Back in West Palm Beach - June 21, 2009

Hello!
I'm home! I survived the 2 long flights and arrived in Miami Friday around 2pm. I didn't get out of customs till 4:30 due to weather issues and the luggage so that was a little exasperating but it was all worth it to walk out into Joe's arms. I was in bed by 8pm. Saturday I unpacked and worked on uploading photos onto my Flicker. What a difference being back in the US! They are uploading really fast!:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/37676010@N02/
There will be more and more pictures posted daily as I find time to work on it.
I guess this will be my last blog since I don't think you guys would be interested in my mundane daily life in West Palm Beach! I start my new job at The Garrison Design Group of Florida, Inc. on Monday. Wish me luck! It's going to be quite an adjustment going back to the working world after being home unemployed for so long but I'm really excited.
Love to you all!
Adina

Nairobi - June 18, 2009 PACKING DAY!

Evangeline and Me at The Trout Tree on the way to Mt. Kenya

Jambo!
Well as usual I'm the first one up in the Des Marais household. I've been up since 5am and have been working on my e-mails and online check-in with British Airways.
Yesterday Evangeline and I spent the whole day together - just the 2 of us. Left the teenagers at home to fend for themselves and we headed to the school store to meet Evangeline's Texan friend Barb who runs the store. So I got more magazine necklaces!!! It was my last thing on my list of "things to do before I leave Nairobi". We made a quick stop at Westgate Village to do some banking and I bought a book to read on the airplane. I bought The White Masai. It is about a young Swedish women who comes to Kenya with her boyfriend and immediately falls madly in love with Masai man. She ends up giving up everything to move into the bush with him. So far it's pretty bizarre! We then dropped off Hubert's computer at the hotel (he's always forgetting something!) and then went to the Nairobi Museum and then had lunch. We then went to the Ramona Modern Art Gallery which was really awesome! I took tons of pictures to show Anna - she would have loved it there. Got home around 4pm and Evangeline disappeared into her room for a nap. I really envy how that girl can lay down and immediately go into a deep sleep. I was a little too wound up for some reason to even consider laying down so I drank coffee, worked on the computer and did a little reading. In the evening we were supposed to go to the Northfork to have dinner in the new restaurant TATU with the Executive GM and his wife but Hubert called and was having a very bad day so Evangeline and Igot to go out to dinner alone which was really great because we got to have a lovely dinner alone on our last night together. Had a great meal at a place called "It's About Thyme" then came home to have one more glass of wine together. It's then off to bed and I immediately passed out - didn't even have to read myself to sleep.
Today it's pack, pack, pack! I have strict instructions from Evangeline to lay all the things I bought out on my bed before they go into the suitcase. That will mean more reminiscing since everything little item represents something we did together. Also have one more big stack of Hubert's cookbooks sitting on the library floor I need to organize and put on the shelves.
I have had such a great time here! I have never felt so at home and welcome in my whole life as I have here at Evangeline's. I've been treated like family, not a visitor, and I truly feel deep down in my heart that I was never a burdening presence while I was here. I'm starting to get very sad and a little teary eyed as I write this. It will probably be a least a year before I see my beautiful Evangeline again and that's a little hard to accept. So Evangeline, when you read this know I love you and know we will do lot's of talking on the phone when I get home!
Concerning the pictures that I have not posted I apologize but it has been almost impossible to upload pictures here. Xan has posted a few on Flicker but he has had the same issues I've had on the uploading so I will upload a bunch when I get home. I start my new job on Monday so I will be busy this weekend trying to settle in and dealing with jet lag. So anyway to all my friends in West Palm Beach - See you soon! Maybe I'll have a little "Africa" party when I get home.
Love,
Adina

Flicker Pictures

www.flickr.com/photos/xantheman

Jambo! This is Xan's Flicker site. He is currently uploading pictures to this site. It is a very slow process. To quote Hubert, "Welcome to Kenya"!

Nairobi - June 16, 2009

Pumba!

Jambo!
Today Lindsay came over and we headed to the Hawker's Market. It was so busy we couldn't even pull into the parking area so we gave up and went to Diamond Plaza (the Indian market) to get our vegetables there. We stopped for lunch and did a little grocery shopping at the Nakumatt (the super, duper, Super Walmart like grocery - you can buy everything from food,appliances to motorcycles!). I got Anna a little Kenyan teapot and some tea.
Came home and tried napping but the two teenagers in the house kept slamming doors. Felt like home. LOL!
Mid afternoon we headed to Karen which is just outside of Nairobi. Karen is named after the lady who wrote Out of Africa. We were meeting Evangeline's old college buddy Vicki who was there for a quick layover before flying home to LA. Vicki was really sweet. She was with some friends and relatives who are in the movie business. Very interesting group of people. They were staying at The Ngong House. Very beautiful place. The rooms were tree houses. See www.ngonghouse.co.ke. We also stopped at a couple of little shops:
Kamili Designs - they make and sell hand-printed and painted fabrics.
UniquEco - The Flipflop Recycling Company - everything made and sold there is made strictly out of recyclable products. - I got little bowel made out of old flip flops.
We scooted out of Karen just before the sun was setting, stopped at The Talisman for dinner. I got to have my favorite! Creme Brulee! The drive back to Nairobi was pretty intense in the dark but we did make it home safe and sound. I got a phone call from Jess - YEA! Had a great talk with him then off to bed. Tomorrow we are going to hit a couple of museums and hopefully meet a friend of Evangeline's at the school store to see if I can get a few more magazine necklaces.
Love,
Adina
PS - Judy I'm working on pictures! Hopefully today Xan will get them loaded on Flicker - I'll let you know when they are up! Just don't have the time or patience to upload them here. The picture of Pumba took about 20 minutes to upload!

Nairobi - June 16, 2009

Jambo!
Today it was go, go, go! We met Lindsay at Diamond Plaza to look for more Kurtis. In case you don't know what a Kurtis is: They are long tops made out of different materials that a lot of Indian women wear. We like the cotton ones with little or no bling. I got 2. We then had lunch at the local Indian restaurant. It was my first tasting of real traditional Indian dishes. I liked it but some was little spicy. We then headed to a jewelry store that Evangeline insisted I needed to see. The owner, Gemini, was there and I showed her one of the Kurtis I had bought and she immediately sat us down with some coffee and quickly pulled out 2 necklaces and some earrings that looked perfect with the Kurtis. They were very inexpensive so of course I had to buy them. Hint to Joe: I now have a very pretty ensemble that would be very nice to wear on a romantic, post anniversary dinner. She also had some beautiful jewelry made out antique African beads and gave us a little history on the different types of beads. Very lovely and interesting lady!
We headed to Village Plaza to the Nakumatt to pick up a few groceries and then headed home.
Evangeline and I made vegan tomato sauce and we had a delicious spaghetti dinner with Xan and Hallie. Evangeline and then polished off the bottle of wine and started reminiscing which led to a few tears. Hubert finally made it home and we fixed him a plate and visited for a while then off to bed. Tomorrow we are going to Hawker's Market. It's supposed to be a huge vegetable market. Hubert told me to where old shoes and clothes. Can't wait to see this!
Love,
Adina

Masai Mara - Just a Few Pictures

Giraffe

Lion Eating the Kill

Cape Buffalo - A Retired General

Antelope

Old Masai Woman

Giraffe

Wildebeest

Leah

Masai Mara - June 14, 2009

Adina, Latif, Evangeline, Xan and Halie

Jambo!
We headed out for our last am game drive this morning and had quite a drama unfold before our eyes. Latif spotted some lions stalking a zebra. It was the same lioness and her cubs we saw the other day. We slowly followed in the distance waiting for something to happen. Finally 2 of the other drivers cut through the bush behind where we knew the lions were lurking and this scared off the zebras. Letif was not happy! We then drove up through the bush and found the lioness and her cubs hanging out on the other side of a small gully. We all parked and turned off our engines and were enjoying watching them and taking pictures when down through the gully walked a Masai. We were like - oh no!!! He was walking right in front of the lions and of course they were very hungry since they didn't get a zebra! Letif immediately called out to him to come get in our truck. The Masai told Letif that he was running from some Cape Buffalo when he came up to two game drivers parked just above the gully and instead of telling him to get into one of their trucks they told him it was ok to cut through the gully! Letif drove him out to a safer area on the Mara and let him out. He then turned off his engine we just sat there discussing and wondering how this could happen and what awful thing almost happened. Needless to say, Letif turned off his radio, disconnecting all communications with the other drivers and we finished our drive alone without them. The only thing I can say is to quote Letif: "Some people have no humanity in them!". The whole event was very disturbing.
After the drive we had breakfast, finished packing and headed to the airport. Leah tried once more to get me to grab my bag and stay. I was so sad to say goodbye to her and especially Letif. While waiting for the plane to arrive Letif told us a little more about himself and his family. He is married with 5 children, the youngest 3 months, and also has his parents, mother-in-law and 2 brothers live with him. He had acquired some land and just finished building 2 houses when the political uprising occurred last year. Both houses were burned to the ground. It gives you a very clear picture of how hard life is here for a majority of the Kenyans.
We arrived safely into Nairobi, took a taxi home and started regrouping after the long trip. I think I forgot to mention that poor Hubert was unable to join us since he had a new kitchen to open in Mt. Kenya and another restaurant at the Northfork they are trying to open next week. We really missed having him along. I especially miss his sense of humor and adventure when he is not around.
While Evangeline and I were napping, Xan and Halie made some vegetarian sushi. We went to pick up Truffles and Jabari at the vet where they were boarded and came home and enjoyed a late sushi lunch. After that Hubert, Xan and Halie went out a finally bought a TV with all the bells and whistles. We ran out for a quick dinner and when we got back Hubert and Xan set up the TV upstairs in a common area. I missed all the hoopla since I immediately passed out in bed. I heard they had the TV up and running and were blasting the surround sound. I slept through it all. I haven't missed TV one bit since I've been here. Tomorrow we are going with Lindsey in search of some Kurtis at Diamond Plaza and maybe hit a museum or two.
Love,
Adina