloss Arenberg, Arenbergstrasse 10, 5020 Salzburg Austria

It took a flight from Dar to Zurich to Munich, a total of 11 hours before taking a shuttle to Salzburg.

If there is something I love, it is staying in transit. For a fleeting moment to experience what a new place feels like, its beautiful skies and the architecture of the airports at every stop.

A minimum of 3 hours layover is always the safest😉 to timely enjoy transit in any airport and if you want to explore...well make it 5 then.

The sight at 0930hours as we were taking our shuttle ride to Salzburg. 

No boots or winter coats and at this moment I thought...yap this is it, I am finally getting myself a winter coat or a cold.

My travel motto is; go light come back heavy and   I mean luggages so you can definitely imagine how I had some sweat-shirts, scarfs, gloves and left the rest to the power of socks😂

The only person I knew at this very moment was Gibonce, my fellow countryman and there is always that first time jitters to meet knew people so you are somewhat inclined to keep with the pack you know.
That evening while waiting for the introductory dinner, the corridor was packed with echos of at least 31 fellows for this seminar, 5 faculty and our host Stephanie. Little did I know that the first people that came up and started talking to me, the very people I first sat with at my dinning table would be the very people that would make this one week experience filled with sheer excitement.👌

This was my all time gang, from left; Gibonce, Spaska, Bereket, me, Yalchin and Tsolomon. 
We took down streets, discovered new heights.
If only you could see us as we marched down the streets like we owned them, in reality we were all very new to this place. We didn't leave pebbles on the way just a keen eye for every street we turned.
From deciding we would go see Home to the sound of music and Mirabellgarten to detouring for an afternoon of shopping at Europark.
Nothing beats the laughter we had, some memories locked in and ignited by a mere sight of an old picture or recollection of a memory.
Bereket and how he would say, "Girls" 
Bereket and Yalchin tales of No Head
This here is a friendship in the making and future places to visit.
Be it day or night.
Bulgaria, Mongolia, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan or Tanzania

"Love Locks Bridge"

"Salzach River  by Night"

"Salzburg view from Hohensalzburg Fortress"

In a fleeting moment, there is so much in life to be appreciated, friendships to build, knowledge gained and the American Austrian Foundation made all this possible.
I met a diversity of worlds but learned there is only the need to meet humanity with the service to others.

Kisses to life
For every passing day is a taste of new flavour.

Beginners Luck

We hear a lot; Eat Pray Love, Work Travel Save Repeat, Good Food Good Mood and the list goes on.

Like a rule whenever i was asked what my hobbies were i would blurt out things like; reading novels, swimming, traveling, playing soccer just to mention a few and it was all on speed dial.

Life as I have lived it got me to appreciate so much more.

Comes in all servings you could think of with it's many colours.

Art remains to be the one thing that is to be appreciated in its many forms, be it music, food, scenery, travel.

Cheers to the art of Living.