Time keeps marchin' on. . .

I can't believe it's almost May! But it's getting hotter by the day here and summer is just around the corner. I joined the camp Yacht club and may learn to sail - that is if I can get past the nausea (those who know me know what I mean). Last weekend I waded into the water for the first time this year thinking it would be too cold for swimming. For a minute I forgot where I was. In fact, the water was cool but pleasant. Perfect for the over 90 degree weather.

Some friends came to visit me and thoroughly approve of my decision to move (I'm not sure whether that has anything to do with the fact that I am now known as the "beach connection"). As soon as I get a proper place to live I plan to have everyone over for a big house warming party. Inshallah, that will be before the end of summer. . .

So, all in all, life, I'm happy to report, is good. . .

Movin' on. . .

Well, I've moved on to bigger and better things. . . Not! Just moved on. I have a new job and have moved to a different area of Saudi Arabia. It's smaller and has less conveniences, it's an hour away from all my friends and two hours from Bahrain - and by that I mean real booze. It's quiet, more family oriented and doesn't have much of a singles scene. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, why would she move someplace like that? Well, just take a look at this. . .

That's one of the major reasons for moving to Ras Tanura. The camp runs along the coast for several miles. We have a yacht club, waterfront homes and gorgeous beaches. You can have a cup of coffee on the upper deck of the cafe on the beach and gaze with wonder at the clear aqua sea, calm waters or giant oil tankers going by. Oil tankers! What!! That's right, I live in the shadow of the largest oil refinery in the world, a giant gas plant and a future Dow petrochemical plant. And let me tell you something, you can sure smell the difference at times. Along with your hot, steaming cup of java you get the fragrant smell of diesel fuel free of charge. Well that's what it smells like to me - though they tell me it's some kind of metho-carbo-hydro-something-or-other-ane.

No recent travels to report. I've been mostly occupied with moving and settling in. Still living in temporary housing - translation - living out of suitcases and boxes. I hope to take a break in the mid to late summer. But I start graduate school the beginning of June so the timing for vacation will be a little tricky. I need Internet access because grad school is entirely online. I probably won't go very far, maybe to India. I'm in the mood for a retreat, to be pampered and spa-ed up to within an inch of my life. Though Sri Lanka sounds good, too. . .

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

To those folks I don't see regularly but think of often - I miss you and wish you all a wonderful and joyful Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true in the coming year! Here's to 2008, cheers everyone!

Tara

East African Odyssey. . .

I am back from my East African adventure none the worse for wear, I think. A little dirtier perhaps and definitely exhausted. . . What ever possessed me to go on a two week camping trip through the wilds of Africa? What was I thinking and why didn't anybody say anything?

I have to say that the entire experience was unlike anything I had expected. While Kenya and Tanzania are two countries known for their safari industry they are still quite undeveloped. To say the roads in Kenya are bad is a gross understatement. It took us twelve hours of serious driving on roads that were better traveled off road than on to go a little over 500 km.

The first week we were in Kenya. There were only three of us on this safari. Surprisingly the company decided to continue the trip with only the three of us. We were spoiled that first week with good and plentiful food, our tents erected and broken down for us and our clothes washed if needed. We saw the big five in the first two days of our trip with a greater variety of animals than anywhere else we went.

We started the trip in Samburu National Reserve in northern Kenya about 350 km north of Nairobi (on mostly dirt roads). Here we saw animals only found in this area like Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and the oryx. But the most impressive thing we saw while in Samburu was the cheetah. We didn't realize until later how lucky we were to see two cheetah. It wouldn't be until near the end of our safari in Tanzania that we would see another one and that one was too far away to get a picture. Without a doubt seeing a cheetah was my favorite part of the entire trip. Especially the one that crossed the road directly in front of our safari vehicle (it's the one in the picture above)!

The parks we visited in Kenya were smaller and more intimate. Like Lake Nakuru, Kenya was by far superior to Lake Manyara in Tanzania for the flamingo viewing. We were able to get almost close enough to touch them in Nakuru but couldn't even approach the waters edge in Lake Manyara. I have to say that I preferred the Masai Mara to the Serengeti. Although we missed the million animal migration we still saw large herds of wildebeests and zebra in the Masai Mara but very few in the Serengeti. The Serengeti seemed too large to get good animal viewings in only 2 days of game drives (the distances needed for traveling to where the animals were are vast). Also, In Tanzania we picked up more people and our three person safari was suddenly increased to 13. The weather was against us in Tanzania as we got soaked in our tents one night during a downpour in Lake Manyara and pursued by avaricious mosquitoes.

It was hot, dusty and dirty but we had good times around the camp fire at night and great game drives. Finding a bathroom at times was difficult and the driving was atrocious. . . My least favorite part was the lack of shower facilities (cold or hot) and the poisonous spiders of Kenya (could have done without them). And sleeping on the ground for two weeks, not for me again. . . The next trip will be a luxury tent or lodge safari!!



It was an experience that I will remember forever. I would love to go back and see southern Africa next. . . Who knows, it could happen. . .



Here are some more pictures from my trip. . . It was hard to pick the best but these are some of the ones I liked most. . .

I have a home in Africa. . .

Well, not really. Not a permanent one anyway. Just a temporary abode for now. I landed in Nairobi today and have already seen giraffes. On the way to my hotel from the airport I looked over and spied some giraffes grazing. I was in the country for less than an hour and had already seen my first animals. . . Wow!!!

Now, I'm just getting settled in for the night then will do some exploring of the city tomorrow. My tour leaves on Monday and we head into the Kenyan safari lands - our first stop is Samburu National Reserve. They have rare Grevy's zebra there and I think tree climbing lions. . . I will let you know more about that later.

So, stay tuned for more of Tara's African Safari Adventure. . .