#Places to hang outside Nairobi town

[moraatimes-blog]

Misitu Raha Chill and Grill

Misitu Raha Chill and Grill

The 20th of October was Mashujaa day and a lot of events went down. But there is this one event that stood out from the rest – MisituRahaChillNGrill, powered by the powerful eventstur.

As the name suggests, MisituRahaChillNGrill happens in a Forest- Kiswahili name (Misitu). The idea of the misitu is to give people a chance to chill, eat grilled meals and network far away from the hustle…

[aztravelling]

15 best places to visit in the world in 2020

The world is loaded up with such a wide assortment of awesome goals and lovely places to visit, it very well may be very hard to accumulate a rundown of the best ones. Considering an explorer who, out of the blue, has never walked outside their old neighborhood, where might be the primary spots they may visit?

For additional thoughts on where to go and what to see, read our rundown of the top spots to visit on the planet

1. Machu Picchu, Peru

Found high in the Andes piles of Peru, Machu Picchu is currently accepted to have been a consecrated illustrious retreat for the Incan rulers. Worked in the fifteenth century AD and relinquished not exactly 100 years after the fact, the remote site keeps on stunning with its impeccably joined, mortarless, mind-boggling stonework. Colossal multi-ton squares of stone are impeccably gotten together with one another, without the utilization of mortar or concrete.

The excursion to Machu Picchu normally begins in the mountain city of Cusco, which was the capital city of the Inca Empire. Cusco is a captivating spot to investigate make certain to put in a couple of days there previously or after your Machu Picchu experience.

It’s conceivable to climb the Inca Trail from Cusco to Machu Picchu. The full climb takes five days, however, you can likewise begin nearer and do a one-, a multi-day climb along the path. A great many people take the train from Cusco, which takes around three and a half hours.

2. The Grand Canyon, Arizona

This mind-blowing regular miracle is in the U.S. territory of Arizona. It’s one of those wonderful spots for which photographs or videos simply don’t do it equity its sheer size and degree are difficult to understand.

With topography framed in the course of the last two billion years, yes billion, the 277 mile-long gorge itself is accepted to have been begun around five to 6,000,000 years back. It was framed by the progression of the Colorado River, which despite everything moves through it and keeps on dissolving the topography along its course. The Grand Canyon is up to 18 miles wide in places and up to a mile down. Envision remaining on the edge, looking down a sheer stone divider very nearly a mile to the stream beneath.

Most guests go to the region alluded to as the South Rim, and there is a scope of lodging accessible, from tents to a natural extravagance gorge side hotel worked from logs. There is a couple of lodging on the remote North Rim, and these are saved a long time ahead of time.

Numerous guests get to the gorge by means of the noteworthy Grand Canyon Railway, which runs from the town of Williams, Arizona. The 64-mile rail line gives an engaging method to get to the gully with nourishment and unrecorded music installed. For those driving, the gulch is around a three-and-a-half-hour drive north from Phoenix (or south from Las Vegas).

3. Rome, Italy

The Eternal City is progressively similar to a mammoth, living historical center. Guests are submerged in and encompassed by a large number of long stretches of history. It’s a moderately smaller city, and a three-day schedule gets you to the base number of must-see places.

These must-see locales for any guest incorporate the Colosseum and adjoining Roman Forum; the Pantheon; and Vatican City, a different nation in focal Rome.

Set aside some effort to investigate the edges of Rome, as well. Consider a climb along a tomb-lined area of the Appian Way, the antiquated Roman superhighway, and a visit to one of the water passage ruins outside the city.

4. Maui, Hawaii

This Hawaiian island offers a wide scope of encounters for guests. You can surf, appreciate a feast on the seashore at a five-star extravagance resort in Wailea, ride a pony over a torpid fountain of liquid magma in Haleakala National Park, or climb through a rainforest in the West Maui Mountains. The characteristic view is astonishing it’s really one of the most delightful islands on the planet.

With regards to convenience, there is something for everybody here, from provincial nonconformist lodge quaint little inns to five-star extravagance resort lodgings. Wailea has all the extravagance resorts-it resembles the beachfront Beverly Hills of Maui. In case you’re remaining here, make certain to wander out and invest some energy in Kihei, where local people hang out.

5. Masai Mara, Kenya

Kenya’s Masai Mara is an unfathomable bio-various region and a famous safari goal. It’s a chance to see the “huge five” creatures (lion, panther, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape bison) all during one excursion or, in case you’re fortunate, during one evening.

The ensured Masai Mara National Reserve park zone is gigantic, more than 1,500 square kilometers of basic meadow, stretching outright to the Serengeti plain of Tanzania. The well-known occasions to visit are during the twice-yearly relocations, the fundamental one being in July and August. Over a million wildebeest and different creatures cross the region in gigantic gatherings to move between different taking care of areas. Most guests fly into Nairobi, at that point take a little hedge plane to the Mara.

6. Montreal, Canada

As you tune in to the sound of French being spoken around you and investigate Old Montreal, meandering down its limited cobblestone avenues you may believe you’re in France. The noteworthy zone is loaded up with interesting shops and bistros; this Canadian city can be an opportunity to encounter a touch of Europe in North America.

The city likewise has a flourishing nourishment scene, with a few well-known ranchers markets, including the Atwater Market and the Jean-Talon Market. It’s likewise known for its bagels, cooked hot and new by a few notorious must-visit pastry kitchens.

Make certain to visit the delightful Notre-Dame Basilica and take a drive up to Mount Royal, the large slope (or low mountain) the city is named after. You’ll be remunerated with some astounding perspectives stretching outright to the port.

7. New Zealand

With its striking normal magnificence, cordial residents, and ongoing fame because of its utilization as the shooting area for the Lord of the Rings films (just as numerous others), this island country is one of the world’s extraordinary spots to visit. The biodiversity here is astonishing it’s trusted New Zealand was one of the keep going spots on earth to have human occupants.

Start your visit off in the capital city of Auckland, with its way of life, history, and historical centers. Invest some energy in the water and at the seashore, Waitemata Harbor has seashores, alongside a scope of cruising and drifting exercises.

Visit the Rotorua region to find out about and experience indigenous Maori culture and head to Queenstown to encounter the nation’s wide scope of open-air extraordinary activity sports. Keep in mind, this is the place bungee bouncing was designed.

8. Istanbul, Turkey

Turkey’s capital city is another goal that offers an incredible blend of culture, nourishment, and history. There are a huge number of long periods of history here, beginning with Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans and driving up through the Ottoman Empire.

It’s an Islamic nation with a mainstream government, so it’s a decent spot for Western travelers to encounter Islamic culture. There’s a blend of the new and the immortal here not at all like anyplace else. You can go through the night at an awesome eatery eating incredible Turkish nourishment and moving to Turkish music, at that point rise (promptly) toward the beginning of the day to the sound of the Ezan or morning Islamic call to supplication. It echoes over the housetops as it’s communicated from amplifiers set on the minarets of the city’s mosques.

Istanbul has incredible open travel, which implies it’s anything but difficult to get around and investigate all the significant locales and landmarks. Must-see places incorporate the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, and Topkapi Palace.

9. Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Found simply outside the Cambodian city of Siem Reap, Angkor Wat is the biggest strict site on the planet. It was made initially as a Hindu sanctuary and sepulcher for the Khmer ruler in the early piece of the twelfth century and was changed over to a Buddhist sanctuary toward the finish of the twelfth century. Simply part of a gigantic old city. Angkor Wat is the sanctuary territory, Angor Thom was the city and royal residence region. There are many other ruin destinations in the region, all pieces of the old capital of Angkor.

Siem Reap and its sanctuaries and vestiges are presently effectively open by means of every day departures from Hong Kong and other huge Asian urban areas. Facilities run from reasonable guesthouses to sumptuous extravagance resorts, with everything in the middle.

10. London, England

This notable English city is another goal simply loaded up with mind-blowing spots to visit. An outing to London is a chance to visit famous spots like the Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, and the Tower of London.

Exploit the city being a social place too by observing a West End theater show or viewing a melodic presentation at the Royal Albert Hall. Current London is additionally a city of top-notch food, lavish lodgings, and world-class shopping.

Try not to miss the exhibition halls, the tremendous British Museum is free, and for the most part, very swarmed. Make time to visit The Wallace Collection, a free historical center on Oxford Street. It has one of the world’s most prominent assortments of furniture and porcelain, alongside some significant Old Master compositions.

11. Manhattan, New York

One of the five districts of New York City, Manhattan is really an island, flanked by the East River and the Hudson (and a smidgen by the Harlem River). This island is somewhat under 23 square miles and is home to just about 2,000,000 occupants. Include the every day deluge of laborers, and the island routinely holds near 4,000,000 individuals.

No other city on the planet offers the exciting vitality of New York City. It’s loaded up with the world’s best shopping and eating, alongside fantastic historical centers.

Manhattan likewise has a goliath green heart, Central Park. Regardless of the period, it gives a play area to the city’s occupants, offering a scope of exercises from historical centers to a zoo. There’s likewise a great deal of green space where you can play and unwind, alongside miles of running, biking, and skating trails.

12. Paris, France

No visit to the French capital is finished without an excursion to and an outing up its most famous structure. The 300-meter-tall Eiffel Tower was essential, the tallest man-made structure on the planet, from its opening in 1889 for a long time until 1930.

Utilize your visit as a step exercise and climb the 300 stages from ground level to the first of three levels on the pinnacle. In case you’re fit as a fiddle, climb another 300 stages to the subsequent level. At that point bounce on the lift here to get to the top. Besides the exercise, you’ll additionally avoid the vast majority of the group who need to take the lift the entire way.

13. San Francisco, California

San Francisco is a really exceptional American city and one of the world’s extraordinary excursion spots. Investigate its slopes, ride the link vehicles that climb them, and eat some fish at Fisherman’s Wharf. Additionally invest some energy investigating Marin County on the opposite side of the Golden Gate Bridge, including the beautiful town of Sausalito. The monster redwoods of Muir Woods National Monument are just 30 minutes away and furthermore certainly justified regardless of a side outing.

Make certain to likewise set aside a few minutes for a little while to or far better, a drive over, the Golden Gate Bridge. This landmark to present-day building virtuoso traverses the waterway that interfaces San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The just about two-mile-long, six-path connect associates the Northern California city with Marin County.

Opened in 1937, the scaffold has a one of a kind, geometric excellence and can be seen from numerous zones on either side of its range. Probably the best perspectives are from the Marin Headlands, a bumpy piece of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a national park that remembers territories for either side of the scaffold.

14. Hong Kong

Asia’s biggest city can feel like an Asian Manhattan, with mammoth high rises in a reduced region and a genuine spotlight on business. In any case, adventure further, and you’ll discover the city’s remarkable blend of antiquated Chinese culture and leftovers of its British Colonial history too. Shining high rises are worked with the hand-amassed bamboo platform in a combination of new and old.

The city is partitioned into two fundamental areas: Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, isolated by Victoria Harbor. Take the Star Ferry over the harbor, still one of the incredible travel deals, given the staggering landscape on the two sides. You can likewise wander into the more rustic zones to find the scantily populated Outlying Islands, climbing trails, and lovely seashores.

15. Marrakesh, Morocco

Start your Marrakech experience in the Jemaa el-Fnaa, the fundamental, open square in the Moroccan city. It’s the entryway to the medina or old walled city. The square resembles no place else on the planet, introducing a consistent demonstration of humankind. There are melodic entertainers, snake charmers, monkey coaches, beginner bouts, and transvestite’s tummy artists.

It’s additionally goliath nourishment advertise, just as a mammoth collectibles market and flea market. You can even get a hairstyle or have some dental work performed. Around evening time, there are fire entertainers, and an outside nourishment reasonable is set up in the middle, with lines of nourishment slows down fronted by counters fixed with seats.

This intriguing African goal is just a short flight (normally under four hours) from the most significant European urban communities. As a well-known escape goal, there are visit flights accessible. Lodging range from riads, customary houses revamped into extravagance boutique inns in the medina to five-star extravagance resorts simply outside the city in a region called La Palmeraie.

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Nairobi

Brew Bistro Night Club and Restaurant Brew Bistro is located on Piedmont Plaza along Ngong Road and it is one of the coolest nightlife spots in Nairobi. Brew Bistro is famed for its master brewers and premium brews as well as the exquisite restaurant that serves delicious local and international gourmet meals and bites. The atmosphere before nightfall is mostly laid back and the touches of coral and lavender on the decor add to the relaxing mood. The outdoor terrace and lounge are great places to hang out and you may want to book a table on busy nights if you are going in a group. There’s usually a DJ or a cool band performing depending on the night so the music is great, and you are sure to have a fun filled evening. Look out for happy hour between 5pm and 7pm to get discounted prices on mojitos, cocktails and beers brewed in-house, and for themed nights like Karaoke night and Caribbean night.     Havana Bar and Restaurant Havana Bar and Restaurant is located on Woodvale Grove in Westlands, just close to Sarit Centre. Havana has a decent bar with a good selection of local and international brands. Beers will set you back at least Ksh. 220 with tots of rum, vodka, whisky and brandy ranging from Ksh. 150 to Ksh 550. Havana restaurant is dainty and the menu features a wide range of culinary delights at reasonable prices. There are Soups and Salads for starters, a variety of Fish, Beef steak, Pork chops and Chicken meals for the main, as well as desserts and beverages. It is popular with the business types and expats on Thursdays. Galileo Lounge Gallileo Lounge is very popular amongst locals and it is located on Waiyaki Way as you head to Westlands. It is extremely busy on weekends or during events but if you get there early enough, you are bound to enjoy the partying experience. The music is awesome and drinks are in plenty although the price points are a little on the higher side. You may have to park a distance away especially on weekends but the club management makes arrangements for security. Club House (K1) Klub House (K1) is famed for reggae night on Thursdays. The reggae night experience usually attracts such rave reviews and it is gets recommended by locals and foreigners alike. K1 is located in Parklands, along Ojijo road and it is always a good spot to spend the evening. Weekends at K1 are pretty busy, same as in most Nairobi clubs, but the choice of drinks is decent and the music will keep you entertained. There is also Klub House 2 (K2) along Baricho Road, Industrial area that is pretty cool spot to rave as well. Choices Pub and Restaurant Choices Pub is located in Industrial Area along Baricho road and it is especially funky for the mature types. Choices Pub has themed weekday nights where certain genres of music are played ranging from R&B to Rock. There’s usually Karaoke or a cool band playing on Thursday nights, Fridays are mostly ‘Old Skool’ and Soul while Saturday nights feature all kinds of music. Drinks and snacks are in plenty and prices are reasonable. Bacchus Lounge Bacchus is located on Woodvale Grove right next to Havana. Both tend to attract similar crowds and the proximity makes it easy to sample both during the same night. Bacchus has some of the best DJs so the music is awesome and the club is popular for hosting grand parties and events on Wednesdays and weekends. Club Tribeka Tribeka is in the CBD, on Kimathi Street opposite Nation Centre.  The location is convenient especially if you are not driving and it is a great place to party with friends. The crowd is mature and mostly consists of revelers in their late twenties and above. Local beers go for around Ksh. 250 and there’s always a decent crowd regardless of which day of the week it is Offroad Bar and Lounge OffRoad is located in Lang’ata opposite the road that branches to Carnivore and it is one of the popular joints on that road. It is mostly spacious although it gets full on busy nights and there is ample parking. The music is worth the fame and the drinks are reasonably priced. Sky Lounge Sky Lounge at City Casino is an all round entertainment spot located at the CBD along Kaunda Street. It is a comfortable place to chill at night within CBD. Skylux Lounge It is located in the soin arcade Westland; Nairobi Kenya. The night life here is supreme. The spot is the place to be when you are looking to dance to the most recent vibes and tunes. It offers luxury surrounding that can fit more than 800 people on a night of good vibes, delicious cocktail, professional service, djs and much more Carnivore Restaurant Carnivore is the ultimate 'Beast of a Feast’, A variety of meats including ostrich, crocodile and camel, are roasted over charcoal and carved at your table. Delicious side dishes and an exceptional array of sauces complement this fixed price feast that also includes soup,a selection of desserts and Kenyan coffee. Set in attractive tropical gardens, the service and the décor are outstanding. Another famous feature to set the tone of the Carnivore experience is the house cocktail The 'Dawa' (magic potion in Swahili). It is based on a famous Brazilian drink, and was introduced to Kenyans at The Carnivore. It is brought to you on a portable tray by the medicine man fittingly named Dr. Dawa. The Talisman Restaurant It is located Karen, Ngong road, Nairobi Kenya The Talisman is an elegant Gastro lounge with an eclectic twist. Described as “The best place in town” by New York Times Spirited Traveler and one of Kenya’s top rated restaurants on Trip Advisor, The Talisman offers a myriad of experiences to our patrons. “The best place in town and the most happening place to see the local scene. With its low couches and beautiful gardens, the only thing needed to complete the scene is a Tusker or Dawa in hand” – O’ Donnell – The Spirited Traveler, New York Times Furusato Japanese Restaurant Furusato Japanese Restaurant is the home town to the best Japanese cuisine. They offer friendly service and quality food that will make your dining experience unforgettable. They specialize in real Japanese food; Sushi, Sashimi, and Tepanyaki among others, where our chefs excel. Not forgetting Japanese Rice Wine (sake). They now have 6 Tepanyaki tables and a wider Sushi Bar. You are greeted with a warm heart and are led to the waiting area where they will later take you to your table. Furusato Japanese Restaurant will always serve you their best. Java House Yaya Centre Nairobi Java House is home to Kenya’s finest fresh-roasted coffee and home-made food. Java lovingly roasts the finest Kenyan coffee beans every day, delivered fresh to each restaurant, to bring you the very best! Visit a Java House for the best cuisine, served up fresh and generous, in a friendly, family environment. Most popular dish: Java burger. Situated along Argwings Kodhek within the Yaya shopping complex with ample parking. Operating Hours: 7am – 9pm. Fogo Gaucho Fogo Gaucho Churrascaria is the best Brazilian Steak House located in Viking House, Waiyaki Way, Wetlands, Nairobi serving 15 different cuts of charcoal grilled meat; include red meat, prawns, grilled fish, crocodile and much more. There are 20 different salads on the buffet, 06 hot dishes and 02 side dishes served on the table ; fried sweet bananas and French fries. Our top class service guarantees you a unique and memorable dining experience for every occasion; be it a birthday, anniversary, family outing, business lunch meeting or even an office party. With ample parking, an exquisite fully stocked wine bar and so much more, your dining experience with Fogo Gaucho is one you will cherish forever. Habesha Restaurant It located at HURLINGHAM Argwings Kodhek Rd, Hurlingham, Nairobi Habesha serves appetizing traditional Ethiopian dishes in a sophisticated atmosphere. The coffee ceremony represents harmony between modern and traditional life. The compound encompasses outside tables, an indoor restaurant, and VIP rooms. Habesha hosts conferences and seminars for up to 150 people. Most popular dishes are Doro wot, kitifo, assa wot and shekla tibs Seven Sea Food and Grill It is considered to be Nairobi’s best seafood restaurant, Seven Seafood & Grill offers a sumptuous selection of the finest Indian Ocean seafood in one of Nairobi’s most distinctive and innovatively designed restaurants. You will enjoy a mouth-watering array of Kenya's freshest oysters, lobsters, prawns and ocean fish. While the seafood is delivered daily, the meal is freshly prepared and accompanied by Seven’s signature sauces. In addition to being Kenya's best seafood restaurant, meat lovers in Nairobi are well catered for. We have exclusive, hand-selected cuts of Kenya’s finest beef that have been carefully aged and butchered in house Note: Night clubs only open from 5 pm on weekdays and 2 pm on weekends by law, and Alco-blow cops will teach you not to drink and drive, if the cautions on the liquor bottles don’t stop you. Do not leave your drink unattended.   Read the full article

[100percentforsure]

Taylor and Emma Take Lamu

It is time It is time to relax. After pulling out cash and a quick fight about parmesan cheese (one of our two quarrels over the entirety the trip - totaling about 2 minutes and 15 seconds of tension... Emma wanted me to ask about parmesan cheese, I tell her that they probably don’t even have parmesan cheese in Africa I was barely getting through to the cafe staff with my request for a fork, try and fail, and then Emma tries and fails and tells me “They are just busy.” SHE WILL DENY THIS STORY AND SAY SHE WAS ALSO ASKING FOR A FORK. We find out a few days later there is a parmesan factory an hour away for the airport). We board our nearly 3 hour puddle jumper flight which we will pass out for after crushing some juice boxes and wake up to see beautiful marsh with blue water all around us. We touch down and are greeted in the airport by one of our househands, Charo (security is not terribly tight on the island), an angel of a man with the chubbiest feet you have ever seen an enormous smile, past men playing checkers with bottle caps on the pier to board a wooden water taxi with a thatched roof and darling blue elephant upholstery, named “Lady Gaga.” It’s driver is a man named Nasir.

A quick background on Lamu. Lamu is a Muslim island with only one car on it (which belongs to the police who I’m not even sure exist) and one million donkeys. You get around by boat and donkey, and if you are walking somewhere, you have to take into account what time you are leaving and whether its high tide and your path will be submerged. There is Lamu town, their downtown with a market and square and shops, and Shela, where more mzungu’s hang out with one of the only places on the island that serves liquor, Peponi’s (meaning “heaven”). For a real party, you go to Floating Bar, which floats in the middle of the ocean that doesn’t require rule following. In the summertime, the water is crystal clear and blue, and you can swim with wild dophins. Pure, pure disappointment when I heard this. There are mangroves and spearfishing and barbequeing and a very very very mellow vibe on the island. Mombasa raha.

When we reach land, we climb the bleached stone steps from the water, past some Rastas, and are greeted by Johnson, our chef / house hand / security. Johnson is half my size and has a shy but wise demeanor. He and Charo take our bags and lead us down narrow dirt alleyways, past open air Muslim schools with children singing, storefronts with people seated out front, smooth, cream houses with bright fuchsia bougainvillea cascading down the walls, and a piece of jungle with multicolored sarongs on clothes lines floating. To our right, is the Bembea house.

A lot of Lamu is wonderment. There is no excitement.... that isn’t what is designed for. It is designed for slowing down and soaking in the natural cadence of life. Rose tells us Lamu Swahili is spoken with a different rythm, almost like a song (she tells us a story later of her friend, blonde haired blue eyed, who learned the language on the island and years later nearly gave a man in a hotel lobby a heart attack with how beautifully she spoke Swahili. I WANT THAT). The island’s architecture is breathtaking, lots of open windows and nods to the North African influence.

We enter our house and are speechless. Its so big, its so peaceful, there is so much space, not filled with much, save over-sized pillows and beautiful little corners for quiet. We take it all in, especially the rooftop, where Emma and I will spend a majority of our time in the house. There are kids laughing and beautiful call-to-prayer hymns Johnson describes what he will be cooking for us that night, we agree on $50 dollars at the market for food and beers, and will come back to an incredible seafood dinner in the dining room, and then full breakfast and more seafood and breakfast more seafood after that (”Look at those live lobsters!”) Charo takes us for a walk on the beach and we touch the Indian ocean, see a peach colored sunset, and little hoof marks along the beach. We see adorable woven baskets used as trash receptacles and some puppies and beautiful kids.

We have a drink at Peponi’s where we talk about how wonderful traveling with each other has been, and comment a menu item titled “Cockless Tales.” We head home for our prepared feast waiting for us, rice, beer, salad with avocado and tomatoes, and fresh shrimp, a trail of enormous ants we have to dance around. Afterwards, Mohammed comes over to the house to discuss an itinerary at the kitchen table. We hear bats and beetles (a battery beeping?) outside, Mohammed is another slow talker whose brother sails the Dhow we will be riding tomorrow and wants to discuss American politics. He is going to set us up with Hamsed, “Meta Meta,” for a tour around the town - a trusted source and lovable guy. Oh, is he lovable. We trust the great folks of Kenya. After lounging, we get into our mosquito net covered beds in our own wings of the house and get some deserved rest.

Day 8

I wake up at 5am to a call to prayer and hang out upstairs while Emma sleeps in. I call my mom and show her our house, I check a few emails, and our breakfast is brought up to us at 8am - a full setting with coffee and our beloved eggs and toast. We take a taxi with Nasir’s brother to Lamu town where Meta Meta is waiting, a small man who shuffles his feet and has the most INCREDIBLE laugh and wears a little white hat. He is like a human version of Zazu. He tells us history lessons, helps us carry our things, and guides us through the streets we would normally get lost in. He also and seems to know EVERYONE (”Are you the mayor?”). We are navigating through this labrynth, dipping in and out of beautiful houses with ancient architecture, indoor courtyards and pools, climbing up staircases to rooftops consumed with bougainvillea in and out and shops where Meta is talking to everybody like they are family. We explore open air product markets and museum courtyards, wood working shops and a donkey hospital. We see the butcher market and have to pass through quickly - there are heads in there. We eat street food for lunch on the second story over looking the water - roti, fried fish, and curry and rice, and take what we can home.

After some resting at home and sunning and a split Tusker on the roofdeck, it is time for our Dhow ride. We race down to the water to find the sweetest boat with two men, ready to take us to the mangroves. We motor to calm water before hoisting up the sail and relaxing on the water. There is a warm breeze and the sound of lapping water that puts you into a state of hypnosis. And then as we are turning the boat around to go back home, we realize the boat has stopped. Has stopped and also, is stuck. “Are we stuck?” Emma is first to realize it, and because these men are Kenyan, they refuse to give bad news, and just say nothing at all but do strip down to their underwear before jumping in to unplug us from the sandbank. We thankfully do get unstuck and see a pirate ship sailing with someone in the water being pulled from a rope, which I DIDN’T KNOW was an option, and begin to plan my next trip back here out of raging FOMO. This plus the dolphins I am missing is... unacceptable. We get asked by the pirate ship if we are going to Floating Bar, which we were obviously not down to answer, but think our driver narc’ed on us.... to “The Beach Boys.”

We pull up to Floating Bar to see what it is all about and ask for pick up a couple hours later. It is what it sounds like; a floating bar, playing reggae music, with a thatched roof, in the middle of the ocean. After moving chairs (physically....moving....chairs) to see the sunset, one of the bartenders, Johnathan, comes up to say hi. He speaks so softly you can barely hear him without having to lean in. We end up getting to know Jonathan over the course of the night - and learn he lives on the floating bar. LIVES ON IT. He bring us to the 6′ by 8′ kitchen to see how he makes french fries and keeps us safe from the Beach Boys, and we talk about his loneliness. We are sad to leave him when our ride arrives back to land.

We have a fresh lobster dinner on the rooftop and stay up too late reminiscing. 

Day 9

We enjoy breakfast with monkeys, a dip in the ocean while talking about futures, and another jaunt into town before departing for our flight. We board the plane with 20 more pounds on us (our second, very very minor fight) and arrive back at home in Nairobi in one piece.

[drtanstravels]

“So, statistically, in the Land of the Free you have the least amount of free people. This is a super-simple argument; in Holland you can smoke weed whilst f___ing a hooker in front of a cop. How dare Holland not be called the Land of the Free!” – Jim Jefferies on America and Freedom

I started writing this at about 7am on Thursday morning as we had just returned from quite a long trip, this time to Amsterdam and The Hague for Anna to attend a conference and then a trip to Budapest for her birthday and I’m surprisingly well rested after the flight (more on that later). We have been to the Netherlands several times before, but only to Amsterdam and Utrecht while we were living in Germany two years ago, but this time would be a little different — Yes, we would be spending some time in Amsterdam, but who wouldn’t? It is such a fun city, but the bulk of the Dutch leg of our most recent trip would be in The Hague, the location of Vision 2017, the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR) conference where Anna was giving a presentation, and also a place neither of us had been or knew a whole lot about. The second part of our adventure would be a five-day holiday spent in Budapest, Hungary, as a part of Anna’s birthday celebration. Again, a place that neither of us had been and our combined knowledge of the place consisted solely of goulash and salami, however, everyone we knew that had been there absolutely loved it and pretty much just told us to go.

I’ve also written about the ‘T’ Factor on several occasions, my anti-Midas touch, the incredible ability I have to steal defeat from the jaws of victory. Situations such as:

The ‘T’ Factor part 1: Not really trying in my German classes in high school because I thought I’d never visit Germany… then later moving to Germany.

The ‘T’ Factor part 2: Just a day where everything that could go wrong did.

The ‘T’ Factor Part 3: Paying a New York scalper a ton of cash for what I thought would be the only opportunity to see one of my favourite musicians play just as the support act, only to get fake tickets and have to watch from over a fence.

The ‘T’ Factor Part 4: I hate the cold and, fortunately, had never seen snow before we moved to the US. That all changed when we sat through New York’s second-worst blizzard on record.

This latest trip was the complete opposite, though. Maybe I should by a lottery ticket or something!

Saturday, June 24 We had dropped Kermit off at dog-sitter on Friday afternoon and caught a midnight flight to Amsterdam, this time flying Premium Economy, which is similar to regular economy, but you get to board the plane first, have slightly more legroom and can carry a bit more baggage. That extra legroom allowed me to get a decent night sleep on the 13-hour flight, however, Amsterdam is six hours behind Singapore so by the time we got our luggage, went through immigration, took the train from the airport to the city and found our hotel, the Room Mate, it was still only about nine o’clock in the morning. We really wanted to dump our bags and have a shower, but it was too early to check into our room, although they had a massive suite available for a little extra cash. We were only going to stay in Amsterdam for one night so we decided to get decadent. Premium Economy and a hotel suite? I felt like Jay-Z!

A very dark picture of a small portion of our suite

We had slept well on the flight so it was now time to hit the streets. I won’t bore you with the details about Amsterdam because I did that the first time we went there so you can just read that piece instead if you want to get the lowdown. Also, I’m not a huge Jim Jefferies fan, but I used that quote of his because he nailed it when talking about freedom. Americans love to go on about freedom, especially around this time of year as we experienced first-hand when we spent the fourth of July in New York a couple of years ago, but it’s hard to be more free than a country that has had to close prisons due to the fact that they don’t have enough inmates. In fact, they’re even getting kind of creative in handling the situation:

Recorded crime has shrunk by about a quarter over the past nine years, according to the country’s national statistics office, and that is expected to translate into a surplus of 3,000 prison cells by 2021. The government has shuttered 19 of nearly 60 prisons over the past three years, and a government report leaked last year suggested that more cuts were coming.

The relative lack of prisoners has spurred the Dutch to be creative. At jails transformed into housing for asylum seekers, former cells for prisoners have been converted into apartments for families, albeit some with the original cell doors.

At De Koepel, a former prison in Haarlem, refugees played soccer on a large interior courtyard that doubled as a soccer field. Some of the converted jails also have gymnasiums, kitchen facilities and outdoor gardens.

That’s pretty free. Anyway, our hotel was a little bit out of the way, but essentially all of Saturday was spent walking around Amsterdam, checking out the shops and hanging out, but one of the best sites we encountered was the market in the town square, one which had a mix of secondhand goods and food, including great cheese and some spectacular oysters. A few scenes from the day:

Pubs open for breakfast beers

Anna and her houseboat

I love me some cheese

This cat just fell asleep on me while Anna was trying on dresses

Boris Johnson’s mobile bar

These guys were actually really good

Not sure how you get a mermaid pregnant

I once tried for hours to open an oyster, this dude just did it like it was nothing!

So good!

Someone’s excited

A Citroen in my favourite colour

Outside Anne Frank’s house

Horses for courses

‘Shroom shop

Afternoon libations

Just strolling around

My back was a bit sore from the flight so we pulled up a seat outside a bar on one of the canals later in the afternoon and had a couple of beers while we watched trashy hen’s nights and stag dos get started, as well as a woman that had had a ton of cosmetic surgery who was so baked she couldn’t even stand properly. We also stopped off to get some crêpes at one stage and only in a country with legal weed would the really stoned dude in front of us order one with Nutella and bacon. Eventually the jet-lag kicked in, plus we had walked about 20km (12.5 miles) and the weather wasn’t that great so we went back to the Room Mate and had a really good dinner in the hotel restaurant before going up and making the most of our suite, despite the fact that it doesn’t get dark until about 10:30pm. Who cares, we could hit the town properly tomorrow.

Sunday, June 25 Sunday followed a similar pattern to Saturday, just strolling around the city, but first, we’d need something to eat. I don’t usually eat breakfast, that’s just more valuable time that I can spend sleeping, but we woke up early due to jet-lag so why not? Anna found a great breakfast place that did a heap of different bloody marys, as well traditional Dutch waffles, so we checked out of our hotel and then that would be the plan.

I got the bloody kimchi and Anna had the bloody bacon to go with our waffles and then it was time to look around town again.

Inside Gollem Biercafe

We spent most of our time walking around different areas of the city, doing a lot more shopping and stopping off at bars such as Gollem Biercafe for the occasional beer or four. One major problem with old Dutch buildings is that they tend to have extremely steep staircases with narrow steps, essentially just ladders, rendering them almost impossible for someone my size to use, and the Gollem was no different, requiring me to bend and twist like an accordion to go down the steps and through the tiny doorway to use the bathroom. I always thought the Dutch were supposed to be one of the world’s tallest nationalities. Anyway, we enjoyed checking out all of the quirky stores and secondhand shops, but we couldn’t do it all day, my back was aching again and we had to go back to the hotel to collect our luggage and then take the 30-minute train ride to The Hague.

The Hague is another place that we knew very little about, besides the fact that it was centre for the Dutch government and one of the host cities for the United Nations. Fortunately, wikipedia is here to shed a little extra light on the topic, as per usual:

The Hague is a city on the western coast of the Netherlands, and the capital of the province of South Holland.

With a population of 520,704 inhabitants (as of 1 April 2016) and more than one million inhabitants including the suburbs, it is the third-largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

The Hague is the seat of the Dutch government, parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Council of State, but the city is not the capital of the Netherlands, which constitutionally is Amsterdam. Most foreign embassies in the Netherlands and 150 international organisations are located in the city, including the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court, which makes The Hague one of the major cities hosting the United Nations along with New York, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, and Nairobi. King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands plans to live at Huis ten Bosch and works at Noordeinde Palace in The Hague, together with Queen Máxima.

We also never realised that The Hague would be home to some of the greatest seafood we would ever encounter in our lives, as we would soon find out. We arrived at the B-Aparthotel, checked into our room, and then looked for somewhere to go for dinner, stumbling upon a place called Het Gouden Kalf in Scheveningen Harbour. We just didn’t realise that it would be one of the best decisions we would make. We made the 30-minute walk down to the harbour, passing a giant van that strongly resembled the one driven by Rocksteady and Bebop in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles en route. Anna initially felt like a lamb rack for dinner, but I told her that clams were “the sheep of the sea,” due in part to the little furry bit at the opening. It all made perfect sense in my mind at the time. When we arrived at Het Gouden Kalf we were each treated to a seven-course set menu meal that could have the main dish upgraded to Dutch lobster for an extra €7.50 (approx. AU$11.20), a decision we obviously made. Here are a few sites along the way, plus what we ate. Unfortunately I can’t remember exactly what each dish was, but I’ll try my best:

The Ninja Turtle van

Outside Het Gouden Kalf

Seared tuna

Tandoori chicken with yoghurt

Clams, the sheep of the sea, served with a foam soup

Cod and sea-sheep with an asparagus sauce

Lobster with shaved truffle

Pickled pear with cranberry cheese

Summer berries

Fairy floss

When the waitress asks you if you want freshly shaved truffle on your lobster, you get that shit shaved! The food was spectacular, but we were certain we had been undercharged, however, it turned out that great food is really affordable in The Hague. We’d need to walk off this meal, so we hoofed it back to our hotel and collapsed in front of the TV for the night.

Monday, June 26 It was our first full day exploring The Hague and this is a cool city, unfortunately we just started in a bit of a dodgy neighbourhood. We love markets so we made our way down to the main one in The Hague and it wasn’t pretty, however, yet again the food there was great. There wasn’t a whole lot to see so we got some smoked fish and some herring sandwiches among other things and then found our way to the nicer part of this very artsy city, our hands reeking of fish.

One of many strange cars we saw on this trip

There are ducks everywhere!

This dog walked up and just started licking me

Smoked fish in the market

No, this isn’t minced meat, just a minced meat-patteren pillow in the market

A cool statue in the city centre

I love art, but I hate going to galleries and exhibitions in Singapore because they are full of screaming children running around, touching and climbing priceless works while adults push in front of you, also feeling the need to make physical contact with everything in front of them. This isn’t the case in Europe and one of the most famous sites in The Hague is the Mauritshuis:

The Mauritshuis is an art museum in The Hague in the Netherlands. The museum houses the Royal Cabinet of Paintings which consists of 841 objects, mostly Dutch Golden Age paintings. The collections contains works by Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Steen, Paulus Potter, Frans Hals, Jacob van Ruisdael, Hans Holbein the Younger, and others. Originally, the 17th century building was the residence of count John Maurice of Nassau. It is now the property of the government of the Netherlands and is listed in the top 100 Dutch heritage sites.

The gallery is best known for housing Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring, a piece which I could never see what the big deal was about, but there are also plenty of other works by Dutch masters that I like there, particularly those by Peter Paul Rubens. Rubens was a Flemish artist whose works were strongly influenced by Caravaggio, another one of my favourites. The Mauritshuis was definitely worth the visit so I took pictures of several of the pieces I particularly liked, as well as the obligatory Girl with a Pearl Earring shot, however, I was unable to find the details for all of them. As usual, these photos don’t do the paintings true justice, but I’m sure you could find clearer images of them online if you wish to see them better:

‘Portrait of a Man’ (possibly Peter van Hecke) and ‘Portrait of a Woman’ (possibly Clara Fourment), Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1630

‘An Old Woman and a Boy with Candles,’ Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1616-1617

‘Vanitas Still Life,’ Pieter Claesz, c. 1630

‘Flower Still Life with a Timepiece,’ Willem von Aelst, c. 1663

‘The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp,’ Rembrandt, c. 1632

‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ Johannes Vermeer, c. 1665

After the Mauritshuis we grabbed dinner and then went to a bar for a shisha and a few quiet drinks, but we couldn’t have a big night — Not only was Anna giving her talk at the conference the following day, it was also going to be her birthday.

Tuesday, June 27 Anna had been preparing for her talk at the Vision 2017 conference for quite some time and today was the day, it was just a shame it had to land on her birthday. Fortunately for her it went exceptionally well, so well in fact that she was nominated for the New Generation Investigator award. This nomination, however, proved a little troublesome — If Anna was a finalist, she would be presented with the award on Thursday morning at roughly the same time we were supposed to be making our way to the airport for our flight to Budapest. Only time would tell.

But we had no time to worry about Thursday, it was Anna’s birthday and we had some celebrating to do. Anna came back to our hotel room straight after her talk and we headed into town to party.

Peace Palace

Getting an iced-latte

Anna’s surprise bowl of explosive ice-cream

Posing out as usual

Another cool sculpture, this one displaying the old and the new

We walked into town, past the Peace Palace, and took a seat at ‘t Goude Hooft to grab a coffee to get our day started. We got our waiter to take a photo of us and I posted it on Facebook with a birthday message, tagging the cafe in the post. An employee must have seen it and brought out a small bowl of ice-cream with a sparkler in it for Anna’s birthday, which we both thought was pretty cool.

The next thing Anna wanted to do was check out the M.C. Escher museum. Escher is another artist that I have always loved and Anna became a bit of a fan of his work after we went to an exhibition of his in Singapore. As I mentioned earlier, galleries and exhibitions in Singapore are painful so it would be great to see his work in his hometown. A little bit of background information on Escher for those who don’t now him:

Maurits Cornelis Escher (17 June 1898 – 27 March 1972), or commonly M. C. Escher, was a Dutchgraphic artist who made mathematically inspiredwoodcuts, lithographs, and mezzotints.

His work features mathematical objects and operations including impossible objects, explorations of infinity, reflection, symmetry, perspective, truncated and stellated polyhedra, hyperbolic geometry, and tessellations. Although Escher believed he had no mathematical ability, he interacted with the mathematicians George Pólya, Roger Penrose, Harold Coxeter and crystallographer Friedrich Haag, and conducted his own research into tessellation.

Escher’s art became well known among scientists and mathematicians, and in popular culture, especially after it was featured by Martin Gardner in his April 1966 Mathematical Games column in Scientific American. Apart from being used in a variety of technical papers, his work has appeared on the covers of many books and albums.

I’ve got several books of M.C. Escher’s work so I didn’t particularly feel the need to take a whole lot of photos, but here are some of the ones I did get of other parts of the museum:

The key to getting Escher’s perspective

Looking up an infinite tunnel…

…and down

Anna’s head in the tunnel

A cool chandelier in the museum that Anna liked

We continued to walk around after the Escher museum, just a whole lot more shopping, but the shops in The Hague don’t stay open particularly late, usually closing between 5-6:00pm, so we went home and relaxed for a bit, then it was time for dinner.

While Anna was at her conference in the morning I had been checking out restaurants and found Catch by Simonis, another fantastic looking seafood restaurant in Scheveningen Harbour. Catch is huge restaurant, seating approximately 500 people and is famous for its seafood platters so I suggested that to her. When we arrived we were told we could wait for an outside seat or immediately take one indoors. We took the indoor seat and asked to be moved outside when a place became available, but the waiter essentially ignored us for about half an hour until we told him not to worry about, then we waited quite a while longer for our drinks. When the time came to order food, we asked for a seafood platter for two and a risotto, only to be warned by the waiter that the platter would be more than enough. He wasn’t kidding!

Beginning with a birthday drink

The bottom level of our platter…

…and the top

Anna looking somewhat intimidated by dinner

I think we can do it

Mission accomplished

The food was unbelievable, extremely fresh and there was so much of it. In the end it was up to me to finish it up due to the sheer quantity of it all. It would’ve been a perfect night, but the poor service stuck in Anna’s craw a bit. Yet again, we had to walk this one off so we sauntered home, past Planet Jump, an old disused church that has now been filled with trampolines, and back to our hotel to settle in with a few more drinks.

Wednesday, June 28 It was our last full day in The Hague and Anna was spending all of it at the conference while I just wandered around the city, checking out all of the places that I hadn’t had a chance to yet.

After Anna had finished we went down to the seaside for dinner. One thing we noticed as soon as we arrived in The Hague on Sunday night is that there are seagulls everywhere and they are absolutely enormous! These had to be the biggest seagulls we had ever seen anywhere in the world, so much so that Anna soon dubbed me the ‘Hague Seagull’. We tried to take photos of them, but seriously, pictures just don’t capture the sheer size of these birds. We found a place to eat where you get to grill an unlimited amount of fresh prawns quite cheaply so we settled in for the night and stuffed ourselves with crustaceans while taking in the scenery on a cold summer’s night.

The view of the pier

A panoramic shot of the beach and its food stalls

It’s seriously a lot bigger than it looks

Anna cooking up a storm

Mmmmm…

One of many weird sculptures near the beach

And another

The Dutch leg of our journey was fantastic and was constantly flecked with little luxuries and extravagances. So far we had:

Flown Premium Economy class. Sure, it ain’t First Class or Business Class, but it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable than regular Economy class.

Stayed in an enormous hotel suite.

Eaten lobster with freshly shaved truffle.

On a separate occasion eaten a seafood platter that may have subsequently rendered some forms of shellfish as endangered species.

But what does the rest of the trip hold? Will Anna win her award? Will Budapest live up to all the hype? And will the high living continue?

Stay tuned for part two of Traveling in Opulence – The Reverse ‘T’ Factor to find out!

  Traveling in Opulence – The Reverse ‘T’ Factor pt. 1: Amsterdam and The Hague "So, statistically, in the Land of the Free you have the least amount of free people. This is a super-simple argument; in Holland you can smoke weed whilst f___ing a hooker in front of a cop.