So, life has taken a couple of crazy turns in the last week or so, but I'm keeping my head above water.
First, I will start with how guilty I am feeling about adding some salad dressing (soy sauce and honey) to my dinner tonight. Why might one feel guilty about this seemingly small thing? Well, it's the latest obsession with the Paleo diet, according to the book you can "cheat" or follow an 85% rule, which means the average person eats 20 meals a week, so if you follow the diet 85% of the time that means you can have three meals a week that don't strictly follow the diet. I must say, I am really shocked by what I miss the most. It's not the sweets, breads, dairy (although I do miss lattes) it really is all the salty/processed condiments that I use in cooking or as salad dressings. I still don't quite get what the problem is with salt, vinegar, soy sauce etc. if used in moderation, it's not like I'm drinking it... And, there is NO reason I am doing this other than to see if it helps with my training. Right now I'm in the "don't quit, you should feel tired and it will take longer to recover" period. Which, is not fun. I feel like I am working out harder by adding in strength training, eating healthier and instead of an increase in energy and better workouts, my body feels tired. I am not used to my legs not wanting to run another step. But, all the books say three weeks minimum before you decided what you think about the diet and it's effect on your performance. Most books say stick with it longer and you will continue to notice improvements, it just takes time. Today I did stop in at this small bio store near my house I've never been to before and bought some unsweetened almond milk to try in my coffee. I'm actually pretty excited. Overall training is fine, swim class was good, we won't learn the full stroke until week seven, seems a bit extreme, but I guess with swimming it's about technique and we have a lot to learn. There are four of us in the class, it is in German and it actually makes me want to learn again. They seemed to be laughing and having fun and I had no idea what was going on. I mean I could understand enough to follow the class, but sure would be nice to know the language.
Ok, back to the rest of life, wait, is there life outside of training and eating?! I went to Amsterdam to visit a friend who was traveling through Europe from Australia, it was awesome! We stayed with a friend who worked with us in Dubai, rode bicycles all over town ( a bit scary...), went to a few local markets, wandered all over, went to this ridiculously awful, so almost entertaining band, I mean, who knew Lionel Ritchie could be remixed in quite that way, and what band doesn't play Oh When the Saints Go Marching On...! The next day Mark and I went for a run, lounged about the house for a while and then met another friend who I worked with in Vienna for lunch at this great Nacho place and it was great to just sit and talk with her! It is pretty fun that I have friends that I can visit all over the place, I consider myself very lucky!
Work is work, really, with training and this whole eating thing, I really feel like I don't have time to do much else. It will be really, really, really nice to be home this weekend! I haven't been home for a weekend in only a month. I don't really have anything I have to do, but some things I want to do. I'm thinking about buying a grown up fridge, mine is TINY and the freezer is super tiny and with all this eating and prepping I need some more space. I also ordered a juicer and am hoping it arrives soon and am going to look at food processors too. I should just go buy the Kitchen Aide mixer and all the attachments that I have been dreaming about for years now... I keep thinking, well I don't want to buy it here because I don't know how long I'm staying, well, it's at least another year and a half, definitely enough time to buy a mixer...
No plans to travel anytime soon, we had talked about meeting in Thailand or China, or wherever Steve is, but he might be back to Vienna before my break in February. The smart thing to do would be to stay here, do my training and relax, but... I would really love to see the sun!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I'm back... to Vienna
Christmas Break was a big, fun, blur. I loved being home and seeing my family and friends. Let's see... some quick highlights, seeing my family, I cannot explain how cute my niece and nephews are, meeting my cousin's little girl, Christmas with my Dad for the first time in six years, continuing training, shopping, dinner at the place my brother cooks at now, more food than one should consume in one day all in one meal, meeting up with old girlfriends, the Lam's, they sure are growing up!, birthday brunch and nails with Missy, Starbucks with a tier one friend, a fun lunch at McMenamins with my best friend from kindergarten, how funny is that, 30 years later...spending so much time with my mom and a zillion other things I am probably forgetting. I guess it's a lot of the same things I do every time I go home. I did some serious damage shopping this time, even with paying for an extra bag I had to take things out in order to meet the weight limit... I was that person that you definitely didn't want to be behind in the baggage check lane, iPad, laptop, boots, jacket, carry on, massive purse... Oh, and as usual, my bags didn't make it back to Vienna with me.
When I arrived into Vienna I met Steph and her mom at Dots Sushi for a delicious meal and then came home and unpacked a bit and did much of the same on Sunday, couldn't be bothered to leave the house really. Drank coffee and ate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
Monday and work came way too fast. I was wide awake at 3:00 and I finally got up and did my long bike ride at 4:00 because I will be in Amsterdam this weekend, so that was nice. Well, nice until I just about fell asleep while trying to work that day! I managed to make it through the day and decided to skip the gym and head home to do some grocery shopping for my new Paleo Diet, which I'll get to in a minute... but anyways, I also found out that my luggage was supposed to arrive, so I had to be home between 6 - 9 anyways. So, I decided I would do some sit ups, push ups and other at home weight training activities. So, I went to Billa, made myself some dinner and then started with my workout. Next thing you know I hear the buzzer ringing. I had somehow managed to fall asleep in the middle of my push ups? Sit ups? Arm lift things? Who knows...?! My luggage did arrive though, so that was nice. I quickly unpacked and went to sleep, obviously, I was tired.
So, back to the Paleo Diet thing... and ironman training. Like I mentioned before, I signed up for the Zurich Ironman on July 15 and the St. Polten Half on May 20. I'm not really sure what exactly I was thinking, except that I guess it has just become an obsession. So, I was doing a little research and wanting to add in something different to my training this time around and knew that I would need to improve my swimming technique so I signed up for a 10 week swim course and also decided I would focus on strength training and nutrition. After some research I decided to try the Paleo Diet, which is basically eating like a caveman, lean meats and all the fruits and vegetables you want. It doesn't allow grains or dairy. So far, 2 days into it, and it's fine, except for one thing. It's not giving up grains, or cheese, or even soy milk, it's SALT. I am going crazy without it! I made turkey fajitas last night (with a lettuce wrap) and as delicious as it was all I wanted was salt, just a tiny, little bit...!
In one of the MANY books I bought, I think it's something like the Paleo Diet for Endurance Athletes, it talks about the five stages of eating and what is allowed in each, and which foods are usually not allowed in the Paleo diet, but can be eaten in moderation during Stage II/III and then salt is ok if you are exercising at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time, or are losing a certain amount of sweat, oh, it is all SO confusing. Then it goes on to try to explain the percentage of fats/proteins/fruits/etc. that you should eat during the different phases of training, base, build, peak, and then when you are just about to race an A priority race you should limit your calories the week before, I get tired just thinking about it. I also bought this training journal to help plan the workouts and write down how they go and what I eat for the day. I was working on transferring all of the plan into it and was getting exhausted just writing it down, let alone when I am actually doing the long training weeks! Right now it is only 8 or 9 hours + whatever strength training I do (and I don't get to count the time sleeping). I am really excited about the new diet, strength training and my swim class. My ultimate goal is still to complete the ironman, but, it sure would be nice to be faster this time too!
Oh, and to add to my ironman obsession, I would also say I can't stop listening to Colbie Calliat and reading about and watching youtube videos on Kris Carr. I bought a juicer on groupon today...
Ok, off to bed. Hope I manage to sleep through the night.
When I arrived into Vienna I met Steph and her mom at Dots Sushi for a delicious meal and then came home and unpacked a bit and did much of the same on Sunday, couldn't be bothered to leave the house really. Drank coffee and ate Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
Monday and work came way too fast. I was wide awake at 3:00 and I finally got up and did my long bike ride at 4:00 because I will be in Amsterdam this weekend, so that was nice. Well, nice until I just about fell asleep while trying to work that day! I managed to make it through the day and decided to skip the gym and head home to do some grocery shopping for my new Paleo Diet, which I'll get to in a minute... but anyways, I also found out that my luggage was supposed to arrive, so I had to be home between 6 - 9 anyways. So, I decided I would do some sit ups, push ups and other at home weight training activities. So, I went to Billa, made myself some dinner and then started with my workout. Next thing you know I hear the buzzer ringing. I had somehow managed to fall asleep in the middle of my push ups? Sit ups? Arm lift things? Who knows...?! My luggage did arrive though, so that was nice. I quickly unpacked and went to sleep, obviously, I was tired.
So, back to the Paleo Diet thing... and ironman training. Like I mentioned before, I signed up for the Zurich Ironman on July 15 and the St. Polten Half on May 20. I'm not really sure what exactly I was thinking, except that I guess it has just become an obsession. So, I was doing a little research and wanting to add in something different to my training this time around and knew that I would need to improve my swimming technique so I signed up for a 10 week swim course and also decided I would focus on strength training and nutrition. After some research I decided to try the Paleo Diet, which is basically eating like a caveman, lean meats and all the fruits and vegetables you want. It doesn't allow grains or dairy. So far, 2 days into it, and it's fine, except for one thing. It's not giving up grains, or cheese, or even soy milk, it's SALT. I am going crazy without it! I made turkey fajitas last night (with a lettuce wrap) and as delicious as it was all I wanted was salt, just a tiny, little bit...!
In one of the MANY books I bought, I think it's something like the Paleo Diet for Endurance Athletes, it talks about the five stages of eating and what is allowed in each, and which foods are usually not allowed in the Paleo diet, but can be eaten in moderation during Stage II/III and then salt is ok if you are exercising at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time, or are losing a certain amount of sweat, oh, it is all SO confusing. Then it goes on to try to explain the percentage of fats/proteins/fruits/etc. that you should eat during the different phases of training, base, build, peak, and then when you are just about to race an A priority race you should limit your calories the week before, I get tired just thinking about it. I also bought this training journal to help plan the workouts and write down how they go and what I eat for the day. I was working on transferring all of the plan into it and was getting exhausted just writing it down, let alone when I am actually doing the long training weeks! Right now it is only 8 or 9 hours + whatever strength training I do (and I don't get to count the time sleeping). I am really excited about the new diet, strength training and my swim class. My ultimate goal is still to complete the ironman, but, it sure would be nice to be faster this time too!
Oh, and to add to my ironman obsession, I would also say I can't stop listening to Colbie Calliat and reading about and watching youtube videos on Kris Carr. I bought a juicer on groupon today...
Ok, off to bed. Hope I manage to sleep through the night.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Love/Hate
Oh, how I LOVE the English language… and I love being on break and I love sitting at Starbucks and I love, well everything at the moment. I’m sitting at Starbucks in the Heathrow Airport drinking a double tall soy latte surrounded by English speakers and on my way home for Christmas, what’s not to love?!
But, last night I hated traveling, hated saying goodbye to Steve for nearly three months, hated that I wouldn’t have time to work out today and hated that I had to fly British Airways, last time I didn’t get my bags for 16 or 17 days. Is anything ever good enough? Or do we always want more? Or is it just me?
Is it possible to have it all; that seems to be what I want. I want to be surrounded by friends and family, be healthy, have them be healthy, have a job that I love, live in a city that is fun, have tons of money, travel, buy what I want, have my student loans paid off and somehow have this perfect little stress free life, thing is, I don’t think that’s how it works, but is it ok to want that? I mean, you have to have some goals, right?
It seems pathetic at times, when I think about the things I worry about, should I rent a car for two weeks while I’m home? Should I take the train? Do I want to buy my towels in the US and pay for extra baggage fees? On February break should I travel somewhere sunny? Go someplace to train? Oh, and over the summer should I go to Poland and watch Euro Cup or Ukraine? Yet somehow, I manage to get all stressed out. Maybe it’s just my personality. I should be feeling very fortunate, and at times, I definitely do!
Right now I am just anxious to get home. I am planning on staying in Vienna at least another school year, but also realizing, this job might just be as good as it gets. Of course, it’s not perfect, I don’t expect that, but it’s a safe city, I love my apartment, I have some friends, I can train easily, especially with my bike trainer, I mean all in all it’s all pretty ok, but is ok enough? I was talking over whether or not I should look for a new job with a friend of mine and as we were talking it through, and she was explaining what it was like to live in China and what she thought of her time in Hong Kong, I just started to realize that maybe Vienna is the place for me. So, maybe it’s time to act like I live there. I think while I’m home I’m going to go through all of my things and see what I want to ship over, I don’t even know what I still have at my mom’s, just that there are boxes of things and, well, I guess my things should be where I live instead of just rebuying cheap versions of things I already own…
Or, maybe I’m just exhausted and worn out from work and need to take a break and relax a bit…
But, last night I hated traveling, hated saying goodbye to Steve for nearly three months, hated that I wouldn’t have time to work out today and hated that I had to fly British Airways, last time I didn’t get my bags for 16 or 17 days. Is anything ever good enough? Or do we always want more? Or is it just me?
Is it possible to have it all; that seems to be what I want. I want to be surrounded by friends and family, be healthy, have them be healthy, have a job that I love, live in a city that is fun, have tons of money, travel, buy what I want, have my student loans paid off and somehow have this perfect little stress free life, thing is, I don’t think that’s how it works, but is it ok to want that? I mean, you have to have some goals, right?
It seems pathetic at times, when I think about the things I worry about, should I rent a car for two weeks while I’m home? Should I take the train? Do I want to buy my towels in the US and pay for extra baggage fees? On February break should I travel somewhere sunny? Go someplace to train? Oh, and over the summer should I go to Poland and watch Euro Cup or Ukraine? Yet somehow, I manage to get all stressed out. Maybe it’s just my personality. I should be feeling very fortunate, and at times, I definitely do!
Right now I am just anxious to get home. I am planning on staying in Vienna at least another school year, but also realizing, this job might just be as good as it gets. Of course, it’s not perfect, I don’t expect that, but it’s a safe city, I love my apartment, I have some friends, I can train easily, especially with my bike trainer, I mean all in all it’s all pretty ok, but is ok enough? I was talking over whether or not I should look for a new job with a friend of mine and as we were talking it through, and she was explaining what it was like to live in China and what she thought of her time in Hong Kong, I just started to realize that maybe Vienna is the place for me. So, maybe it’s time to act like I live there. I think while I’m home I’m going to go through all of my things and see what I want to ship over, I don’t even know what I still have at my mom’s, just that there are boxes of things and, well, I guess my things should be where I live instead of just rebuying cheap versions of things I already own…
Or, maybe I’m just exhausted and worn out from work and need to take a break and relax a bit…
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
48 hours and 20 minutes
but... who's counting. Can't wait to get on the plane home! The last few weeks have been really busy, but fun. We had our work Christmas party, I managed to drag Steve out to dinner with some friends and then we went out towards the 19th district, always seems like a lifetime away out there. The party was great, it was on a Wednesday night because we had the following Thursday off for some random Austrian that I don't even know what it is. I went a bit crazy shopping that day, I went to this store to buy Reidel wine glasses that were on sale but ended up with all kinds of random things that I decided I desperately needed after living here for over two years. I ended up needing a taxi home, but there was not one to be found. I would have to walk maybe 10 feet, set the bags down, rest and then do it again until I managed to drag myself onto a bus that I knew would take me to a taxi stand. Ha! I looked like quite a fool, but now do have everything I own in tupperware like containers.
Work is work, I'm definitely needing a break.
Everything else in life is good. Steve is still deciding where he is going for the winter and how long he will be gone, I plan to meet him in February wherever he might be. I, of course, am hoping for some hot tropical destination, we will see!
I"m totally ready to go home! I went a bit crazy online shopping, but it just seems like such a better deal at home and as much as I'd like to be that person that adjusts and buys all the products that are here and available, I'm not. I like my Crest toothpaste and Neutrogena face soap.
Yesterday was Day 1 of Ironamn Zurich training. It is fairly easy in the beginning, I will definitely run and bike more than what is suggested, I don't want to go backwards, but the idea of dragging myself to the pool seems like torture. And, I'm going to try to add in weight training this time too. I sitgned up for a swim class that starts January 12. It's quite annoying because the only time I could get in for was 8:00pm, that means not getting home until 9:30 or 10:00 and that is late for me! I have been working on structuring my race plan and trying to figure out what and when to eat, it all seems managable now, but I do remember those days that are yet to come...
For now though, I am just anxious to get through the last couple of days here and head home to see everyone. I can't wait
Work is work, I'm definitely needing a break.
Everything else in life is good. Steve is still deciding where he is going for the winter and how long he will be gone, I plan to meet him in February wherever he might be. I, of course, am hoping for some hot tropical destination, we will see!
I"m totally ready to go home! I went a bit crazy online shopping, but it just seems like such a better deal at home and as much as I'd like to be that person that adjusts and buys all the products that are here and available, I'm not. I like my Crest toothpaste and Neutrogena face soap.
Yesterday was Day 1 of Ironamn Zurich training. It is fairly easy in the beginning, I will definitely run and bike more than what is suggested, I don't want to go backwards, but the idea of dragging myself to the pool seems like torture. And, I'm going to try to add in weight training this time too. I sitgned up for a swim class that starts January 12. It's quite annoying because the only time I could get in for was 8:00pm, that means not getting home until 9:30 or 10:00 and that is late for me! I have been working on structuring my race plan and trying to figure out what and when to eat, it all seems managable now, but I do remember those days that are yet to come...
For now though, I am just anxious to get through the last couple of days here and head home to see everyone. I can't wait
Monday, December 5, 2011
Walking in a winter wonderland...
After a couple weeks of fun in Vienna it was time to head off to Barcelona to visit Heather, but first we had to go to a few Christmas markets... Steph and I had a great day making Christmas cookies and then went and had some punsch at the Rathaus, it was gorgeous out! We also went a different day with Kent and Amy to the Karlsplatz market, which is definitely one of my favorites. Thai punsch is the only one I really like, love the spice and burning lips!
Barcelona was great, well, what I saw of it, the BEST part of the trip was spending time with Heather, we went and visited a cool town about an hour away, saw some ruins, ate some tapas, talked... While we were in Barcelona we did much of the same, the weather was amazing! We went on some great runs, wandered around to amazing little tapas places, a champagne bar, Starbucks, cooking class, spent time talking and laughing and just relaxing. What a great city, I would love to live and train there. It was a much needed long weekend. I forget sometimes how nice it is to be around good friends, it had been over a year since we had seen each other last, but that didn't matter at all! Already looking forward to my next trip back in March.
Work is crazy, life is moving too fast and I feel like I am just caught up in all the craziness and not really enjoying the things I should be. I did just buy a ticket to go home for Christmas, so I'm really excited about that. Less than three weeks and I'll be home for the holidays.
Going to try to relax a bit and take advantage of the last few weeks before training officially starts up again. Which actually doesn't mean relax, it means having that extra glass of wine :-)
Barcelona was great, well, what I saw of it, the BEST part of the trip was spending time with Heather, we went and visited a cool town about an hour away, saw some ruins, ate some tapas, talked... While we were in Barcelona we did much of the same, the weather was amazing! We went on some great runs, wandered around to amazing little tapas places, a champagne bar, Starbucks, cooking class, spent time talking and laughing and just relaxing. What a great city, I would love to live and train there. It was a much needed long weekend. I forget sometimes how nice it is to be around good friends, it had been over a year since we had seen each other last, but that didn't matter at all! Already looking forward to my next trip back in March.
Work is crazy, life is moving too fast and I feel like I am just caught up in all the craziness and not really enjoying the things I should be. I did just buy a ticket to go home for Christmas, so I'm really excited about that. Less than three weeks and I'll be home for the holidays.
Going to try to relax a bit and take advantage of the last few weeks before training officially starts up again. Which actually doesn't mean relax, it means having that extra glass of wine :-)
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Christmas is coming...
Well, I made it back from Kenya, bags and all! It was nice to get back and have some time to spend with Steve and get ready for the short work week. And, VERY nice to only have three days of work before the weekend. There has been a principal change at work that has proven to be a bit of a challenge, nothing that I won't be able to manage, but certainly far from easy or fun. I also had my last soccer tournament, the girls had a lot of fun, played well and ended with a penalty shoot out and won their last game. The weather was freezing, but blue skies, so it was nice. Steph's team won the whole tournament, so that was fun!
The weather, I can't believe how nice it is. It is absolutely freezing cold, but bright blue skies and not a drop of rain. I love it! I went on a great long bike ride and also some beautiful runs, the color of the leaves are gorgeous. I'm gearing up for Ironman training to start again. I signed up for the one in Zurich in July and also a half in St. Polten in May as a training race. Steve was just in England and bought me a few training books, I'm getting excited as a read them. I also signed up for a swim class, it was quite amusing actually. Registration for January classes started on November 7th, so I got to work, logged on and tried to sign up. The website was all in German so I was trying to read the directions, register for the class, website, loging, etc. and as you're doing it you can see the spots in the classes literraly disappearing. So, under each class there are these little icons that represent a spot in the class and as a person registers the little icon disappears. It took me so long to figure out how to register that I ended up with a class that meets at 8:00 - 9:00 on Thursday nights, terrible! That is my bedtime! I was laughing so hard though and in such a panic. I'm on the waitlist for a 7:00 class on Tuesday or Thursday, I hope I get in... whatever. Not like there is too much to do in the winter anyways.
Steph and I had a really fun Sunday. I got up and went on a great run to Schonbrunn Palace, Starbucks with Steve, baked Christmas Cookies with Steph and relaxed at home, went to the Rathaus Christmas market, out to a movie and dinner with Steve and then watched the x-factor. I really didn't want the weekend to end!
I went to this store, Metro, last night,it's similar to a Costco, and went a bit crazy. I bought so many things that I should have bought years ago, things like four/sugar/rice containers, vases, I don't even really know what else, just random stuff for the house. I also bought Steve some new dishes, we have been eating Chicken Salads out of takeout Vapiano dishes for about 4 months...
I'm considering applying for a different job, maybe Hong Kong, Brazil, who knows. I am pretty happy here though, why make a change!
The weather, I can't believe how nice it is. It is absolutely freezing cold, but bright blue skies and not a drop of rain. I love it! I went on a great long bike ride and also some beautiful runs, the color of the leaves are gorgeous. I'm gearing up for Ironman training to start again. I signed up for the one in Zurich in July and also a half in St. Polten in May as a training race. Steve was just in England and bought me a few training books, I'm getting excited as a read them. I also signed up for a swim class, it was quite amusing actually. Registration for January classes started on November 7th, so I got to work, logged on and tried to sign up. The website was all in German so I was trying to read the directions, register for the class, website, loging, etc. and as you're doing it you can see the spots in the classes literraly disappearing. So, under each class there are these little icons that represent a spot in the class and as a person registers the little icon disappears. It took me so long to figure out how to register that I ended up with a class that meets at 8:00 - 9:00 on Thursday nights, terrible! That is my bedtime! I was laughing so hard though and in such a panic. I'm on the waitlist for a 7:00 class on Tuesday or Thursday, I hope I get in... whatever. Not like there is too much to do in the winter anyways.
Steph and I had a really fun Sunday. I got up and went on a great run to Schonbrunn Palace, Starbucks with Steve, baked Christmas Cookies with Steph and relaxed at home, went to the Rathaus Christmas market, out to a movie and dinner with Steve and then watched the x-factor. I really didn't want the weekend to end!
I went to this store, Metro, last night,it's similar to a Costco, and went a bit crazy. I bought so many things that I should have bought years ago, things like four/sugar/rice containers, vases, I don't even really know what else, just random stuff for the house. I also bought Steve some new dishes, we have been eating Chicken Salads out of takeout Vapiano dishes for about 4 months...
I'm considering applying for a different job, maybe Hong Kong, Brazil, who knows. I am pretty happy here though, why make a change!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Kenya - living in African Time
One thing I am not is calm and patient. I figure I have to be at my job; in fact, people actually think I am an easy going, calm, take it as it comes type of person. Whatever. As usual, I arrive to the airport and end up on a different flight, arrive quite a bit later than I was supposed to, and somehow managed to miss every meal with the weird flight times. Fortunately my Mom and cousin were prepared. They stayed awake and I inhaled their leftover dinner. The conference was actually really, really interesting, I have been writing up all kinds of different things that I want to do when I get back to work. The first couple of days were spent at the conference all day and then dinner and relaxing at the hotel with my Mom and cousin. It was SO relaxing and nice! I feel so fortunate that we were all able to meet in Kenya. My sister came after she finished her volunteer work and we crammed all four of us into a room and the next day we had to say goodbye to Nicole and off we went on our safari!
It was a long bumpy ride to Masai Mara, but very interesting. We stopped at a lookout point and gift shop, took some pictures and then were on our way. We arrived to our beautiful tented camp in time to have some lunch, rest a bit and then go on an afternoon game drive. It was amazing! We saw tons of animals, zebra, giraffes, elephants, buffalos, gazelles, impalas, wildebeest, antelope, cheetahs and I’m sure some other things too. It was also just beautiful to see the vast amount of open space, the sunset, the hills in the distance, well, just everything. It was amazingly beautiful! We came back to the lodge, showered and changed and it was time for yet another great meal, buffet style. I’m not sure what it is about buffet meals, but I always feel like I just need to eat and eat. And, since the food was so good, it was great fun! I mean, you need three different types of dessert very night in addition to the dark chocolate chunks and almond slivers.
The next day we were up early for a game drive, I was happy I had brought my Dog River traveler’s mug, thanks Lindsey…, and we once again saw tons of animals. Amazing. We barely made it back in time for breakfast, which was once again, a huge delicious buffet, and just like at home; I had an egg white omelet, yogurt and granola, peanut butter and jelly toast, coffee, water and a little fruit. Right, just like at home. Between the morning and afternoon game drive we lounged around the pool and worked on our tan, we did take a little break to eat some lunch of course. The afternoon game drive was amazing. Raphael, our driver, all of a sudden seemed like he was on a mission! At one point I asked what an animal was and he dismissed me pretty quick and gunned it, he was taking us somewhere and we were in a hurry, but had NO idea where we were going. Then, out of nowhere, all of a sudden we were surrounded by more animals than I can ever remember seeing. Every direction you looked were zebras, gazelles, and wildebeest, just everything. It was amazing! He did stop so we could take a few pictures, but then, we were off again. To where you ask? We had no idea, but suddenly we got to where we were doing and he let us get out of the car, seems a bit risky, and it was an area where there were hippos, they were so cute! And it was nice to see water too. We got out and took a few pictures and then we got back in the car for the drive back to the tented camp. On the way back we saw an amazing rainbow and a sunset you could hardly believe. Pictures really don’t do it justice, but, don’t worry, we tried. I think Kristin must have taken a thousand pictures.
The next morning we did an early morning game drive and then drove to Lake Nakuru. When we arrived to Lake Nakuru we had some lunch and then went out for an afternoon game drive. We saw many animals again, but we were really out looking for Flamingos, we didn’t see any, but did see tons of beautiful pelicans. We also saw Black and White Rhinos that were really cute. And some warthogs that were adorable when they ran with their little tails sticking straight up. We had a really nice dinner and then went to sleep, had to be up early for another game drive before we were off to the airport and then Mombasa. The morning game drive was great, we saw lions up in a tree, I had to laugh when Raphael was driving around and parking a little bit out from under the tree, he said, we have to be careful, those lions aren’t that good in the trees, not like the cheetahs. And, when we questioned him a bit further about what he meant, he said, well, you don’t want to park under the tree because the lions could just slip and end up in the van with you. Right. We don’t want that to happen. We also found some flamingos and pelicans that morning. Raphael was saying how few there were and that it had changed so much, which, even in my experience from being there 13 years ago, it had, there were definitely less flamingos, but… there were still a ton of pelicans and a fair number of flamingos. To me, it was still amazing. We also went up to a really amazing view point where you could see the whole lake. It was gorgeous! After that we were off to Mombasa! But, we did stop at a gift shop, where I used Kristin’s technique of bartering and ended up with a fair sized canvas painting that I think will look nice in my living area above my shelf unit, well, I hope it will anyways. We arrived to the Nairobi airport and were off to Mombasa.
Mombasa was meant to be our relaxing beach time, which it was. But, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the quality of our room. It really bugged me, it was actually dirty, not just not fancy, but dirty. Yuck. Like, brown water coming out of the hot water faucets and chunks of dirt, and walls that were in desperate need of paint, bugs in the light fixtures, just well, not nice. The rest of the resort was beautiful, the pool was great, good water temperature, the service was wonderful, the people super friendly, I had a great pedicure, but, oh how the rooms were awful! By the end I was just SO irritated about it that I asked to fill out a customer card and wrote exactly what I thought. Mom and I were sitting in this lounge area waiting for our airport pick up and the assistant manager came and found me because she wanted to talk to me about what I wrote. I felt a bit bad, but really, the room was awful.
Ok, enough complaining about that. We had such a nice and relaxing time. We spent all day every day by the pool on the same three chairs. There was a little flag you could raise and they would come over, we had drinks one day and lunch another. I would just sit in the pool on the steps reading my book for hours. I did manage to go to the gym most days and one day I had an amazing pedicure. My mom asked if I was worried about being cut in Africa, well, I hadn’t thought about it at all till she mentioned it, but, I went anyways and there were no major injuries to report. Meal time was similar to what a cruise ship meal time would be like. In the evenings they had a live band and it was pretty nice. Mom and I went out on a dhow cruise for dinner one night, it was really great. We sat with a couple that were traveling from Australia, they were really nice and celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. The weather was perfect and the food was delicious. I opted for the prawns, but one of the options was lobster and I have NEVER seen such a huge portion of lobster served, then after the main course was served, they came around asking if anyone wanted to try the lobster and were just handing it out. There was this live band on board singing most of the time too. Of course their CD was for sale… I chose not to buy it. We made it back to the hotel by 11:00, which is very late for us! The next morning, today, was our last morning. We spent the day by the pool, ordered a leisurely poolside lunch and then had to shower and head to the airport. We are just about to board our plane to Amsterdam, it’s an overnight flight, and I hope I can sleep! My connecting flight in Amsterdam is about an hour and fifteen minutes, I am pretty much counting on missing the connection, doesn’t seem possible. And, even if I do make it, I can’t imagine my bags will, but since when do they ever make it to where I go…
I already miss my Mom and she is still sitting next to me at the gate. Too bad Vienna and Portland aren’t closer! I loved my time in Kenya and can’t wait to come back…!
It was a long bumpy ride to Masai Mara, but very interesting. We stopped at a lookout point and gift shop, took some pictures and then were on our way. We arrived to our beautiful tented camp in time to have some lunch, rest a bit and then go on an afternoon game drive. It was amazing! We saw tons of animals, zebra, giraffes, elephants, buffalos, gazelles, impalas, wildebeest, antelope, cheetahs and I’m sure some other things too. It was also just beautiful to see the vast amount of open space, the sunset, the hills in the distance, well, just everything. It was amazingly beautiful! We came back to the lodge, showered and changed and it was time for yet another great meal, buffet style. I’m not sure what it is about buffet meals, but I always feel like I just need to eat and eat. And, since the food was so good, it was great fun! I mean, you need three different types of dessert very night in addition to the dark chocolate chunks and almond slivers.
The next day we were up early for a game drive, I was happy I had brought my Dog River traveler’s mug, thanks Lindsey…, and we once again saw tons of animals. Amazing. We barely made it back in time for breakfast, which was once again, a huge delicious buffet, and just like at home; I had an egg white omelet, yogurt and granola, peanut butter and jelly toast, coffee, water and a little fruit. Right, just like at home. Between the morning and afternoon game drive we lounged around the pool and worked on our tan, we did take a little break to eat some lunch of course. The afternoon game drive was amazing. Raphael, our driver, all of a sudden seemed like he was on a mission! At one point I asked what an animal was and he dismissed me pretty quick and gunned it, he was taking us somewhere and we were in a hurry, but had NO idea where we were going. Then, out of nowhere, all of a sudden we were surrounded by more animals than I can ever remember seeing. Every direction you looked were zebras, gazelles, and wildebeest, just everything. It was amazing! He did stop so we could take a few pictures, but then, we were off again. To where you ask? We had no idea, but suddenly we got to where we were doing and he let us get out of the car, seems a bit risky, and it was an area where there were hippos, they were so cute! And it was nice to see water too. We got out and took a few pictures and then we got back in the car for the drive back to the tented camp. On the way back we saw an amazing rainbow and a sunset you could hardly believe. Pictures really don’t do it justice, but, don’t worry, we tried. I think Kristin must have taken a thousand pictures.
The next morning we did an early morning game drive and then drove to Lake Nakuru. When we arrived to Lake Nakuru we had some lunch and then went out for an afternoon game drive. We saw many animals again, but we were really out looking for Flamingos, we didn’t see any, but did see tons of beautiful pelicans. We also saw Black and White Rhinos that were really cute. And some warthogs that were adorable when they ran with their little tails sticking straight up. We had a really nice dinner and then went to sleep, had to be up early for another game drive before we were off to the airport and then Mombasa. The morning game drive was great, we saw lions up in a tree, I had to laugh when Raphael was driving around and parking a little bit out from under the tree, he said, we have to be careful, those lions aren’t that good in the trees, not like the cheetahs. And, when we questioned him a bit further about what he meant, he said, well, you don’t want to park under the tree because the lions could just slip and end up in the van with you. Right. We don’t want that to happen. We also found some flamingos and pelicans that morning. Raphael was saying how few there were and that it had changed so much, which, even in my experience from being there 13 years ago, it had, there were definitely less flamingos, but… there were still a ton of pelicans and a fair number of flamingos. To me, it was still amazing. We also went up to a really amazing view point where you could see the whole lake. It was gorgeous! After that we were off to Mombasa! But, we did stop at a gift shop, where I used Kristin’s technique of bartering and ended up with a fair sized canvas painting that I think will look nice in my living area above my shelf unit, well, I hope it will anyways. We arrived to the Nairobi airport and were off to Mombasa.
Mombasa was meant to be our relaxing beach time, which it was. But, I was EXTREMELY disappointed with the quality of our room. It really bugged me, it was actually dirty, not just not fancy, but dirty. Yuck. Like, brown water coming out of the hot water faucets and chunks of dirt, and walls that were in desperate need of paint, bugs in the light fixtures, just well, not nice. The rest of the resort was beautiful, the pool was great, good water temperature, the service was wonderful, the people super friendly, I had a great pedicure, but, oh how the rooms were awful! By the end I was just SO irritated about it that I asked to fill out a customer card and wrote exactly what I thought. Mom and I were sitting in this lounge area waiting for our airport pick up and the assistant manager came and found me because she wanted to talk to me about what I wrote. I felt a bit bad, but really, the room was awful.
Ok, enough complaining about that. We had such a nice and relaxing time. We spent all day every day by the pool on the same three chairs. There was a little flag you could raise and they would come over, we had drinks one day and lunch another. I would just sit in the pool on the steps reading my book for hours. I did manage to go to the gym most days and one day I had an amazing pedicure. My mom asked if I was worried about being cut in Africa, well, I hadn’t thought about it at all till she mentioned it, but, I went anyways and there were no major injuries to report. Meal time was similar to what a cruise ship meal time would be like. In the evenings they had a live band and it was pretty nice. Mom and I went out on a dhow cruise for dinner one night, it was really great. We sat with a couple that were traveling from Australia, they were really nice and celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. The weather was perfect and the food was delicious. I opted for the prawns, but one of the options was lobster and I have NEVER seen such a huge portion of lobster served, then after the main course was served, they came around asking if anyone wanted to try the lobster and were just handing it out. There was this live band on board singing most of the time too. Of course their CD was for sale… I chose not to buy it. We made it back to the hotel by 11:00, which is very late for us! The next morning, today, was our last morning. We spent the day by the pool, ordered a leisurely poolside lunch and then had to shower and head to the airport. We are just about to board our plane to Amsterdam, it’s an overnight flight, and I hope I can sleep! My connecting flight in Amsterdam is about an hour and fifteen minutes, I am pretty much counting on missing the connection, doesn’t seem possible. And, even if I do make it, I can’t imagine my bags will, but since when do they ever make it to where I go…
I already miss my Mom and she is still sitting next to me at the gate. Too bad Vienna and Portland aren’t closer! I loved my time in Kenya and can’t wait to come back…!
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