I woke up the morning of my first day in Tanzania at 6 a.m. with the sun streaming through the windows of my cabana.
I took a much needed shower, then headed to the center of the compound for a fabulous buffet breakfast consisting of Spanish omelet, mini plums/bananas, passion fruit juice, & some of the best brown bread I’ve ever tasted (seriously, this stuff was amazing!)
The common area buildings were all open-air with thatched roofs.
How about the hotel bar? Gotta love those pillows…
With several hours left until our departure, I decided to throw on my cheesy safari hat (soon to be a staple) and hike around the gardens. There were dozens of paths leading from cabana to cabana; a virtual maze of vegetation.
Amidst the cacti, were bougainvillea in full bloom…
I came upon several trees bursting with red blossoms and large dangling bean pods. These trees, called Royal Poinciana, are native to Madagascar (a hop, skip & a jump away from Tanzania). They are considered one of the most beautiful flowering trees in the world, and their reputation is well-deserved. Pictures don’t do them justice. They are also known as “Flamboyant” trees or “Christmas trees” in Tanzania since they only bloom during the holiday season each year.
While winding through the paths, I caught my first glimpse of the snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. Then, after returning to my cabana and packing up my bags, I walked out of my room to be greeted by this guy…
We were met at the hotel’s front door by John, the driver for Cross Cultural Solutions (my volunteer program) who would become our friend and companion for the next 3 1/2 weeks.
With all the van windows open and our hair blowing wildly in the wind…we made our way for the next hour to our home-base in Karanga. We passed fields of gaunt cows, Masaii leading them along diligently. Women carried large baskets on their heads, and were dressed in vivid, brightly-colored cloths.
As I viewed the passing landscape, I was filled with a familiar yet overwhelming sense of anticipation and excitement to be experiencing a completely different culture for the first time. Somehow, you get a sense that waking up on the other side of the world… things will never quite be the same.
Eventually, we turned off the paved highway onto a dirt road. Children waved from the street with bright smiles. We turned onto a side road next to a maize field and came to a stop at a large gate.
The driver honked and a security guard appeared to swing open the doors. We parked and stumbled out of the van. This was going to be our home for the next month.
As many of you know, I recently spent a month volunteering with Cross Cultural Solutions in Tanzania, Africa.
Although I know I can’t truly describe the experience in words, I thought I’d share some of the highlights of my trip with you.
So why travel to Africa? Several of my co-workers thought it was a strange way to spend the holidays, but honestly, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the season than being of service to those in need and experiencing a whole new culture at the same time.
With those thoughts in mind, I packed up my bags (with lots of DEET and sunscreen in tow), and hopped on a plane. I connected first through Amsterdam, then went on to Nairobi, Kenya and finally landed at Kilimanjaro Airport, Tanzania some 25 hours later. To say my internal clock was off, is a massive understatement. There is a 9 hour time difference between Kilimanjaro and Dallas, and after spending 25 hours on an airplane, I had a drunken stumble as I exited the plane and walked the tarmac towards the terminal. Local time was around 11 p.m.
Kili’s airport terminal boasts a single baggage belt and has wooden slat floors reminiscent of an old 30s movie or perhaps a Hemingway novel. I had a feeling I wouldn’t see my checked bag for a few days since baggage in Africa often gets mysteriously “lost”, but to my amazement, it was one of the first bags off of the belt!
I moved over to a counter to fill out customs paperwork and noticed a dozen or so large beetles walking around on the floor. I think I was encroaching on their territory. After handing in my immigration form, I made my way outdoors and met the van that would take me to my hotel for the evening.
We drove about 5 minutes in the pitch dark, and found ourselves stopped in front of the large front gate of the KIA lodge. Standing in front of the headlights, to my amazement, was a tall Masai warrior with spear in hand, dressed in full warrior garb (red plaid cloak, earrings, beaded bracelets, etc.) I took a deep breath and thought to myself, “Now, THIS is Africa! ”
Though it was late, the hotel desk clerk greeted me with a smile and gave me some fresh squeezed passion fruit juice (yum). A different Masai warrior escorted me down a dozen winding paths to my bungalow room. I found out later, the Masai are hired as security guards across the country at many establishments.
He unlocked the door, and we walked into this…
…what a mosquito net! East Africa has a high incidence of malaria, so mosquito nets are really quite a necessity. This one, though, by any standard, is a serious luxury.
My escort left, and I stepped out into the night. Since there were very few lights on the property, you felt like the entire night sky could swallow you up. I’ve never seen so many stars at once. I took a flashlight and made my way back towards the main building so I could buy a bottle of water for brushing my teeth (tap water is a big no-no in East Africa unless you want to be best friends with the bathroom for the next few days).
I met up with some fellow volunteers who had also arrived late and we crashed shortly after. Looking back, we really had no idea what was in store for us in the next few weeks!
Greetings from Africa – just thought I’d share a lil’ pic I took on safari. Many more to come. This young guy was hanging out in a tree next to our Land Rover…tired from the hot sun (hasn’t grown his mane yet). Luckily, he wasn’t too hungry!
I visited an orphanage in Tanzania, Africa, last week. Thought I’d share a couple of pics from the day… lots more to share when I return to the States! Their smiles really do melt your heart.
Sending all of you wonderful wishes for a holiday season full of love and laughter. I’m spending this Christmas half-way across the world volunteering with Cross Cultural Solutions in Tanzania, Africa, and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than to be of service to those in need. I’ll be sure to post the entire adventure when I return to the States.
Lots of hugs and love to you all,
P.S. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments. I’ll be sure to post new stamping & clay projects when I return!
As promised, I am posting the next installment of my trip to Europe…Killiney Bay, Ireland.
One late afternoon, I hiked several miles from Dalkey to Killiney & documented the journey with my camera. Once I reached the beach, I sat & listened to the song Almost Lover (by A Fine Frenzy) on repeat as I sat staring at the Irish sea. Words can’t describe Killiney’s beauty, and pictures don’t do it justice. I decided the best way to share my experience with you was to re-create it with a video taking you along on my hike. The background music is my interpretation of Almost Lover arranged on my Clavinova. Hope you enjoy it & get some small understanding of the beauty of the place.
I’ve finally begun sorting through photos from the Europe trip, and I thought I’d share a few with you. This first set of images are all from the Dublin city centre. I’ll follow up later this week with the place that is nearest & dearest to my heart, Killiney Bay (one of the reasons I get drawn to Ireland again & again).
There are a number of fabulous hotels in Dublin’s city centre (The Clarence, The Merrion, & The Shelbourne to name a few). But for this trip, I decided to venture out & stay in a boutique hotel called The Fitzwilliam. Its location is perfect…right on St. Stephen’s Green (the main park in the city centre). It is also located right at the top of the primary shopping street, Grafton.
The Fitzwilliam’s lobby has eclectic decor & I love the purple & green color combo. In fact the purple theme went through the entire hotel. Even the doormen wear purple coats with tails & there are purple umbrellas hanging in each room! *LOL*
When I arrived in my room, I was greeted with this fresh plate of fruit & a box of chocolates.
Orchids were sitting on a table near a window overlooking the Green.
I decided to head outdoors with my camera & get some shots of the area. I started off on the Green. On any given day, you’ll see dozens of folks lounging around on the lawn, having a picnic during their lunch break, feeding the birds, or just sunbathing (on those rare days of Irish sunshine). There are several small ponds in the Green as well as a center section with fountains & manicured lawns:
I noticed several monuments built for famous men & women in Irish history. I was really taken with the female sculpture in this one. The monument was built for a man called James Clarence Mangan who was a famous poet from the 19th century. (Some of the greatest writers in the world have been Irish by the way – Yeats, Beckett, Shaw, Heaney, Joyce, Wilde, and the list goes on. Even Bram Stroker of Dracula fame was Irish. Weird, eh? ) According to the park directory, the woman in the middle of this monument represents Roisin Dubh, the last work of Willie Pearse.
Whenever you’re in an Irish garden, you’re bound to find gorgeous Irish roses. They almost look painted here:
Most of the street lamp posts in Dublin are decorated with flower baskets like this one. I love that… just makes you smile to be surrounded by flowers, ya know?
Grafton Street is a terrific place to go “people watch”. You can see all sorts of folks there since it is the main pedestrian shopping street in the city. There are always a number of street musicians performing, like this fabulous brass band. Have any of you seen the movie “Once” that won the Oscar this year for best song? In the film, the two main characters meet on Grafton street.
You can also find several vendors selling fresh flowers along the street. They were selling all kinds of varieties – from lilies to daisies to wildflowers. Just beautiful! If I had one of these on my street corner, I think I’d have fresh flowers in the house every day!
At the bottom of Grafton Street is Trinity College (the main college in Dublin). This is where the famous Book of Kells is housed. This beautiful monument sits in the center courtyard of the campus:
Eating out in Dublin can be a bit pricey (as can any European city with the dollar so weak right now), but there are still some great deals to be found. When I wasn’t in the mood for a big meal, I dropped into this lil’ restaurant. Not sure who came up with the name, but it’s a great place. It’s actually a fast food restaurant with a healthy twist. They sell stews in bread bowls, fresh lean meat & vegetarian wraps, & homemade smoothies. Really good stuff – the chicken pesto wrap was to die for!
That’s all for now – tune in for more pics from Killiney & London soon!
The final travel card in my Hero Arts series is for Rome.
When I think of Rome, I am reminded of the incredible trip to Italy that my mom & I took together in the fall of 2004. Not only were we able to see Rome, but we also spent time in Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, & Pompeii. It was a special adventure for us since my mom’s side of the family is Italian.
My favorite memory from the trip, hands down, was our first gelato experience. For those that may not know, gelato is a creamy, Italian version of ice cream that is to die for. As we were traipsing through a side street of Florence on one of our first afternoons, we decided to pop into a gelato cafe. When we walked in the door, the person behind the counter asked us to pick out our cones. My mom pointed at what appeared to be a waffle cone. Little did she know what she had just ordered. About 30 seconds later, the man behind the counter handed her this:
No kidding – this gelato cone was as large as her head! *LOL* I immediately started laughing so hard that I doubled-over to the ground & she lost it as well. I somehow managed to grab my camera & take a few shots to capture the moment. Here’s another pic from the side. I mean really…this is ridiculous!!!
Needless to say – we couldn’t finish it & our gelato cravings were seriously diminished for the rest of the trip.
Italy was fabulous, though, and I can’t say enough good things about our tour company, Perillo Tours. We stayed in beautiful 4 & 5-star hotels like an incredible converted monastery with ancient gothic arched windows. We started off in Florence visiting some of the wonderful art museums there. We took a day trip to Venice where we travelled in gondolas under the bridge of sighs, visited the famous Murano Glass Factory, and experienced the wonderful architecture of the city. Here are a couple of my favorite shots:
Southern Italy is gorgeous…especially along the coast line. We went through Naples to Sorrento & spent a day on the isle of Capri visiting the famous blue grotto, drinking or first Limoncellos, & having lunch in a small cafe overlooking the ocean. After Capri, we went to Pompeii where we saw amazing preserved structures still standing from hundreds of years ago.
Then there was Rome. I remember the Vatican & standing in the Sistine Chapel. It was recently restored so the colors were all so vivid. Kind of surreal to be somewhere you’ve only seen in books! There was a trip to the Trevi Fountain…
…and an amazing dinner in a privately-owned castle. Of course, we also went to visit the Coliseum where gladiators used to battle to the death!
How strange that in a modern city, there stands so many ancient pieces of architecture, and yet how thrilling that it is all preserved. I used one of my snapshots of the Coliseum in the Hero Arts card below. All supplies are HA & the instructions can be found on their website here. Thanks for dropping by!
The third card in my Hero Arts travel series features London.
London has always been one of those cities that I have traveled through to get someplace else. I don’t think I spent any time there until the end of college when I was studying abroad. My Danish friend Maiken & I decided to take a Spring Break holiday and we chose Dublin & London as our destinations.
Now I have to admit that at the time, I was a pretty “enthusiastic” U2 fan. So a trip to the Emerald Isle was a sort of mecca for me. After several fabulous days in Ireland, we ended up in London not really knowing how it would compare. We had a great time during our short stay, though. I remember touring Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, seeing the Tower Bridge, London Dungeons, & Buckingham Palace. We trolled through the shops at Camden street market (bringing a few treasures home with us) & purchased discount tickets to see a production of The Phantom of the Opera (which as I recall, we watched from behind a large pole. *LOL*)
I have returned once or twice since, and there are certain things I love about the city. I love that it is a massive metropolis, and yet you can find small quaint neighborhoods with darling private gardens in the middle of it all. I love the British dry sense of humor, and how can you not adore a country that can produce TV shows like The Office, Extras, & Coupling? I love the intense national spirit of the British that emerges anytime one mentions the words “football”, “Manchester United”, or dare I say it, “David Beckham”? *LOL* …although maybe Becks isn’t so popular now that he’s joined us on this side of the pond.
Yes – London has some fond memories & is a city with many hidden gems. It’s latest is the addition of a dear friend that moved back to the city last month. I miss you Minu and hope to see you soon!!!
The image used in the card below was taken during my trip with Maiken. It was originally in color, but I converted it into B&W with photoshop before printing. Don’t you just love how striking & regal monuments look in black & white? All of the stamps used on this card are from Hero’s new 2008 catalog. The full instructions & supply list can be found on Hero’s site here. Thanks for dropping by!
It’s actually a fast food restaurant with a healthy twist. They sell stews in bread bowls, fresh lean meat & vegetarian wraps, & homemade smoothies. Really good stuff – the chicken pesto wrap was to die for! 
