Our safari to the Maasai Mara is booked!…Photos, rates and information today!…

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The lodge at Sanctuary Olonana where we’ll experience our first safari.

Possessing the knowledge that we’ve finally booked a safari not only puts our minds at ease, but creates a sense of excitement that is indescribable. After all, this was the reason we came to Kenya.

Our hope is to see The Great Migration.  If it has moved on and no longer in the area by October 5th, we’ll accept this and enjoy our safari of the abundant wildlife in the revered Maasai Mara.

Three weeks from today we’ll be heading 10 minutes down the road to the Diani Beach Airport to board a prop plane holding anywhere from 18 to 40 passengers for the 2 1/2 hour flight to the Maasai Mara where upon arrival, we’ll be greeted by a representative from our chosen safari camp, Sanctuary Olonana. We’ll be escorted to our tented quarters for a wealth of experiences during a short action-packed three days.

Of course, we’d have loved a longer stay. Unfortunately, the cost is more than we ever imagined we’d be willing to pay, slightly over US $5000, all-inclusive including airfare. We’d hesitantly budgeted US $4000 only to discover the options were very clear: either “rough it” sleeping in cots in tents or go, first-class, in a luxury “tent” that is comprised of all the amenities one could possibly desire.

We’ll go on 2 game drives each day, one in the morning from 6:30 am until lunchtime and another in the early evening from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm.  Often, meals will be served in the bush, as we and the other guests feast our eyes on the surrounding wildlife.

We chose the latter, not with the intent that we “deserved it,” but more so, based on a desire for more creature (us creatures) comforts that we so willingly forfeited in many ways in order to accommodate our new lives traveling the world. Now, almost a year later, we’re looking forward to this treat, so befitting our love of nature. 

Many people have flinched when we’ve mentioned our limited interests in old buildings and ruins. We’ve seen our share in this past year and, rightfully so, enjoyed it all.  My gosh, the Panama Canal and Petra were life-changing experiences for us.

Most of these photos were from the Sanctuary Olonana website. For more information click the link.

But now, we’re getting closer to the core of our passion to travel the world, as so clearly illustrated in many of our posts.  We love Life; animals, people, and vegetation, most assuredly, a mutual obsession consisting of the perpetual reveling in the Life that God (or your chosen belief system) placed on this earth for us to nurture and to respect. 

For us, dear readers, this passion is the basis for our sense of ease living a life without roots or a home to call our own. 

We are truly residents of this earth surrounding ourselves in an environment that amid nature, creates a sense of “home” wherever we may be.

In the event of rain or if we simply want to be inside air-conditioned comfort, the lodge at the camp provides indoor activities, a bar, and a restaurant.  Our living quarters will be lavish private tents on the banks of the Mara River, overlooking families of hippos splashing and snorting in the water.

Thus, a safari epitomizes the essence of why we are here in Kenya and why in less than 3 months, we’ll be living on the edge of one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the world, Kruger Park,  South Africa, again exposed to the elements, scary bugs included, seeking to satisfy this endless quest to savor Life to the fullest. We’re infinitely grateful that we’ve found a way to incorporate these experiences into our lives before advanced aging prevents it.

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, all of our criteria have been met by booking at Sanctuary Olonana. By reading the above, perhaps it makes sense as to why we willingly paid this substantial amount for this leg of our journey.

This is a typical interior of one of the permanent tents, outfitted with full bathrooms, electricity, free WiFi, and mosquito nets.  We always share one bed when there’s two, using the other for our “stuff.”  Of course, we’ll be bringing our laptops, two cameras, binoculars, and other digital equipment, writing here each day with many photos.

Now, with the full amount paid in advance, we are able to let go of thoughts of the cost, resting assured that we’ve absolutely made the right decision.

In reviewing the details of our upcoming stay at Sanctuary Olonana we’ll be ensconced in our private well-appointed tent along the banks of the Mara River in the Maasai Mara (various ways of spelling) where the 2 million wildebeest travel to feed before their journey back to the Serengeti in Tanzania. From the veranda in our tent overlooking the river, we’ll be witness to the hippos living and playing, a prospect that in itself, takes my breath away. This fact alone was a huge draw for us. 

Hopefully, we’ll meet (but not too close) Mr. or Ms. Rhino while in the Maasai Mara.

Sitting on verandas has provided us with some profound viewing this past year, as we sit on one today, in awe of the endless flow of wildlife and vegetation on which we feast our eyes hour by hour, day by day.

Hopefully, The Great Migration is positioned in a location enabling us to witness their masses. If not, we’ll certainly be excited to see the famous Big Five: elephants, hippos, lions, tigers, and water buffalo (which may be a different 5 animals, based on varying opinions) and other wildlife indigenous to the area.

Neither of us is into spa treatments.  Tom is too ticklish to relax long enough to enjoy it and I don’t want to turn my brain off in order to stay acutely aware of every moment of our surroundings.  Just not our thing.
A short time ago, Tom announced a baboon walking gingerly on the security glass shards atop the stone wall in our yard.  Grabbing the camera to turn it on wasn’t quick enough to get a shot. Going forward, there will be many more photos to follow.

Our safari decision is made…Details tomorrow with photos!…More visitors to our house…

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At dusk, Tom shot this Kenya sky.  Rather impressive for the infrequent photographer.

Over a period of several days, we’ve read reviews, viewed photos and perused dozens of websites searching for what hopefully will be the perfect safari for us.

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled up a chair close to the open wrought iron weaving (to keep us safe from the monkeys or other larger animals) surrounding our outdoor living room to take photos of the many birds singing in the yard.  In my impatience, I was unable to capture many birds instead focusing on items that caught my attention such as these branches in the shadows.

The prices for anything other than a basic tent in the bush are more than one would ever anticipate. If seeing The Great Migration wasn’t what brought us to Kenya, most likely we’d have waited to see the Big Five when we get to South Africa on December 1st, living on the edge of Kruger National Park.

The red in the background is a bunch of flowers on the bush behind this palm.

But, the Great Migration has been one of the first items on our “must-see” list inspiring us to come to Kenya.  And, see it, we will! 

The tall pointed thatched roof of the house next door to us.

After narrowing our choices down to two separate camps in the Masai Mara where the herds are right now, we continue to weigh our options.  Realizing there was no way we would be able to experience this magical wonder of the world without literally spending US $1000’s, our search has been intense and goal orientated.

Hidden in the fronts of the palm tree, this little yellow bird, the Golden Weaver, the male of the species is noisy and feisty, providing much entertainment flitting about frantically. The male makes the nest and if the female doesn’t like it, she goes on to mate with another more nest building worthy colorful male.
This is the very noisy and particular female of the yellow bird, the African Golden Weaver, less colorful.  They are elusive, sensitive to movement, making photo taking a near impossibility for a novice such as I.  She seeks the colorful yellow male capable of building a satisfactory nest. She landed in our outdoor living room, enabling me to get this lopsided shot.

The criteria we’ve searched:
1.  Close as possible to the Masai Mara where the massive herds of wildebeest will be grazing after their journey over the river.
2.  An option to have breakfast overlooking the “hippo pool” on the river.
3.  All-inclusive: meals and beverages (including cocktails for Tom)
4.  Two daily game drives
5.  Meals optional in the dining room or in the bush, day or night
6.  Complimentary WiFi throughout
7.  Electricity (needed to recharge our digital equipment)
8.  Availability for dates in early October for a better opportunity to see the Great Migration in the Masai Mara
9.  Entrance fees to the reserve to be included (cost at almost US $100 per person/per day for a three-night stay)
10. Round trip airfare included from the local Diani Beach airport, a short distance from here.
11. Affordable based on our budget

Hesborn offered to open a coconut that had just fallen from a tree.  They seem to fall throughout the day.  We have to be careful when we walk under the coconut trees, they cover the entire yard, leaving only a few safe spots for sunning without a risk of being clobbered on the head.

The camps we’ve narrowed it down to meet all of our criteria. At first, the cost of such a three-day event has been shocking. After reviewing the inclusions, the cost at other camps, we’ve resigned ourselves that when it comes to safaris, you get exactly what you pay for and, if not careful, it could be much less.

Hesborn with his machete preparing to cut this thick stringy exterior off of the coconut before releasing the stringy brown interior that we see for sale at the grocery store.

Choosing either of these two options will put our minds at ease, both being highly rated by many booking sites including Trip Advisor, Booking.com, Hotels.com, and more, along with 100’s of positive reviews, ensuring us that in either case, we’ll make the correct decision. We’ll decide today, posting details tomorrow.

This coconut meat was exceptional, the best I’ve had. Tom has no interest in eating this without sugar so he passed it up. What a treat!

With all bookings sold out for September, our only possibilities haven been for October, still in the peak season, still at higher prices. If we waited until November, we’d increase the risk of not being able to see the Great Migration, a risk we just don’t want to take.

As we’re sitting in our outdoor living room this morning while writing, seven goats jumped over their stone wall behind our yard directly in our yard only a few feet from us. Waking up early such as we do, they decided to jump over the stone wall separating us to dine on the lush leaves of the hibiscus bushes in our yard.
I wasn’t able to get a photo of the seven of them together as they were jockeying for space at the lush bushes in our yard. They were a little unnerved by my enthusiastic chatter.
They were in goat heaven munching on the flavorful leaves when they usually dine on boring grass. For them, this was a gourmet meal.

It’s hard to believe it’s Friday again, the time passing so quickly these days. We’re waiting for a confirmation for our dinner reservation in a cave for Saturday night which we’ll excitedly share on Sunday with photos.  Dining in a cave sounds interesting.

Notice the white two front legs on this young goat along with the white tip on the left rear foot. Cute, eh? Hesborn came running into the yard shooing them back up over the wall when he’d realized they were missing from their yard when he brought them water this morning. We all laughed!

Hope all of our readers enjoy today’s mishmash of photos we’ve taken over the past few days.  he number of surprises we continue to experience just “hanging around” makes each day rewarding and unique unto itself. 

BTW, as we wrote this morning, we received information that has prompted us to make a decision on our safari in early October. We’ll post photos and information tomorrow. We’re excited, to say the least!

Be well. Be happy. Check back!

Critters…some scary…some not. Plus, photos all the way to the end of the post…

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Hesborn, our houseman, stopped by Wednesday morning, after a full night of rain,  to
show us this carnivorous, stinging, dangerous creature which actually has less than 100 legs, and yet is still referred to as a centipede.  He warned us not to walkin the grass after a rain.  A sting from this ugly creature will require a trip to an emergency room.  These not only walk but also climb up bedposts.  Oh.

The past few days have been interesting. On Tuesday morning our XCom Global MiFi wasn’t working, leaving us unable to post. Normally posting in the morning, the planned 10 am cab ride to grocery shop gave me no choice but to write in the early afternoon when we returned only at that point to have no connection.

Frustrated, we decided to stop at the Safari Com cellphone store, conveniently located above the grocery store, to see what options were available to purchase a global GSM unlocked HotSpot, comparable to that which Hans loaned to us.  Although less powerful than the MiFi, a portable hotspot requiring SIM cards, can at least provide us with connectivity.
Once past the armed guards (as mentioned in Wednesday’s post), the response to our question,  “Do you have a Global GSM Hotspot that will work for us after we leave Africa?”
This good-sized lizard came to call as we lounged in our outdoor living room.  Thanks for the nice pose, Ms. or Mr. Lizard.

The emphatic answer from the representative was a resounding “Yes!” as he pointed to a device, similar to that which we’d borrowed from Hans which we’d brought along with us in the event of a language barrier. He turned us over to a sales woman, who spoke very softly with a thick accent, difficult to hear and understand. Attentive and determined to be helpful we appreciated her efforts, continually thanking her for her efforts.

An hour later, Hans’ Hotspot no longer worked after the rep had removed the SIM card, disabling the device until Hans could late re-enter his PIN # which we didn’t have with us. Oh, good grief.

Hesborn referred to this as a millipede.  We didn’t bother to count the number of legs. Apparently, these are harmless, although if walking on a person, they leave a trail of “itchy liquid.”
Then, as we’re ready to pay after “being approved” by their system, once again I asked, “Are you sure this is a worldwide device?”
A millipede in relation to the tip of my shoe.  One wouldn’t want to snuff this out with their foot if discovered in the bathroom in the middle of the night“Wait

“Let me ask,” the rep helping us stated, moments later to return with an emphatic, “No, it works only in Kenya.”

As Alfred drove us to the stores, we passed many similar buildings.
That does us no good whatsoever. We’ll use Hans’ device while in Kenya which he so kindly offered to us, for which we ended up purchasing additional gigabytes, most likely to last for a month.
We left the store with only the extra “scratch offs,” used to reload the gigs on a phone or hotspot. We purchased US $72 of SIM cards, hoping they’d last long enough for us to continue recording our favorite shows on Graboid and, for Tom watching the Minnesota Vikings game.  
Wednesday, we ordered a new device online as we’re gathering supplies for a box to be shipped to us via DHL hopefully within a month. (We’ll share details of our inclusions once the box arrives).
Its these run down lean-to type shacks that depict the aspect of a third world country, many without running water and electricity.  And here we are,in the upscale resort community of Diani Beach.
Next, we attempted to visit the recommended travel agency in the same two story mall as the grocery store to determine which safari options were available during our three month stay.  They’d gone out of business. 
Next, we grocery shopped, spending yet another US $300, after shopping only a week ago, spending slightly more at that time. 
However, included in our grocery bill was a case of beer for Tom; US $4.85 for the 24 empty bottles, US $34.33 for the liquid in the bottles and US $3.83 for the crate holding the bottles with the liquid in it, for a grand total for the beer of $43.03.  Of course, we’ll eventually return the empties for a refund of US $8.68.
Few of us can relate to the hardships of daily life in these sparse habitat.

Next, we purchased two 18.9 liters of bottled water, the liquid at US $8.24, the empty returnable bottles at a total of US $23.79. All is all, we spent US $75.06 for beer and water out of the total bill US $301.12.

In a prior post I mistakenly stated that the VAT tax on groceries was 21% when in fact its 16%, the 21% applying to dining in a restaurant. Please excuse the misquote. Thus, the tax for our groceries according to the receipt was Kenya Shillings $3062 for US $35.04.

The Nakumatt grocery store is guarded with armed security who, for security reasons refused to be photographed.
Individually, no single food item was outrageously priced except for my medium sized bags of unshelled pistachio nuts for US $16.25. Add the tax for a total of US $18.85, not worth the price.  There are other less expensive nuts I’m happy to munch on such as Macadamia nuts at US $3.94 for a large bag. Many items in the grocery store weren’t clearly marked, making buying decisions difficult.
A good sized container  of “natural” insect repellent lotion was US $1.66. You get the drift.  Most products are inexpensive. Taxes and “extras” are high. Going forward, our goal is to be more mindful of the cost of items as we become more aware of the pricing while finding a comfort level with the exchange rate as we shop.
The parking lot as we waited the few minutes for Alfred to return to pick us up with our groceries.

In almost every grocery aisle is an employee, friendly and anxious to assist with purchases and, as mentioned last week, good little salespeople, pushing certain products. With their warmth and attentiveness, it’s difficult although at times necessary, to turn down their often pricier suggestions.

Our cab driver, was on the spot when we called to say we were ready to leave.  He insisted on loading and later unloading all of our heavy groceries. Once they were inside on the garage floor, Hesborn jumped in to help bring the boxes and bottles inside (no grocery bags here, only used cardboard boxes). Tom, with nary a lazy bone in his body, insisted on helping.
This mother baboon was carefully watching us with her babies in the background as we stopped for a photo. Tom quickly shut the window when she approached the car to peer inside.

Putting away the groceries was once again challenging in the small galley kitchen. I threw Tom out to tackle this on my own, having found a place for everything a short time later.

The kitchen door must be shut in order to open the refrigerator door. In essence, this is probably a good thing since monkeys have been known to race into a kitchen to begin grabbing food out of an open refrigerator door. Having a habit of leaving the door wide open while unloading perishable groceries, this reality is especially motivating for me to remember to shut the door.
Baby baboon searching for morsels of food in the grass.

With our shopping completed and put away, we had to begin figuring out why the MiFi wasn’t working and to find Hans to help us with his hotspot. A few hours later, now close to dinnertime, Hans arrived, easily getting the hotspot up and running. 

As for the MiFi,  I sent XCom Global a request to give the device a “hit” after listing multiple codes, serial numbers and device information into a lengthy email. With the time difference, we never heard back.  
The second baby baboon we excitedly observed as we stopped along the road on the return drive from shopping on Tuesday.
Wednesday morning, it was working again.  Apparently, the hit worked enabling us to switch back and forth between the two devices based on the amount of data we’ll be using for larger downloads. 
Technology issues in a primarily third world country can be frustrating, as we’ve so well experienced. The more we’re able to figure out solutions for our technology, the more time we’ll have to experience the reasons we choose to visit countries such as Kenya, as illustrated in these and other photos we’ve included here.
Mama baboon as she lost interest in us and returned to her children.  Oh.
We chose to experience Africa to witness its people, its wildlife and its vegetation, all of which we’ve already richly enjoyed with a modicum of effort while staying relatively close to home.  Soon, we’ll expand our horizons for the life changing thrills of a safari. If we get excited over seeing an unfamiliar insect, can you imagine our reaction to an elephant? A zebra? A lion?
Gucci, one of Hans’ two small dogs, came by for a few scratches this morning which we’re delighted to provide.  We love dogs.

Ah…Technology fails us…Life goes on…

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Tom engaged is power lounging in our outdoor screen-less living room while searching for future cruises.Tom’s not naked. He’s actually wearing shorts.

We were unable to post yesterday.  Neither of our MiFi devices were working (weird coincidence). Now with one back up, and continuing to work on the other, we have a connection. 

Refusing to further bore our readers with ongoing Internet connectivity issues, we’ll share our other experiences since our last post on Monday. 

Although very hot and humid, these flowers against the blue sky was refreshing.

On Monday, Tom was able to watch the Minnesota Vikings game airing on Sunday, using the separate WiFi device we borrowed from Hans, our kindly landlord, who recently also loaned us a cellphone in order to be able to call for cabs. Thanks to Hans for his ongoing assistance in many ways.

If I recall correctly, these flowers also grow in Hawaii, where we’ll be in 15 months.

As it turned out, watching the game on his laptop with a relatively clear connection resulted in the use of approximately one gigabyte out of eight gigs installed into the alternate WiFi device. 

At the cost of US $45 for eight gigs of data, each game will cost US $5.63 in addition to the US $169 he paid NFL.com for the football season at an average cost of US $16.25 per game.

The small white flowers grow within these larger bougainvillea.

As much as he enjoys  watching the Vikings, we surely don’t flinch at the cost. But lately, we’ve seen a number of “must have” expenses increase, making us a little wary of how much it may cost us after all is said and done after living in Africa.  We may have to cut back on a few things.

Shards of glass are embedded into the top edge of this stone wall protecting our property from intruders climbing over the wall.  Surprisingly, this enchantingly noisy bird lighted atop the glass seemingly comfortable.

Finally, on Monday the final bill arrived in my inbox (along with charges on a credit card) for the rental car in Italy. We’d read reviews warning us of possible “up” charges and surprises when renting a car in Italy, making us skeptical to rent cars in the future, preferring the much less expensive option of using cabs.

Aren’t these breathtaking?

Brace yourself for the total for two and a half months of the smallest and one of the cheapest cars Budget Rental had available at US $3294.47!  With the addition of the unanticipated 21.5% VAT tax and service fees, it proved to be almost US $1000 more than we’d anticipated!  Ouch!

The wide array of colors of the flowers in our yard in Kenya is a feast for the eyes.

If we called a cab as many as 3 times a week at US $12 including tip per trip for our remaining 11 weeks in Kenya, the grand total would be US $396, almost 1/10th of that which we paid in Italy  It’s a no brainer. There again, live and learn. We’re learning not to feel trapped without transportation.

To think that the blooming season has just begun is exciting.  With rain off and on these past few days we expect more blossoms to appear shortly.

Also, taking a cab reduces the risk of carjacking, which apparently, is of a serious concern in Kenya, less so in Diani Beach but not unheard of.  In the US, only 30 minutes from our old home, driving was also dangerous at night in certain areas with possible carjacking and the risk of stray bullets. Is there anywhere in the world free from risk?

Could Mother Nature be more perfect in creating this well shaped Hibiscus, a common flower in many warmer parts of the world.

Yesterday, as we visited the local Internet store to purchase more data for the SIM cards, armed guards manned the doors, letting us in after thoroughly checking us out. Passports are required to enter. Also, armed guards wander inside and out of the local grocery store where we shopped once more. Plus, armed guards are situated at the entrance to the little strip mall where the grocery store is located. Passports are also required in order to purchase grocery items.

The brightness of the yellow in these flowers is not a shade I’ve seen before.

Last night, happy to stay in, we made a fabulous dinner of boneless chicken breast sautéed in olive oil and butter, breaded using egg, cream and coconut flour. With side dishes of fresh green beans, slices of a huge, perfectly ripened avocado (US $.30) with a giant salad, it couldn’t have tasted better.

We fired up an episode of one of Tom favorite shows that we’d download, “Who Do You Thank You Are?” to watch during dinner, dining at the huge glass and burl table in our outdoor living room. Later, we moved to the sofa to watch another show while munching on nuts. A perfect evening to say the least.

All these flower photos were taken in our yard.t

At night, here in Kenya, we both wear our Africa clothes from sunset on. With food on the table at dusk, the mossies love joining us for dinner, us being the best thing on the menu. By wearing our BugsAway pants and recently added BugsAway short sleeve shirts, adding a pair of closed shoes, its only necessary to use bugs spray on my hands, arms and ankles. Tom, seldom gets bitten.What’s the deal with that?

Tomorrow, more about the trip to the stores with a variety of exciting critter photos we were lucky to shoot!

Out on the town…A feast to be had…

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Although most of the items on the menu were seafood related, most of which Tom doesn’t enjoy, he was thrilled to find some options that would be pleasing to his limited palate.

When asking locals as to best the restaurants in an area to try, thoughtfully they will suggest their familiar haunts, in their preferred price range and with the food that satisfies their own palate.  Although, we take suggestions to heart, we have our limitations to consider; my food restrictions and Tom’s somewhat limited taste buds.

For me, the menu was purely delightful.  It was difficult to decide when not a single option would be undesirable for me.

As a result, we have to be more creative.  With Tom’s mindset that he likes “all-American food” with minimal spices, he never ceases to amaze me when he tries new items when dining out or in the past, aboard ship.

In Kenya and as is typical all over Africa, many of the meals are heavily seasoned, fried, barbecued and with ingredients unsuitable for either of us.  Thus, being a little more creative, researching local restaurants and their often posted menus gives us a better idea to avoid disappointment.

This photo, from the Almanara Resort’s website is the lounge area adjoining the dining area.  Our photo didn’t turn out so well in the dark.  This area was emptywhen we arrived but full by the time we left a few hours later.

Of course, there’s a higher cost to more “continental cuisine,” an expense we are willing to bear in order to be able to enjoy a night out.  After the glorious experience of Saturday night, we’ve officially decided on Saturday nights as our official date night to try the suitable restaurants in the area. 

Many of the establishments are within walking distance. However, as the sun goes down by 6:30, the dangers of walking on the highway in the dark are many. A local cab driver, Chris, picked us up at 7:00, waiting for the restaurant to call him for our return, picking us up later in the evening. The cost for the round trip cab ride was KES $1100, US $12.59 which includes the tip. Not too bad.

This complimentary appetizers presented by the chef was out of the question for me. It was fried seaweed and stuff puff pastries, all made with flour.  However, much to my surprise, Tom ate all of it, finding it very tasty.  I think his limited taste buds “song and dance” is purely psychological when I see him enjoy new items.

With no phone we could use Skype to call the cab.  But as we inquired to our nighttime security guard, Jeremiah, he immediately called a programmed number in his phone and shortly later cab driver Chris arrived to take us to Sails Restaurant at the Almanara Resort.  

Both Chris and Jeremiah seemed excited that we wanted to go to the Almanara Resort when recently, the Kenyan president stayed in one of their luxurious suites. After dining at their own Sails Restaurant we understood why. The property was exquisite, the food amazing, the service impeccable and the security, over the top.

After Tom ate the seaweed, he didn’t want to spoil his dinner with another appetizer.  I ordered this salad, gluten free and the chef made the sauce without flour using a homemade mayonnaise base. There were no less than 8 large prawns in this salad.  In reality, this could easily have been my entire meal and I’d have been satisfied.  Look below for the huge entrée I also consumed in it entirety.  Piglet.

As Chris drove up to the massive gates at the Almanara Resort, we were impressed by the crisp uniforms, muscular build and confidence of the guards. Approaching the cab, he asked our names and nature of our visit.  Having luckily made a reservation online for 7:00 PM, he carefully reviewed his list of reservations and waved us through, opening the massive gates by hand.

Once we entered the property, another guard approached and directed Chris where to stop to drop us off. Chris had begun to walk us toward the restaurant area, only to be dismissed by the new guard to stay put, while he would escort us to the restaurant, a short two minute walk, on a well lit but uneven road. Thank goodness, I was wearing flat sandals. 

This amazing array of seafood was all grilled and seasoned to perfection. It contained lobster, prawns, octopus, squid, snapper and a few  chewy wormy looking items I didn’t recognize but ate anyway.  Need I say that I cleaned this plate as well?

Based on the road, neither of us was expecting much.  In the dark with the soft lighting surrounding the resort, we could only see lush vegetation and the outline of several substantial bungalows. Apparently, their rentals are “house sized suites” at varying costs of $1000’s per night. 

If the water stops running here, as it did in our first house in Belize, we won’t be moving to Almanara Resort as we did to LaruBeya where we stayed for over two months (see posts from end of February, 2013 to April 9, 2013 for photos and details).

Once seated, at this exact table as depicted in the daylight photo below from their website, we couldn’t have been more content, as shown by our lavish plates of epicurean delights.

 Tom’s dinner consisted of Fillet Mignon, fries, grilled vegetables.  He kept insisting that I try a taste of his steak, finally taking a bite of tender well seasoned meat.  He also, ate every morsel.

A few hours later, stuffed “to the gills,” we were ready to head back to our home to watch a movie on my laptop in bed under the mosquito netting. 

Apparently, we were told, our cab driver Chris waited for us in his original parking spot during our entire dinner. We tipped him well appreciating the great service for this short cab ride.

Our bill for dinner? Much less than one would pay in the US and other countries for fine food and service. Tom had a US $10 marguerite and a giant bottle of Pilsner beer while I had two bottles of fizzy mineral water. Add my appetizer and our two lavish entrees, the total bill was KES $5400, US $61.80, included VAT tax and 18% service charge (built in tip). 

We borrowed this daylight photo from the resort’s website.  It was dark as we were seated at this table.  Our photo didn’t do it justice.

Based on the quality of the service and Tom’s lack of change, we gave the waiter an additional KES $1000, US $11.44. Dinner, cab fare, tax and tips totaled KES $7500, US $85.83.  Having budgeted US $100 per week for dining out, we were on target. If, we find other restaurants at a lower cost, we’ll use the difference to offset the extra SIM cards we must purchase to be able to download our TV shows.

It was adult son’s birthday prompting us to call him on Skype. The cost for the call is free but the data use is huge which now is monitored. He and the grandkids were in their pool in their yard.  Daughter-in-law Camille turned on the speakerphone enabling us to speak with both of them and the 3 grandkids.  

Of course, we miss all four of our children, their significant others and our six precious grandchildren. In fifteen months, we’ll all be together again. 

Daughter Tammy’s birthday was Sunday but we were unable to reach her last night and will try again soon. 

Later watching Ironman 3, we drifted off to sleep, safely tucked away in our comfy bed with the secure mosquito netting, the fan at full speed above the bed for yet another restorative night’s sleep to arm us for the next day at home, batting off the mosquito.

We’d intended to write about the restaurant experience on Saturday night for Sunday’s post.  When the monkeys ran through the yard, we couldn’t wait one day to share that story so we flip flopped them. Makes sense, right

Part 2…Internet solutions…Photos of our neighborhood…Monkeys came to call…

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This is a mother Colobus monkey and baby, a photo we borrowed from this link.  How we’d love to find a Colobus Monkey to photograph!
This is a young Colobus Monkey, the endangered species that ran through our yard this morning.  They ran so quickly that we were unable to get our own photo and borrowed this photo from this site.

OMG! OMG! Two monkeys just ran through our yard!!! With the camera several steps away, we missed the opportunity to get a shot! From now on, it will be at my side. 

Researching online, we both found the species of the monkeys as shown above, the endangered Colobus Monkey.  This site is quite interesting, if you have a moment to read it.

Now, on to the rest of our story…

Yesterday, as we exited the main gate to our area, we were on the main road, on a mission to locate the vegetable stand we’d heard was nearby.

Upon awakening this morning, the humidity hangs as a heavy drape over the horizon along with the smoke of fires burning around us. With no ban on burning in Kenya, the acrid smell of toxic smoke frequently wafts through the air.

Cloudy today, the mosquitoes seek refuse by nibbling on our flesh. I killed 3 of them this morning, buzzing around my head as I quickly lathered on the foamy insect repellent after taking a shower. I never feel clean. The bottoms of our feet become black again after a short time causing me to wonder, if perhaps, the black on the floors is actually the soot from the nearby fires.

Our new vegetable stand is a short walk from our home.  Notice the motorcycle.  The produce is delivered by motorcycle each day!

Any of our family and friends reading this may scratch their heads wondering how, Mr. & Mrs. Comfort Freaks, are possibly surviving the hardships of the last several months; the flies, the bees, the scary road, the remote existence in Boveglio, Italy and now…the challenges of Africa, living in the first of three countries on the continent.

Somehow, we are OK, more than OK. Tom particularly surprises me, less than myself. After all, it was my idea to come to Africa. I’d better not complain. In reality, I don’t feel a desire to complain. The annoyances only flutter through my mind momentarily from time to time. 

This is Gabriel, our new vegetable guy, who runs the vegetable stand, a mere two minute walk after exiting the main gate to our complex.  He said he will order produce for us at any time, arriving the next day, fresh from the fields.

Then again, living in extreme comforts in our old lives prompted me to be annoyed from time to time. It’s the human element. We always want better, different or more.

As I sit here in our outdoor living room at 9:00 am on a Sunday morning, when in the past we may have been watching CBS’s show Sunday Morning, with no TV here and little ability to stream videos any longer, we find ourselves somehow at peace.

At the moment, the hoot of morning doves, myriad birds, the occasional howl of a monkey, this mornings two monkeys running past us, the frequent baa of the goats in our yard and the crow of the nearby roosters brings us comfort. 

The anticipated rain has begun to fall creating a pleasing sound of the raindrops on the palms and fronds of the many trees and over sized plants in our yard as they welcome the much needed water. After all, its almost spring here. The full bloom of the flowers is yet to come.

A bee just swarmed my coffee mug. Tom laughed and said “Humm…in the US we worry about the African killer bees. Now we’re in Africa.” I laughed, moving my mug to another spot as the bee flew back out of our screen free outdoor living room.

Without pesticides and chemicals, the produce can wilt quickly and maybe infested with bugs.  These tomatoes had just arrived, actually looking quite good. Notice the molding cauliflower and the brown lettuce.  Gabriel told us his fresh deliveries arrive in each day around 11 am by the guy on the motorcycle in this photo.

As I replaced my coffee for hot tea, I decided to clean a few of the green beans  we’d purchased yesterday as shown in the photo below.  Wrapped around two separate beans were the most outrageous worms I’ve ever seen, black, hairy.  I didn’t scream.  I tossed those beans into the trash. Guess they don’t use pesticides on the veggies from the neighboring produce stand. That’s comforting.

Tom brought up the point to mention the raw cabbage and carrots we enjoy in our daily dose of coleslaw being exposed to the non-purified water when washing.  We’re using bottled water for all of our beverages and cooking.  As for cleaning the cabbage, I tear off the first several leaves leaving the interior leaves for slicing, unwashed.  If I see a bug, toss it out.  We’ve done this everywhere we’ve lived outside the US.

The carrots on the other hand, are more challenging. Without washing them, I peel the carrots after removing the stems. Then, I place the raw peeled carrots in a bowl of purified water to rinse them thoroughly. Then, I wipe them dry with a clean paper towel, promptly storing them in the refrigerator. 

This batch of vegetables was KES (Kenya Shillings) $150, US $1.72.  The more we travel, the more we are amazed by the lower cost of food in other countries as compared to the US.

So far, so good, no illness.  Of course, we brush our teeth using a fresh glass of purified water kept in the bathroom, rinsing our mouths and the toothbrush using our water. Washing dishes is another matter, with no dishwasher (no microwave, either), we used the hottest local water, leaving the dishes to completely dry overnight. No problem doing this either.

Hans, our landlord, explained that the water is safe to drink here in Diani Beach and that many past guests have not used bottled water, without incident. For us, we choose the conservative side, to do the very best we can to protect ourselves. 

The local restaurants use purified water, enabling me to have a salad last night when we dined out.  We’ll write and post photos from our amazing dining out experience on Saturday night in Monday’s post. Too much to tell all at once!

Still reveling in the excitement of seeing the monkeys this morning, the sights and the sounds, the wonderful local people we’ve met thus far further affirms why we don’t complain and…why, our friends, we are in Africa.

Part 1…Internet solutions…Photos of our neighborhood…

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In

Here we are in Africa, hot and sweaty as we embark on our first walk outside the gated complex, onto the main road, definitely a daytime event only.

I know. We’re always discussing Internet issues.  For those of you with little interest in Internet issues, I apologize. We realize that many users pay little to no attention to the means by which they are connected. They send and read email, Facebook, a few blogs and occasionally search for information. This constitutes the “average” user.

The dirt road in our gated community.
As we began our walk within the gated complex, we saw and heard many local workers working on the house that had been destroyed by a fire in 2009. Hans told us that the insurance companies didn’t want to pay fair claims for the losses so many homeowners haverebuilt, piece by piece over this extended period.

Then, there are Internet devotees such as us, who use the Internet as their connection to the world, not only to family and friends, but for resources to enhance their everyday lives. In a typical day, when staying “home,” we may each easily spend five or six hours online, downloading, reading, watching shows, managing banking and financial, searching for our future travels.

This wall was on our right as we walked along the dirt road within the gated community.  Most houses were tucked away behind large stone walls making it difficult to see the homes in the neighborhood.

Suddenly, a few days ago we’re cut off at the knees by XCOM Global warning us that we’re using too much data based on regulations over which they have no control. With restricted data use, we were faced with a tough decision.

An entrance to a neighboring home.

Do we find a local provider? Nice idea. But there are no home wireless providers in Kenya.  ToDo we rent another MiFi for another $395 a month?  Too costly.Or, worst of all, do we change our habits? You may say, “Get a grip! Find something else to do!” 

This statue was in the entryway of the neighboring home.

Yes, we get that.  But consider this…we have no car, no stuff of our own other than our now meager amount of clothing and supplies. We have no house to fix or maintain, no trips to Home Depot, no health club and no family and friends to visit. We have no TV, no radio, no sports news, no recipe books to peruse for making dinner. With Hesborn’s daily help, the only housework we do is wash our dishes (Tom does this) after a meal and to pick up after ourselves.

This massive home was burned out, sold and yet to be repaired, now almost 4 years later.

Take all those aspects of daily life away for a moment, what would one do? We can’t go sightseeing everyday. We didn’t do that in our old lives. Do you sightsee every week? Hardly. If one has young children, they may embark on sightseeing type adventures each weekend. But, we don’t have young children. We don’t have a dog to take for a walk.

Another angle of the above burned out home, yet to be rebuilt. Eighteen homes were destroyed in the fire that swept through the community in minutes.  The thatched roof and high winds caused the almost instantaneous burn.

In Kenya, one doesn’t just walk on the streets, along the beach, to and from their favorite activities especially at night. There are safety concerns in the numbers. We’re not foolish.

The water tower belonging to the above  burned out private residence.

Thus, the Internet is not only our mode of entertainment but our source of information.  (Soon, we’ll get out to visit a local travel agency recommended by Hans with the hope of booking a safari since we can’t currently do it online with the limited use of the MiFi).

The dense thatched rooftops, typical in Africa, can easily be seen as a fire hazard.
These would never be allowed in the US or many other countries.

Soon, we’ll start dining out once or twice a week to the local restaurants, of which there are many for a short cab ride. Soon, we’ll visit a shopping mall to get the flavor of products sold in the area.

Yesterday, with Hans’ help we solved our Internet issues. He went to the Safaricom store in town and purchased an 8 gigabyte SIM card for us, loaning us his portable Hot Spot. It takes 1/2 of 1 gig to download an hour long TV show. We’ll be able to get approximately 16 shows on one SIM card at the cost of US $45 for the entire card. Each show we download and watch will cost us approximately US $2.81. 

Our two devices, a Hot Spot, loaned to us by Hans and our XCOM Global MiFi. Most likely we’ll be purchasing one of these Hot Spots (under $100) plus SIM cards while we’re in Africa, as an adjunct to our XCOM Global device.  Both of these provide us with  an ample  amount of data to be able to conduct our days and download shows for evening.

SIM cards such as these, may be reloaded by purchasing a “scratch off” card for the desired amount with the PIN code beneath the scratch off. Loading it is a little tricky. Hans will help us the first time as he did yesterday. We’ll be fine from there. Another US $180 per month added to our already US $395 a month for XCOM Global for a grand total of US $575 a month. 

With spring yet to arrive, the flowers will only increase, especially with some much desired rains.  Based on reviewing online weather sites ,it appears the heat won’t increase each day as the spring season is upon us.  Today at a high of 84F, the humidity is high at 62%, creating a sweaty but not unbearable environment.

In our old lives we paid US $235 a month for all channel Hi Def cable TV and wireless Internet plus another US $200 a month for our two cell phones.  Now, with the US $575 we’ll be paying, it is necessary to adjust our budget accordingly, a task I’ll soon accomplish as we fine tune our usage over the next several days.

At first glance, this water tower appeared to be a lookout.

With the combined use of the Hot Spot and  the MiFi, we now have access to enough data to do almost as much aswe please online. With an app we downloaded on each of our laptops, for each of the devices, we can freely monitor our usage, checking frequently. First we’ll use the MiFi’s 150 megs, then we’ll roll over to the Hot Spot. It makes sense to us. If there are any other suggestions out there, please comment.

Oh, this looks refreshing.  We’ll have our own pool in the next house in South Africa, where we’ll be in 3 months.

Oh, we live and learn. Unexpected expenses, conditions and challenges. But so far, there nothing that we can’t handle. As long as we are healthy and safe and have Internet access, we’re content. In this case, we’re back to our smiley selves again after a 24 -hour period of wondering what to do to solve the issue.

A wall hanging in the shape of the continent of Africa.

This morning, I refilled our vitamin and pill cases (mostly used by us seniors), a time consuming task.But, once done, it need not be repeated until 2 more weeks. Previously, we had ample cases to fill to last us each a month but we tossed the extras when attempting to reduce our load.

Interesting views of the thatched rooftops of various homes in the area.
When we left Tuscany, I left my newer Easy Spirit workout shoes behind, hoping Lisa would find someone who wanted them if she didn’t. Now I have none. Even so, we ended up paying an extra Euros $1000, US $1350 (approx.) for our overweight bags. 
This is the security gate from the street side. Tomorrow, we’ll share photos of our walk along the road.
This hanging plants produces these long burgundy stringy things.  I’ll research these and other unusual plants while we’re here.
These plants flourish in the hot humid weather requiring little water.  Hans explained that some of the vegetation such as this have their own “bladders” in which to store water.

This morning as I gathered all the vitamin pill bottles and bags, I placed them in the duffle bag for use over the next three months, noticing the heaviness of the bag. We’ll be leaving them behind this time. We’re finally accepting the reality. 

Tomorrow, we’ll be back with Part 2 of our first outing onto the road beyond the gates where we found a wonderful surprise.

Today we met Nancy, one of the daytime support staff at our guarded gate.  She was so sweet, holding my hand the entire time we chatted with her.  She kindly took the photo of Tom and I.  We’re loving being able to talk to the locals.

Sights and sounds of our neighborhood…Photos…

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The Indian Ocean from the rooftop of Hans’ house next door.  Soon we’ll make the walk to the beach, further than we’d originally anticipated.
Mornings are noisy. The melodic sounds of birds chirping in unison as the sun rises, the goats in the walled area in the rear yard of this two home property, bantering amongst one another with their sheep-like “baaaa,” the roosters in the neighborhood welcoming the day with their familiar “cock-a-doodle-do” are all music to our ears.
The goats in the rear yard of this property posed for us when Hans‘ two small dogs, Gucci and Jessie, chased them into their goat house.

The muffler challenged rickety trucks roaring along the nearby two lane road as local workers begin the rush to work at 6:00 am, the voices of security staff winding down from the night watch, the wind wafting through the palms and massive fronds of the tropical trees and bushes, only add to the magic of a Kenya morning.

The kingpin goat nuzzled up to Hans when we entered the gate remembering his early days when Hans fed him with a baby bottle.

By 5:55 this morning, after a totally undisturbed night of sleep, I awoke ready to tackle the day.  Not wanting to disturb Tom, I pulled my phone from under my pillow to read a few more chapters of my book. I knew I could lay quietly for an hour but no more.

To entertain us, two of the goats jumped up on the stone wall.

At 7:00 am, I pulled aside the thick mosquito netting, gingerly stepping into my awaiting shoes to quickly pad to the entryway to flick on the switch for the hot water. In 15 minutes, the water would be hot for my shower as I was anxious to wash off the sand, the soot and the repellent from another day and night in Africa.

The colors are so pleasing to the senses.

No sooner than I’d dried off and dressed, I lathered on another layer of the repellent, in the hopes that I’d have another mosquito bite free day. Other than a few nips at my ankles, I’ve skated free so far.

As we lounged in the thick cushioned chaises yesterday for a scorching 45 minutes, we positioned our Africa BugsAway pants under our towels. The Permethrin embedded into the fabric deterring any flying (or walking) insects from bothering us. 

In 2009 a fire destroyed 18 homes in this neighborhood, this property next door, yet to be renovated after a new owner took over a few years ago. Hans, a builder, wasted no time in rebuilding these two houses.

It was the heat that drew us back to our outdoor living room that without screens welcomes birds and bugs inside. Although we’re getting used to living outdoors, Tom was startled yesterday when a large bird swooped his head while sitting on the sofa. 

Yesterday, I reminded Tom, that every time we put a foot into a shoe that we must flip it upside down, bang it fiercely several times on the stone floor, looking inside to ensure that no creature is living therein. “Good point,” Tom muttered as he vigorously shook his head in agreement.

Overlooking the stone wall from the goat’s yard.  To avoid cutting grass, Hans preferred to go the natural way…having goats eat the grass.  Much to our delight, he doesn’t slaughter the goats, as is the practice of many local residents.

Yesterday, we received an email from XCOM Global that our data usage had exceeded the “fair use policy” to which they must strictly adhere  If we exceed the allowable amount of 150 mg per day, their providers could possible cut us off entirely. No fault of theirs. Scary for us. 

A private water tower for the house next door.  Water is at a premium in this part of the world.  We take special care with our usage.

This morning, I downloaded an app (more data used to download it) that provides an ongoing data counter, visible throughout the day. No more videos to watch on Facebook or email. No more YouTube. No more Skype video calls although voice only is fine. No more downloading TV shows and movies on Graboid. No TV at our house in Kenya. Oh.

No more madly researching the web reviewing hundreds of possible safaris, comparing prices, freely checking reviews, airfares, browsing photos and more. Tom will no longer be able to watch the Vikings Games using the MiFi. We’re looking into additional options which we’ll report on as we learn. 

Our house from Hans’ rooftop.

Kenya doesn’t have basic broadband service to residences or we’d gladly purchase it for our 3 months period. When booking this house, we’d thought when Internet service was provided, it would be the same type of broadband service we’d used in all the other countries we’ve lived in thus far. Nope. Not here.  As I said, we’ll let you know tomorrow as we madly search for a solution.

Fortunately, this doesn’t effect our ability to post the blog and photos which actually won’t use more than 25% of our daily allotment. For now, we’ll manage until we find a solution. Hans, the helpful owner of the house, will assist us later today.

View of our house as we basked in the chaise lounges in the hot sun, lasting only 45 minutes due to the close proximity to the equator.

Next time we grocery shop, most likely on Monday, not Tuesday since we’re running out of bottled water, we’ll visit the safari booking agency Hans recommended down the road from the grocery store. It will most likely save us considerable data usage, giving us an opportunity to talk to a knowledgeable live person, at this point a inviting concept. 

So far, we’ve discovered that the airfare alone to go to the Massai Mara is over $1000 for the two of us with the more deluxe safaris running from US $400 to US $600 per person per day. Ouch. Most likely, we won’t stay for more than three or four days. 

The blending of colors in the yard creates an enticing backdrop.

Yes, there are budget safaris, sleeping in rough tents on the plains. That’s not us. The food alone would be a problem for me and let’s face it, we never claimed to be “backpacking,” “living in hostels,” or “roughing it” travelers. 

The more deluxe safaris are able to accommodate my diet, have comfortable tents with regular beds, private baths, and overall more conveniences.  We’ll gladly pay for those luxuries. 

Spending most of our data yesterday researching many possible scenarios allowed us to discover the differences between “budget” and “deluxe,” easily making up our minds.

Each time we move to a new location, we experience a period of adapting and learning as we strive to settle into a comfortable and familiar pattern.  ts no different now as we find “workarounds” for any challenges we stumble upon in the process.

This, my friends, is all a part of the decision, none of which we regret for a moment, that we made over 18 months ago to leave everyone we love, everything we owned and our familiar surroundings in order to stretch ourselves to the limit while exploring the world when we can, before old age creeps around the edges, anymore than it already has.

Spring is in the air, here in Kenya, seasons being opposite from the US and Europe.  With the close proximity to the equator, the weather is tropical year round.

Settling in…Settling down…Planning safari…

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The flowers in our yard are bountiful. Bougainvilleas are popular in Kenya.
Hesborn, locally referred to as a “house boy.”  In an attempt to be pc, we’d prefer to refer to this kindly gentleman as our “houseman” or “house-person.”

One of the main reasons we decided to come to Kenya was the opportunity to see The Great Migration of over 1.5 million wildebeest crossing the river to the plains. We’d seen this on a news program a few years ago and we took out the “bucket” tossing it in.

With literally hundreds of options to see this momentous event requires careful planning and a willingness to pay for a quality experience. We budgeted well for this. We’ll share the details once we book them.  Our hope is to go on both a local safari, a few hour drive from here and go to the point where the wildebeest will be at the time we arrive. Today, now settled in, we can begin the hunt.

Another view of the spiral staircase from the second level, which we’ll seldom use.

Please keep in mind this is a photo taking, not hunting expedition. The animals in the parks are protected against “poaching” and consequences are severe. There are parks for hunting and killing animals that hold no interest for either of us. We love “life,” both human and animal, and take enormous pleasure in seeing any wildlife in their natural habitat, as opposed to zoos.

A common flower, the hibiscus, always appealed to me often growing them in Minnesota’s warm summers.  Plentiful in Hawaii, they grow like weeds, where we’ll be in 13-15 months, depending on future cruises we’re yet to book.

Of course, we have a lot to learn as the tedious process of discovery begins with the same care and diligence we exercised in researching our worldwide travels. Even so, we’ve often found that we have much to learn as we enter a new country to live among their people, their culture, as is the case here in Kenya.

We’re settling in.

These may be African roses.  The smell, amazing.

The bugs and mosquitoes; wear repellent and Africa pants at night. The heat; no problem. The dust and sand on our feet; wear shoes. The lack of TV;  play Gin, talk, read, watch movies on my laptop. Security; feel safe.  Malaria pills; no side effects. The language; English. The sights and sounds; breathtaking.

Tom surprises me. He’s a person entrenched in familiar creature comforts. Witnessing him adapt to the unfamiliar and at times difficult surroundings we’ve experienced in our travels is both refreshing and fulfilling.Staying positive and optimistic as a couple is highly instrumental in our adjusting to a new environment. In this, we excel, always have, more now than ever.

Growing up in California, I recall these flowers but not the name. 

On Tuesday, upon arriving in Diani Beach, we were exhausted from 22 hours of traveling.  Hans had left us enough bottled water to last a day but we had no food except a one pound bag of coffee.  Without cream, neither of us would bother to make coffee. Hans kindly offered to pick us up at the grocery store, arranging a cab to take us. The original plan was to take us both ways but something came up and he offered to pay the cab fare. Of course, we insisted on reimbursing him. 

We had no Kenya Shillings, US $1 equals Kenya Shillings $87.38, we were unprepared to pay cab fare until we went to bank or cash machine. We’ve found that cabs worldwide, thus far, do not accept credit cards as they do in the US.

Lush greenery surrounds us. 

The cab ride to the grocery store was an approximate 12 minute drive. Hans had told us the fare should be negotiated to KES 1200 (Kenya Shillings henceforth), US $13.73 round trip. As it turned out, we’d bought so many groceries that wouldn’t fit in Hans’ small car but he hung around while we shopped to ensure all went well. Good thing, he did!

Hans had to vouch for us when the grocery store cashier refused to accept a credit card without a passport, which we’d failed to bring. Knowing from past experience we weren’t surprised we forgot to bring our passports in our tired state. 

Hans explained to the cashier that he knew us and not to worry. The cashier then accepted Tom’s Nevada driver’s license in place of the passport.  While I shopped, Tom hung out with Hans and a friend in an outdoor bar connected to the grocery store. Thank goodness they were entertained. It took me almost two hours to shop in my frazzled state of mind.

Care must be taken to avoid being hit in the head with falling coconuts from the many trees in the yard.

The shopping? Interesting. Different than Italy and very different from the US. There was no charge for a grocery cart or the cardboard boxes they used to pack our stuff. A VAT tax of 16% was charged on the groceries, except on rice, flour, corn and a few necessities, none of which we purchased. The staff in the store was helpful and friendly as I wandered around aimlessly trying to find items we use. 

Our total bill including the VAT tax was KES $28,835, US $330, which we typically spend the first time we’ve shopped at each new location due to the necessity of purchasing paper products, soaps, repellent for the area, etc. With everything marked in KES, knowing Hans and Tom were waiting for me, I couldn’t price shop. I purchased everything on my list that appeared to be the best quality.

The deli and meat department had the most aggressive yet delightful “salespeople” I’ve met in any grocery store. They freely pushed their products. Hungry from having eaten poorly in the previous 24 hours, I readily fell prey to their sales pitch. Only a few items prompted me to calculate the cost using the currency app on my smartphone. 

One great buy was a three meal for two portion of Fillet Mignon which the butcher carefully trimmed to ensure all fat and tendons were removed, ending up at US $4.50 per serving. Tonight, we’ll make bacon (the bacon here was OK, not great) wrapped Fillet Mignon’s with sautéed mushrooms and onions, side salad and fresh sugar snap peas. 

The produce department was lacking in variety and quality with no green beans (fresh, frozen or canned), and many other familiar fresh items.  Much of the produce looked old and wilted.  Needing some items for our meals, I selected the best I could find. Later, Hans suggested a nearby vegetable stand where we’ll shop in the future.

The remainder of the store? Touch and go. The store was larger than any in Belize, smaller than in Italy with many items we frequently use unavailable. Much to my delight I found unsweetened coconut milk and coconut flour.  

Searching for coconut oil for my teeth cleaning and cooking, they offered me a bottle to which I jumped for joy. 

Tom will move the lawn chairs to a coconut tree free zone and into the sun.Today, we look forward to recovering a little color by spending our typical one hour of sunning and funning. The beach, not as close as we’d hoped, has warnings about peddlers, vendors and possible rough characters, leaving little interest for us at this point.

Returning home, I swished the oil around my teeth for 10 minutes, experiencing a burning sensation that prompted me to spit it out, brushing my teeth over and over with toothpaste and baking soda in an effort to get the awful taste out of my mouth.  Reading the bottle after the bad experience, I noticed the words in tiny print “not fit for human consumption.” 

Oh, good grief. Did I poison myself? It took several hours of repeating brushing and rinsing with purified water to remove to awful taste.  Apparently, this particular coconut oil was intended as a body oil. Into the garbage it went!  In my exhausted state and wearing my blurry contact lenses nonstop for 36 hours, I failed to see the tiny print on the label. I’d never seen inedible coconut oil. Usually, one uses the edible type as a body oil if they so choose.

The gate looking out to the yard from our outdoor living room.

Overall, the prices weren’t outrageous, as I perused the receipt the following day. Without a doubt, we’ll manage to be able to cook healthful and tasty meals while we’re in Kenya especially with freshly picked produce from the farmer’s market.

After grocery shopping, our new cab driver, Alfred, drove us across the street to a bank’s cash machine where we received enough KES to last us a for awhile, getting more cash as needed when we shop. 

We’ve decided to shop once a week negotiating with Alfred for a fee of KES $1000, US $11.44 plus tip for the weekly round trip on Tuesday mornings at 10:00 am.

Using the cab for shopping, banking and dining out should be no more than US $30 to US $45 a week, certainly less than the over US $800 a month we paid for a rental car in Italy. Plus, after reading several warnings by the US Department of State that recommended cabs over rental cars with the high risk of carjacking in many areas.  With the reasonable cab fares, we are satisfied with this option.

The locked garage and entranceway to the property.  At night, the guard Jeremiah, walks this area and the perimeter of the property of both ours and Hans’ house.

With little storage space in the kitchen and the necessity of no nonperishable items on the counter (monkey risk), putting everything away was a challenge. The galley kitchen requires that the kitchen door be shut in order to get into the undersized refrigerator.Tom offered to help but I threw him out, shut the door and got it done in no time.

Hesborn washed all the floors yesterday but our feet are still getting black. It may take several washings to get the soot-like dust off the floors.  He explained that recently the wrought iron gates surrounding the house had been sanded, resulting in the black soot. It was a relief to know that its not a permanent situation.

Once we find safaris that appeal to us, we’ll share the links and information. The search is almost as much fun for us as the experience.

Be back tomorrow with fun photos we took yesterday!

Adaptation in Kenya…A required must…We’re learning…

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Partial view of the yard from the second level.
Different view of the veranda than yesterday’s posting.  With a huge room upstairs without frniture and no living room on the main floor, we’ll have no choice but to spend most of our idle time outside both day and evening.   Finally, it was appropriate for me to wear my Africa pants last night, just spraying my arms and feet.  Gee…those pants work well!  Wish I’d known about BugsAway clothing while living in Minnesota. The bugs are bad.

If we thought for a moment that life in Africa would be comparable to life in other countries we’ve visited since leaving the US last January, we’d have been fooling ourselves. As we’d mentioned in a past post, we came here with no delusions. We’re working hard to adapt.

The sink in the galley style kitchen.  I should move Tom’s bottle of Courvoisier out of the window so the monkeys don’t knock it over when he comes to visit.

Our house in the resort community of Diani Beach, although vastly more convenient and comfortable than many other areas of Kenya, has limitations and peculiarities for which we must adapt or we’ll be miserable.

This stove and refrigerator are much smaller than they appear in the photo.  Here, we’ll grocery shop once a week with the reasonable price of cab fare.

In itself, there nothing wrong with the house or the grounds, which are maintained constantly and thoughtfully by various staff members on the premises 24 hours a day, provided us with considerable peace of mind.

The master bedroom.  The mosquito netting is very secure around the beds leaving little opportunity for any flying insects. Bugs that walk may find their way to the bed from below. Let’s hope not!  The bed was comfortable and we slept well last night.
The guest bedroom with two beds and two separate mosquito nets.

The gate entrance to the small collection of homes is guarded both during the day and at night. Plus from dusk to dawn, we have a guard, Jeremiah, who canvasses the grounds between our house and the owner’s house next door. Last night, our first night of sleeping, we heard the comforting sounds of quiet conversation among the guards, lulling me back to sleep.

Partial view from the upper level veranda.

After Hans, the owner, warned us about possible scorpions in the house, which he sees from time to time and may be deadly, we’ve become careful of watching where we walk wearing shoes in the house except when in bed.

This spiral staircase to the second level is very steep with the steps far apart. There’s no reason to go upstairs when there’s no furniture except on a second veranda. 

There’s a red button above the bed that goes directly to a manned security company that we’ve been instructed to use in case of any emergency:  intruder, health, animals. With guards on the premises, they’d have called for backup had there been intruders. But we’d also push the button.

The vanity area of the single bathroom in the house.

The bugs: Surprisingly so far we’ve seen no flies or bees. Yeah to that! The mosquitoes are rampant day and night.  Strange crawling things are everywhere, mostly spiders (some dangerous), many lizards of varying sizes, numerous centipedes, some small, some huge. Most aren’t dangerous and don’t bite. Many are dangerous, so we’ve heard.

Yesterday, when visiting next door without my camera, my hand brushed a giant insect appearing to be a wide Praying Mantis. It didn’t move when I touched it. I didn’t scream.

The interior of the shower.  It works better than the shower in Tuscany which had poor water flow.  We flip a switch in the entryway for hot water.  Fifteen minutes later the water is hot.  We’ve were instructed to turn off the switch as soon as we’re done showering.

The monkeys: There’s a local baboon that hangs around this property that is known to get into the kitchen via an access through the thatched roof, making itself at home munching on non-perishable foods sitting out. Hesborn, our houseman, suggested we keep the kitchen door closed at all times, since that’s the first place he’ll go. He said to expect to see him inside at some point during our stay. OK.

The coconut trees: We’ve been instructed not to stand or sit in the lawn chairs directly below the coconut trees due to a high risks of being hit by a falling coconut. Makes sense to us. We’ll find other spots to lounge to recover our now lost tans. (The horrible amount of bees on the patio in Tuscany kept us away from lounging in the chairs after trying for the first few weeks). Hesborn  will crack open the coconuts using the machete upon our request. Natural coconut is allowed on my strict diet.

The weather: Right now, it’s spring here, close to the equator. Summer begins on December 21st when we’ll be in South Africa (we arrive on December 1st depending on our soon-to-be booked flight). Its warm, mostly in the 80’s but is seldom above 90 this time of year. Without air conditioning and an overhead fan in the bedroom, the bed covered in only a sheet, we’re fine both during the day and at night, so far but it will get hotter as each day passes..

The floors: All the floors in the house are stone, including the bathroom and kitchen. With the sand blowing from the ocean at about 300 feet away and the residue from various trees and plants, the bottoms of our feet were black last night. Before going to bed, we washed them once again then scooting our feet on a towel toward the bed.  This morning, I asked Hesborn to wash the stone every few days. Going forward, we’ll be wearing shoes until crawling into bed.

The Internet: Having asked Hans long before booking our stay in the house as to the WiFi situation, he assured me that he’d provide Internet access at no charge. Little did he know (and we have no animosity about this) how much usage we actually incur on a daily basis. 

Plus, the MiFi from XCOM Global hadn’t worked since we arrived in Boveglio, due the proximity of the mountains surrounding the house.  With the help of tech support via email, we never were able to connect in Italy even after we arrived in Venice on September 1st.

Partial view of the ceiling in the second story.

Last night, Hans informed us that he’ll provide us with a SIM card to use to “by the kilobyte.” With our usage, this would end up at twice the cost of the use of our MiFi at $395 a month, a figure we’d incorporated into our budget. 

Unfortunately, the use of XCOM Global‘s MiFi prevents us from downloading videos and perhaps, Tom ability to watch the NFL’s weekly videos of the Minnesota Vikings game for which he recently paid $167 for the season. 

Today, after utilizing downloaded software XCOM Global had sent us in June, miraculously, I got it going, much to our surprise. During the night last night, I found myself waking from time to time worrying about how we’d have Internet access.

Now, we wait to hear back from XCOM Global as to our ability to Skype with video, continue to download TV shows along with Tom’s ability to watch the Vikings. With literally no TV on the premises, we’re dependent upon watching downloaded shows on our computer in the evenings. 

If the event that XCOM Global‘s responses to our inquiries affects our ability to download TV shows and movies, (including Tom’s Vikings games), we’ll have no alternative but to use Internet SIM cards for those purposes only. No doubt doing so will quickly burn GBs requiring us to  pay accordingly. We do accept the possibility.

The upstairs veranda is much smaller than the main floor but a lovely breezy spot where we’ll very little time due to the steep spiral staircase.

The water: The water is not potable, although Hans explains that he drinks it. After living here 20 years, most likely he’s developed an immunity to the various parasites in the water. With no reverse osmosis or purification system in place, we’ll use bottled water including when brushing our teeth and for drinking. This morning we made coffee using the huge jugs of purified water we’d purchased yesterday at the grocery store.

The trip to the grocery store will be told in tomorrow’s post. The grocery stores are very different from the US and even Italy. To our delight, we did find a few ingredients we’d been searching for the past seven months. 

There’s much more to follow, many more stories to tell and photos to share. Soon, we’ll book our safari and look forward to sharing the experience and photos with you.

How are we doing with all of these adaptations required of us thus far? For Tom, who normally takes a little while to adapt, says “So far, so good.” 

Window in the second level.

For me, I’m fine, not worrying, especially now that we’ve safely arrived, that the MiFi is working, enabling us to reach family and friends and to write and post photos for our readers. (No video, though. Besides, I wasn’t good at making videos anyway. I won’t miss that). 

The bugs that don’t bite don’t concern me a bit.  Those, that do bite? Screaming may occur.  I’d better learn my bugs so I’ll know when to scream.  The monkey, we’ll keep you informed if it comes inside the house.

With these two beds on the second floor is the only furniture upstairs other than on the veranda. With this space, the house has room for a total of six guests with a possible two more sleeping on the sofas on the 2 verandas.  This is the railing at the top of the spiral staircase. 

Remember the movie, “Out of Africa” and the living conditions?  Its not unlike that living here, simple;  water we can’t drink, bugs everywhere, creatures around us, sounds new to our ears, limited hot water, dirt and dust everywhere and on and on. 

Partial view of the yard from another second story window.

In the near future, as we learn more, we’ll share the joys we’ll discover in Kenya which we anticipate without a doubt, will be many. Please stop back tomorrow for more house photos.