Well, it's another summer which means another set of insane travel plans. My current itinerary puts me in London, then Italy (Naples, Florence, Venice), then Paris, then London, then Nairobi, then Rusinga, then Nairobi, then London, then New York. Are you tired? Because I certainly will be after hauling all of my crap across four countries and two continents.
I had a reasonably awful flight from New York to London yesterday. My seat wouldn't recline, and the person in front of my reclines all the way, so I was squished into a tiny box like area and couldn't sleep. When the woman next to me woke up, I asked her if she could get up so I could use the bathroom... AND SHE SAID NO. She had just gotten comfortable. I was so flabbergasted (I love that word) that I didn't say anything, and then she went right back to sleep. I should have kicked her and climbed over her anyway.
I couldn't remember which airport was Heathrow until I saw the huge line for customs. Suddenly, my hour long wait in January '06 with all of my equipment came flooding back to me. I gave small thanks that for the new travel rules which have caused me to have to check my equipment. Sure it could get lost or stolen, but it makes traveling so much easier. While in line, the woman behind me was practically doing calisthenics, stretching and jumping around so much. It almost made me nauseous to watch her.
I got my bags okay, and went to try and find my mom. Our planes were supposed to come it at the same time, but mine was delayed. I checked for her at baggage claim - no Mom. Checked at the meet and greet outside of customs ... no Mom. Finally decided to walk to the bus stop, which was our failsafe meeting point. No mom. At this point, I began to worry as I knew her plane was in. I decided to give her thirty minutes to show up before I went back to the terminal and had her paged. She showed up about twenty minutes after I sat down, with a small purse. "Where's your bag?" I asked her. Sadly, the answer to that question was ... Canada. We are still waiting for her bag to show up. Once we made it into London (four hours after our flights were supposed to get in) we went to Marks & Spencer to buy some clothes and things for my mom. I bought some things too, even though I had my bags. Then we had a little dinner and made it an early night.
Today was a pretty calm day. Still COLD and still RAINY - weather is just about the same as it was when I was here in February, a fact I find to be cosmically unfair. We went to Westminster Abbey (finally - I tried to do that twice before and it was closed for various reasons) and I saw all of the dead famous people. If you think about it, it's a little macabre to be worshiping surrounded by dead people. After that, we took a walk through St. James Park, then up through Covent Garden. We had cornish pasties for lunch (one of my favorite England foods unavailable in the USofA), and walked up to St. Paul's. So, it was a good sightseeing and walking day! Pictures forthcoming. :)
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Coney Island
I had the perfect New York day today.
This morning, Thee Boy and I and one of our friends went down to Coney Island. We got food at the VERY FIRST Nathans ever in New York City. (Well, they did - I am not fond of hot dogs.)
I had carnie food (funnel cake with powdered sugar = delicious). We rode the Cyclone, one of the last remaining wooden roller coasters in the United States and a NY historic monument, then we went to the aquarium to look at fishies (my tank is better).
After that, we headed to Brighton Beach (little Russia) to look for international foodstuffs, though eventually settled on taking the train back into Park Slope (Brooklyn) for some of the best Tex-Mex food available in New York (to my stringent California standards).
Ahhhh. Sometimes I really do ♥ NY.
(more @ flickr
This morning, Thee Boy and I and one of our friends went down to Coney Island. We got food at the VERY FIRST Nathans ever in New York City. (Well, they did - I am not fond of hot dogs.)
I had carnie food (funnel cake with powdered sugar = delicious). We rode the Cyclone, one of the last remaining wooden roller coasters in the United States and a NY historic monument, then we went to the aquarium to look at fishies (my tank is better).
After that, we headed to Brighton Beach (little Russia) to look for international foodstuffs, though eventually settled on taking the train back into Park Slope (Brooklyn) for some of the best Tex-Mex food available in New York (to my stringent California standards).
Ahhhh. Sometimes I really do ♥ NY.
(more @ flickr
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
Friday Fish Blog
I am home from South Africa. I'll get back to discussing the end of my trip very shortly - I've been concentrating on getting my sleep schedule back on track and working since I've been back in New York.
But, in the mean time .... here is my whole fish familiy!
George
Food - he misses his school (I had two others but they died) so he might eventually go to someone who has a school. Or, I'll get him a friend. We'll see.
My roommate has named him "Princess" even though you can tell by the spike dorsal fin that he's a male. Princess might not be able to stay with me - he only eats live foods, so it depends on how well I can supply him with those. If he looks like he's starting to starve, I'll have to give him away. :( Sad.
But, in the mean time .... here is my whole fish familiy!
George
Food - he misses his school (I had two others but they died) so he might eventually go to someone who has a school. Or, I'll get him a friend. We'll see.
My roommate has named him "Princess" even though you can tell by the spike dorsal fin that he's a male. Princess might not be able to stay with me - he only eats live foods, so it depends on how well I can supply him with those. If he looks like he's starting to starve, I'll have to give him away. :( Sad.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Even More Capetown!
I went allllllll the way to the top of Table Mountain today.
All in all, it was a good day. I woke up early, had breakfast, and internet-ted a bit. I had planned to do Table Mountain but the weather was overcast and quite windy. When the clouds sort of stick on the top of the mountain and it's windy, they don't let anyone go up. So, instead I walked around Cape Town a bit, got my hair cut (finally), got my eyebrows waxed (finally), and bought a cute little dress that will have to go away until it warms up again in my hemisphere. Le sigh.
Anyway, when I emerged from my beautifying extravaganza, I noticed that it was suddenly gorgeous outside. Thus, I grabbed a taxi and headed for the cable car without a second thought. The cable cars spin a bit going up the mountain which gave me the distinct feeling of seasickness. When I got to the top, there were all sorts of little walking paths to go down, plus bigger hiking trails. I started down one of the slightly less paved trails and got to a section full of huge boulders. There was an enticing looking sign at the bottom of the boulder path and and enticing looking path leading up the other side, so I went down.
Turns out the sign said, "Danger this way". Less enticing than I thought. The other path was fine though, so after climbing down a bunch of boulders, I climbed up another set thinking that I might be able to just walk around the ravine on the way back.
Of course, then I saw this and realized that wasn't going to be an option:
I was still intrigued as to where I was going. Eventually, I ran across a sign that indicated I was heading for the "Smuts Trail". The name rang a bell - I eventually realized it was the path that would take me down from the mountain. I paid for a return ticket on the cable car, so I knew I didn't want to do that. Then I ran across another trail that seemed to lead to this pretty little lake:
I wanted to get a better photo of the lake, but in my haste to take advantage of the good weather, I forgot about something:
So, I turned back. It was beautiful up there - more (and better) photos at flickr, as always.
All in all, it was a good day. I woke up early, had breakfast, and internet-ted a bit. I had planned to do Table Mountain but the weather was overcast and quite windy. When the clouds sort of stick on the top of the mountain and it's windy, they don't let anyone go up. So, instead I walked around Cape Town a bit, got my hair cut (finally), got my eyebrows waxed (finally), and bought a cute little dress that will have to go away until it warms up again in my hemisphere. Le sigh.
Anyway, when I emerged from my beautifying extravaganza, I noticed that it was suddenly gorgeous outside. Thus, I grabbed a taxi and headed for the cable car without a second thought. The cable cars spin a bit going up the mountain which gave me the distinct feeling of seasickness. When I got to the top, there were all sorts of little walking paths to go down, plus bigger hiking trails. I started down one of the slightly less paved trails and got to a section full of huge boulders. There was an enticing looking sign at the bottom of the boulder path and and enticing looking path leading up the other side, so I went down.
Turns out the sign said, "Danger this way". Less enticing than I thought. The other path was fine though, so after climbing down a bunch of boulders, I climbed up another set thinking that I might be able to just walk around the ravine on the way back.
Of course, then I saw this and realized that wasn't going to be an option:
I was still intrigued as to where I was going. Eventually, I ran across a sign that indicated I was heading for the "Smuts Trail". The name rang a bell - I eventually realized it was the path that would take me down from the mountain. I paid for a return ticket on the cable car, so I knew I didn't want to do that. Then I ran across another trail that seemed to lead to this pretty little lake:
I wanted to get a better photo of the lake, but in my haste to take advantage of the good weather, I forgot about something:
So, I turned back. It was beautiful up there - more (and better) photos at flickr, as always.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
More Cape Town
Since my last post, I've been very busy.
I spent most of Saturday at the botanical gardens. The gardens are very interesting, and have a focus on native South African plants. The whole gardens runs up the side of Table Mountain and affords beautiful views - I tried in vain to get a really good photos of it, but I failed miserably. I got to the top of one hiking path and realized that I was on my way to hike all the way up Table Mountain. Since I was wearing flip flops, and not carrying a whole lot of water, I decided that this was a distinctly poor idea and have vowed to take the cable car up some other time. The neatest part about the gardens was the "weed garden", a section that showcases plants that have become invasive in other countries. Very cool.
I spent Sunday on a tour of Cape Point, which highlighted Boulder Beach and the WIIIIIILD penguin colony (many photos taken there, I assure you), as well as scenic views from Cape Point. We then walked from Cape Point across to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point in Africa. There were a group of four Dutch high school seniors with us that decided not to do any of the activities, and instead sit around and gossip and be annoying. I'm not sure why they came on the trip in the frist place, unless they are here with someone's mom who wanted them out of their hair for the time being.
Monday found me starting my research. The cheapest way to get from the center of Cape Town to the university is by the free shuttle. Because of my limited experience with proper college campuses, I naively believed that the shuttle made a number of stops in some kind of circuit, and I would just get off at the one that looked right. Silly, silly me. Instead, there is a labyrinthine bus system that can only be navigated by certified cape town students. There are abbreviations that are meaningless to the casual consumer, as well as at least ten different lines that run to different places. With the help of several valiant bus drivers, I was able to figure it all out. My only mishap was a 30 minute bus ride that took me right back to where I started without going anywhere near where I needed to go. Oops.
Today, I took the train down to Simonstown to have a look around. Taking the train down was no problem, but the train back was a bit irritating. I happened to hit it right during rush hour and spent the better part of an hour smashed up against smelly people. It almost made me a little homesick for the 4-5-6 and F Trains during rush hour.
And that's where I am right now! Tomorrow, I'm sightseeing around Cape Town, Friday I am shark diving, Saturday I am taking a wineland tour and Sunday, I return to the USofA.
I spent most of Saturday at the botanical gardens. The gardens are very interesting, and have a focus on native South African plants. The whole gardens runs up the side of Table Mountain and affords beautiful views - I tried in vain to get a really good photos of it, but I failed miserably. I got to the top of one hiking path and realized that I was on my way to hike all the way up Table Mountain. Since I was wearing flip flops, and not carrying a whole lot of water, I decided that this was a distinctly poor idea and have vowed to take the cable car up some other time. The neatest part about the gardens was the "weed garden", a section that showcases plants that have become invasive in other countries. Very cool.
I spent Sunday on a tour of Cape Point, which highlighted Boulder Beach and the WIIIIIILD penguin colony (many photos taken there, I assure you), as well as scenic views from Cape Point. We then walked from Cape Point across to the Cape of Good Hope, the most southwestern point in Africa. There were a group of four Dutch high school seniors with us that decided not to do any of the activities, and instead sit around and gossip and be annoying. I'm not sure why they came on the trip in the frist place, unless they are here with someone's mom who wanted them out of their hair for the time being.
Monday found me starting my research. The cheapest way to get from the center of Cape Town to the university is by the free shuttle. Because of my limited experience with proper college campuses, I naively believed that the shuttle made a number of stops in some kind of circuit, and I would just get off at the one that looked right. Silly, silly me. Instead, there is a labyrinthine bus system that can only be navigated by certified cape town students. There are abbreviations that are meaningless to the casual consumer, as well as at least ten different lines that run to different places. With the help of several valiant bus drivers, I was able to figure it all out. My only mishap was a 30 minute bus ride that took me right back to where I started without going anywhere near where I needed to go. Oops.
Today, I took the train down to Simonstown to have a look around. Taking the train down was no problem, but the train back was a bit irritating. I happened to hit it right during rush hour and spent the better part of an hour smashed up against smelly people. It almost made me a little homesick for the 4-5-6 and F Trains during rush hour.
And that's where I am right now! Tomorrow, I'm sightseeing around Cape Town, Friday I am shark diving, Saturday I am taking a wineland tour and Sunday, I return to the USofA.
Friday, January 26, 2007
Cape Town!
the shift key on this keyboard doesn't work, so my capitalization is going to be erratic. i can't stop myself from hitting it, and occasionally it functions. sigh.
it has been a really good couple of days, with a very bad incident in between. i spent my last day in jo'burg at the bruma flea market doing some shopping with one of the other girls staying at the same place. bruma fleamarket isn't all that exciting, but at least i was able to get out of the house. the problem with jo'burg is that you must have a car to get around. without a car, you are basically hamstrung. to get anywhere you must take taxis which can get quite expensive. as a result, i've spent much of my spare time sitting around watching movies. it's a shame to do so in a foreign country, but i don't want to waste money unnecessarily.
the shopping was fun and it was really good to have company. when i was in zanzibar, I bought a little bao board, but i never learned how to play, and a couple of guys showed both of us the simple version of the game. the other girl i was with thought they were going to ask us for money, but they didn't. they were just being nice. the only bad spot was yet another screw up with my bank - this time with my new bank. they were unable to verify a very large check that was deposited. they gave me the fund for said check and i withdrew money. but then, they TOOK THE FUNDS AWAY. i spent the better part of an hour on the phone with them, and they are trying to get it verified as quickly as possible. i'm going to check the card again today to see if any progress was made. i wish when they left me on hold for ages, they would have thought about the fact that i told them i was calling internationally. but, whatever.
yesterday, i arrived in Cape town, and it is like night and day from Johannesburg. i love cape town. it's a very walkable city, and i did the short walking tour in my guidebook yesterday. there are lots of nice restaurants and cafes and bars and shopping, though it's quite a bit more expensive than gauteng (where jo'burg and pretoria are). it took me forever to find a place to stay, and this place that i've ended up reminds me a bit of a college dorm. no bathrooms ensuite and full of undergraduates who want to do nothing but go to bars on vacation. but it's cheap, and available, and that's really what counts. i spent most of yesterday down at the waterfront where i walked around, did some window shopping, went to the aquarium and took a sunset cruise around table bay. the sunset cruise was on an old wooden sailing ship, and they served a nice selection of wine and snacks. I met a really nice couple from Jo'burg that i spoke to quite a bit - i think they felt sorry for me because i was alone. :(
i also signed up for the tour of cape point for sunday, which will be fun. i'll be seeing the wild penguin colonies at boulder beach (!!!!!!!!!) as well as lots of other good stuff. i'm trying to decide whether i want to take a tour of the winelands as well, as i think I've been convinced to do the great white shark cage diving. looks to be the easiest diving ever - i don't even think you need to be certified. they just stick you in a cage and lower you down - no buoyancy necessary. everyone who has done it said it's pretty amazing, and i feel like it's one of those things that i must do while i'm here since i don't know when i'll be back.
i think today i'm either going to go to the botannical gardens or to a couple of museums. then on monday, it's back to work for a few days. BOO.
it has been a really good couple of days, with a very bad incident in between. i spent my last day in jo'burg at the bruma flea market doing some shopping with one of the other girls staying at the same place. bruma fleamarket isn't all that exciting, but at least i was able to get out of the house. the problem with jo'burg is that you must have a car to get around. without a car, you are basically hamstrung. to get anywhere you must take taxis which can get quite expensive. as a result, i've spent much of my spare time sitting around watching movies. it's a shame to do so in a foreign country, but i don't want to waste money unnecessarily.
the shopping was fun and it was really good to have company. when i was in zanzibar, I bought a little bao board, but i never learned how to play, and a couple of guys showed both of us the simple version of the game. the other girl i was with thought they were going to ask us for money, but they didn't. they were just being nice. the only bad spot was yet another screw up with my bank - this time with my new bank. they were unable to verify a very large check that was deposited. they gave me the fund for said check and i withdrew money. but then, they TOOK THE FUNDS AWAY. i spent the better part of an hour on the phone with them, and they are trying to get it verified as quickly as possible. i'm going to check the card again today to see if any progress was made. i wish when they left me on hold for ages, they would have thought about the fact that i told them i was calling internationally. but, whatever.
yesterday, i arrived in Cape town, and it is like night and day from Johannesburg. i love cape town. it's a very walkable city, and i did the short walking tour in my guidebook yesterday. there are lots of nice restaurants and cafes and bars and shopping, though it's quite a bit more expensive than gauteng (where jo'burg and pretoria are). it took me forever to find a place to stay, and this place that i've ended up reminds me a bit of a college dorm. no bathrooms ensuite and full of undergraduates who want to do nothing but go to bars on vacation. but it's cheap, and available, and that's really what counts. i spent most of yesterday down at the waterfront where i walked around, did some window shopping, went to the aquarium and took a sunset cruise around table bay. the sunset cruise was on an old wooden sailing ship, and they served a nice selection of wine and snacks. I met a really nice couple from Jo'burg that i spoke to quite a bit - i think they felt sorry for me because i was alone. :(
i also signed up for the tour of cape point for sunday, which will be fun. i'll be seeing the wild penguin colonies at boulder beach (!!!!!!!!!) as well as lots of other good stuff. i'm trying to decide whether i want to take a tour of the winelands as well, as i think I've been convinced to do the great white shark cage diving. looks to be the easiest diving ever - i don't even think you need to be certified. they just stick you in a cage and lower you down - no buoyancy necessary. everyone who has done it said it's pretty amazing, and i feel like it's one of those things that i must do while i'm here since i don't know when i'll be back.
i think today i'm either going to go to the botannical gardens or to a couple of museums. then on monday, it's back to work for a few days. BOO.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Update 1/21/2007
Entry: 1/19/07
Today has been my first semi-bad day in Africa South Africa. (As anyone who knows me or has been reading this blog for sometime knows, it is certainly not the first time I've had a bad day in Africa!)
The day started out well enough. I packed up all of my belongings, checked the internet one last time and said my goodbyes to the people at the Transvaal Museum. DOOM gave me one of his replicas of Mrs. Ples that he's been marketing around which was so SO nice of him. He called a taxi for me and helped me with my stuff out to the front of the museum to wait for it.
And wait we did. And wait. And wait. Taxi finally showed up 15 minutes late. My driver was not particularly good. He played Jesus music at top volume in the car and did not know his way around. Instead, he chose to rely on me - an American - to tell him how to get from point A to point B. When the taxi driver got to Point B, he halfheartedly tried to lift my suitcase out of his trunk, but he couldn't quite manage it. I had to haul it out instead.
Point B was the Incaranga Ranch Resort, a place that sounded awesome from the guidebook. Looked close enough to Jo'burg, was purportedly safe, and situated on some lovely grounds with duck pond and swimming pool and restaurant, and horse-back riding and internet. The truth is a bit south of there, I'm afraid. It is North of the city. They would not help me negotiate taxi fare, and instead said that I'd have to use their taxi service to get to and from the Unviersity at R200 EACH WAY. That's about 50 dollars per day for taxis. The rooms are not safe; not all of the lights work, all of windows are open to the outside, the lock is practically falling out of the door. Because all of the windows open out to the outside, there are craploads of mosquitos in here that are currently eating me alive. The staff is loud and unhelpful -- I used the internet and the man behind the desk stood impatiently looking over my shoulder so he could get back to watching football. The bartender was too busy playing a slot machine to take money for my bottle of water, and the restaurant was deserted. No diners, no waitresses. But really, the safety issue is what bothers me the most. When I am travelling with my computer and camera equipment and microscribe, the ONLY thing I look for in a hotel/hostel/guesthouse/whatever is safety. I want to feel like I can leave my computer in my room and not have it be gone when I get back. Lack of safety was one of the reasons I switched hotels in London last year.
I've already made arrangements to stay elsewhere from tomorrow night on. The woman I talked to on the phone was very nice, and it sounds like a better place to be, so hopefully all will be well.
PS: Getting a SIM card for my phone was the smartest thing I've ever done. It's been so convenient to be able to call ahead for reservations and things.
***
The new place is quite nice - reminds me a bit of the place I stayed at in Birchington-on-Sea.
The taxi driver once again didn't know how to get from point a to point b and likely would have driven around in circles all day if I hadn't phoned for directions. The owner is a bit loopy - makes veiled racist comments (not particularly uncommon around here) and thinks that she was a native america in a past life (a bit more uncommon). She had a birthday party last night which I attended, in which I met a woman who is into new age metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. Very odd.
The other people who are staying here are also quite nice. One of the girls has malaria and I feel for her acutely. Went for a walk to "chinatown" today. DC's chinablock looks grand in comparison to the half block of dilapidated buildings. I had some chinese food for lunch and it was mediocre at best. Looking forward to getting my work done and going to Cape Town.
Today has been my first semi-bad day in Africa South Africa. (As anyone who knows me or has been reading this blog for sometime knows, it is certainly not the first time I've had a bad day in Africa!)
The day started out well enough. I packed up all of my belongings, checked the internet one last time and said my goodbyes to the people at the Transvaal Museum. DOOM gave me one of his replicas of Mrs. Ples that he's been marketing around which was so SO nice of him. He called a taxi for me and helped me with my stuff out to the front of the museum to wait for it.
And wait we did. And wait. And wait. Taxi finally showed up 15 minutes late. My driver was not particularly good. He played Jesus music at top volume in the car and did not know his way around. Instead, he chose to rely on me - an American - to tell him how to get from point A to point B. When the taxi driver got to Point B, he halfheartedly tried to lift my suitcase out of his trunk, but he couldn't quite manage it. I had to haul it out instead.
Point B was the Incaranga Ranch Resort, a place that sounded awesome from the guidebook. Looked close enough to Jo'burg, was purportedly safe, and situated on some lovely grounds with duck pond and swimming pool and restaurant, and horse-back riding and internet. The truth is a bit south of there, I'm afraid. It is North of the city. They would not help me negotiate taxi fare, and instead said that I'd have to use their taxi service to get to and from the Unviersity at R200 EACH WAY. That's about 50 dollars per day for taxis. The rooms are not safe; not all of the lights work, all of windows are open to the outside, the lock is practically falling out of the door. Because all of the windows open out to the outside, there are craploads of mosquitos in here that are currently eating me alive. The staff is loud and unhelpful -- I used the internet and the man behind the desk stood impatiently looking over my shoulder so he could get back to watching football. The bartender was too busy playing a slot machine to take money for my bottle of water, and the restaurant was deserted. No diners, no waitresses. But really, the safety issue is what bothers me the most. When I am travelling with my computer and camera equipment and microscribe, the ONLY thing I look for in a hotel/hostel/guesthouse/whatever is safety. I want to feel like I can leave my computer in my room and not have it be gone when I get back. Lack of safety was one of the reasons I switched hotels in London last year.
I've already made arrangements to stay elsewhere from tomorrow night on. The woman I talked to on the phone was very nice, and it sounds like a better place to be, so hopefully all will be well.
PS: Getting a SIM card for my phone was the smartest thing I've ever done. It's been so convenient to be able to call ahead for reservations and things.
***
The new place is quite nice - reminds me a bit of the place I stayed at in Birchington-on-Sea.
The taxi driver once again didn't know how to get from point a to point b and likely would have driven around in circles all day if I hadn't phoned for directions. The owner is a bit loopy - makes veiled racist comments (not particularly uncommon around here) and thinks that she was a native america in a past life (a bit more uncommon). She had a birthday party last night which I attended, in which I met a woman who is into new age metaphysical mumbo-jumbo. Very odd.
The other people who are staying here are also quite nice. One of the girls has malaria and I feel for her acutely. Went for a walk to "chinatown" today. DC's chinablock looks grand in comparison to the half block of dilapidated buildings. I had some chinese food for lunch and it was mediocre at best. Looking forward to getting my work done and going to Cape Town.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Jo'burg
I wrote a post yesterday, that I'll post when I can be bothered to put it on a flash drive for uploading on a computer other than my own. Suffice it to say, since I last posted, I have:
- moved from Pretoria to Jo'burg
- moved from one backpackers to a different backpackers
and
- gone to a birthday party
- moved from Pretoria to Jo'burg
- moved from one backpackers to a different backpackers
and
- gone to a birthday party
Thursday, January 18, 2007
The Pretoria Zoo
Today I went to the zoo! The Pretoria Zoo is not exactly in the best of condition, though they have a pretty amazing set of animals, concentrated most on African animals. They had a bunch of stuff I've seen before, a bunch of stuff I HADN'T seen before, plus a cable car offering views over the zoo. I rode the cable car to the top of tiger hill and back down, and not since my time in China has a ride scared me so much. Note to self: do not go on rides in Africa. Ever.
Today I saw.....
Kitties!
Fast kitties!
BIG kitties!
Bears!
Elephants!
Pretty birdies!
Lazy piggies!
... and, of course.... MONKEYS! More monkeys (okay, apes and lemurs too) than I've seen at ANY zoo. Including the Bronx Zoo, and the National Zoo.
(for those that care .... that would be none of you, okay. Well, for my own reference, they had four species of lemur, three species of gibbons, gorillas, baboons, mandrills, assorted guenons and mangabeys, chimps, assorted marmosted and tamarins, lion tailed macaques, and probably more that I am forgetting)
Today I saw.....
Kitties!
Fast kitties!
BIG kitties!
Bears!
Elephants!
Pretty birdies!
Lazy piggies!
... and, of course.... MONKEYS! More monkeys (okay, apes and lemurs too) than I've seen at ANY zoo. Including the Bronx Zoo, and the National Zoo.
(for those that care .... that would be none of you, okay. Well, for my own reference, they had four species of lemur, three species of gibbons, gorillas, baboons, mandrills, assorted guenons and mangabeys, chimps, assorted marmosted and tamarins, lion tailed macaques, and probably more that I am forgetting)
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Today
Two days ago, the Director (who shall forthwith be known as DOOM) asked me if I had "seen the sights" in Pretoria.
I was momentarily confused. "....no.....," I replied.
"Well, I must take you before you go! I'm going out there on Wednesday - make sure to bring walking shoes and a hat. Do you have a hat?"
I was still confused. "....no......."
He got up and fetched one of his own Indiana Jones style field hats and handed it to me. He told me that he thought I could go to Sterkfontein first while he had an appointment, and then he'd take me to Swartkrans and Kromdraai. It was at that point when I realized he meant SITES not SIGHTS, and I was off to see the main attractions in South Africa's "cradle of humanity", a series of paleontological sites.
First up was a museum complex called Marupeng which is supposed to be about the journey from the formation of the earth through all of human evolution. Incongruously, the building is shaped like a tradition European burial mound, a decision that DOOM said he strenuously objected to. The museum opens with an odd little segment about the diversity of people in the world, before seguing into a strange boat ride through the four elements. Unfortunately, the boats are meant to work on inertia and with only me in the boat... I got stuck. There are no cameras and no walkways (this is Africa, after all), so I stood up and sort of rocked back and forth through the narrow opening until my seaworthy little craft eked through. The museum had reasonable information, but I thought it was a bit difficult to navigate as there was no set path through the exhibit.
odd entrance to Marupeng Museum
Then it was off to Sterkfontein, where I took the guided tour of the caves and excavations. It was quite interesting, though the last five minutes were bit harrowing - lots of steep, narrow passages. I knew there was a reason I didn't want to go cave exploring. A small child was on the tour with us and went running through these passages, shouting, "These aren't so small!" I wanted to shout back, "If you were four feet taller, YOU'D BE SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE."
Cave Formations
an entrance to the cave
After this was a 1 km hike to Swartkrans. Part of the 1 km hike required the fording of a small stream. A small muddy stream. So what was the first thing I did? Set my foot in about an inch of mud. In trying to pull it out, it slipped out from under me. Luckily the PUDDLE OF MUD broke my fall. My entire left side, from my ankle to just above my knee was coated in a nice layer of mud. But there was nothing to do but wait for it to dry and carefully flake it off.
The evil roaring river of death!!!!! Okay, so it was like a three inch puddle. You got a problem with that?
The last site I saw was Kromdraai, where they recently had a break in. A bunch of equipment was stolen, and then the theives felt the need to absolutely trash the place. Tables turned over, boxes full of breccia over turned, the tops of stools ripped off and thrown around. DOOM said it lookes like King Tut's tomb. It's unfortunate that thieves feel the need to be vandals as well. It's easier to replace the stuff without having to worry about cleaning out all of your carefully catalogued belongings and sending them to the rubbish pile.
On the way back, I saw a huge eyesore of a building up atop a gigantic hill. I asked DOOM what that was, and he said it was the Voortrekker monument.
The story that he told me about it was this:
The original colonists were the Voortrekkers, and they were a very devout lot. They moved into the region to escape religious oppression back home. When they moved to the Tshwane area, they encountered the Zulu people. They waged war against one another, with the Zulu having superior numbers and superior knowledge of the land, but with the Voortrekkers having superiors weapons. Finally, they decided to sign a peace accord. They wrote it in Dutch and had translators tell the terms to the Zulu. All of the heads of the Voortrekkers went to the Zulu camp to present this treaty. The Zulu chief pointed at the group and said that they were sorcerors, and they were immediately killed by the Zulu tribe. This prompted the "Bloody Battle". Before the battle, the Voortrekkers prayed to their God and said that if they won, they would build a monument and pray to their God every day at that monument. They did win the war, so they built a small monument which was then expanded upon in 1936. It became a symbol for white domination and black oppression. Thus, in 1994, "Freedom Park" was built on the top of the nieghboring mountain, as a symbol for the end of the aparteid. So freedom and oppression now face each other over a small valley.
And now I am resting.
I was momentarily confused. "....no.....," I replied.
"Well, I must take you before you go! I'm going out there on Wednesday - make sure to bring walking shoes and a hat. Do you have a hat?"
I was still confused. "....no......."
He got up and fetched one of his own Indiana Jones style field hats and handed it to me. He told me that he thought I could go to Sterkfontein first while he had an appointment, and then he'd take me to Swartkrans and Kromdraai. It was at that point when I realized he meant SITES not SIGHTS, and I was off to see the main attractions in South Africa's "cradle of humanity", a series of paleontological sites.
First up was a museum complex called Marupeng which is supposed to be about the journey from the formation of the earth through all of human evolution. Incongruously, the building is shaped like a tradition European burial mound, a decision that DOOM said he strenuously objected to. The museum opens with an odd little segment about the diversity of people in the world, before seguing into a strange boat ride through the four elements. Unfortunately, the boats are meant to work on inertia and with only me in the boat... I got stuck. There are no cameras and no walkways (this is Africa, after all), so I stood up and sort of rocked back and forth through the narrow opening until my seaworthy little craft eked through. The museum had reasonable information, but I thought it was a bit difficult to navigate as there was no set path through the exhibit.
odd entrance to Marupeng Museum
Then it was off to Sterkfontein, where I took the guided tour of the caves and excavations. It was quite interesting, though the last five minutes were bit harrowing - lots of steep, narrow passages. I knew there was a reason I didn't want to go cave exploring. A small child was on the tour with us and went running through these passages, shouting, "These aren't so small!" I wanted to shout back, "If you were four feet taller, YOU'D BE SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE."
Cave Formations
an entrance to the cave
After this was a 1 km hike to Swartkrans. Part of the 1 km hike required the fording of a small stream. A small muddy stream. So what was the first thing I did? Set my foot in about an inch of mud. In trying to pull it out, it slipped out from under me. Luckily the PUDDLE OF MUD broke my fall. My entire left side, from my ankle to just above my knee was coated in a nice layer of mud. But there was nothing to do but wait for it to dry and carefully flake it off.
The evil roaring river of death!!!!! Okay, so it was like a three inch puddle. You got a problem with that?
The last site I saw was Kromdraai, where they recently had a break in. A bunch of equipment was stolen, and then the theives felt the need to absolutely trash the place. Tables turned over, boxes full of breccia over turned, the tops of stools ripped off and thrown around. DOOM said it lookes like King Tut's tomb. It's unfortunate that thieves feel the need to be vandals as well. It's easier to replace the stuff without having to worry about cleaning out all of your carefully catalogued belongings and sending them to the rubbish pile.
On the way back, I saw a huge eyesore of a building up atop a gigantic hill. I asked DOOM what that was, and he said it was the Voortrekker monument.
The story that he told me about it was this:
The original colonists were the Voortrekkers, and they were a very devout lot. They moved into the region to escape religious oppression back home. When they moved to the Tshwane area, they encountered the Zulu people. They waged war against one another, with the Zulu having superior numbers and superior knowledge of the land, but with the Voortrekkers having superiors weapons. Finally, they decided to sign a peace accord. They wrote it in Dutch and had translators tell the terms to the Zulu. All of the heads of the Voortrekkers went to the Zulu camp to present this treaty. The Zulu chief pointed at the group and said that they were sorcerors, and they were immediately killed by the Zulu tribe. This prompted the "Bloody Battle". Before the battle, the Voortrekkers prayed to their God and said that if they won, they would build a monument and pray to their God every day at that monument. They did win the war, so they built a small monument which was then expanded upon in 1936. It became a symbol for white domination and black oppression. Thus, in 1994, "Freedom Park" was built on the top of the nieghboring mountain, as a symbol for the end of the aparteid. So freedom and oppression now face each other over a small valley.
And now I am resting.
Yesterday
My data collection here is finished. Yes, that's right, finished. I finished WAAAAY early. Thus, I have turned my attention to seeing what there is to see in Pretoria.
Turns out, there's not a whole hell of a lot to see.
Today, I slept in, and did some laundry and grocery shopping. Those domestic tasks out of the way, I decided to see what was upstairs in the Transvaal Museum. I've been sitting downstairs for five days now, checking my email and collecting data. I figured it was time to see the upstairs.
The museum actually has a very nice bird exhibit - nicer than the one in New York Cit-ay. They have a fossil of a nine-foot tall subfossil Malagasy bird. It would have been heavier than a gorilla. Its pelvis reached about my neck. Fossils are cool!
In addition, there was an extraordinary exhibit on the evolution of humans, with displays formulated in the sixties and seventies. Some of them were too precious not to photograph - and I present those to you here:
The death of SK 54. It's a fossil skull cap with two sabre-tooth cat bit marks in it. Here, they have taken a leopard and stuck big fangs on it for this beautiful recreation.
A. africanus greets the dawn by stretching an yawning in his fully bipedal posture.
And finally, my favorite! The "proto-humans" (A. africanus, who are CLEARLY directly in the line to modern humans ::snort::) sit wearing clothes, basking in the warmth of a roaring fire, while the EVIL P. robustus (extinct side-branch of the human lineage) come racing over the hillside in all of their savagery to SMITE the proto-humans.
After that, I finalized my plans for today and went to Church Square, which is sort of Pretoria City Center. It has a lot of the old, colonial building still intact. Kind of cool.
Turns out, there's not a whole hell of a lot to see.
Today, I slept in, and did some laundry and grocery shopping. Those domestic tasks out of the way, I decided to see what was upstairs in the Transvaal Museum. I've been sitting downstairs for five days now, checking my email and collecting data. I figured it was time to see the upstairs.
The museum actually has a very nice bird exhibit - nicer than the one in New York Cit-ay. They have a fossil of a nine-foot tall subfossil Malagasy bird. It would have been heavier than a gorilla. Its pelvis reached about my neck. Fossils are cool!
In addition, there was an extraordinary exhibit on the evolution of humans, with displays formulated in the sixties and seventies. Some of them were too precious not to photograph - and I present those to you here:
The death of SK 54. It's a fossil skull cap with two sabre-tooth cat bit marks in it. Here, they have taken a leopard and stuck big fangs on it for this beautiful recreation.
A. africanus greets the dawn by stretching an yawning in his fully bipedal posture.
And finally, my favorite! The "proto-humans" (A. africanus, who are CLEARLY directly in the line to modern humans ::snort::) sit wearing clothes, basking in the warmth of a roaring fire, while the EVIL P. robustus (extinct side-branch of the human lineage) come racing over the hillside in all of their savagery to SMITE the proto-humans.
After that, I finalized my plans for today and went to Church Square, which is sort of Pretoria City Center. It has a lot of the old, colonial building still intact. Kind of cool.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
24 Hours In Hell
24 Hours In Hell
7:00am: Wake up. Shower. Dress.
7:45am: Try to hail a cab.
7:50am: Still trying.
8:00am: Still trying.
8:07am: Get in a gypsy cab. Pay $35.00 to go to LaGuardia from the Upper East Side. Plus $5.00 in tolls.
8:50am: Check in to for my flight to Washington, DC. The clerk checks my passport, and gives me boarding passes for both legs of my flight. I try and change my seat for the long leg but am told I must wait until I get to Washington DC as it's technically a flight on a different airline.
9:50am: Board airplane and sit on runway.
10:00am: Still sitting.
10:10am.: Still sitting.
10:35am: Take off! Yesss! I am on my way to Africa, I think. God laughs at me and thinks back, Oh, but I have other plans for her.
11:37am: Arrive in Dulles airport and begin to kill time before my connecting flight to South Africa.
3:00pm: Desk attendant finally arrives at my gate. I queue up to try and change my seat.
3:15pm: Get on express train to Hell.
I hand my boarding pass to the gate attendant. "Is this a window or an aisle?" I ask.
"Aisle," he replies surlyly.
"I was wondering if there is exit row seating," I query.
"Full flight," he replies surlyly. Then he looks at my boarding pass again. "Give me your passport."
Puzzled, I hand it to him. He flips through it, intently looking at every page. Then he says, "You can't get on this flight." He draws an evil black "x" through my boarding pass.
I grasp futily at my desecrated boarding pass. "WHY?"
"You have to have an empty page in your passport for the stamp."
I pick up my much maligned passport and point to some open quadrant. "Look, there is space for a stamp! And there! I have space!"
"No, you need an full page free in your passport to enter the country." He scrawls a number down on a piece of paper. "You'll have to go the passport office to get additionally pages in your passport."
"Where is it?"
"Downtown Washington, DC. We'll rebook you on the flight tomorrow. Next!"
"Wait, can I get my luggage?"
"Maybe, but it will take several hours. Best we just hold it. Next!"
3:25pm: Begin to cry.
3:27: Get a hold of myself and realize that of all cities this could possibly happen in, Washington DC is the best as I know people who live in the city and do not have to wait several days to get passport crap taken care of. Curse the attendant who checked me in at LaGuardia for not telling me this when I could have taken care of it in the morning and possibly gotten a later flight to washington and therefore still made my 5:20pm flight to South Africa. Curse the universe for selecting a dissertation that requires me to travel to Africa on a regular basis.
3:30: Call C. She works near the airport. We deicide that she will drive over to drop off the keys to her apartment. I can then take a taxi and hang out at her apartment for a little while while she finishes up at work.
3:35: Call passport agency. Make a morning appointment.
3:45: C. arrives. I walk outside and realize that while my clothing is appropriate for South Africa January, it is not appropriate for Washington DC January. Resist the urge to cry and/or scream. Get keys.
3:50: Get in taxi.
4:25: Taxi takes a wrong turn and must use GPS system to try and figure out where he is in relation to where I need to go.
4:35: Arrive at apartment. Start writing a journal entry. Realize that it's too soon to really see the humor in the situation, and decide to call boyfriend to complain instead.
7:00pm: Get food at Cafe Asia with friends from college. Eat Pad Thai. Tummy is happy. Thanks NSF!
9:00pm: Go to Tar-jay. Purchase: toothbrush, underwear, socks, deodorant, and a long sleeve shirt. Feel no compunction about charging this to my grant.
9:45pm: Get coffee with friends at Cosi. Realize once more it is not the same as Xandos. Mourn briefly.
11:00pm: Sleep
6:45am: Wake up. Shower. Dress.
7:30am: Get ride to metro. Purchase ticket. Wait.
7:50am: Still waiting.
8:10am: Arrive at passport office. Go through security. Wait in line at the appointment counter with the other 50 people that have 8:00am appointments.
8:30am: Speak to teller. Fill out paperwork. The teller asks for my itenerary. I give it to her. She looks at the dates. "This says you were supposed to leave yesterday," she says. The salt stings my wound. Am given a number and told to wait until my number is called.
8:40am: Waiting.
8:50am: Waiting. Give brief thanks that at least I have plenty of reading material with me.
9:00am: Speak to teller number #2. Am told I will have to pay $60.00 to the US government for the priveledge of having 24 extra pages glued into my passport. Thanks NSF! Am told that it will take approximately 3 hours for said gluing to occur, and I should show up at 12:15pm for pick up.
9:15: Go to corner bakery. Have large chocolate muffin and giant cup of coffee. Write this entry. Let the waiting begin.
7:00am: Wake up. Shower. Dress.
7:45am: Try to hail a cab.
7:50am: Still trying.
8:00am: Still trying.
8:07am: Get in a gypsy cab. Pay $35.00 to go to LaGuardia from the Upper East Side. Plus $5.00 in tolls.
8:50am: Check in to for my flight to Washington, DC. The clerk checks my passport, and gives me boarding passes for both legs of my flight. I try and change my seat for the long leg but am told I must wait until I get to Washington DC as it's technically a flight on a different airline.
9:50am: Board airplane and sit on runway.
10:00am: Still sitting.
10:10am.: Still sitting.
10:35am: Take off! Yesss! I am on my way to Africa, I think. God laughs at me and thinks back, Oh, but I have other plans for her.
11:37am: Arrive in Dulles airport and begin to kill time before my connecting flight to South Africa.
3:00pm: Desk attendant finally arrives at my gate. I queue up to try and change my seat.
3:15pm: Get on express train to Hell.
I hand my boarding pass to the gate attendant. "Is this a window or an aisle?" I ask.
"Aisle," he replies surlyly.
"I was wondering if there is exit row seating," I query.
"Full flight," he replies surlyly. Then he looks at my boarding pass again. "Give me your passport."
Puzzled, I hand it to him. He flips through it, intently looking at every page. Then he says, "You can't get on this flight." He draws an evil black "x" through my boarding pass.
I grasp futily at my desecrated boarding pass. "WHY?"
"You have to have an empty page in your passport for the stamp."
I pick up my much maligned passport and point to some open quadrant. "Look, there is space for a stamp! And there! I have space!"
"No, you need an full page free in your passport to enter the country." He scrawls a number down on a piece of paper. "You'll have to go the passport office to get additionally pages in your passport."
"Where is it?"
"Downtown Washington, DC. We'll rebook you on the flight tomorrow. Next!"
"Wait, can I get my luggage?"
"Maybe, but it will take several hours. Best we just hold it. Next!"
3:25pm: Begin to cry.
3:27: Get a hold of myself and realize that of all cities this could possibly happen in, Washington DC is the best as I know people who live in the city and do not have to wait several days to get passport crap taken care of. Curse the attendant who checked me in at LaGuardia for not telling me this when I could have taken care of it in the morning and possibly gotten a later flight to washington and therefore still made my 5:20pm flight to South Africa. Curse the universe for selecting a dissertation that requires me to travel to Africa on a regular basis.
3:30: Call C. She works near the airport. We deicide that she will drive over to drop off the keys to her apartment. I can then take a taxi and hang out at her apartment for a little while while she finishes up at work.
3:35: Call passport agency. Make a morning appointment.
3:45: C. arrives. I walk outside and realize that while my clothing is appropriate for South Africa January, it is not appropriate for Washington DC January. Resist the urge to cry and/or scream. Get keys.
3:50: Get in taxi.
4:25: Taxi takes a wrong turn and must use GPS system to try and figure out where he is in relation to where I need to go.
4:35: Arrive at apartment. Start writing a journal entry. Realize that it's too soon to really see the humor in the situation, and decide to call boyfriend to complain instead.
7:00pm: Get food at Cafe Asia with friends from college. Eat Pad Thai. Tummy is happy. Thanks NSF!
9:00pm: Go to Tar-jay. Purchase: toothbrush, underwear, socks, deodorant, and a long sleeve shirt. Feel no compunction about charging this to my grant.
9:45pm: Get coffee with friends at Cosi. Realize once more it is not the same as Xandos. Mourn briefly.
11:00pm: Sleep
6:45am: Wake up. Shower. Dress.
7:30am: Get ride to metro. Purchase ticket. Wait.
7:50am: Still waiting.
8:10am: Arrive at passport office. Go through security. Wait in line at the appointment counter with the other 50 people that have 8:00am appointments.
8:30am: Speak to teller. Fill out paperwork. The teller asks for my itenerary. I give it to her. She looks at the dates. "This says you were supposed to leave yesterday," she says. The salt stings my wound. Am given a number and told to wait until my number is called.
8:40am: Waiting.
8:50am: Waiting. Give brief thanks that at least I have plenty of reading material with me.
9:00am: Speak to teller number #2. Am told I will have to pay $60.00 to the US government for the priveledge of having 24 extra pages glued into my passport. Thanks NSF! Am told that it will take approximately 3 hours for said gluing to occur, and I should show up at 12:15pm for pick up.
9:15: Go to corner bakery. Have large chocolate muffin and giant cup of coffee. Write this entry. Let the waiting begin.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Swahili is fun!
Here are a few fun swahili words I found while in Africa:
Dakwakusutha: one who gets rude when he's full of drink
Songololo: centipede, or "the slow one"
Gilingwe: one who swallows up leopards, or "the fearless one"
Gobandlovu: one who bends elephants, or "the strong one"
Mabhongendlini: one who bellows like a bull in the house
Magwazephinda: one who is not satisfied with just a single achievement
Nhlekabayeni: one who laughs at a bride groom's party, or "one who laughs at anything
Dakwakusutha: one who gets rude when he's full of drink
Songololo: centipede, or "the slow one"
Gilingwe: one who swallows up leopards, or "the fearless one"
Gobandlovu: one who bends elephants, or "the strong one"
Mabhongendlini: one who bellows like a bull in the house
Magwazephinda: one who is not satisfied with just a single achievement
Nhlekabayeni: one who laughs at a bride groom's party, or "one who laughs at anything
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Home
Yes, I am home.
Yes, I am teaching again.
Gem from today:
STUDENT: looking at a rough schematic graph on my powerpoint If you weren't here to explain that, I wouldn't understand it.
ME: Well, that's what I'm here for. Do you have any questions?
STUDENT: Fine, but when I look back at my notes, how am I supposed to understand this graph?
I have nothing more to say. Welcome back, SS!
Yes, I am teaching again.
Gem from today:
STUDENT: looking at a rough schematic graph on my powerpoint If you weren't here to explain that, I wouldn't understand it.
ME: Well, that's what I'm here for. Do you have any questions?
STUDENT: Fine, but when I look back at my notes, how am I supposed to understand this graph?
I have nothing more to say. Welcome back, SS!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Happy Ethiopian New Year
So, there was nowhere in Addis except for the really expensive Sheraton Hotel that had fast enough internet to get into Blogger. Well, apparently except for the airport, which is where I am typing this missive. Internet cafes in airports = BEST IDEA EVER.
Without further ado, I give you Even More Things I've Learned in Ethiopia.
1. Taxis are really, really scary.
Did I mention that the seatbelts don't work in most, if not all of them? Ther was a tense moment in a traffic circle the other day where I thought I was going head first into the windshield.
2. It's 1999!
According to the Ethiopian calendar, that is. And let me tell you, they partied like it's 1999. I was awoken at midnight from a deep slumber by fireworks so powerful, my floor seemed to be shaking. Also, fyi, it's a bad day to be a small ungulate generally raised for consumption. Yesterday, there were little tiny herds of the woolly critters roaming all over the place. Today? There are piles of skins. But I got a really cute leather purse the other day! Cheap, too.
3. Dan Brown is part of the evil empire.
By the evil empire, I am referring to particular American goods/stores/music/etc. that end up all over the world. I ran out of books to read the other night, so I went in search of an English language bookstore. I was not in luck. This is perhaps because, unlike Kenya and Dar es Salaam, English is not one of Ethiopia's national languages. This means that my only options were the books available in the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. Let me tell you, the selection was grim. Both hotels must be supplied by the same book supplier, because they had almost identical titles. There were a wide variety of NGO/International Development books and academic journals. (Many of the NGO folk stay at the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. Now, WHY people in international development non-profit work would stay in the two most expensive hotels in Addis - $170/night and $230/night respectively, obscene prices for Africa - is a rant for another entry. Let's just say it makes me think twice before donating.) There were also copies of books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and He's Just Not That Into You. Obviously, there were the requiste Africa picture books for toting home as a souvenir. But the novel department was slim pickings. They had ever book that Dan Brown has ever written, and one battered copy of Black Beauty.
It's true, I bought Digital Fortress. It was not good, but better than nothing.
4. Addis is cold.
Especially when you've come from Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. Or both. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
5. Even when you think permits have gone well, they haven't.
I have a crazy day of flying today, because i had to prolong my stay here. Why? Last Friday, I was told that my permits were all in order, everything was hunky-dory, heck, you can even work on the weekends! I was happy. I booked a ticket to Nairobi for Friday (two days ago), I book my ticket home for Monday (today) and went blithely on my merry way.
On Wednesday, I was informed that I needed an extra special letter. Why this could have been mentioned on FRIDAY is beyond me. So, I scrambled, and changed my ticket back to Nairobi. That was free. But to change my ticket HOME would be another $200 that I don't really want to pay. Therefore, I've opted for a crazy travel day. Unfotunately, there are some things that I wanted to take care of in Nairobi, but I'm not going to have the chance to do that. I might talk to the KLM people once I get to Nairobi and see about changing my flight to tomorrow so I can do things properly.
I WOULD just come back through Nairobi in January when I have to go to South Africa, but those jerks only gave me a three month permit instead of a 3 YEAR permit. If I can figure out how to get that extended, I might try and do that. Then I could take a trip to Lamu. :)
Without further ado, I give you Even More Things I've Learned in Ethiopia.
1. Taxis are really, really scary.
Did I mention that the seatbelts don't work in most, if not all of them? Ther was a tense moment in a traffic circle the other day where I thought I was going head first into the windshield.
2. It's 1999!
According to the Ethiopian calendar, that is. And let me tell you, they partied like it's 1999. I was awoken at midnight from a deep slumber by fireworks so powerful, my floor seemed to be shaking. Also, fyi, it's a bad day to be a small ungulate generally raised for consumption. Yesterday, there were little tiny herds of the woolly critters roaming all over the place. Today? There are piles of skins. But I got a really cute leather purse the other day! Cheap, too.
3. Dan Brown is part of the evil empire.
By the evil empire, I am referring to particular American goods/stores/music/etc. that end up all over the world. I ran out of books to read the other night, so I went in search of an English language bookstore. I was not in luck. This is perhaps because, unlike Kenya and Dar es Salaam, English is not one of Ethiopia's national languages. This means that my only options were the books available in the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. Let me tell you, the selection was grim. Both hotels must be supplied by the same book supplier, because they had almost identical titles. There were a wide variety of NGO/International Development books and academic journals. (Many of the NGO folk stay at the Hilton and Sheraton hotels. Now, WHY people in international development non-profit work would stay in the two most expensive hotels in Addis - $170/night and $230/night respectively, obscene prices for Africa - is a rant for another entry. Let's just say it makes me think twice before donating.) There were also copies of books like Rich Dad, Poor Dad and He's Just Not That Into You. Obviously, there were the requiste Africa picture books for toting home as a souvenir. But the novel department was slim pickings. They had ever book that Dan Brown has ever written, and one battered copy of Black Beauty.
It's true, I bought Digital Fortress. It was not good, but better than nothing.
4. Addis is cold.
Especially when you've come from Nairobi or Dar es Salaam. Or both. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
5. Even when you think permits have gone well, they haven't.
I have a crazy day of flying today, because i had to prolong my stay here. Why? Last Friday, I was told that my permits were all in order, everything was hunky-dory, heck, you can even work on the weekends! I was happy. I booked a ticket to Nairobi for Friday (two days ago), I book my ticket home for Monday (today) and went blithely on my merry way.
On Wednesday, I was informed that I needed an extra special letter. Why this could have been mentioned on FRIDAY is beyond me. So, I scrambled, and changed my ticket back to Nairobi. That was free. But to change my ticket HOME would be another $200 that I don't really want to pay. Therefore, I've opted for a crazy travel day. Unfotunately, there are some things that I wanted to take care of in Nairobi, but I'm not going to have the chance to do that. I might talk to the KLM people once I get to Nairobi and see about changing my flight to tomorrow so I can do things properly.
I WOULD just come back through Nairobi in January when I have to go to South Africa, but those jerks only gave me a three month permit instead of a 3 YEAR permit. If I can figure out how to get that extended, I might try and do that. Then I could take a trip to Lamu. :)
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Addis II
I'm feeling much better today than I have for the past couple of days. I braved leaving the DND label off of my door today, and I am hoping my sheets are not clammy and wet when I get back. I managed by buy some socks today as well, so that's good news.
I have learned a few things about Addis in the short time I have been here. I am going to enumerate them for in list format because I am lazy and this is easy.
1. Taxis are terrifying.
There are a number of reasons why this is true. First of all, I have yet to ride in a taxi that was manufactured before, oh, 1980. Some of these cars are still in ... reasonable repair. Others - I would wager the vast majority - are in really awful repair. One taxi driver had to fill his gas tank through the trunk. In another, all of the springs on one side of the front seat were sprung, so I had to sit wedged in a sort of lopsided manner. However, the one I rode in today was the worst. The passenger door didn't close quite all the way, and the car would sputter and die every time the driver had to shift into first gear. Our maximum velocity couldn't have been much more than 35 mph. I saw a child pushing a small handcart pass us on the road.
The other reason they are terrifying is because lane lines seem to be mere guidelines to be followed at the whim of the driver. My driver from the airport drove me thirty minute to my hotel, straddling the line between lanes. They weave with no apparent purpose - it's not to pass anyone, that's for sure. It's like they are impressionist painters and the road is their canvas.
2. Animals roam the streets.
One of the first things that struck me about Addis is that is seems much more "advanced" than Dar es Salaam. There are major roads with fresh, smooth tar laid across them. These roads even have multiple lanes (see #1) and have the semblance of highways as I conceive of them. Somewhat incongruously, it is not uncommon to run across someone herding a small flock of what I thought were goats. (One of my taxi drivers said they were sheep, but they look very goat-like to me. Regardless, they are definitely small ungulates generally raised for consumption.) These ungulates go tripping across the pavement, their little hooves making small clicking sounds, bleating as they walk.
3. Gasping is perfectly appropriate.
I think it must be something having to do with speaking Ahmraic and learning English, but many people here puncuate their english speech with little gasps. I've never noticed it in people speaking other languages, but in English multiple people have done this. It's used in the same way I would use the word "um", but it's vaguely disconcerting when you think you're having a pleasant conversation with someone.
I have learned a few things about Addis in the short time I have been here. I am going to enumerate them for in list format because I am lazy and this is easy.
1. Taxis are terrifying.
There are a number of reasons why this is true. First of all, I have yet to ride in a taxi that was manufactured before, oh, 1980. Some of these cars are still in ... reasonable repair. Others - I would wager the vast majority - are in really awful repair. One taxi driver had to fill his gas tank through the trunk. In another, all of the springs on one side of the front seat were sprung, so I had to sit wedged in a sort of lopsided manner. However, the one I rode in today was the worst. The passenger door didn't close quite all the way, and the car would sputter and die every time the driver had to shift into first gear. Our maximum velocity couldn't have been much more than 35 mph. I saw a child pushing a small handcart pass us on the road.
The other reason they are terrifying is because lane lines seem to be mere guidelines to be followed at the whim of the driver. My driver from the airport drove me thirty minute to my hotel, straddling the line between lanes. They weave with no apparent purpose - it's not to pass anyone, that's for sure. It's like they are impressionist painters and the road is their canvas.
2. Animals roam the streets.
One of the first things that struck me about Addis is that is seems much more "advanced" than Dar es Salaam. There are major roads with fresh, smooth tar laid across them. These roads even have multiple lanes (see #1) and have the semblance of highways as I conceive of them. Somewhat incongruously, it is not uncommon to run across someone herding a small flock of what I thought were goats. (One of my taxi drivers said they were sheep, but they look very goat-like to me. Regardless, they are definitely small ungulates generally raised for consumption.) These ungulates go tripping across the pavement, their little hooves making small clicking sounds, bleating as they walk.
3. Gasping is perfectly appropriate.
I think it must be something having to do with speaking Ahmraic and learning English, but many people here puncuate their english speech with little gasps. I've never noticed it in people speaking other languages, but in English multiple people have done this. It's used in the same way I would use the word "um", but it's vaguely disconcerting when you think you're having a pleasant conversation with someone.
Addis Ababa
(written: 8/31/06)
A few days ago, I was sitting in the Ethiopian Airlines office, making my travel booking for plane travel between Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa. I wanted to leave as soon as possible - I tried for the 30th, but there were no seats available. The first economy class seats weren't available until September 7th. I had already been to Kenya Airways, and flying from Dar to Addis would require an overnight layover in Nairobi, which I also wasn't so keen on. I left Ethiopian Airlines sad, and defeated, and was going to go back to Kenya Airways and book the overnight flight.
But, I was right across from the Royal Palm Hotel, and I thought I might stop there and pick up some postcards. On my way to the gift shop, I spied with my little eye Rickshaw Travels. I figured I would go ahead and give it a try. Sadly, they told me the same thing that Ethiopian Air told me - the soonest I could get an economy ticket without an overnight in Nairobit was September 7th.
HOWEVER.
There was one (1) business class ticket available for August 31st. The price of the business class ticket was just over my projected price for the ticket AND the difference in the two prices was only $100.00. It would cost more than US $100 to sit in Dar for week, and I would lose time. Thus justifying the expense to myself (and hopefully my granting organization), I purchased the business class ticket.
Upon check-in today, I discovered that my seat was 1C. Now, I don't know if it's that the plane simply doesn't have a first class section, or if they accidently put me in first class, or what, but all I knows is that I have now been giving all of the perks that any international first class traveller gets.
What kind of perks, you might ask?
1) I didn't have to wait in line to check in. I just stepped into the "Cloud Nine" line and checked in.
2) overweight baggage? No problems, no fees. Everything just checked right through.
3) I could sit in front of the duty free shop with the unwashed masses. But, thanks to my "Tanzanite Lounge Pass", I get to sit in the special first class lounge. I've always sort of wondered what it was like in there, and now I can tell you that it's just this side of paradise. There are free food and drinks to be had, big comfy leather chairs to sink into, bathrooms where you aren't afraid to sit on the toilet, free newspapers and magazine, and it's all topped off by big screen television. I could even indulge in some free cocktails, should I so choose. Not bad, I tell you. Not. bad.
4) Air conditioning. And it's very very hot and humid today. I feel sorry for the poor slobs upstairs who have to travel with their own money as opposed to that of the US Government and very rich private foundations.
Note to self: become faithful to a single airline so that I can qualify for all of the perks of super-duper frequent fliers.
* * * * * * *
(written: 9/2/06)
While I was on the plane, I took advantage of their free literature. They had copies of Time and Newsweek for their first class passengers to peruse. Never one to turn down free reading material, I took one of each. I noted that the cover story of Newsweek was about the growing number of couples around that world that are making the decision to remain childless. I figured it would be a good article, so I flipped directly to page 50 and began reading.
As opposed to presenting a nice, well-presented article about the changing role of women in the family unit (greater education, unwillingness to give up a role in the workplace), the rise in the expense of having children (feeding, clothing, and educating them), the possible benefits to having a society that is operating as less than replacement (less crowding, more jobs, less strain on the environment), the article focused on ways to entice people to have more children. The article discussed possible tax incentives for families with three or more children, tax penalties on those households with no children, and the like. The article took a stand that it is absolutely necessary for us to keep having many children, without presenting any empirical evidence to support that, other than the idea that with fewer children, there will be fewer working adults paying into social security.
Disappointing. Very disappointing.
In other news, Ethiopia is rainy and cold. Very rainy, and very cold. I wish I had socks, closed toes shoes, and a heavier jacket. There is not a lot to do here, and my digestive system has been rebelling against me so I have elected to spend this Saturday inside, playing solitaire, reading my book and watching television. Permits proved to be ridicuilously easy and no one gave me any trouble, so I start work on Monday. Hopefully I'll be finished by Friday and back in Nairobi on Saturday.
A few days ago, I was sitting in the Ethiopian Airlines office, making my travel booking for plane travel between Dar es Salaam and Addis Ababa. I wanted to leave as soon as possible - I tried for the 30th, but there were no seats available. The first economy class seats weren't available until September 7th. I had already been to Kenya Airways, and flying from Dar to Addis would require an overnight layover in Nairobi, which I also wasn't so keen on. I left Ethiopian Airlines sad, and defeated, and was going to go back to Kenya Airways and book the overnight flight.
But, I was right across from the Royal Palm Hotel, and I thought I might stop there and pick up some postcards. On my way to the gift shop, I spied with my little eye Rickshaw Travels. I figured I would go ahead and give it a try. Sadly, they told me the same thing that Ethiopian Air told me - the soonest I could get an economy ticket without an overnight in Nairobit was September 7th.
HOWEVER.
There was one (1) business class ticket available for August 31st. The price of the business class ticket was just over my projected price for the ticket AND the difference in the two prices was only $100.00. It would cost more than US $100 to sit in Dar for week, and I would lose time. Thus justifying the expense to myself (and hopefully my granting organization), I purchased the business class ticket.
Upon check-in today, I discovered that my seat was 1C. Now, I don't know if it's that the plane simply doesn't have a first class section, or if they accidently put me in first class, or what, but all I knows is that I have now been giving all of the perks that any international first class traveller gets.
What kind of perks, you might ask?
1) I didn't have to wait in line to check in. I just stepped into the "Cloud Nine" line and checked in.
2) overweight baggage? No problems, no fees. Everything just checked right through.
3) I could sit in front of the duty free shop with the unwashed masses. But, thanks to my "Tanzanite Lounge Pass", I get to sit in the special first class lounge. I've always sort of wondered what it was like in there, and now I can tell you that it's just this side of paradise. There are free food and drinks to be had, big comfy leather chairs to sink into, bathrooms where you aren't afraid to sit on the toilet, free newspapers and magazine, and it's all topped off by big screen television. I could even indulge in some free cocktails, should I so choose. Not bad, I tell you. Not. bad.
4) Air conditioning. And it's very very hot and humid today. I feel sorry for the poor slobs upstairs who have to travel with their own money as opposed to that of the US Government and very rich private foundations.
Note to self: become faithful to a single airline so that I can qualify for all of the perks of super-duper frequent fliers.
(written: 9/2/06)
While I was on the plane, I took advantage of their free literature. They had copies of Time and Newsweek for their first class passengers to peruse. Never one to turn down free reading material, I took one of each. I noted that the cover story of Newsweek was about the growing number of couples around that world that are making the decision to remain childless. I figured it would be a good article, so I flipped directly to page 50 and began reading.
As opposed to presenting a nice, well-presented article about the changing role of women in the family unit (greater education, unwillingness to give up a role in the workplace), the rise in the expense of having children (feeding, clothing, and educating them), the possible benefits to having a society that is operating as less than replacement (less crowding, more jobs, less strain on the environment), the article focused on ways to entice people to have more children. The article discussed possible tax incentives for families with three or more children, tax penalties on those households with no children, and the like. The article took a stand that it is absolutely necessary for us to keep having many children, without presenting any empirical evidence to support that, other than the idea that with fewer children, there will be fewer working adults paying into social security.
Disappointing. Very disappointing.
In other news, Ethiopia is rainy and cold. Very rainy, and very cold. I wish I had socks, closed toes shoes, and a heavier jacket. There is not a lot to do here, and my digestive system has been rebelling against me so I have elected to spend this Saturday inside, playing solitaire, reading my book and watching television. Permits proved to be ridicuilously easy and no one gave me any trouble, so I start work on Monday. Hopefully I'll be finished by Friday and back in Nairobi on Saturday.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Kariakoo
Some of you might recall from my post about a week ago that I left my hoodie in a taxi cab in Nairobi on the way to the airport because I was so distracted by controlling my nausea. Well, the lack of hoodie hasn't been a problem in Tanzania, but as I am heading to Ethiopian highlands, I thought I should remedy the jacket situation before I left.
I looked around some of the little stores near my hotel, but as anyone who has ever been to these places before can tell you, it's not like I can just walk into a GAP. Defeated, I asked the hotel front desk manager where I should go, and she gave me one. dreaded. word.
Kariakoo.
Kariakoo is a particular area of Dar es Salaam, but she was referring to Kariakoo Market, a place where sensible muzungus (remember your swahili, everyone!) fear to tread. Why should we fear to tread there? Well, it's not a typical tourist stop, so the appearance of one muzungu is cause for much comment - lots of being yelled at, including my favorite, "Hey whitey!" from those who think that being from elsewhere means you know absolutely no swahili words.
But, to Kariakoo I went. The last time I was there, I was in a large group, so it wasn't so bad. THis time, by myself, it was much worse. This was compounded by the fact that it is extremely difficult to get a jacket in a place that's about 5 degrees south of the equator. This was even more compounded by the fact hat I was specifically looking for western-style clothes. They aren't difficult to find in Dar es Salaam, per se, but it's hard to find things that are tasteful.
You know your stuff that you give to goodwill? A lot of it ends up here, and in other African cities where it is sold to people. This means that much of the western style clothing for sale has been given away for a reason. If I wanted a red and blue fuzzy button up jackt, I could have had that. If I wanted a jean jacket with faux fur around the neck and arm, I could have had that. I could have had a shiny brown trenchcoat if I wanted. There was even a shop full of ski jackets. But a simple hoodie? More difficult.
I finally found a place that sold a series of sportswear outfits. I picked out a tasteful Nike hoodie with blue accents. According to the tag, it is size XXXXL. I put it on, and I would estimate it's somewhere between a medium and a large. It's made in the phillipines, so maybe it is a 4x there, but it certainly SHOULDN"T be here. The zipper doesn't work so well, and they made me buy the pants that came with it (which are also marked 4X, but would likely be a tight fit on La Blonde Parisienne), but I had a hoodie once more.
Of course, by that point, I was also hopelessly lost. And, far be it for them t put anything as useful as SIGNS on STREETS! I finally found someone who know where I was going and was able to point me in the right direction ... only after I had someone point me in the wrong direction. I think this is karmic payback for the times I've accidently given people the wrong directions in New York.
But my mission was accomplished, and I can keep warm!
I looked around some of the little stores near my hotel, but as anyone who has ever been to these places before can tell you, it's not like I can just walk into a GAP. Defeated, I asked the hotel front desk manager where I should go, and she gave me one. dreaded. word.
Kariakoo.
Kariakoo is a particular area of Dar es Salaam, but she was referring to Kariakoo Market, a place where sensible muzungus (remember your swahili, everyone!) fear to tread. Why should we fear to tread there? Well, it's not a typical tourist stop, so the appearance of one muzungu is cause for much comment - lots of being yelled at, including my favorite, "Hey whitey!" from those who think that being from elsewhere means you know absolutely no swahili words.
But, to Kariakoo I went. The last time I was there, I was in a large group, so it wasn't so bad. THis time, by myself, it was much worse. This was compounded by the fact that it is extremely difficult to get a jacket in a place that's about 5 degrees south of the equator. This was even more compounded by the fact hat I was specifically looking for western-style clothes. They aren't difficult to find in Dar es Salaam, per se, but it's hard to find things that are tasteful.
You know your stuff that you give to goodwill? A lot of it ends up here, and in other African cities where it is sold to people. This means that much of the western style clothing for sale has been given away for a reason. If I wanted a red and blue fuzzy button up jackt, I could have had that. If I wanted a jean jacket with faux fur around the neck and arm, I could have had that. I could have had a shiny brown trenchcoat if I wanted. There was even a shop full of ski jackets. But a simple hoodie? More difficult.
I finally found a place that sold a series of sportswear outfits. I picked out a tasteful Nike hoodie with blue accents. According to the tag, it is size XXXXL. I put it on, and I would estimate it's somewhere between a medium and a large. It's made in the phillipines, so maybe it is a 4x there, but it certainly SHOULDN"T be here. The zipper doesn't work so well, and they made me buy the pants that came with it (which are also marked 4X, but would likely be a tight fit on La Blonde Parisienne), but I had a hoodie once more.
Of course, by that point, I was also hopelessly lost. And, far be it for them t put anything as useful as SIGNS on STREETS! I finally found someone who know where I was going and was able to point me in the right direction ... only after I had someone point me in the wrong direction. I think this is karmic payback for the times I've accidently given people the wrong directions in New York.
But my mission was accomplished, and I can keep warm!
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