Malindi - A Time To Relax
Posted On Saturday, August 20, 1994 at at 12:45 AM by AlvinAfter visiting the Mara, we flew out of Nairobi to the coastal town of Malindi where we enjoyed a spot of the Indian Ocean and caught up with some reading of this fascinating country.
We boarded the plane in Nairobi and landed 2 hours later in Malindi airport which was basically a wooden hut with some official looking dudes checking our bags and grunting "Checked ! Next !" Other than these dudes, there was absolutely nothing at the airport; no information desk, no money changers, no welcoming parties etc. Luckily, I saw an overhead sign (and not for the first time, an overhead sign saved the day) at the airport lounge "Driftwood - Lovely Beach Huts just for you !" So we asked the cab driver to head to Driftwood and the owner was so surprised to see these oriental creatures on his doorsteps and he showed us a very well-equipped beach hut with all sorts of mod-cons (fridge etc) and served us a fantastic cocktail before dinner ! We could get used to this we thought...
The coastal areas were such a difference to the inner gaming areas and we missed the dawn outings of seeing the big 5 munching their breakfast ! Here are two cubs with their mother lioness that we saw during a dawn game viewing outing. We missed them !
We boarded the plane in Nairobi and landed 2 hours later in Malindi airport which was basically a wooden hut with some official looking dudes checking our bags and grunting "Checked ! Next !" Other than these dudes, there was absolutely nothing at the airport; no information desk, no money changers, no welcoming parties etc. Luckily, I saw an overhead sign (and not for the first time, an overhead sign saved the day) at the airport lounge "Driftwood - Lovely Beach Huts just for you !" So we asked the cab driver to head to Driftwood and the owner was so surprised to see these oriental creatures on his doorsteps and he showed us a very well-equipped beach hut with all sorts of mod-cons (fridge etc) and served us a fantastic cocktail before dinner ! We could get used to this we thought...
The coastal areas were such a difference to the inner gaming areas and we missed the dawn outings of seeing the big 5 munching their breakfast ! Here are two cubs with their mother lioness that we saw during a dawn game viewing outing. We missed them !
Jambo Bwana !
Posted On Saturday, August 13, 1994 at at 12:33 AM by AlvinJambo Bwana ! Hello Mister ! This was our first time in East Africa and we absolutely loved it ! After getting over the jet lag (we flew from Rome via a stop in London, and thanks must go to Adrian for taking care of us in Wimbledon!), we ventured in to downtown Nairoboi and had some very memorable experiences such as being offered "warm beer" and deep fried fish that looked (and tasted) more like a plastic toy fish, turquoise blue in color... Afterwards, we went to the Masai Mara for 2 weeks of game viewing, mainly during dawn and sunset when the Mara got cooler and animals were out socialising, killing each other and had a drink afterwards down by the local watering hole; yeh, it's nasty out there ! Also we camped under the stars and met a couple of Masai Warriors on the way, you know, they were alright, handsome lot, just mighty fearsome and apparently even the lions ducked out of their way !
Then we took off to Lake Nakuru and found an amazing sight awaiting us where thousands of pink flamingos gathered on the lake shore, thus forming a pink carpet covering almost the entire lake. The lake was highly saturated with alkaline and it suited the feeding of the flamingos without problems; but no swimming for us fragile humans please !
Then we took off to Lake Nakuru and found an amazing sight awaiting us where thousands of pink flamingos gathered on the lake shore, thus forming a pink carpet covering almost the entire lake. The lake was highly saturated with alkaline and it suited the feeding of the flamingos without problems; but no swimming for us fragile humans please !
Dolomiti !
Posted On Monday, June 27, 1994 at at 9:22 PM by AlvinThe amazing mountain formation of Dolomiti sits on the northern end of Italy and awaits our exploration. The mountain range used to be submerged under sea water a couple of million years back, thus giving its dramatic appearance. We spent 2 weeks hiking in this region and enjoying the cool climate at this high altitude.
Puglia - The Heel Of Italy
Posted On Thursday, June 2, 1994 at at 9:29 PM by AlvinThe province of Puglia is the heel of the Italian boot. It is a region of raw natural beauty with blue blue sky and seas as well as unique culture. We visited the Trulli in Alberobello which are fascinating stone dwellings as well as the wind swept beaches of Gallipoli. The driving in Taranto is however just like the rest of Italy - aggro wins !
Let's go to Sicily !
Posted On Sunday, May 15, 1994 at at 12:15 AM by AlvinWe took a week off down to the Island of Sicily where fuming Etna awaited or maybe even the "Black Hand"... yikes ! It was such a fun trip to put our Renault 5 through its paces all the way from Rome and cross over by ferry to Messina and we visited the coastal town of Taomina before we ventured into the interior arid areas of Enna (yes this is where I think Michael Corleone met his love) and back round Cefalu . On our way up North, we stumbled upon the lovely sea cliff-hanging town of Tropea in the region of Calabria which has remained our favourite seaside town ever since.
Taking Dad and Maggie To The Venice Carnival
Posted On Sunday, February 13, 1994 at at 9:05 PM by AlvinDad and Maggie came for a visit this month and were greeted by some major chilly weather and the once-in-a-lifetime visit to the Venice Carnival ! We drove up to Lucca, Firenze and then on to Venezia and we were amazed by the colorful costumes during the Carnivale ! Also, we spent some time enjoying the slower pace of seeping the local vino and eating Mandy's pastas in Enrico's house which had a homely fire place.
