| Final Hours |
[22 Sep 2005|09:24pm] |
Oh dear lord, the last couple of days have gone bye quickly my friends. I saw a lot, did a lot and survived thru a lot. I will first start with saying that all is well and I'm headed to the states.
Beginning ending with the last post
More on the hotel. Did I mention that this hotel also included a restaurant and disco? After I finished with the internet I returned to my hotel to witness the disco going off. Well this was my last night so I had to make it count besides there was no sleeping with music this loud. It was crazy, this place is the hot spot for all the locals. The hip-hop was blazing, the crowd was hollering and the beer was cheap & cold. I wander in. I sit at the bar and order a beer. I look around, the dance floor was shaken. There was this one girl there that controlled the room, all the energy her surrounded. The group she was with was having a good time being drunk on the dance floor. Then about three beers later a fight breaks out involving this same girl. Beer bottles are flying, security is wrestling people out the door and the music is stopped. At this point I ponder….hrm. It has always been a dream of mine – no a fantasy – a goal – a quest, to be in a bar during an all-out-brawl and throw a barstool into the bottles of booze behind the bar. Relax- I didn't but I did witness this girl taking on the whole security staff and hitting this dood in the face with a beer bottle. For some reason I think this is a normal night because within minutes the music was back on and the girl was left along crying with her friend in the corner – not sure what happened to the guy. So after awhile I started getting harassed by hookers I went to my room which is located directly over the dance floor. The music ended around 5am one hour before I had to wake up. No sleep for me.
The next morning I wake up in a daze to pack and go. On my way out I ran into on of the hookers from downstairs, it looked like she found a buyer and spent the night two doors down from my room. I went to the bathroom only to see condom wrappers littering the floor, yuck. One night was all I needed, time to get the fuck out.
So I went on Safari to Lake Nakuru. Not much to report other then this place is awesome and that pictures will not do it justice. This lake has literally hundreds of thousands of flamingos just chillin'. There are flamingos throughout the lake but along the shores its nothing but moving pink piles of stuff, it's really amazing. I had an entire mini-bus and tour guide to myself. The tour lasted about six hours. I arrived back at my hotel around 1pm.
I walked to a bus company called Easy Bus and booked a ticket to Nairobi. The lady said, while pointing to a bus, that this will leave in about 15 minutes. Great, I'm thinking so I go into the restaurant and order some chicken and chips. Chicken and chips have become the official meal for bus rides. I boarded the bus. We drove for about one hour and came to a line of cargo trucks stopped with the engines turned off. This was not a good sign. Our driver decides that this was not going to slow us down and starts driving in the oncoming lane forcing the oncoming cars onto the shoulder of the road, therefore making it into a three lane road. We drive for a few miles finally coming to a point where all our traffic in our direction is stopped. We get out inspecting the situation. The driver thinks that he can drive on the shoulder that the oncoming cars are using. I pee on the side of the road. Now I assume that the driver gets paid by the trips he makes and not by the hour because this guy was motivated to getting us pass. We learn that most of the trucks have been stopped for hours and learn of an alternative route. If we could just make it to the next turn 100 yards away. The only problem was that we would have to stop traffic going the opposite direction so that our bus could use the last operating lane. When I say lane I mean dirt shoulder off the road with a steep ravine alongside the other side of it. The only cars that able to navigate on this shoulder were normal cars and mini-buses. Next thing you know me and my African brothers are walking down this road about to block traffic while this 60 year old woman is guiding the drive so that is doesn't hit a parked truck or slide off into the ravine. At this point I'm not sure if it would be safer to be in the bus with the potential of sliding into a ditch or confronting matatu drivers' telling them that can't pass. We had the numbers and we did prevail. Going to Nairobi right? Unfortunately our alternative route would take an additional one or two hours but that's life in Kenya as one of my Nubian brothers put it.
Two hours later. My friend taps my shoulder and says that we are ten minutes away from blah blah blah... What did you say? I ask. From blah blah blah. Not Nairobi? Fuck... I am on the wrong bus. I ended up in a town called Eldoret, which is a rather large town. We arrive to the station house and I talked to the manager, his name was peter. This guy looked and me and laughs and says ahh Muzunga. Muzunga which means, "White man." I ask him what's up and he says don't worry let me talk to my boss I will get back to you. I am thinking the worse, in other encounters with businesses in Africa, it goes something like this, 'I am sorry we made a mistake, but you still have to pay, after all you are here to give us money.' But I was wrong this time, the one time that I doubted humanity was the one time that humanity surpassed my expectations. After returning from the internet I was called into the back office by my new nickname, "Musungu." At that point he apologized for the inconvenience and then informed me that I will be given a new ticket to take me back to Nakuru and then to Nairobi. He then tells me that Easy Bus is a new company and that they are committed to its customers and that since I am a muzango that I should be given special treatment. I thanked him, I seriously thought that I would have to buy another ticket to get back. He said no that it was there mistake and that top management wanted to make things right. He was very genuine and really believed in his company. I was impressed with this that I asked him if he knew about Lonely Planet. He did not so I proceeded to tell how every single traveling going to his country has this book in there backpack. I told him that I would write them a letter and tell him about my positive experience with Easy Bus and that they should list this company in the next addition. He said sure not really realizing the positive potential of this endorsement. We then talk about George Bush, global security and life and government in Kenya. I really liked this guy and enjoyed my time there.
My bus was scheduled to leave in about four hours so I took this time to grab a bite to eat. When I returned I'm guessing he called top management and mentioned my proposal. I am assuming that who ever he talked to knew about lonely planet and said do whatever it takes to make this Muzunga happy. Peter came out and shook my hand and asked if everything was okay. I was told that if I needed to go somewhere that he would have someone escort me. When the bus did arrive he escorted me to my seat with a jolly good bye. Something happened I'm not sure what but something happened that upped the anti on my happiness. I am thinking that it had to be what I said about writing a letter. I will write a letter. They could have easily said sorry and charged me for another ticket. So a four bus ride back to Nakuru and then another bus to Nairobi arriving around 4am.
After taking a quick nap it was time to start my final day in Kenya. I wandered for hours do last minute shopping. Touts would come up to me with the usual to pitch to go on safari. I would counter with yea, I have already been on safari and would then start naming off all the places I been and added a couple more for some street cread. I would talk about all the shopping I did and that now I am flying back and you have nothing more to sell me. A much different experience this time around. I had my hotel make arrangements for transportation to the airport. I was introduced to a driver - this poor guy was just sleeping in the car waiting until I was ready. I told him that I wanted to go at 2:30am and he should be ready then. When I came out of the hotel he was still asleep and another taxi guy tried to persuade me to go with him. I think that a trip to the airport is big money for these guys, I am probably feeding this guy's family for days. Whenever you get into a cab, the driver always tries to give you his number to gather more business. But I was off to the airport to catch a 5am flight. I thought that I could go early and use the internet to update but all cafes were closed. I caught my flight and arrived in Egypt around 9am. At that point I had to sit around for another three hours in the transit lounge waiting for my room assignment.
And currently I am in this phat hotel near the airport curiosity of Egypt Air. This place is hella dope, it's called Movenpick and is by far the nicest place I have ever stayed. I have a double-bed room that over looks the swimming pool. The Movenpick is complete with disco, "mini zoo", three or four bars, fine and causal dining restaurant. All meals are paid for and everybody address me as Sir. Proper! I have a shuttle to the airport for a flight at 10am to New York. I will arrive in San Francisco on Thursday around 9pm.
In the beginning of my trip I was lonely in Egypt. A part of that loneliness was due to the fact that I was sick but I think that was only a small part. I think I left the states thinking that I was going to relive my Thailand experience and that was just not going to happen. My Thailand experience was nothing short of truly amazing. To this day I still glow when I recall my time there, it was like inventing the wheel for the first time or making the initial spark that started the first fire. Nothing can and will compare to that summer but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy other places. I went in the Egypt thinking just that and when it didn’t compare I had a hard time adjusting and recalibrating my agenda. Once I got to Luxor and realized that this would be the reality of my trip then I started making changes and started to really have a good time. I am sorry to say that a lot of my time in Egypt was wasted on taking to long to make this transition but it was a lesson learned going into East Africa.
I guess when it comes down to it all I think I prefer traveling alone. Not that I wouldn't want to travel with friends again it's just that your interactions with local people is so much more different. The conversations or the way you are welcomed is much warmer than if in a group. I had a great time hanging out with Vlad and Caryn. I wouldn’t change a thing about my trip. Africa was never on my top places to go and the selling point was Vlad and Caryn, They are the reason why I came to Africa in the first place however when I was with them I felt more of a tourist and when I'm alone I feel more like a world traveler. I have the rest of my life to be a tourist but for now I want to be a backpacker, a world traveler. One could even say a globe trotter =)
Look forward to seeing most of you. J/k I hope you have enjoyed reading about this trip as much as I had experiencing it.
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| Fuck Fuck Shit Shit |
[19 Sep 2005|06:43am] |
DOH!
Double DOh!
I wanted different. I wanted a challenge. I wanted to be the token white guy. Well I guess i got what i wanted.
I am not sure what happen. I did everything correctly i thought. I ended my safari (more on this next post) and booked my bus ticket back to Nairobi to catch my flight. I had a light meal before boarding, i went to the bathroom and i had an unopen bottle of water for the ride. I boarded the bus.
I ended up - I am not sure where i am. This city is not on the map and therefore not listed in my guide book. All i know is that i am no where near Nairobi.
Somehow I boared the wrong bus headed in the opposition direction. Not in panic but now in survival mode. I needed to either get a refund on my ticket and book a plane, train, or camel back to Nairobi.
I will keep you posted.
-joey
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| The next step! |
[17 Sep 2005|01:18pm] |
Alright, the finish line is near I can see it in the distance. The days are numbered and the flight departure time is unavoidable. I am once again traveling on my own. The next four days will be of my doing, my own accord and my personal accomplishment. Today i woke up 8am to say good bye to Caryn and Vlad. Last night Vlad and I had a proper good bye as we drank and talked into the late night.
When my trip ends it will have lasted 47 days. To many this is long ass vacation. Most people i know are lucky if they can get two weeks at once. This is a good chuck of time, I grateful that not only was I able to disappear from life back home but that I was also able to spend a portion of my holiday with great friends in a far off land. Congratulations to Vlad and Caryn as they just celebrated there one year of traveling… and still going strong as they head to South America with the required reading glasses =). After hearing their travel stories first hand (a few times on different occasions) I question if I have the stamina and determinations to make that length of time. Although I guess that’s the point, to get out of your comfort zone and your way of life and into another culture. I don’t think I have achieved that level on this trip yet and time is running out.
So, I figure that its time to step it up and make the stakes a little higher. I know I can do it. I became Thai Hard while in Thailand and I learned to walk like an Egyptian is Egypt but I haven’t acquired that level of accomplishment in Africa. To this point I have taken a backseat and have let the season travel professionals chart the destination and plan the route. The trip has been great but there is something to be said about doing it on your own. Traveling is a like a game. You, the traveler, want to get the most out of your money and the local touts want to get the most money out of you. It’s really nothing personal for them its just survival. It can be annoying at times, but sometimes it just makes me laugh. I want to give everyone the benfeit of doubt and that takes alot of time. It also means that you are going to be shaking lots of hands and have some very unintersting conversations. But in the end its a game that i like to play. I guess I want to trust humanity and maybe that makes me a fool but it seems to be working for me thus far.
My future plans. Tonight I board a 8 hour bus ride to Nairobi, also know as Nairobbery, at 9pm and arrive around 5am the next morning. At that point I will drop my backpack and a newly acquired cardboard box at the train station for storage. I will leave with just the garments on my back, carrying with me the most basic necessities in my median size messenger bag. This will allow me the flexibility to travel light and fast. Maybe it won’t be all that different but this could be the makings of a great adventure and my last chance to achieve that level of accomplishment that I’m currently without.
Alright, I am not sure when I will be back online. If you are reading I want to hear a peep from you just to know that I do have the five friends that I think I have. My flight to Cairo leaves on the 21st, leaving Cairo on the 22nd, lay over in New York on the 22nd and arriving around 8pm in San Francisco. Then Neil Diamond on the 24th, YEAH BABY! A perfect ending.
Give me a shout either here or privately, i would love you here from you. Also let me know if you have recievd postcards. I received no responses from the Egypt mailing and wondered if they made it yet.
-joey
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| Just a random day in Africa |
[11 Sep 2005|10:06pm] |
So, I guess I have been out of touch with my faithful readers and have gone on to long without a memo on what is going on. For this I apologies dearly.
The truth is that I have been meaning to post for sometime now. The fact is that every time I got behind a computer I was pulled away and got caught up on reading article after article about the tragedy in New Orleans.
I learned about hurricane Katrina through the internet. I had just logged on and saw the many headlines across my yahoo homepage along with an advertisement banner for the Red Cross asking for donations. From that point on I would seek out more and more information. At the time we were on the island of Zanzibar and CNN wasn't available to us. One night Vlad and I did come across a television and asked the bartender to change it to a news station. What we got was British news station called Sky Net. The report of course was from a British prospective and as an American I very dissatisfied with the news reporting but it was the first time that we were able to see live coverage and footage of hurricane Katrina. We were in shock and for me a little depressed. At one point I asked the barkeeper to turn it and said, “This is my country”, and pointed to the television He responded with turning off the music being played to the rest of the restaurant while quickly turned up the television and silencing his conversation.
On the lighter side this same night Vlad and I met a self-declared nomad. This guy was a third-generation sailor sailing around the world with his dog. Vlad asked this chap what it was like sailing around the world. His response was that to us (vlad and I) his life is an adventure but to him that was just how he lived and that he didn't know anything else. I say, BULLSHIT, the guy knew he what he was doing was rare that that somehow it was working for him. And after some more chit chat he decided that Vlad and I would be perfect mates to help him in a sailboat race which were to be held the following day. That’s right the following day there was a sailboat race scheduled out to Prisoner Island and then back. The race never happened or at least it didn’t happen with us. The weather the next morning was shitty and we didn’t think it would be rain or shine but it was. Later that night we happened to run into the winning team at a bar near our hotel/bungalow/resort. The team was talking about the race and what a great time they had. Our captain was no where to be found, I am sure he was somewhere drinking his druthers away. If only Vlad and I were they I am sure that we could have turned that race around and brought home trophy or worn the yellow jersey or whatever they do.
So one of the things I really enjoy doing when traveling is the day to day stuff that I do at home. I get a sense of joy and awe when I go to the post office or the bakery or the bank. Something that is a common errand at home is an adventure in a strange land. Even though the resulting product is the same the process and order of doing is foreign in every sense. Yesterday I decided that I would get a haircut. Well lucky for me that night before I met a prostitute that was also a hairdresser. I got her number and told her that I would give her a call. I wanted a haircut, eyebrow waxing and hair relaxer. She seemed to understand what I was talking about even though she kept saying that her English was “small”. Well after having brunch with Caryn and Vlad off I went to beautify myself. First order of business was to call her and find out where her salon was located or as she called it, a saloon. I was excited for this would be my first adventure out alone since Egypt.
(Busy noisy street in Mombassa)
I found a working phone and dialed.
Phone Call Connects –
Prostitute – hello?
Me – Yea, is this Janee? I
Pro – Yes, this is her
Me- I met you last night, I am the American that wanted a haircut.
Pro.. – I remember you… (Inaudibly
Me – Are you at work now? Can I still get a haircut, ya?
(Guy on scooter enter the scene)
Pro- Yea, ….(inaudibly)
Guy – Shouts in Swahili to storefront owner. (Revs two-stroke engine)
Scooter – Roar
Me – I can’t hear you
Pro – I will meet you at Casablanca
Me – No, I will come to you. Where are you?
Pro- I will be there in a little bit. Hangs up
Me – (Perplexed)
Scooter – Engine still revving.
So, I head off to this club to meet up with a prostitute to get a haircut. Let me back up and break from the story to explain this whole prostitute mumbo jumbo.
Last night Vlad and I wanted to go out for a drink. Caryn did not come. The thing is that no matter where you go out at night there will be women of the nite looking for customers. Some women will take the first no and move on, others will sick around thinking that you will come around. Prostitution is big in Africa and I believe that this is not an industry created by the tourist but its something that is part of its culture. Maybe not culture but exists within its community. So, if they see two young American boys walking into a club then at that point we might as well have a bull eye painted across our arses labeled ATM.
So we walk in and are directed to a table and order drinks. This club was proper, the music was hip-hop and the beer was cold. Now we could just repeatedly tell these girls to go away but we both wanted to play the role of good cop so we were without a bad cop. Besides if they go away then another girl sits down and the cycle continues. It’s just easier to have small talk and buy then an occasional beer or whatever. I think these girls get some kind of a kickback, from the club, if we buy them drinks. So doing my part to support the local economy I buy a girl a few drinks. And through this small talk I learned that she was a hairdresser during the day. So for the critics out there, I did not get a phone number of a prostitute but I got a phone number of a hairdresser.
Off tangent and back onto the story.
So, now I am at this Club wanting for this girl to arrive. I order a drink and sure enough more girls try to come and start up small talk. I politely tell them that I am waiting for somebody and once they figured out I was waiting for a Kenyan girl they backed off.
After a few drinks, I decided to give her another call to see where she was. This time I thought that I would be cleaver. I had this taxi cab driver call, asked her where she was and then take me there. He calls and starts yelling at this poor girl on the phone in Swahili and then hangs up. He looks at me and then says that she is washing up and that she will be over shortly. I proceed back into the club and continue to have a few more drinks. I really wanted a haircut… more time passes.
I call again and this time she says that she is running late and that she really wants to see me and that I should wait. I tell her that I need to go and get my haircut before all the salons close for the day but that I would wait another 10 minutes. I wait but then I take off. The wait time was well over 2 hours so I take off in search of a salon.
Finally, here I am sitting in a barber chair about to receive my first haircut in Africa. I tell them short on the sides and leave all length on top. Finally it was time for the relaxer to make my hair straighter. For those of you that don’t know, a relaxer is basically a chemical that dries out your hair so that it loses its natural shape. This is really bad for hair. Usually when I get this down at home the stylist is very careful to only use minimal amounts of this chemical solution because it does burn the scalp. This guy started putting globs and globs of “Afro Scheen”on my head. My head was on fire from this thick paste that covered my entire head. I grab the container and the directions read for normal hair leave on for 8-10 minutes. I am think, normal, from who’s prospective mine or an African. This guy then leaves comes back in what seemed to be 10 minutes and starts to wash out the relaxer product….
And to my surprise my hair looks great. After a quick detour into the back room where I would get my eyebrows “threaded”. That’s right, not tweezed or waxed but threaded using just common household thread. I am not sure how it went down but this lady had me lie down as she ripped and yanked little hairs using thread. The whole process took less time than a normal waxing but it was nine times more painful.
Leaving the salon I felt like a new man with a new spiffy do and sexy looking eyebrows. Ordinarily when I get a haircut it’s rather uneventful but when you add in hookers, Africa and some thread it becomes an adventure and a great story to tell the grandchildren.
-j
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| On my own! |
[10 Sep 2005|08:32pm] |
Day One
We it’s working so far and I really liking the end results. It seemed that all day yesterday was spent interacting with the local people some touts, taxi drivers and just good honest working people. My day started with a frantic race to the airport to get Vlad his reading glasses that were left behind at a salon the day before. In dash to the airport I befriended a taxi driver named Sal, whom would take me to and from the airport for 1600KSH. I probably could have negotiated a better price but this seemed fair and I really had no time to debate, so off we go. I let him know of the situation and that time was of essence, taxi rides are scary when they are not in a hurry, this was straight up frightening but the ride back was less intense. The airport is some distance away and total time spent together was probably about 45 minutes. He was interesting telling me about his family in Nairobi but that he comes out to the area we are in to find work. On our journey back he was pointing out street not to walk down at night and even pointed out two kids shooting up heroine. Afterwards he found out the local movie times for the movie house in town.
Yesterday I was learning the mastering of riding in Matatu’s. This is basically the public transportation for getting around town. What you have is almost like a Volkswagen van that seats about 13. There is the driver and the conductor. The driver drives while the conductor is literally hangs out the window yelling the destination to people on the street. Once the van is full we take off, it may fill quickly or you may have to drive around town to find passengers. The only communication between driver, conductor and passengers is this knocking the rood thing. I am not sure what the knocks meant but at one point I knocked on the roof because I wanted to get off and the driver just glared at me. So my ride to the movie theatre would have been around 500KSH taking about 15 minutes had I taken a taxi but I decided to do what the locals do. The ride to the movies lasted about one hour costing 115KSH in which I had to transfer once. My ride home was only 25KSH with a transit time of 15 minutes. I was taken - but it was to late before I realized. I paid for a ticket to a much further destination then where I was headed and they were just simply gonna drop me off along the way.
In case you were wondering I saw Herbie: Fully Loaded. I thought it was cute and really liked it. Lindsay Lohan is hot.
That night I took an overnight bus ride to Nairobi. I was seated next to a man named Mike who was a wealth of incites on the problems of Kenya. He was saying that his country has many problems and that the government in charge is only looking out for them selves and their friends, this kinda sounds familiar. I countered with the argument that I don’t completely trust my government either and that the same happens in America. BIG MISTAKE! He then laughs and looks at me and says that I honestly really don’t believe that I couldn’t compare Kenya and America. He then points to some street kids saying that they will never have the same opportunity I have and the most night they will go to bed hunger. He continues to argue that his government does not care about their people and that what he has he has had to struggle to obtain. He was then talking about Islam and that George Bush is a good man for pushing the religious agenda. Here in East Africa there are a lot of Indian people or Asian as they're called here. According to this man on the bus these people were brought over by the first when this was a British colony. The Asian Indians were given land and because of it they have continues to prosper while the African are struggling to just survive. We talked most of the way to Nairobi, Mike even walked my to my train station because he feared that it wasn’t safe for me to walk alone. The time was around 6am or so.
The train station. I arrive at the station to a completely deserted station house except for my new friend. My plan was to drop off some luggage for storage and then head to Nakuru by Matatu. My new friend worked for the station and was able to help me put my bag in storage. I then enquired where I could find Matatus headed in my direction. He said follow me. For the next 15 minutes we walked and talked as we strolled down rail road tracks, thru slums and down narrow alleys. We finally arrive and I secure a ride to Nakuru. I thought for sure this guy would hit me up for some money but he just turned and said have a safe journey and walked away.
The Matutu ride. First off it blows my mind that the road from Nairobi (the largest city in Kenya) to Nakuru (the 3rd largest city) is the shittiest road I have ever been on. The ride was uncomfortable, long and jarring the whole way thru. But once again I made a local friend. The conversational was minimal because his English was limited and we weren’t in a very social environment but this guy would point out different landmarks and he even pointed me in the direction of all the hotels listed in my travel guide. Once again he says have a good trip and trots off to where ever he was going.
The hotel. The hotel is located on the second floor of a very noisy street. The bathroom smells like piss. There is no hot water, no fan, no net and the room barely has a working lock. The cost is 260KSH ($3.56) and it’s perfect.
The town. This place is what I was looking for. No tourist trail, sure tourist may be here but most locals are just cool with you being you and have nothing to sell you. I was able to walk down the street and no get bothered by touts or people selling souvenirs. I actually had to seek out a travel agent to secure transportation to Lake Nakuru. Luckily I was able to find this one agent, lucky because it is Sunday and people take this day off to go to church .I found two tour operators but I decided to go with the second guy. Tomorrow I leave on Safari at 6:30am to see a lake that is covered with flamingo; it’s considered one of the biggest highlights in Kenya. I needed to go the bank so the agent sent someone along with me. I figure that this was done so that I would come back and confirm the deal – this was probably the intentions of the guy in charge. But once again I am making friends and walking. We did our errand to the bank but this guy asked if I was okay walking for a little bit so could show me an Indian restaurant in town. I mentioned earlier that I want food and that Indian sounded good. He didn’t show me any curio shops or introduced my to his uncle that owns a restaurant we just walked and talked. It was nice. Nakuru is rather quite aside form the fact that you have gospel music spilling out of windows of churches and other places of worship. The music really adds this certain charm to and easygoingness we I stroll through the streets
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| Shake it like a salt shaker! |
[27 Aug 2005|07:37pm] |
Wow, I can't believe that a week has passed since I have been in East Africa. Lets start from the beginning, I arrived in Nairobi, also know as "Nairobbery" because this is suppose to be the scariest city in Africa and you will be raped and shot while walking down the street - more on this later.
To my surprise Caryn and Vlad came to the airport to welcome me, and to their surprise my flight arrived at 5 am. Yes, 5 am in the morning well past noon but they took it in stride and I was happy to see them. We ended up talking into the wee hours of the morning and then finally went to sleep for a few hours.
Nairobbery. On the way to the hotel I had this uneasiness feeling inside wondering if all the stories were true about what they say regarding Nairobi. I was bracing for the worst wondering what was in store for my friends and I. I thought for sure that as we drove through the city at night I would see men armed with ak-47, cars on fire while upside down and children in the shadows sniffing glue. At a hotel in Luxor, a few days earlier, a guy was telling me how he was mugged and thrown to the ground walking one night. The people here don’t make light of the issue, most of the stories are true and the reputation is probably well deserved, crime in their city is a big problem. Everywhere you go there is a security guard or a night watchman. We went to movies one night and after the movie a security guard walked the three of us to a taxi, which was just inside the parking lot. When we went to dinner for my birthday, before the taxi came to a stop, a security guard was present to open the door and escort us inside the restaurant. One night vlad and I went to a club for a beer and the hotel sent two night watchmen with us. The night watchmen even came back an hour later to escort us back to the hotel (more in the club later). Anyways, after spending a few days there I come to believe that Nairobi is getting a bad rap and this police like state is really unnecessary.
Well we went on Safari. I quickly learned that my definition of safari is much different than what really happens - my way would be much cooler. First off we finally got out of Nairobi and headed to a national park named Masa Mara. Our mode of transportation is a mini-bus with a pop-up roof so that we could stand and poke our heads out. If it were my safari company we would have hummers with big tires, no doors and painted safari sand. Instead it was a white Toyota. We camped outside the park in this permanent campsite, very efficient and equipped with squat toilets (more on this later) and showers. The campsite was nice and the grounds were great but in my world I would do things differently. I would camp inside the park, circle the hummers and sleep on the ground in the middle. All individuals of the party on would take a night watch and be armed with an elephant gun – shooting first, asking questions later.
No matter how you choose to Safari the one thing that I wasn’t disappointed by was the abundance of wildlife. On our first game drive we saw Zebras, Gazelles, and wildebeest within moments of entering the park. In the first half hour we saw a small herd of elephants and then a pride of about 6 lions. At one point I was a meter away from a lion, catching it on video as it strolls bye wanting to tug on its tail. That same day we saw a confrontation between a bull elephant and a group of lions on the hunt. This is the time of the year for the migration therefore you have thousands of animals in very close proximity of each other. Truly amazing!
Along with the great comes the not so good. This park is truly special but I not sure how long it will remain special. Along with all the animals comes a good ratio of mini-vans to animals. The animal can’t seem to get away especially if they are a lion or one of the big, once a tour operator finds an animal he is on his Motorola calling all his buddies over. Once the word is out mini-buses circle the animals until the tourist are content or animal manages to escape. This has to be exhausting for the animal. I must admit I was there standing in my mini-van wanting to be closer and closer to the action but I did feel for the animal and wished for a balance. Meanwhile vans and trucks were trudging over fresh top soil forging new roads and killing loads of vegetations. At this rate I would wonder how long this ecosystem could withstand this abuse.
Alas, I somehow managed to get sick yet again. It was something I ate from the night before. Our dinner that night was pasta topped with ground goat meat which tasted really good – my stomach was not a fan of the goat. The next day I had all the opportunity in the world to perfect my third world squatting technique =).
A great dinner, one night we decided to go out for a nice dinner to celebrate our first safari. We went to a really nice Italian restaurant and then to a club afterward for a few beers. Vlad and I weren’t completely done for the night so after we tucked Caryn we took our two bodyguards and went to club called Florida 2000. This place was the shiznit, all the women in place were Naomi Campbell look-a-likes. The dance floor was jumping with all the holla back girls' gyrating the money makers. I now know what it is like to shake it like a salt shaker. We didn’t stay long, after about an hour or so our bodyguards came back inside the club and held our hand as we walked back to our hotel.
So, I did my first land boarder crossing. Once again it was nothing like it is in the movies or how they show it on TV. We crossed the border from Kenya into Tanzania. To my surprise the whole process was rather tame and uneventful. I guess I had visions of heavy armed soldiers beating on refugees as the try to flee from one country into the next. I figured the U.N. would have some base camp near the border monitor humanitarian needs of refugees. There was a fence and an actually gate that served as a border between the two countries but there were no attack dogs, no foggy bridge to cross, no chance of getting caught in the crossfire of feuding warlords or warring tribal families. I was prepared to bride government officials but alas it really wasn’t that interesting, just a little standing around with all the other travelers. The cost of the visa was $50 and could only be paid in US currency.
Heading south. Currently we are near the base of Mount Kilimanjaro in a village called Moshi. This was supposed to be one of our big accomplishments to reach the top of the summit. We really didn't think things completely through, imagine that. We don't have the proper shoes or equipment and a decent guide is well out of our price range. Honestly on a good day if we had all these things I still don't think I would reach the summit. Only 30% reach the top and 10% actually reach the summit. Most of what we have read is telling us not to do it unless we have been training for something like this. I understand that people die on this mountain each year but then there are many that make it. I also know that if I get on this mountain that I wouldn't want to stop regardless of the consequences. So no mountain for us =(
Today Vlad and I went for a walk in the countryside of Tanzania. It was cool we walked through a coffee plantation and some backwoods villages. We started walking to what we thought was a lodge but as we got closer it looked more and more like a compound – maybe a prison or some type of training camp. The place was outfitted with high walls with barbwire, a look out tower and bars on all windows. We were greeted by a woman that said something in Swahili, whatever she said sounded friendly, so we walked closer. She said something again that still sounded friendly. Vlad then said something like, do you speak English? We are Americans. She then stands up and points a shotgun at Vlad and I. At that point Vlad and I immediately turned around and started walking back the way we came. Crazy shit.
Next stop Zanzibar. Leaving on a bus tomorrow morning arriving in a town called Dar es Salaam tomorrow night and then catching a ferry or flight to Zanzibar.
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| Final Hours In Egypt |
[15 Aug 2005|02:20pm] |
Today was suppose to be a relaxing day of walking around drinking coca-cola out of a bottle. I had two items on the infamous "To Do List". One was to find a post office and mail out postcards and the other was to get to a bank for US dollars. Alright, this sounds like easy enough tasks.
SO, i go off searching for a post office, i soon learned that there was none nearby. SO, i go off looking for postage for the postcards. Its seemed that everyone knew the postman, ali-balk, but not where i could find stamps. I would go into shops selling postcards and simply asked if they had stamps and the motion to my postcards. The retail worker would then grab someone off the street that spoke English and use them as a translator. In the end i would get pointed down the street. An hour and a half later i managed to find a store keeper that would sell me stamps - for a modest profit- and for extra points he spoke English. Alright, so after i attached my stamps it was time to find a mail box...... this was going to be hard. I reviewed the bible, lonely planet's guide on Egypt, and the only things it said was that it would be blue. Alright, I'm looking for a blue box. I guessed i looked puzzled and the storekeeper from whom i purchased the stamps from came out to help. "You want to mail?", he questioned, "yes" i said. "Follow" he replied.
We walk down to the end of the street to this maze of traffic mayhem. He points to a Mosque and says the the mail box is located across the street from it. The directions were clear and i had a good inclination of where i was going, however.... i would have to cross this street of about 7 lanes of traffic to get to the other side. This was the test of whether or not i could truly walk like an Egyptian. I felt fear at that moment but the job had to be done. I decided to tackle it in two parts for the there was a island in the middle where i could seek refuge. So i started off into the street, shoulders squared and eyes facing only slightly over my shoulder. I walk.... cars race through, i walk some more then pause. I walk at an angle then a quick pivot on one foot to change directions. I always kept moving, sometimes walking parallel from the direction i came. Then it occurred to me that, - I'm doing it , I'm doing it, I'm walking like an Egyptian. I made it safely to the island and eventually across the other side to my mail box....
Task #1-Complete
The rest of the errands went off without a hitch. I went to the bank and exchanged Egyptian Pounds for American Dollars and then grabbed some lunch.
When i returned back to the hotel, i was greeted at the front door by armed men. As soon as they learned i was American i was able to pass. I walked pass a group of men. There was five guys in full suits and four bodyguards. I quickly walked pass and went straight to the evaluator. I stood there waiting for the elevator when these same guys walked over. There we all were waiting for the elevator. I slowly inch my way to the back of the line and out of site. Now when i say elevator think, old rustic chamber attached to a donkey. When the donkey walks away from the building the moving chamber goes up and when he walks towards the building the chamber goes down. Now i know that was not how it worked but this evaluator's technology wasn't that far off from it being just a donkey. So anyways, two guys in suits get in and then they motion for me to get in as well. I tried to decline but then one of the armed men insisted and i didn't want to disappoint him. That was that, they got off on the second floor and i proceed to the fifth floor to my room.
well, this will be my last post from Egypt. Next stop Kenya!
-joey
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| Luxor Gangta |
[14 Aug 2005|02:26pm] |
I got to see all that i wanted to see in Luxor. This place is home of ancient ruins, tombs of pharaohs and the Nile river. I feel like a druglord hiding out in some distance Miami mansion. I have armed guards patrolling the compound and every time i walk pass them they stand and say hello, "sir." I just nod in agreement and say, "carry on" or "as you were." I have this nice 8-story hotel all to myself, there maybe four or five other guest. The other night i wanted to watch the stars and sit by the pool. I went up to the pool and within minutes a complete was staff was provided to serve me. I had the bellhop, a waiter, guest services, the night manager and the hotel operations managers checking in on me every few minutes. I would make a slight rotation in my seat and all would stand to attention. The attention was fun at first but it became old really fast. When I checked out more tourist were checking in for the weekend but still a very low turnout.
Yesterday, i floated down the Nile in my own felucca , just like baby Moises. It was very relaxing a great way to escape the heat and my hotel. And now I'm back in Cairo thinking that i should have stayed in Luxor one more day or went further south.
Last night i came to Cairo by sleeper train. I had to share the cabin with this very delusional man. This guy seemed to have all the answers but no language to express them. He was from,,,hrm... I'm not sure where he was from. He was straight up crazy! He would talk about something and then go off on a tangent that would end with him making a sketch drawing. He was saying how white people are first world and black people are third world and that I'm second world because I'm in the middle. At one point he left and the train attendant came over and apologized over and over. This is when i stole one of his drawings as proof of what i was experiencing and enduring for this train ride.
yup yup yup....
anyways, i think i have been at this computer long enough.
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| Post Cards! |
[11 Aug 2005|04:46pm] |
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If you want a postcard from Egypt then reply with address! Here or by email.
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| Hot Chick Soup |
[11 Aug 2005|04:04pm] |
The Train Ride:
I have always enjoyed train rides and was looking forward to this one to luxor. There is something exciting about being stuck sitting across the table from a complete strange for many hours. You have no choice but to talk and by the end you have exhausted all topics of conversations. Well, my loneliness continued... i was in a car all by myself. I decided to make the most of it and kicked off the shoes and made myself comfortable. The private car came complete with a radio with one station --- type of music? 70's and 80;s love songs. Just when i thought i was about to go crazy, my dinner arrived. i think i ate camel but the white camel. the power in the car went out moments later and dinner was had by flashlight.
Luxor:
Hotel -
So i rented this PHAT room located on the Nile. Its really nice and kinda expensive. I think im paying $15US but the room is worth it. I have a pool and a private balcony over looking the nile. the hotel was recommended by a fellow traveler but she failed to mention the price. i was to tired to care at three in the morning.
Today -
I played tourist all day today. I went to the valley of the kings and queens. I went in side tombs of dead kings and queens. Went to a place where they made alabaster pottery. Kinda cool. i was with a group met some cool irish girl. The tour started at around 8:30 and ended around 3:30. I long time in the sun.
Tourism -
I was told that after the next to last terrorist bombings in 1999. The visitors to luxor were about 6,000 a day. Today that number is around 900. There is nobody here, this place is like a ghost town. In my 8 story hotel i have only seen a hand full of people. Most of the people we seen today thanked us for being there. Kinda depressing.
well, im here for one more night and two more days. tomorrow is more sight seeing and then back up to cairo and maybe alexadria.
-j
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| Lonely in Egypt =( |
[10 Aug 2005|07:35am] |
I'm lonely here.
today was the first day that my mind wasn't cloudy although I'm still not 100% health wise. I decided that now is time to start getting shit done and paint this town red. I took a taxi to the train station to book a ticket for a night train to Luxor. ( I leave in about two hours) Instead of taking a taxi back i decided to take the metro for fun, this was an adventure all by itself. I somehow managed to buy my self a ticket and get to where i was going. Nobody spoke english and there wasn't even a map of the train route. I just picked a direction and guessed which stop.
I venture to the Egyptian Museum by myself. I was invited to go here yesterday with some girls from Norway but i was in no condition to leave my room. yesterday after leaving the pyramid i felt really ill and after updating my live journal i lied in bed for most of the day. The museum was alright i guess, a little overwhelming. i saw some mummies, that was kinda spookie, i hope i don't have nightmares. Speaking of nightmares, last night was malaria pill night but all went well.
but yeah, I'm lonely. its seems most of the travelers at the guesthouse are just down to do there own thing. i met this one kiwi, he was cool but talked so fast that i couldn;t understand him. he might be down to hang out but he just came in today and im leaving tonight. i was suppose to go to this light and sounds show at the pyramids last night with this girl from south africa but i was in bed. i saw her this morning and she is going tonight but i still have my train ride. it seems right after i checked out and these other single travelers checked in.
no friends for me...
alright, no worries cause I'm still off to luxor and people there will like me.
on a happier note. my walk like an Egyptian has really improved. today i crossed five lanes of fast moving traffic. i think what they mean by walk like an Egyptian is to be able to move gracefully in any direction on a moments notice. the way it works is that you start walking into traffic. the drivers will not stop but will try to veer around you. you might have to walk parallel for a step or two but you objective is to always keep moving as well. i actually had a side view mirror hit my ass - i shit you not!
alright, let's catch a train.
-joey
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| Pyrmaids of Giza |
[09 Aug 2005|02:05pm] |
First i must mention that the cough has subsided and has slowly moved into the sinus area. This makes matters worse cause now i can't breath =( But despite my poor health. i was determined to see the pyramids and make the most of this trip.
I hired a taxi for the afternoon to take me there. I'm not sure how it happened but somehow i got talked into renting a horse and riding around the pyramids. I was nervous about being on a horse that i really didnt enjoy the pyramids. Matter of fact all that i could think about was getting off the horse. The whole trip lasted about 3 hours and towards the end i was getting the hang of stirring a horse. Its alot harder then it looks and sounds. I think i might go back but not on a horse. As for camels, those beast are the nasties things ever.
thats really all to report. i think i need more medication and a nap. i met this girl and together we are going to see this light and sound show at the pyramids later tonight. she is south african but has been all over including san francisco.
another thing that keeps coming up in conversation is the term walk like an Egyptian. This guy was showing me how to walk across the street and navigate around cars. He said, "follow me and walk like an Egyptian." He then squared his back and lowered his hips and started walking. The encounter and demontration was something straight out of a saturday night live skit. There was no crazy arm movements but it was very similar to what we know as to walk like an egpytian
alright, im out.
-joey
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| Daze and Confused in Downtown Cairo |
[08 Aug 2005|10:17pm] |
i just woke up from a power nap, i was hoping to sleep through the night but my cold has turned for the worse and is keep me up.
but these are my thoughts so far.
if thailand is traveling 101, then egpyt is upper division course requirement. for starters im the only white person and not alot of people speak english. i went to this roadside kitchen and ordered some food. well i knew the guy didn't speak engligh cause why would he. in my most charismatic voice, i asked what he recommended and what was the special of the day. He looked at me and laughed and then yelled for an English speaker whom worked across the street. that was my meal =)
there are not alto of travelers around, just locals. i spent the day by myself just walking the streets of Cairo. i am getting better with crossing the street but it still scary as hell.
where are the touts? i was fully prepared to be tackled by touts at the airport but there were none. this one guy offered my a "proper car ride" for 75egp. i went with a cab ride for 50EGP. later in the day i came across another guy that wanted to give me his business card but once inside he introduced me to the owner and disappeared.
Speaking of money , i still haven't figured out the whole bargaining thing. i dont feel the prices im paying are inflated. i think they think im egpytian and im getting the locals prices. Example, i paid 1 EGP for a bottle of water, which is less than 1/5 of a US dollar. In thailand the price would have been 10 baht which is 1/4 of a dollar. My meal mentioned earlier coast 1.25 EGP which comes to maybe .30 cents. i am not sure but im figuring it out slowly.
but i most mention that i feel Egpytians are nice hearted people for the most part. i've had good experiences with everyone that i have come across.
as for cairo. its a rather large old decaying urban sprawl. my building of my guest house is maybe 6/7 stories. most of the first several stories are gutted and vacant. the whole calling to prayer is rather spookie and happens throughout the day, although nobody seems to pay much attention.
that is just today. tomorrow im headed to the museum and pyramids in the afternoon. if my health improves then i will head south to luxor,if not i will stay in cairo another day to rest.
alright, time to wander.
-joey
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| DAM! Look at me im in Egypt |
[08 Aug 2005|03:32pm] |
Alright Kiddies,
I'm going to make this quick because im tired, its hot and i'm sick. I just landed about three hours ago in Egpyt. I was not ready for this, this is not traveling 101 anymore but im managing. I already found a room and some drugs for my cough.
So far what really strikes me as dangerously different is the way pedestrians cross the street. Yesterday when i was hanging out with Alex, i noticed how new yorkers don't adhere the the crossing signs. I asked alex what was up and he said that here people just go with the flow. Well egypt is that mindset to the tenth power. here in egpyt you just walk into traffic and *hope* nobody hits you. Its crazy cars are going at really good speeds but they just swerve around people crossing.
anyways, i need a shower and some sleep.
east side!
-joey
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| Return 2 innocence |
[24 Jul 2004|04:39am] |
hi, i haven't posted in awhile but tonight's events i believe need to be stated for the record. This night started at the local neighborhood bar with my fellow neighbors, it was suppose to be an early night but one thing lead to another.
So, at the first bar i met my partner in crime. This guy is always a good time when we hang out. He insisted that i play catch up and continued to feed me drinks until i was good and ready for want was in-store for me that night.
After i got my drinking hat on, we went to a trance party. I have been to trance parties in the past but this was a totally new experience to me. I have always said that RAVING is a young persons sport but i have always said this as a young person. The crowd was young. The party was familiar in many respects but foreign nonetheless. The location has been a venue for Harmony parities in the past but this time it was different. I ran into one old friend , he shall remain nameless but this guy is the hardest working man in the scene and deserves much respect. He has stuck true to his beliefs and wears his heart on his sleave....
So I lasted about 60 ,,minutes at this party. Don't get me wrong , the place looked nice and the people that were there seemed to be having a good time but it just wasn't my scene.... i guess i been there , done that and i was out.... I was a little upset because one deejay started playing an Underworld track and i didn't feel that he had the right to do so....
Next we went to 1015 to see what kind of trouble we could get into there. Well there was no trouble but we ran into friend whom gave us drink tickets and we had a really good time for cheap. When i say cheap read free. The music was better - some progressive trance and house. I thought the night was over but we ran into another familiar face from the past that told us about a party at Mezzanine.
By this time we had to act face. We were running low on time so we thought our time would be best served at Anu which is a local hip bar around the corner from Mezzaine. We proceeded to order shots and beers until last call.
Afterwards we went to Mezzanine, which is probably one of the best clubs in SF, to dance the night away. Just got home a little while ago and im ready for bed. Tonight was a good night. How was everyone elses night?
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| Fucking Moron on Craigs List! |
[27 Oct 2003|02:19am] |
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The theme song to Survivor |
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The other day I was at work and it was rather slow tedious day. I was doing my usual surfing and I found myself on Craig’s List reading the rants n raves. Then with no warning and someone’s had posted the ending to Matrix: Revolutions, which will be opening November 4th. By the time I realized what had happened it was to late and therefore the climatic ending of this trilogy has been ruined for me. To add further injury, while I left in disgust to go get coffee, someone else for my office sat behind my computer and learned the ending as well. Now the whole office knows and they are a little bitter towards me.
I looked today to see if there was a backlash towards this ass but it looks like the Craig’s List people have removed the original post and the many post afterwards of people bitching this person out. If this would have been Survivor and if they revealed who is to win, then I think I would kill.
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| Rising to the surface |
[13 May 2003|11:56pm] |
Alright , i guess alot has been happening since i last posted to my live journal. I now live in San Francisco and have been living here for almost six months, its crazy cause it seems like yesterday i was just moving. I really didn't feel at home for a couple months , i felt like i was just visiting. I was never able to sleep throughout the night but eventually all the changed. I am now consider myself "Joey from the block". I walk outside my door and i feel the sense of community in which i live. I say hello to Jonnie the store shop owner who i live next to. I walk to the corner store and buy a diet coke for the same lady every morning who wishes me a good day. I pass by officer daniel the beat cop. I wave to my hairstyles who's shop is not to far from my house, but i am not going back, i didnt like my last cut. I recognize all the homeless and they have all stopped asking me for money and i think i have patronized all the restaurants and bars in the area. i guess it is safe to say that i like my new home and i feel very comfortable here.
and this place just seems to be getting better. i live with two great roommates who are also great friends, i have more friends that live a few blocks away and new friends are moving into the area, plus im always meeting new people..
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| my house is on fire |
[07 May 2003|09:48pm] |
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Annie Lennox --- Why |
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i am a little sad right now. i was watching the news and there was a report of a house blowing up in cupertino. for some reason i felt this little thing inside of me telling me not to turn the channel. i watched and i started to notice the neighborhood and then i saw the tree i would play in , the house on fire was the house i grew up in.
i lived there till 4th grade. i had many memories in this place , my dog gigi is buried in the front yard , there was a shed in the backyard that served as my fort and the cherry blossom tree was my private helicopter. There was a side area in the back of the house were i smoked my first cigarette and saw my first set of boobies.
i feel weird for missing a house that i havent lived in for so long but i kinda always figured that it would always be there and now it is gone and to top it off Josh from Ameican Idol got voted off after i voted for him last night
...hrm
-joey
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| Kiss My Critical Mass |
[26 Oct 2002|03:17pm] |
So yesterday i took part in the Halloween Critical Mass in SF. For those of you who dont know, it is kinda like a 'take back the night' but for cyclist.
Oh My Gawd , it was alot of fun. We started off near Pac Bell Park around 7pm. I would would guesstimate around 800 cyclist from all over the city were present to rage. The actually ride was much different from what i expected, the ride itself was rather slow and the reaction from the squares on the street was some-what supportive. A few cars housed a random pissed off people but i most just smiled and honked there horn in our support...
the ride i felt was a show of democracy at its best. Here we were a the brink of a peaceful protest trying to get our point across and having a good time as well.
i love san francisco
-joey
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| No Spin Zone |
[18 Oct 2002|10:45am] |
So i have been having trouble sleeping lately, i guess i have been having this problem for the last two weeks , maybe more. I'm not sure what the problem is i have never experienced this before. This last year i have been having alot of issues with sleeping but not like this. I usually could fall asleep within five minutes of wanting to sleep and then i would wake up two or three times throughout the night. For the last two weeks i just havent been able to fall sleep. Alot has been on my mind and a toll is being takin. So i started taking sleep meds to help and so far it has.
But one of the benefits to being up so late is TV in bed. Last night i watched the O'Rielly Fact with Bill O'Rielly. Now i like Bill, i remenber him from Current Affair and Inside Edition and now i try to catch his new show from time to time. I agree with him maybe 70% of the time.But what i dont like about him is when he trys to intimidate a guest who is less intelligent and maybe nervous of being on his show. O'Rielly has the home field advantage, he controls the camera angles and microphone volume so it is not an even playing ground.
But last night he went up against my nigga Peter Jennings. Now i grew up in the generation of Peter Jennings, as long as i can remember he has been a dominate figure in the media world. When we were faced with the 9/11 crisis i took alot of comfort of seeing all my news coming through this man. If you want to talk about dedication , this man was on the air for almost two weeks straight and the world as well as myself would have it no other way. As he went from day to day to could see toll it was taken on him physically , you could see the burden of a million viewers placed on him and he gladly stepped up to the calling.
So last night as O'Reilly was starting in with his usually tactics of putting the guest on the defensive and trying to discredit the guest he met his match. The roles were reversed. O'Reilly asked ,who is better? Canada who is a socialist country or US the capitalist? Peter being vary calm and collective was like come on bill is that the best you got... i dont know it was great just to see Bill got face to face with an equal in mind.
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