#and all the leftovers will be in the shop when it reopens in february
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lazylittledragon · 1 day ago
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some of the new prints i'm taking to megacon at the end of the month!!
(psst my gorgeous patr0ns got to peep the whole in progress set)
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purplesurveys · 4 years ago
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Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
Yesterday
What day of the week was it yesterday? It wassss Thursday.
What “number day” was it? February 4th.
What time did you wake up yesterday? I automatically wake up at about 6:30 AM every weekday since I have to start work by 8 sharp. I use the free hour and a half to either get some more sleep, or go ahead and try to properly wake up.
What was the weather like? It’s been chilly these days, so I’m trying to savor it as much as I can before it leaves for good in a few weeks.
What did you eat for breakfast? I had coffee so I can psyche myself up for my one-on-one talk with the CEO of the company I work at - she apparently does that with all the new hires to get to know them which I appreciate, but it also made me nervous as fuck. Other than chugging that coffee down, my mom also made me corned beef with rice.
What did you wear? I wore an olive green top I typically wear outside so that I could look nice for the aforementioned video call.
What did you eat for lunch? I’m not usually able to take a lot of bites when I’m working, so the corned beef meal actually stayed wiith me the whole day.
What did you eat for dinner? We had sisig, mainly. My dad also got a free sample of kare-kare when he was out today for some reason lol, so I had that with my rice.
Did you have any snacks or treats? I don’t think so, no.
Who did you talk to in person yesterday? Just my immediate family as I didn’t get to go outdoors.
Who did you text or call yesterday? I had two work-related video calls yesterday. One of them was with Leah, the CEO; the other one was with a client along with my teammates Ysa and Bea.
Did you work yesterday? If so, what time was your work shift? Yeah, as I do every weekday. My shift is from 9 AM to 6 PM, but I start working at 8 AM. I so wish I got paid for that extra hour, lmao.
Did you have to go to school? I have not had to go to UP in a long time, no. I don’t even call it my school anymore.
Did you have to run any errands? If so, then where? All my errands were work-related, so.
Name something you watched yesterday. Good Mythical Morning posts a new video every weeknight here, so I watched it as soon as it came out. I watched some wrestling stuff as well.
Name something you read yesterday. I don’t think I was able to read anything.
Name a song that you remember listening to yesterday. Hm, I do remember feeling a little down very briefly last night and I got in the mood to listen to 26, by Paramore (because of course).
Did you do anything different/atypical yesterday? Did something out of the ordinary happen? Well the talk with Leah happened, so there’s that. I was really nervous for it, but I’m glad it went well. She seems to have liked me so I hope I stay on her good side.
Did you hang out with anyone yesterday? If so, then who - and what did you do? Just with my family. We did the usual stuff, like having dinner together < Same. I usually hang out in the living room with my family after dinner as well, but in the last few days I’ve taken to spending some time alone on the rooftop because the weather has been nice again. I might keep it up until March, or whenever the weather gets sucky and all humid all over again.
What is something fun that you did yesterday? I ordered from a high school batchmate’s small business. I’ve loved her pastries for years, and when she reopened her shop for 2021 the other day, I saw that she had added croissants to her menu. They looked fucking good, so I didn’t hesitate to order from her and now I can’t wait to get them next week, hahah.
What time did you go to bed? For some reason I was really tired yesterday; I think I was asleep by 9 or 9:30.
Today
What day of the week is it today? Friday THE BEST DAY
What “number day” is it? February 5th.
What time did you wake up? I woke up earlier today because I slept early last night – around 6 AM. I was actually woken up by an earthquake, so that’s my new thing for today lol.
What is the weather like? It’s only 8:30 in the morning so I can’t say for sure, but right now at least I can say it hasn’t been warm or uncomfortable.
What did you eat for breakfast? I haven’t had it yet. But I did smell my dad cooking bacon before he left for work today and that smelled nice. I might pick up a strip or two to munch on.
What did you wear today? I’m still wearing the same stuff. I take showers in the evenings on Fridays so that I feel great in welcoming the weekend, haha.
What did you eat for lunch? I will most likely skip it.
What did you eat for dinner? No clue but I’m looking forward to what my dad has planned.
Did you have any snacks or treats? Nope, but we still have some leftover tteokbokki in the fridge. I might heat it up later in the day if I get in the mood for it.
Who did you talk to in person? So far only my parents, but I know I’ll be talking to Nina as well once she gets up for the day.
Who did you text or call? No one yet. We’ll see if I have to text anyone for work today, but so far there’s been no need to.
Did you work today? If so, what time was your work shift? I will be. My shift will officially start in half an hour, but I’ve gotten up early to start other tasks.
Did you have to go to school? No. If I’m not mistaken, I think UP was also recently closed to the public until the 15th because of recent Covid cases, so that sucks. I was looking forward to visit.
Did you have to run any errands? If so, then where? I’m out of 3-in-1 coffee packs so if my parents don’t buy a bundle today, I might have to go to the nearby convenience store to pick one up myself.
Name something you watched today. I have a Good Mythical More video playing at present to accompany me as background noise. I’m not necessarily watching it, though.
Name something you read today. I needed to read several articles for work a few minutes ago.
Name a song that you remember listening to today. I haven’t turned on my Spotify yet but I’m looking forward to Hayley’s single coming out at noon. AAAAHHHHHHHHH
Did you do anything different/atypical today? Did something out of the ordinary happen? I got up very early for work, lol. I usually wait until 8 AM sharp for me to pull myself out of bed, but I was up and at my workspace by 7:20ish. I feel like this set-up is better for me, so I might try waking up earlier again in the next few days.
Did you hang out with anyone today? If so, then who - and what did you do? No. I do want to go to a coffee shop tonight, though.
What is something fun that you did today? Haven’t done much today considering the time... but idk. I might give Grey’s Anatomy a start tonight? Or maybe revisit The Crown?? Maybe go for a long walk around the neighborhood tonight with Kimi? We’ll see. I’m in the mood to be spontaneous this Friday.
What time will you go to bed? I’d like to sleep by midnight or even beyond it because it’s the weekend, and I wouldn’t want to waste my free time.
Tomorrow
What day of the week will it be tomorrow? It will be Saturday.
What “number day” will it be? Feb 6th.
What time do you have to get up? No time - the best kind of morning. I want to get up early though so I can maximize my day.
What is the weather supposed to be like? The high is supposed to be 31ºC, while the low will be 24ºC.
What do you plan on eating for breakfast? It depends on what either of my parents will cook, but I am guessing some type of omelette and either hotdogs or corned beef. And rice, of course.
What do you plan on wearing? I haven’t planned it out yet. Definitely something comfy though, especially if I decide to only stay in.
What will you eat for lunch? Will be skipping it.
What will you eat for dinner? If my mom cooks it will probably be some type of pasta. My dad mixes his dishes up every time, so if he decides to be the one to make dinner I’m not sure what he has planned.
Will you have any snacks or treats? I’d love to be able to. My parents will sometimes whip something up in the afternoons, like pancakes or wicked Oreos. Should I decide to land in a coffee shop tomorrow or on Sunday, I will most likely pick up a savory pastry.
Who will talk to in person tomorrow? My immediate family for sure. < Same. I haven’t made plans to see friends recently.
Who will you text or call tomorrow? Out of all my friends, I’ll probably message Angela. Otherwise I have the day to myself tomorrow.
Did you have to work tomorrow? If so, what time is your work shift? Not during the weekend, thank fuck. There are some clients who are relentless and will continue to message over the weekend, but I ignore them.
Do you have to go to school? Nope. Couldn’t go to my university even if I wanted to.
Do you have to run any errands? If so, then where do you need to go? Not that I know of yet. < Same.
Name something you plan to watch tomorrow. I think it’s time for a new series, haha. Like I mentioned, probably Grey’s.
Name something you plan to read tomorrow. I’ve got nothing lined up. Maybe my usual Wikipedia binge as always.
Name an music artist that you plan on listening to tomorrow. Probably streaming the shit out of descansos.
Will you do anything different/atypical tomorrow? Is something non-routine supposed to happen? I actually haven’t picked up my embroidery kit since January. I wanna get back on it.
Will you hang out with anyone tomorrow? If so, then who - and what will you do? Just me and my dogs.
What is something fun that you hope to do tomorrow? I want to resume my embroidery templates and I already know how fun I’ll find that :)
What time might you go to bed? Again, just any time that’s extremely late because it’s the weekend.
[ohsh1t2wksl8]
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ktkski2017-blog · 8 years ago
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The Legendary Masai Mara
February 26, 2017
Thursday evening after ward rounding Luke and I packed and cleaned the apartment in preparation for departure the following morning. We over ate at dinner to finish our leftovers and other things that we didn’t want to throw away. Luke made a delicious cold pasta salad with pesto, beets, and green peas for us to eat on the road. I made some PB&J’s and chopped up some fruits. We were ready to go Friday morning after making a large breakfast and packing the last of our dried laundry and camelback/filters. Leonard and a PCEA driver met us at 9am and we loaded four large suitcases and our carry ons in to the car (they fit but juuuuuust barely)! I got the front seat while Luke, Leonard, and another person we were driving to Nairobi sat in the back seat. Luckily there were seat belts that worked as the drive gave me anxiety. I personally don’t see why speeding through town really benefits anyone. I also have come to the conclusion that people driving cars see motorbikes as invisible. I am confused why most Kenyan’s say that motorbikes are the most dangerous thing on the road when people in cars insist on driving them off the road – makes me feel like the cars are the instigators while the motorbike accidents are consequences of defensive driving. That said you wouldn’t believe (unless you’ve seen it yourself) the types of things that people on motorbikes transport. There was a bedframe balancing on the back of one spanning the full 6feet wide. Other motorbikes are packed taller than the driver with corn stalks that also span 6feet wide. In one case there was a person sitting on top of the corn stalks, barreling down the road with his knees at the level of the drivers shoulders, balancing with his arms.
Four hours later we were being dropped off at Hampton House and shaking hands with Leonard and the driver to thank them for getting us there safely. The Hampton House is a really well taken care of estate (we stayed there upon arrival to Nairobi as well) that has rooms with ensuite kitchenettes. We were on the second level this time right next to a really nice sitting room that was shared by all the hotel guests but it was empty during the afternoon so Luke and I took tea in there and relaxed in the sunlight. We also visited the hotel’s playground that has a full basketball court, jungle gym, and several picnic tables and swinging chairs. Very relaxing! After lunch we got out our computers and did some work. Luke had a business meeting and I got some logging completed in preparation for graduation from residency. Unfortunately later in the day, the shared common room was packed with loud ex-pats so we had to endure some less-relaxing noise. They cleared out before bedtime and as there is no alcohol allowed at the Hampton House, they didn’t get too rowdy. We did some final packing of our bags and prepared for our departure for safari the following morning.
Saturday morning we were picked up by Esther and a driver for Kenya Budget Safaris. We were skeptical regarding what we were going to get with a budget safari, so we were prepared for anything. However, she showed up on time and was fantastic – she had been our booking agent via email prior to the safari so it was really nice of her to be present in person to meet us. They drove us to central Nairobi and pointed out some key locations. Luke and I noted how many trees were present in such a large city. As we were driving around a round-about, my mouth literally dropped open when I saw a HUGE bird – maybe a crane or stork – flying through the air with a 4 foot wingspan. It landed in the top of a tree next to half a dozen of the same huge birds. My safari had begun! We pulled over and dragged our four huge/heavy bags along the sidewalk in Nairobi (feeling very exposed) especially when a guy approached us asking for money for food within 30seconds of getting out of our car and I putting on my backpack carry on. We walked quickly around the corner to the office entryway and somehow fit all of us and our luggage on to the small elevator to take us up to their office. The elevator door kept getting confused by Luke’s elbow or something and would keep reopening. Eventually we made it up and in to the office which was packed with desks, chairs, computers, and other people’s luggage. We labelled our bags and paid for our safari with Esther. She gave us water bottles for the weekend and a receipt while we sat and waited for the departure time. Someone had hand-painted the walls to depict very nice safari images.
When the time came, Esther escorted us down to the car where we met Stanley, our guide and driver, and the other people that had also signed up for a budget/joining safari. One was a German anesthesiology resident who had chosen to tour Rwanda, Tanzania, and Kenya during his vacation time from residency. Another couple is from Slovakia, the female works for the embassy or consulate and her boyfriend was visiting her for the next few weeks. The last member is a Lithuanian woman who is living and attending university in Sweden and doing a study abroad project in Nairobi regarding lighting planning or something. We departed and promptly got stuck in Nairobi traffic for about a half an hour. Once we were on the highway we travelled quickly toward Masai Mara (south west of Nairobi). The highways were wider and better maintained that the ones North of Nairobi. We stopped at a tourist stop overlooking the Great Rift Valley and bought some souvenirs (which were lacking in Chogoria as it is not a tourist town). Stanley pointed out some plants and told some stories along the way to familiarize us with Kenyan scenery. We drove through a very dry Great Rift Valley watching dust tornadoes and brush whip past the windows. After several hours of driving we finally pulled off for lunch in Narok town where we had a buffet lunch of chapatti, cabbage, greens, spaghetti noodles, and beans. Luke and I explored a tourist shop and were overwhelmed by the severity of bargaining for a simple souvenir. The bidding started at $250 USD and I was severely insulted that they thought I could afford that cost. I wonder if anyone just hands them cash to pay for things. Eventually we got the souvenir for an okay-ish simply because I couldn’t afford what he was asking and I got in to the car to leave.
The drive continued after lunch but eventually, the paved road ended. Stanley pulled off to the side of the road and started to strap himself physically to the steering wheel reassuring us that this was for our safety. He told us to not take pictures of the Masai people because some of them are distrustful and they might throw rocks at the vehicle. Lastly, he told us to buckle our seat belts and hold on and that he likely wouldn’t stop for any animals we might see but he might slow down if we ask him. And off we went, barreling down this dirt road past other buses and cars that were slowly making their way down the non-graded dirt road. To a certain extent I totally understand why one should travel quickly down a dirt road to avoid the washboard phenomenon – but it was pretty intense. However, Stanley was true to his word and we got past the dirt road safely. We eventually slowed down because the pot holes got bigger and he had to start slowing down to actually go through them. We passed Masai after Masai, out following their goat herds or cow herds as they grazed over the countryside. At one point Stanley told us that there was a “new road” that was a short cut – mostly because the old road bridge was out – but also because this was faster. So we drove off the road and through a farmer’s field – this was obviously a common thing because the farmer was there waiting with a log across the road to take a toll and move the log out of the way. We headed down this road in the middle of nowhere and through some riverbeds that our car, luckily, made its way through. The car/bus had a submarine air vent in case the engine went under water. We sped past more fields and Masai people. Sometimes waving at the kids, occasionally getting rocks thrown at us (despite no one taking photos). We turned on to nondescript roads several times (you wouldn’t have known a road was there unless you were familiar) and eventually pulled up to an abandoned looking village. Turns out our camp, Miti Mingi Ecocamp, is located right next to the Masai Mara park, just adjacent to this town. During peak season this town is jumping with tourists and full of people, but currently we are heading in to the rainy season which is less popular for tourism (as many roads are impassable).
We were oriented to the camp (limited times for power, hot shows available if you let the water run for a long time, and semi-permanent army-like canvas tents with beds in them and ensuite bathrooms) and then packed our things to head out on a game drive!
After tea, Stanley loaded us back up in the bus, having opened the roof for better viewing. We drove the 5minutes to Masai Mara and entered the gates. Both sides were lined with Masai women selling trinkets/souvenirs. As we pulled over to the side to pay the entry fees (which Stanley was in charge of) the women opened the bus windows themselves and held the trinkets in our laps to purchase. After many “no thank yous” Stanley got back in the bus and we drove off. We saw zebras, gazelles, and impala right off the bat. The wildebeest were numerous – the first time I have seen them in person!  Water buffalo and giraffe were also readily seen. Stanley drove us away from the rest of the safari vehicles so we were relatively alone. We saw some hippos in a pond, many birds, hartebeest, tophi, as well as many cows and sheep being herded by the Masai people. Our favorite part was when Stanley said “what are the impala looking at?” and drove off the road to explore. He discovered three lionesses lounging in the shade! We took our fill of photos and then he radioed to the other drivers their location. Shortly thereafter dozens of vehicles appeared to inundate the lions with photos as we drove away. The sun was setting while an evening storm was passing over the fields dropping the temperatures to around 60 and we headed back to the gate.
Dinner was buffet style as well: cabbage, beans, spaghetti, and mashed potatoes. And of course black tea and fruit for dessert. The camp has a canteen and we were able to purchase alcohol – so Luke and I purchased some Gin and Krest and made a kind of Gin and tonic. We sat and chatted for a while with our fellow safari companions before heading to bed.
 Day 2 of safari dawned before sunrise
My night was interrupted by an itchy right foot – something had made a meal of my right foot and ankle. I fitfully fell back asleep and tried not to run through a differential of what could have caused the bites, while listening to the chorus of dog vs hyena howls that basically didn’t end all evening. We had breakfast as the sun was rising – Kenyan pancakes, toast, and beans with green pepper with coffee or tea – and jumped in our safari van.
We saw so many interesting animals throughout the day. The dikdik is a tiny deer (about the size of a cat) and we saw quite a few of these, travelling mostly in pairs. The meercat (Timone) were always discovered running from the vehicles at far distances, so it was hard to get a good photo of them. We would only see them standing on their hind legs from way far off before their colony would take off running. We saw the typical zebra, impala, gazelle, and wildebeest in large numbers and varying distances. We saw again the crowned crane that has a large yellow halo of feathers around their heads. We saw a ton of vibrantly colored birds – however our camera lens does not capture photos of small, far off things so we had to enjoy them with our eyeballs and memories instead. We saw another lioness basking in the sunlight all by herself and enjoyed watching her preen herself before moving on. We saw jackal running off in to the distance. Several cool animals that I didn’t expect myself to be so excited to see included the vultures and ostrich (so silly looking). In fact – while we were tracking several lions (our guide was looking at prints out the window of the vehicle and driving all around – along with several other vans/guide groups – I kept thinking out loud to Luke that I’d like to go get closer to the ostriches and vulture instead of seeing the lions. This was obviously crazy talk because as soon as I saw the lions I was wrapped up in watching them. We eventually found the lions behind a wall of vehicles that were already parked, taking photos of the lions (I took a photo of the line of cars). There was one young male lion and two lionesses lounging in the early morning sunlight. Despite being surrounded by cars, the lions rarely looked at any vehicle and chose to remain aloof to our presence. After lounging around for 15-20minutes they may have eventually got tired of the vans slowly encroaching on their space because the male lion walked behind the hill and sat in the shade – so of course all of the vans moved to see what he was up to. Then the lionesses got tired and they stood up, walked off leaving the male lion with his human entourage. As they walked by (almost touching the back of our van) they were very affectionate with their sister lion, rubbing up against each other and at times helping each other clean their fur. The male lion eventually decided to follow them off to wherever they went and he walked past our van as well. Instead of following them in to the trees, however, he plopped down in the middle of the road in front of a van, and proceeded to bask in the sunlight there – the lionesses watching him and his actions from a little ways off.
We saw warthog (very skittish), giraffe, and elephants – which everyone in the group had been most excited to see as we had been out driving for almost the whole day before seeing them. We saw buffalo in large numbers and, very exciting, saw a cheetah basking in the sunlight in the middle of a huge field of dried grass. It kept moving its tail around but otherwise didn’t budge from its spot. After the cheetah we started to make our way over to the Mara river that is the border between Tanzania and Kenya. The guide told us that it’s too bad that they share a border with Tanzania as they have very liberal policies regarding hunting these animals and often animals cross in to Tanzania and get hunted for sport. At one point during the drive to find the river, we almost got stuck in mud pits. In typical Stanley fashion, we were barreling through fields of wet mud in order to prevent us from getting stuck. We had two hair moments where we were crossing trickling streams vs water pits and had to slowly approach, and then slam on the gas to get over them. Luckily we made it through (at one point we saw another vehicle stuck at an odd angle having gotten trapped in a pit) so well done Stanley. We got out at the marker that indicates a non-Mara river border with Tanzania and started to take a picture – but then Stanley informed us that Tanzania was the other direction – so we walked out of Tanzania and back in to Kenya to take a photo of our van that was parked in Tanzania.
We arrived at the river to see a huge pod of hippos – maybe 60 of them in total with only a small proportion of them actually above the water. Occasionally a head would emerge to make grunting noises and take a breath before heading back under water. There were a number of teeny hippo babies to watch and enjoy. Hippos are notoriously dangerous and kill a large number of humans per year. There were armed rangers available for human protection and evidently they were willing to take us tourists on a tour of the river to see the crocodiles and hippos (for a tip of course). So we wandered down the river path and saw some huge crocodiles (15feet long and at lease 3feet wide) – one was quietly resting in the water and looked like a stone until he decided he was going to head upstream towards the hippo pod and his tail emerged from the water to help propel him against the very strong current. Another croc was basking in the sun with his mouth open. Another croc was across the river with an exposed tail on the riverbank. We crossed the Mara river to use the bathrooms provided at a private conservancy across the way and saw this sweet pink and purple colored lizard. We also saw some monkeys and bird nests filling up the yellow fever acacia trees.
Our guide set up a picnic blanket next to a set of trees inhabited by monkeys – so we enjoyed our lunch listening to hippo grunts and fighting off the monkey thieves. After lunch we took the dry roads back towards the entrance of the park and saw more elephants. While we were driving around to get a close look at an infant elephant (small enough to walk under mom’s belly) Luke and the guide both pointed out a small cat-like animal that was walking nearby called a serval. Bigger than a house cat but much smaller than the other big cats out on safari. It plopped itself down in the field to bask in the sunlight (detecting a pattern of cat-like behavior). We drove right up next to it and it basically ignored us as we snapped our photos. We were nearing the end of the day (and the end of our energy) so we drove back to the camp. We were invited to visit the Masai Mara village (for a fee) or hike the nearby mountain with our guide but Luke and I opted to just chill as we were nearing the end of our trip and we felt weird about exploiting the Masai Mara (although we understand that the money goes directly to their village and supports their family income etc) – so we relaxed at our tented camp and took hot showers. The hot showers were a huge debate at the camp as most Westerners denied that there was hot water but all the locals insisted that the water turns hot eventually. So I followed the instructions of the locals exactly – I turned on only the hot water (right side) and let it run for like 5minutes as I slowly gathered my shower stuffs. The bathroom was a half-circle at the back of our canvas tent that had a showerhead in the ceiling to the left and a sink to the middle and toilet to the right. The water from the shower ran over the floor to empty out a drain (hole in the ground) past the toilet. So for the rest of the evening we had to walk through the shower water to get to the toilet. The water went from cold to tolerable chilly so I decided to start my shower as I hated wasting water. As I showered the water kind of warmed up to the point that I could stand to stand under it (instead of just washing my hair like I had been doing when I started). By the end of my shower I would be willing to call it warm – and Luke arrived to start his shower (lucky bastard). By the end of his shower the water was definitely warm and maybe hot-ish but certainly not hot hot.
Dinner was rice, vegetables, beans, and cabbage. Luke and I continued to work on the Gin and Krest. We sat around chatting with our fellow safari-ers for a while but we all headed to bed early in anticipating of a 5am awakening as we were told breakfast was at 5:30am and departure (with bags packed) would be just before 6am.
 Day 3
5am arrived – I was awoken by a cowbell being rung at 4:58, but Luke and the other safari-ers didn’t hear it so maybe it was a figment of my imagination. I started to get ready and pack and eventually Luke joined me. At 5:30am we were ready so we carried our bags over to the kitchen just in time for the lights to go on (there were limited generator hours at the camp). We discovered that no one had prepared breakfast yet and that they were just getting started (I think the cowbell was their alarm). So Luke, myself, and the other safariers sat around waiting for the water to boil for tea and breakfast to be served – which ended up being at 6am. We downed breakfast (Kenyan pancakes, beans, toast) and jumped in the van for one last game drive before heading back to Nairobi.
We watched the sun rise over the savannah with a small-ish family of wildebeest arriving from Tanzania. We watched them walk, eat, hang out, the babies run around playing, and several ?males running around like they were being pursued by lions (we joked that there was a physical trainer). We later were able to see several hyena tearing up some poor dead animal. They were battling jackals and various species of vultures for the leftovers which made for some interesting watching. There was also a really cool eagle trying to get a piece but I didn’t get a good photo of it and he wasn’t very successful with the other animals around. We slowly made our way back to the park entrance, took a final photo, and started the trip back to Nairobi around 9am.
We stopped at a “curio” shop where they sell souvenirs and did some intense bargaining to try to spend a reasonable-ish amount for a souvenir. After over-paying we continued the drive. Lunch was at another buffet location along the way – more rice, beans, vegatables, and cabbage. We didn’t arrive to the safari main office in Nairobi until around 4pm after dropping off a couple of our fellow tourists along the way. The plan was for Luke and I to gather our luggage and transfer to another vehicle to drop off the remainder of the tourists and then Luke and I at the airport. While we were walking towards the office we started to feel an itching of the throat and were informed that it was tear gas that had been fired relatively recently. We were confused as to why there was tear gas and were starting to ask our driver about it while we were walking – when suddenly there was a popping sound and gas dispersal in the air ahead of us (another tear gas can had been fired). As we needed to travel through the cloud in order to get to the office entrance – the three of us quickly decided to run and we headed in to the cloud. Your eyes watered unless you kept them mostly closed and then they just itched, your throat produced saliva and felt scratchy causing you to cough. We ran to the office entrance where the security officers closed the doors behind us as we coughed and recovered from the gas along with the half-dozen other people who had run in to the building with us. As we waited (a long time) for the elevator to arrive, the driver explained that the tear gas was being thrown by the government because it is an election year – the opposition party was trying to organize and get interest – and the government was trying to suppress them organizing/assembling.  
We recovered and gathered our 4large bags of luggage from the safari office. The driver squished the luggage as well as Luke and I in to the elevator along with two poor people who work in the building. We profusely apologized but they didn’t seem perturbed. Once we headed back outside, the tear gas had mostly dissipated except for a small tickle in the throat. We quickly walked back around the corner to the van where the other tourists were waiting. We packed the van to the brim and headed in to Nairobi traffic to continue dropping people off. We were immediately stuck in traffic – at one point we didn’t move an inch from one spot for at least 15minutes. We verrryyyy slowly made it through town to drop off the first couple – we drove past some embassies including the very impressive Russian embassy. Valerie informed us that the US embassy is even more intimidating (of course - sigh). We continued slowly through traffic to drop off the last person who is currently renting an apartment in Kibera. When I say slowly – I mean that three hours after we left the safari office, we were finally pulling up to the airport. Luke and I proceeded to open our luggage and move things around to distribute weight, remove items that cannot be taken in the carryon, and gather our electronics. This was especially frustrating because our bags were all too heavy! Luckily, Clark, Lena, and Jen arrived at that time! They had an extra bag that we could move our final items in to and we were saved.
We went through three different security checkpoints and finally made it to the cafeteria to get some dinner. Luke and I had Indian food (yum yum yum) and I ended up needing to drink a ton of liquids because I was so dehydrated. We eventually boarded the plane (scheduled to depart at midnight) after we had to suffer in the boarding area’s oppressive heat. As we were about to get on the plane, a flight attendant asked the crowd “is anyone a doctor?” – Clark and I walked up to see what was going on. A lady had vomited on board and protocol was that she needs to be removed from the flight to prevent passing contagious diseases on to others. We asked questions to figure out why she might have vomited and concluded that it was likely because she took an anti-malaria pill on an empty stomach as she didn’t have any other symptoms of illness and was fine until she took the pill. They allowed her on the plane and they wrote down our seating assignment so that if anything happens they can come find us there.
The flight was otherwise uneventful – we were able to spread out as the flight was not full  - and Luke was able to actually sleep on the plane (which is really challenging for him). I actually slept worse than him (not typical) but we were relatively well rested by the time we arrived in Amsterdam. Which is, pretty much, an oasis. The bathroom when I arrived was a dream – clean, large, with motion detector flush that didn’t trigger with minimal movement. I was able to change my clothes, brush my teeth, and feel amazing. We had breakfast with real coffee and stroopfwaffels, pancakes for me and omelet for Luke. The flight to Detroit and finally to Traverse City went without a hitch, despite long annoying lines in Detroit to get through US customs.
Upon arrival in Traverse City, our luggage arrived and Marcelo was there to pick us up and deliver us home where he and Norika had prepared a delicious dinner of chestnut sage soup and gnocci with eggplant tomato sauce. We were falling asleep in our chairs by 8:30pm so we headed to bed – full, happy, and so so lucky.
See you later, Kenya. Until we meet again…
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foodarillo · 8 years ago
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Hop To It
When I heard last winter that the former Midtown Kitchen was reopening as Hopslice, my heart skipped a beat. Touted for their planned craft beer bonanza and gourmet wood fired oven pizzas, I thought I had found a new Amarillo home.
After all, pizza and beer go hand in hand, and even better if we can keep out the chain “pizza” and mass produced swill. Oh my...with a name like Hopslice, surely they must be drowning in good IPAs, choking on thin-crusted delicacies.
But alas, they only got one of those right. Score one for pizza, but an empty glass on the craft beer. More on that later.
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Hopslice occupies part of the former space once claimed by Sun Adventure Sports, which downsized and moved a few doors west. The look and feel of Hopslice is little different from its predecessor Midtown Kitchen, with the oven highly visible in the back, and a tiny bar area that must be traversed en route to the bathrooms. The dining area is simply and tastefully decorated, with a vertical rack of wine bottles attesting to its former status as an upscale Italian eatery.
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Our culinary journey began with more than 15 minutes of wait time before a server came to ask about drinks. Some 22 minutes had passed before we were asked for our order. We had arrived at 6:37pm on a Friday, and had hoped for a nice meal before the ZZ Top concert. Alas, our food did not arrive until 7:29, and we had to tell our server that we were now in a bit of a hurry, and to plan on a box for leftovers.
So much for a relaxing dinner. I suppose the relaxing came before the food. We then had to switch into eat-and-run mode for the best part, though, and it cost them a dessert order in the process.
We ordered two separate pizzas, so that we could experience more of the menu. Our order consisted of the Queso Gringo Pizza (with mozzarella, Romano, bleu cheese, and fontina) and the Almost Dyer pizza (mozzarella, Romano, cremini mushrooms, artichoke hearts, red peppers, and onions). Deanna chased hers with a watermelon sangria, while my chasers were a Dogfish 60 Minute IPA, followed by the Creme Brulee by Southern Tier.
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“The crust was the highlight,” Deanna said. “Thin and crispy is the way it should be...not greasy, not soggy.” I concurred, although I found the blobs of bleu cheese on the Queso Gringo to be a bit overpowering to the taste. Depending on what you bit into, you either got a savory blend of the other three cheeses, or a punch to the mouth of the other. And if you are not a bleu cheese fan, well...you reach for your beer. Fast. Big swig.
The Almost Dyer was a true delicacy, and won my heart quickly. The interplay of those veggies atop the two cheeses resulted in an explosion of flavor. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been sun dried tomatoes.
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Hopslice is a nice addition to the Amarillo pizza scene, which not too many years ago was a ghost town (Does anyone remember when Pizza Hut won top honors in its category? Yecch!). Compared to 575, Hopslice is good but not great. And compared to Fire Slice (its sister pizzeria), it comes in slightly behind.
Our server explained, though, that Fire Slice features pies that are more Italian in nature, while Hopslice’s menu (with 14 different pies, plus a few burgers, salads, and small plates) is more localized in flavor. All told, we like Hopslice, but not quite as much as some of the other gourmet pizzerias in town.
What really disappointed me (in addition to the extremely slow service) was the dearth of good beers. For a place that has the word “Hop” in its name, you would expect a plethora of craft beers. Instead, we were greeted with a tap menu board listing six beers and one cider. When asked about bottles and cans, our server responded with “Bud, Bud Light...” And then I interrupted him. I had heard about enough. The disconnect went from “door ajar” to “gaping hole.”
While the slow service left a bad taste in our mouths (along with those bleu cheese blobs in mine), we can be forgiving. It was a Friday night, and they were rather busy (in spite of our getting a table immediately).
And having only been open since February, Hopslice is a work-in-progress. We’ll give them a chance to tweak that beer menu, to work on service, to finesse all those cheeses. This is a real plus for Amarillo.
Nick & Deanna
Would We Go Back: Certainly, but only when we have lots of time. If the service we received is any indication of the norm, you should plan on 90-120 minutes for your dining experience. Let’s hope that changes. And even though we like some other places better, it’s nice to have to rank gourmet pizza shops in Amarillo and have a truly good one still come up a few tomatoes short of the best. It’s a nice problem to have. Verily I say to you, we have come a long way in recent years. The pizza situation was so bad here that I would have Giordano’s pizza shipped in from Chicago. And while I still crave those deep dish pies, I at least have some damn good alternatives here.
Dress: Casual to dressy...we saw it all.
Price: $$ Most pies are in the $14 range (and these being considered one-person entrees). Beers are $5 and $8, depending on octane rating. Plan on $50-60 for a date night.
Comments: We are thrilled to see Amarilloans embracing good pizza. This Chicago boy was heartbroken when he arrived in 1989, only to find Pizza Hut considered haute cuisine. Hell, Pizza Hut is scorned widely back home, a horrible terrible imposter among pros who know how to ply the craft. We raise our glass to us all. Keep it coming, y’all!
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