A Bucket List of Sorts Part 1

As we started planning this upcoming Labor Day trip, I began to realize exactly how much of Kenya we still want to see.  It seems like every time Josh and I flip through our Rough Guides we come up with a new location that we "must see".  Now if you know us or have read this blog, you know we like to travel and take every opportunity to see as much of this country as we can manage.

In the past I have always put the list aside thinking "Oh we have plenty of time" but this time it hit me; We really don't.  With all the build up to the wedding (November 25th is less than 3 months away :), I forgot, more so probably just put it out of mind, that we are leaving this amazing place in less than a year.  Its really sad to think about how little time we have to explore and make memories here.  Kenya means so much to Josh and I.  Its where we met and started our lives together.  So here is our Kenyan bucket list (in no particular order); Hopefully we'll manage to cross off most of these before we leave next year.

Sites in Kenya

1. Samburu National Reserve-CHECK! Josh and I are excited to be heading there this weekend.   Samburu  is located northeast of Nairobi and is pretty hot and arid.  There is still lots of animals to be seen as it is home to large herds of elephants and leopards.   It is also well known for providing the opportunity to see wildlife that only lives in the dry north of Kenya. Hopefully we'll see a gerenuk - an odd yet distinguished gazelle with a long neck, which stands on its hind legs to feed, the Grevy zebra and the rare species of giraffe.

The gerenuk feeding

2. Turkana-Turkana isn't a national park per say but more of a region in northern Kenya.  The land is desert like with very little vegetation.  The main draw of the area is the people and culture, both of which are unique to the country.  Here tribes are still nomatic, herding their cattle great distances for food and water.  The difficulty in this trip is the remoteness of the place.  It takes about three days to travel here in car due to poor roads or no roads at all.  Flying in is pretty quick but costs a great deal.  Once there the remoteness becomes an asset.  We're hoping to make this trek with a larger group of people possibly sometime at the end of this year.

Traditional Turkana dress

3. Lamu-Lamu is the Swahilli stronghold of the northern coastline.  It has a strong Muslim influence and is rich in Swahilli culture.  Our friends say its as close as you can get to Zanzibar in Kenya and since we loved Zanzibar, we'd like to give Lamu a try.  The problem here is security.  Due to recent attacks on the southern coast the entire coastline is a bit politically unstable.  Instead of borrowing trouble we'll wait this one out before planning an ocean holiday!

Rooftops in Lamu

4. Meru National Park-Meru is one of the lesser visited parks in Kenya which gives it appeal to us.  We enjoy being the few animals on two legs and would rather avoid all the safari vans and photography crazy tourists.  Meru is just south of Samburu but is again a rather difficult trek to get to.  The roads in these regions are very poor and make what could be short trips into whole days.  Meru has similar wildlife as Samburu.  Its famous as the home of the lioness Elsa from Born Free.  Again we're not really sure when we'll get here.  Its on our list but unfortunately toward the bottom.

The Grevy's Zebra

5. Amboselli-Amboselli is the iconic Kenyan tourist brochure.  Its where you can get those shots of elephants in the foreground of Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Although tourist isn't our thing, we're making an exception for this.  Josh wants those shots and I just want to awe at the sight.  As for planning, our only rule is it has to be a good time of the year for the view of the mountain.  No mountain, no visit.

The money shot!

6. Mount Kenya-This one is mainly for me as Josh has already made the hike up Mount Kenya.  He went two years ago with a group of friends on New Years eve.  My desire to climb is mainly to be able to say I did it.  Sure we attempted Mt. Kilimanjaro but I didn't make it to the top.  Technically I got higher than Mt. Kenya but that's not enough.  Josh says he'd do it again so we'll see.

7. Paragliding-We discovered paragliding in Kenya last Labor day when we took an impromptu visit to the Kerio Valley.  Ever since that trip, we've talked about going back.  Its not for lack of trying that we have yet to cross this one off the list.  We've just never been able to link our schedules with those of the para-gliders.  In order for us to go, there has to be a paragliding team at the hotel that also has a tandem kite.  This hasn't happened a lot and when it has we haven't been able to go.  Crossing our fingers on this one!

The record setting tandem flight

8. Mount Longonot- Mt. Longonot is near Hell's Gate National Park and is a small volcano.  You can hike up the steep mountainside and then hike along its crater rim.  Both of us have been to Hell's Gate but neither to the volcano.

The crater

Matatus

Matatus are 14 seater passenger vans (which sometimes hold up to 25 people!) that provide the bulk of the public transportation here in Kenya.  I usually avoid these vans as safety is not really something that goes hand in hand with them but I do enjoy seeing the signage that adorns these rusting vehicles.

Along with TVs blaring the latest music video and strobe lights inside the vans, most have decals on their back and front windows.  These decals essentially act as a "name" for the rattling boxes of steel.  "Oh there goes X, again!"

Here are a few of my favorites:

Joe      I instantly thought, "Hey, Joe what do you know?"  Guess its not too unusual to name your car.

God's Answer    There's a lot of answers we can find in God's teachings but I'm pretty sure the fast speeds                              and crazy driving this van was doing is not one of them.

Its Holly  Who's Holly?  What does that even mean......

Sweet Melon I don't even know where to start here.  Since there's no melons in Kenya, there has to be some underlying message?

Virus! Yes there was an exclamation point and no I don't think I'd like to ride in this van.  What exactly would I come out with?  Influenza? Ebola?

Mama Fred  I really hope there isn't some poor soul out there that this van is named after but then again every other shop here tends to be named "Mama this" or "Mama that".

Live on the Road, Die on the Road  Although this is a reality for some matatu drivers it sad nevertheless.  It also kind of implies they have an idea of how bad they drive...kind of.

Swanky Rider Definitely would be my first choice.  Anyone else?

Holy Molly  Now I think they were going for holy moley but just had some issues with spelling.  This happens a lot.  Today I saw another matatu claiming it was "wonderul"

Gooner 4 Life  Who doesn't appreciate this reference?  The real question is do you think they really know what it means or just heard it and thought it sounded cool?

Strategic  This one just makes my head spin.  Strategic what?  Strategic swerving off of the road.  Strategic driving to not hit pedestrians.  Strategic ways of fitting a van in a space meant for a bicycle.

Looking forward to Labor Day

Josh and I really aren't planners.  Sometimes I pretend to be, but in general I'd much rather have someone else do it for me.  With the Labor Day holiday fast approaching, we decided it would be nice to head somewhere we haven't been yet.  Unlike many of our other trips, we were limited by lack of vehicle (Lucy, our car, is still in the shop) and really didn't have a concrete idea of where we wanted to go.

We did a little searching and made a short list of some of the parks we've been wanting to see.  With our time in Kenya now under a year, I feel a little urgency to start checking off items from our "Kenya must see list".  Meru...Amboselli...Samburu...

After numerous emails to tour companies, we've narrowed it down to Samburu.  Samburu National Reserve is one of the northern-most popular game reserves besides Turkana.  Its landscape is different than anything we've ever seen.  Its mainly arid but with rich wildlife along the banks of the river that flows through.

I'm mainly excited because of the animals that reside in the park.  I hate to say but after seeing hundreds of antelope, lions, elephants and giraffe in other parks, I'm not as excited when one of these come along.  In Samburu we have a high possibility of seeing something that we haven't before such as,  the olive baboon, gerenuk, Grevy's zebra, Beisa oryx and reticulated giraffe.

Overall I think its going to be a great trip and it'll be nice to get away and explore again.  Of course there's a million things to do before we leave but then again knowing us we'll probably do them all the night before and  I wouldn't have it any other way :)

The Workout Plan

Before heading back to the states, I was starting to just feel really "gross", for lack of a better word, about what I was eating and how I was feeling.  Kenyan food tends to be a little static and heavy on the complex carbs (rice, chapatis, ugali, etc).  Everyday I was feeling entirely too full and was just exhausted by crazy amounts of sugar my body must have been processing.  It was time for a change.

When we got back I decided to try to do an overhaul of what I eat.  I knew I couldn't cut out the Kenyan staples entirely (it just wouldn't be possible here) but I knew I had to reduce how much of them I ate.  In the past I've tried to do similar things and failed.  I'm just not good with cold turkey!  Thus I knew that I would have to do this process slowly so I could train myself to not want these things.

My new plan isn't really complicated.  The goal is just to make better choices for myself.  I'm cutting back my consumption of Coke and bringing water to lunch instead.  Sure I still have two or three a week but this is much better from my once a day habit.  Speaking of water, I'm increasing my intake and trying to consume 3 Liters a day.  This is about 1 liter more than what is recommended but I'm a big water drinker anyways and its pretty dry over here at the minute.  I've also asked our cook to remove as much Blue Band from his cooking as possible.  For those who don't know Blue Band is this margarine that is so processed that it can sit on the shelf without refrigeration.  Its filled with who knows what that's supposed to help growth and development.  Translate that to someone who isn't undernourished and that spells extra weight!  (I went off our cooks food for one week and lost 5lbs.  I'm convinced that it was due to the Blue Band)

Of course I'm doing the usual things such as increasing my intake of fruits and veggies.  I'm also starting a workout plan and am hoping that I'll be able to stick with it.  Working out here has always been a frustration and the recent increase in robberies in the area has made it even more difficult.  Basically I am confined to my house.  I've tried to improvise with using some workout DVDs I had on hand.  I also asked our gardener to make some kind of weights for me.  I loved his creativeness on this and he managed to craft this awesome hand set.

They're a little long but they do the job!

Its too early to tell if its working.  I do know that I already feel better about myself and have a little more energy.  The real test will be if I can stick with it.  The number on the scale really doesn't matter to me.  This is just something I want to do for my health long term.

An Engagement Ring

An engagement ring is usually the first thing folks ask to see when you announce you're engaged.  Girls "ohh" and "ahh" over it and guys slap each other on the back, "Good job, man!".  Ok maybe that's not exactly how it goes, but something to that extent.

Well we never had an engagement ring and let me state that not for a minute did I ever feel less engaged or resent the fact that we didn't have one.  Living in Kenya made both acquiring a diamond and wearing one a bit tricky and unpractical. So I got used to wearing one of my favorite rings on my left ring finger and we went about wedding planning knowing that at some point we would go get rings together (which was kind of exciting in and of itself :).

During our recent trip to the states we finally had the chance to check out some rings at a local jewelry store.  It was kind of a funny sight as neither of us knew the first thing about rings.  Princess cut, nearly colorless, matching sets...it was all foreign!  I've never been the girl who dreamed about the perfect ring.  I always assumed I wouldn't have much say in the matter as that's usually something the guy purchases on his own.

Nevertheless after a little browsing and some trying on I found a beautiful ring with a matching wedding band.  It was something I never thought I would like but then I got it on my finger and loved it.  Luckily Josh agreed :)  He was even nice enough to let me get the bigger one!

Next stop was the men's counter where Josh was able to look at a few bands for himself.  I thought this was the most interesting part of our shopping expedition because of the many options men have for rings now a days.  Of course there is the typical yellow gold and white gold plain bands but now there are bands out of cobalt and titanium.  Bands have diamonds and inset designs.  There was so many options!  Josh seemed to be more decisive in what he wanted and we were able to quickly find a band that he loved.

Although I had gone months without a ring, I instantly loved having it on my finger.  I think Josh did too as he made me take a lot of pictures of it. I even put off sizing it just to have to opportunity to wear it for a few days! But alas we were headed back home and that meant leaving it behind.

I'm still sporting my old ring and still feel just as engaged as ever.  I actually think its kind of neat to use this ring as a temporary one as it already held so much meaning to me.  My new one is pretty and I love it but this one will always be special too.

My beautiful ring

USA Trip

Josh and I just got back from a three week vacation to the good ole' USA and it definitely did not disappoint. I headed out first and managed to make it into Chicago without any major hiccups.  I had two really good flights and was able to grab some shut eye on both.  After quick trips through immigration and customs, I was out the door and headed back to Mendota.  

There was no rest for the weary as the next day I had already scheduled appoints with the hairdresser, dentist and eye doctor.  Seeing my lack of jet lag, my dad called about mid-day asking if I would be able to run a tractor.  I should have known he'd have me driving less than 24 hours after getting off the plane.  

The rest of the week was a flurry of wedding planning.  It was great to spend some time with my mom and do all the wedding things that I hadn't got to do yet.  Up till then, Josh and I had been booking things online and communicating with vendors through email.  It was great to actually meet these people and discuss our day in person.  We tasted cake, toured the venue and even got to pick out a wedding dress!

That weekend I went up to Chicago to visit with some of my best girl friends.  My maid of honor threw a bachelorette party and we had a blast hanging out in the city.  The day was amazing!  We started out with manicures and pedicures followed by a delicious lunch of tacos and margaritas.  Next we took a chartered boat ride down the Chicago River and spent some time just chatting and catching up.  After a quick nap and some freshening up we headed out to a great Italian place for dinner and then hit the town.  I can't say how much fun I had and how grateful I am to Arthi and everyone who came out for it.  

The next week continued to be a whirlwind of appointments and visits.  We checked out flowers as well as went shopping for my mom's outfit.  The nights were filled with fun too as I got to hang out with my aunts and catch up with all of the Stephenitch women at our famous "Taco Tuesdays".  (still can't figure out why the restaurant allows us to keep coming back) 

That weekend I headed up to Wisconsin to meet up with Josh and visit with his brother's family.  It was so nice to finally have a few minutes to relax and even better to spend that time with family.  It was especially nice to have Josh's sister and two nieces come down for the day.  I had a blast cooking dinner with them and catching up.  Our trip ended too soon as we headed back to my parents the following Monday.

Again our week was full of wedding planning and errands.  Josh and I met with the DJ, photographers, took engagement pics, ordered tuxes and bought rings.  It was an exciting but busy time.  I am so thankful to have a fiance who is willing and wants to help with wedding things.  It was such a relief to sit back and let him talk photography and sound with the vendors.  

The end of the week was spent celebrating the marriage of one of my best friends.  It was so exciting to be able to be there for her and Patrick and for them to meet Josh.  I loved getting to be a part of her big day!  

Our trip came to an end on Monday as we headed back to Kenya.  On one hand I was ready to head back but there is always some emotion leaving our family.  This trip I was looking forward to traveling the whole way with Josh.  We have never been able to successfully plan our flights around each other yet!  The plane rides were long and not the best.  Needless to say we're still recovering from a bit of jet lag.  

Overall it was an amazing trip!  We did a ton of wedding planning and got to see a lot of family and friends.  It was a much needed break from the daily grind over here and we're already excited for November.

Lazy Day

We just got back from the US and I am excited to fill everyone in on our travels and all the wedding plans we got done, but its been a long journey and its just one of those days where all you want to sleep.  Here's what's currently happening in the Bast household.

My boys are passed out after two long days of travel.