Intercultural Trip #3

You may remember how the wheels on the bike went round and round last year. Or how the mountain won again the year before. Year 3 in Kenya meant another round of exciting options for a week of adventure with a motley assortment of high school kids. I chose to go biking again --- for obvious reasons if you review the previous years' experiences. Year 3 did not disappoint. Video snapshots included in this post courtesy of my awesome new GoPro!

First two days at Rift Valley Adventure's biking camp in Ol Pejeta. I was sick Day 2. 

Day 3 making our way to Timau River Lodge. Saw lions hunting warthog

Day 4 biking to a campsite in the Ngare Ndare Forest. Great views of Mt. Kenya.


Day 5 hiking and swimming in the forest.

Tiwi Beach Vacation - Part 2

If you are wondering about Part 1, check this post from our first visit to this beautiful spot on the Southern coast of Kenya in October 2009. It was our first big trip away from Nairobi and it will always hold a special place in our memories, so...

Why not go back?!

A four-day weekend in the middle of February was the perfect time to revisit Tiwi Beach with our good friends, Becky, Matt, Devon, Karl, Daniel, and Blake. A short flight on Friday morning had us on the beach by lunch. We stocked up at the local Nakumatt (though we had to return the following day for more!) and hunkered down in our very own beach villa: Angelina. Between the lounge spaces in and around the house, the plunge pool, the beach at our doorstep, and fresh seafood delivered daily, we really had no need to go very far. We enjoyed antics with friends, plenty of relaxation, and some vitamin D therapy.

 View of Mt. Kilimanjaro from the Plane

 Our Beach Paradise

(That big white house on the shore is Angelina!)

 Sun & Sand

 Good Eats

 Good Friends

 Starfish Village

Our one excursion was somewhat of a bust. We were supposed to be going snorkeling, but our local guides took us just half a mile up the coast to a place that was about three feet deep. Six of us (plus three guides) rode in that little wooden canoe you see in the photo above to get to this location. It took about an hour. We could still see our house from the water! Despite the fact that we never snorkeled, we did enjoy checking out the starfish. Karl, who grew up fishing in New Zealand, even gave me and Blake a taste of sea urchin right out of the ocean. Yum!

 We also made friends with a local!

The four days flew by, of course, so we're already plotting our return...

Egypt V: Luxor

We arrived in Luxor knowing we had less than 48 hours to pack in as much ancient necropolis visiting as possible. Since our luggage was lost en route, we had no bags to weigh us down as we headed straight to Luxor Temple. In the heart of the town of Luxor and attached to an old-but-less-old mosque, this temple was simply stunning to explore at sunset. As the sun went down, the temple began to glow with ancient history... and well-placed spotlights.

Standing Guard

The wall of the mosque from the inside of the temple.

Avenue of the Sphinxes

They are currently restoring this ancient road to its original glory - stretching from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple, 3km away.

Temple and City

The Colossi of Memnon welcome visitors as they enter the west bank of Luxor, on the way to the Valley of the Kings. They are quite striking and worth a quick stop, but... this was the only site where we were completely overwhelmed by hawkers. A few photos later, we were hustling back to our taxi.

Perhaps the must-see in Luxor is the Valley of the Kings. Guidebooks go on and on about the caches of important dead dudes (and their wives and sons and daughters) who were found here. No photos are permitted, so there won't be any here. Just know that it's really remarkable to see the insides of the various tombs open to the public. We checked out three tombs of our choosing (Ramses I, III, and IV), standard with admission to the Valley, but paid extra to see the tombs of Ramses VI and Tutankhamen. Colors in many parts of the walls look as vivid as they must have when they were painted. That's thousand of years ago. The intricate stories told in the tombs, painstakingly so, through meticulous carving, chiseling, and painting, are a fascinating testament to the richness of history. In an age when current fads and trends make the history of 15 years ago seem archaic, it's especially impressive to see just how much was accomplished thousands of years ago.

Into the Desert We Go

Hatshepsut's Temple is an iconic image from Luxor. The funerary temple of the one known female pharaoh, its three massive levels rise out of the desert floor just beyond where the Nile stops feeding the ground. Each tier moves further toward the cliff face behind it. And though Hatshepsut's jealous son tried to erase any evidence of his mother's existence, this site is so well preserved it almost looks like a modern construction. There is a reason hot air balloons take off near this spot. The scale is stunning. Meanwhile, the fine details make a close look worthwhile.

 Do you think he realizes there's a HUGE eavesdropper listening in on his phone call?

Between sites, we stopped at an alabaster shop to learn about the production process and buy a few small vases to bring home. As always, we were met with Egyptian hospitality... and salesmanship.

One of the best kept secrets of the west bank is the Habu Temple. We didn't know what to expect... just listened to our driver as he mentioned it would be worth a stop. Was it ever! We had the place pretty much to ourselves, and everything is just as grand as the temples in Luxor and Karnak.

19th Century graffiti or some shmuck a few months ago?

Karnak Temple is known for its impressive colonnade. Indeed, this temple site seemed to be the largest we saw in our whole trip. Given our 48 hour time crunch, we dashed about the Karnak complex in under an hour. As hard as it is to spend so little time in such a huge place, it gave us a sense of the grand scale of the site and the layers of history that contribute to Karnak Temple--a place built up over many Egyptian dynasties and a focal point of ancient Thebes.

That's a big stone.

Ram's Head Sphinxes

One of the questions we often get when we talk about our trip is Did you go on a Nile cruise? We did not. However, we sailed on the Nile while in Luxor to catch the sunset and get away from some of the noise. It was a great time. We had a large traditional sailboat, called a felucca, to ourselves. The chatty captain and his young assistant practiced their excellent English while we quizzed them on the river, Egyptian life, the town of Luxor, and the state of the nation. 

The moon rises as the sun sets. 

Captain and First Mate

Pictures are often worth more than words, and our hot air balloon ride proves this point. We crossed the Nile in the dark en route to the launch site near Valley of the Kings. Our balloon captain fired us up into the air just prior to sunrise. We got as high as 1500 meters. It was neat to get a bird's eye view of where the fertile land on the banks of the Nile ends and the desert begins to stretch out for hundreds of miles. Given our fast paced touring the day before, it was refreshing to see the same archaeological sites (and more) in a different light. The pictures that follow give you a brief glimpse. Let's just say it was awesome! 

 

While in Luxor, we managed to fit in a proper dinner at an authentic local restaurant. We had a variety of tasty tomato-based stews, some delicious pita, and to-die-for dips.

After Luxor, we capped off our trip with a few days in Cairo. You already learned about our time there.

All in all, our two weeks in Egypt were completely satisfying... yet we have a feeling we'll be back one day. There are many more place to explore there, and we would happily revisit our favorite spots. Egypt was on the top of our list for a long time. It didn't disappoint.

Wow