EAWE: Serengeti Day 1 AM

We woke early the next morning and walked to the main lodge while it was still quite dark. We gathered food from the breakfast buffet and sat down at an outdoor table to eat. As the sun came up we got to see the abundance of birds and animals sharing breakfast with us. Several types of hornbills hovered nearby, competing with the starlings for crumbs when they got their courage up to swoop in. Several hares jumped about in the brush. Dassies (rock hyrax) ran across the roof of the building. And there were several absolutely adorable dik diks, small antelope. Such fun!

After the breakfast game viewing we loaded into the vehicle, armed with a game plan on setting boundaries and expectations and determined not to let the previous day's frustrations with our guide repeat themselves. And, for the most part, it was a splendid day. 

The sun was still slowly rising, and we saw a lot of antelopes and gazelles as we made our way from the more sheltered brushlands near the lodge to the open savannah. We happened across some hyenas guarding their den, the cubs barely visible through the tall grass. We drove on, encountering several giraffes, including one of the darkest males I've ever seen. A beautiful secretary bird posed for us, and then we came to a dry riverbed. Our guide turned off the car, but it took a couple minutes to figure out why we were stopping. Lions! Seven of them! There was a mature female with a tracking collar, two young males, two other females, and two cubs. We watched them for a while, but with the exception of one of the cubs they really weren't that active. (The problem with writing this post more than a year after the safari is that my memory is not as fresh. There may have been more than seven lions here. We saw a total of 36 in the Serengeti - spoiler alert! - but I can't remember how many at each time.)

Soon after leaving our first pride we spied a lion in a tree, surprising us since this isn't normal in the Serengeti (though the guide says it's not uncommon either). She seemed to be the huntress for a pride with young cubs. We could see activity in the distance, and the guide said it looked like there were a few other females and some young cubs, but it was too far to get a good look. Once we realized she was in the tree for the long haul we moved on.

We encountered a few elephants, our first of the day, and then started seeing a flurry of other vehicles speeding towards a clearing a little ways away. Chatter on the radio indicated a predator of some sort, maybe a leopard. We made our way there and were dismayed to see a crowd of vehicles already there. We pulled into the scrum and found a vantage point, and D spotted the leopard first with her binoculars. It made its way into the open and posed quite nicely, even with dozens of onlookers. Then it started to move towards a tree. I was watching and taking photos as it climbed, a magnificent thing to watch. And just then another truck pulled right in front of us, in breach of all safari etiquette. As we watched the leopard rest in the tree we counted the vehicles. More than 40. All watching the same thing. UGH.

But we didn't leave. We repositioned (without disturbing anyone else's view) and watched. Because this leopard was clearly hunting. And there was plenty of prey around. Gazelles, zebra, even elephants. Over the next hour we watched with 100 of our closest friends as she came down from the tree, stalked, hid, repositioned, stalked again, and then finally walked off empty handed (pawed? clawed?). The gazelles were within feet of her. All forty vehicles gave up at about the same time and headed for a nearby rest stop, complete with a bathroom and picnic tables and even a snack truck. I was impressed! The bathrooms were spotless and attended to by a man who was cheery and upbeat and attentive and made sure there was always water for flushing, toilet paper, and plenty of soap. He earned those tips! It was still early but we sat down and ate lunch since we were there. The starlings and some bees were intently begging for scraps but we were otherwise unbothered. 

After that, thankfully, the vehicles all dispersed, and we didn't have to share our experiences with more than a couple vehicles at any time for the rest of the Serengeti. The first major sighting was two more lions on the prowl, a male and female this time. They were covering ground fairly quickly and weren't bothered by our presence. After a while they rested, the male lying down and the female on a mound of grass surveying the savannah. We pressed on, soaking up the views and wonderful animal encounters.

Dik diks!

Hyena at dawn

Such a gorgeous setting

Mommas and cubs

Dining on acacia

Matched pair

Phenomenal coloring!

Secretary bird

Lions on the (dry) riverbank

Baby lion!

Mama lion part of a research study

Hippos

Lioness in a tree

Leopard!

Climbing the tree

Making herself comfortable

Watching the elephants very closely 

Yup, that leopard really is that close to the ellies

More animals crossing toward the leopard

Lucky zebras

Inverted tusk and a baby ellie

King of the mound 

Lions on the prowl!

I didn't mean to capture this moment, but I find it fascinating nonetheless 

Time to check out the surroundings

EAWE - Drive to the Serengeti

After lunch at the Serena we set off for the Serengeti. A bucket list destination for all of us, we were beyond excited to get there. The drive started out pleasant enough, driving on paved roads through towns and villages followed by a stop at the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) welcome center. NCA is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We had a quick bathroom break, walk through the small museum, and were entertained by a troop of baboons before getting back into the car. At the top of the caldera we stopped at a lookout to see the crater floor. It was hard to believe there were so many animals in that area, none of them visible to us. 

The next 6+ hours was a very, very rough ride over washboard-riddled dirt roads at breakneck speeds  with copious amounts of dust and joint rattling. The monotony was broken by dozens of Maasai manyattas and shepherds tending to their livestock herds as well as the occasional ostrich or antelope. 

Dusk was falling as we finally entered the Serengeti, but we were still far from the lodge. At least we had the promise of seeing animals as a motivator for the last ninety minutes or so of driving. Sadly, the first park experiences were more washboards and dust and very few animals. By the time we reached the lodge we were all rattled (mentally and physically) and wondering where the animals were. Thankfully tomorrow would show us!

We did enjoy a stunning sunset amidst the acacia trees on the savannah, convincing our driver guide to stop at a few points along the way to let us take photos. We finally arrived at the Serena well after sunset and hurriedly checked in before grabbing dinner (and a few well-deserved drinks for those of us imbibing) and trying to reset our bodies and expectations. I think that was the night that I started having unexplained itching on my hands and arms and realized I didn't have any Benadryl. My mom saved the day with Advil PM, and so I got a great night's sleep. Tomorrow would be a new, exciting day!

Baboons!

Little tiny baby baboon

Looking down at the Ngorongoro Crater

So many animals, none of them visible from here

Male ostrich

Cox' Hartebeest (I think; I need to brush up on my antelopes!)

Sunset through the clouds 

How much more quintessential African safari can you get?

Istanbul - July 2015

Over July 4th weekend I traveled to Istanbul for a minibreak, enjoying my first trip to Turkey and what, I can hope, will be numerous trips back in the future. I flew in on a Thursday evening and enjoyed a long car ride from the airport just as the sun was setting. It was Ramadan, so all of the parks and public areas were filled with families and groups of friends laying out iftar spreads and getting the grills ready for copious amounts of meat. We entered the old city just as the adhaan rang out, and it was fun to watch people taking their first sips of water and bites of food, bringing me back to good times in Jeddah.

I wanted (needed) a relaxing weekend without an ambitious agenda but wanted to be close to the more-visited sites so booked a highly-rated boutique hotel in Sultanahmet. Its location was superb, the room was comfortable and pleasant, the breakfast buffet was sumptuous, and the staff were very helpful. That first night I ordered room service and got to bed fairly early. (I got some great advice on what to do and where to go - and avoid - from hannah at the slow move east; while I didn't get to too many of her recommendations, I have lots of ideas for future visits!)

On Friday I decided to go farther afield and do some strolling and exploring. I took the tram and funicular to Taksim Square and then wandered down Istiklal Caddesi to the waterfront, stopping along the way for a cold drink in a lovely cafe and to do some browsing in stores. From there I took the tram out a ways into some of the less-touristy districts before turning around and hoping to find a place for lunch. The tram broke down a couple stops from the Grand Bazaar, so I joined the throngs of pedestrians, grabbed a quick (and not great) lunch at a hotel restaurant, and then steeled myself for the Grand Bazaar. I knew (myself) better than to actually try and shop while there; I wanted to get a feel for its size and architecture and not get overwhelmed by the crowds or sales tactics.

It was even busier than I expected, and I did just a quick walk-through of a few sections to get a sense of the place. Lots of color, lots of the same things over and over, lots of people. In the future it would be fun to take a tour of the place, but I just wasn't up to trying the do so on my own that day. I headed back to the hotel, had a quick snack at their afternoon tea, rested, and then found a restaurant for a leisurely dinner. 

Saturday I was a bit exhausted so fell back asleep after breakfast, waking in the early afternoon rejuvenated and ready to tour. I walked up to the next tram stop and was excited to find a short line for entrance into the Hagia Sophia. Armed with my Rick Steves guidebook I did my best to get a sense for the history and detail of the place, contending with the other tourists and the copious scaffolding, both of which detracted from its overall majesty. Don't get me wrong, it was gorgeous and amazing, but there's only so much jostling while trying to look up or take photos I can take. I emerged to find a large, seemingly peaceful, protest in between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. I bought an ice cream and assessed. Riot police were out, but they were standing by, relaxed. The protest turned out to be against Chinese oppression of Uighurs in 'East Turkestan, who I hadn't realized were a Turkic people. The protest continued to be peaceful, so I made my way through and towards the Blue Mosque.

I wasn't as lucky there as at Hagia Sophia, and the line was ridiculously long. I wandered the courtyards a while before deciding to go back another time and headed behind to the Arasta Bazaar, which came highly recommended as a no-pressure bazaar with good prices and products. It didn't disappoint, and I walked away with a couple artisanal pomegranates for my budding collection (one porcelain, one hand-crafted metal) and some gorgeous tulip table runners for me and the family. By now it was getting late, so I walked back to the hotel to drop off my purchases and then found a nice neighborhood restaurant for dinner.

Sunday I headed to Eminonu to scope out the ferry terminals for Monday's adventure, meander through the Spice Bazaar, and have a quick lunch on the water. I went back to the Blue Mosque to see if I might have an easier time getting in, but it was prayer time, and the line was growing. So instead I wandered through the Hippodrome and delighted in finding a Ramadan bazaar with tons of craft and food vendors. I did a little shopping and indulged in a few treats (juice, ice cream, baklava) and enjoyed the convivial atmosphere, with fewer tourists and more locals than I would have expected. It was lovely. 

That night I went to a local cultural center for a whirling dervish performance. It was interesting to learn more about Rumi and Sufism and see the ritual movements. Afterwards I made my way back to the hotel looking for a restaurant that looked good; I ended up at the same one from the night before, which had good food and service and was a pleasant place to while away a couple hours. Afterwards I stopped at the corner bakery/sweet shop to buy some gourmet Turkish delight to bring home in August. 

Monday morning (also my birthday) I checked out of the hotel and stored my luggage before heading to Eminonu to catch the ferry to Asia. I was there early enough to get a great seat and enjoyed the ninety minute ride to Anadolu Kavagi on the Asian side. There I had a lackluster seafood lunch with a lovely view and yet another ice cream before reboarding for the ride back. It was a long day on the water, and I was ready to head home by the time I reclaimed my luggage and got into the car for the airport. The airport was an absolutely madhouse, completely overcrowded. I grabbed a bite to eat and a couple last souvenirs for the kids and was relieved to board the plane for home. 

It was a lovely weekend with perfect weather and a perfect break from Beirut. I will definitely be back to Turkey!

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia interior

The Blue Mosque, as seen from the Hagia Sophia

East Turkestan Protest

Blue Mosque

Ramadan Street Market

Hippodrome

Galata Tower

The Blue Mosque

Ortakoy Mosque (definitely need to visit in future!)

Rumeli Hisari (I want to visit next time)

Lunch with a view 

Gorgeous views from the ferry

Lyle Lovett: An R&R Tradition

Another R&R, another Lyle Lovett concert. I love this tradition. This was my eighth concert in my 5.5th state (not sure how to count DC). As soon as Lyle announced his summer concert dates I looked for a good prospect (or two). I would just miss the lovely outdoor venue in Lowell, MA, and my brother's wedding and the preceding week of preparations meant I wouldn't have time to plan a flying trip somewhere. So Bridgeport, CT it was! It was within driving distance and the perfect amount of time before the wedding. I offered to buy tickets for both of my parents, but only Mom took me up on it. (That turned out okay because Dad and I had our own adventure a couple of days later - more on that soon!)

On that Wednesday Mom left work early, and we hit the road about 2pm. We promised Dad we'd stay overnight if we were too tired to drive home, but it was only about a 3 1/2 hour drive away. Neither Mom nor I had ever been to Bridgeport, and I hadn't realized it was so close to NYC. We hit a little traffic around Hartford and switched to a less-traveled road, pulling into town about 5:45. We marveled at the gorgeous houses in a variety of architectural styles and enjoyed the gorgeous parks and landscaping. At 6:00 exactly we reached the parking lot to the Klein theater, just as they were opening the gate. We were the first ones to park and chose a spot near lighting and the entrance of the venue, but we realized later the whole lot was well-lit and close to the venue.

We walked about two blocks to an area where I'd scoped out some restaurants on Google Maps and found ourselves in a nice little Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant. We were the first ones there for dinner, and we both ordered pho and some dumplings. I also introduced Mom to bubble tea - my favorite! The food was filling, and I ate tripe for the first time! (It was an accident; I thought it was a noodle. But it was pretty good!) We finished eating around 7:15 and headed back to the theater.

The Klein is a very nice theater - just the right size and with great acoustics. I had purchased tickets the first day they went on sale, but we still couldn't get center orchestra. We 'settled' for third row left orchestra. They were awesome seats!

The Large Band came on stage and started playing just after 8:00, starting with an instrumental as usual. Then the spotlights turned to the back of the theater, and we all turned around to see the one and only Francine Reed, microphone in hand, walk down the aisle to the stage. I had heard she was part of this tour and was thrilled to see her.

I adore Lyle Lovett in concert any time I see him, but the last few times I'd only seen him with his acoustic group, and there's nothing quite like seeing him with the whole Large Band. There were lots of familiar faces; it never fails to amaze me that some of these guys have been playing and touring with Lyle since the 1970s. And even the newer members fit in so seamlessly. It really speaks to the camaraderie and talent of this group of musicians.

The concert lasted almost three hours and was absolutely spectacular. Just the right mix of songs from across his repertoire and a couple sneak previews of new work by Keith Sewell and Luke Bulla. Absolutely fabulous. There were a lot of fans in the audience, but I think there were also lots of people not familiar with the songs too. It was a nice mix, and the audience was - as always - interactive and appreciative.

We left the theater, bought some merchandise, and headed to the car. We waited a few minutes to let the parking clear out before getting in the car, but it took less than ten minutes for us to get out, which is pretty good for a concert of that size.

The drive home wasn't really a fun one given the amount of night construction going on. Mom drove until Springfield, MA; we stopped at a McDonald's drive through to get soft serve and switch drivers, but it took 25 minutes from ordering to getting our cones. The guy in front of us was clearly ordering for an entire work crew, and they hadn't been ready for him. I took over driving and quickly realized that midnight after a long day was probably not the best time to drive Mom's car for the first time. Luckily that stretch of I-91 is a very familiar one, and we made it home without incident, pulling in at 3:00am. It was completely worth it! I can't wait for the next concert in a new state. Or even a state I've seen him in before. It doesn't matter. I'm a devoted fan.

Francine Reed and Lyle Lovett

Such a phenomenal musician, songwriter, and performer

No zoom - awesome seats!

Still here!

It has definitely been a while. Life has been busy! Work, travel, R&R, family time, and my brother's wedding occupied the last couple of months, and the internet here doesn't lend itself to posting photos or updates very often. But there are stories about Istanbul, Lyle Lovett (of course!), the wedding, and even last year's safaris to catch up on soon. Coming soon!

But here's the latest from Beirut: a sandstorm. A really bad one. We're all hunkering down inside and trying to keep breathing. See here for more information. Lots more going on in Beirut these days, but I'll let you find those articles on your own.

Produce and Groceries in Beirut

It's the little things. I don't have any photographs to accompany this post, sadly, but I wanted to get something up sooner than later. And maybe I'll come up with a less boring title at some point too.

I've been spoiled the last two tours being in places with pretty phenomenal produce variety and quality all year round.

Uganda's bananas and pineapples and papayas (does anyone actually like papaya? I realize I do not, even though it has little taste) and passion fruits and avocados and jack fruits had me in fruit heaven. The veggies were reliable if not outstanding.

Beirut is an absolute dream post in terms of produce. A lot of the items are locally grown and even the imported ones are not too pricey. I arrived here just as strawberries were coming into season, and I bought 1-2 kilos of these huge, fragrant, juicy berries every week. By the time their numbers started decreasing iI had run out of ideas for cooking with them and was a bit tired of eating them at lunch every day. Now stone fruits are coming into season, and the produce stands are overflowing with beautiful cherries and peaches and plums and all of their lovely, delicious cousins. I made a peach and pomegranate crisp a couple weeks ago - a neat combination of flavors. Now it's time to dig out my cold cherry soup recipe from my summer in Hungary/Slovakia. Though as I posted on Facebook recently, I like the idea of eating plums much more than the reality. They're a little too gushy and sour for me.

The veggies here are equally impressive, especially the artichokes. I bought a steamer pot in 2009 for the express purpose of cooking artichokes. It wasn't until 2015 that my pot was in the same country as affordable, good quality artichokes. I've been making up for lost time. Asparagus season was too short for my liking, but I still buy the imported kind. And I snapped up a half kilo of fresh green beans this past weekend that I'm still scheming of the perfect use for.

There's some great fruit stands here (they sell fruits and veggies), and my favorite one gets frequent visits from me and everybody I rave about it to. There's always a helpful young man to help you select and bag your produce, and they're good at helping me learn (relearn, really) the French and Arabic words for all these things. So far we've always been able to match up what I'm looking for. Swiss chard was a tough one, though. As were chives.

In addition to awesome produce, the grocery stores are well stocked. I'm continually amazed at what they stock, though the supplies and selections do ebb and flow on occasion. I also really like that the deli counter attendants are always willing to let you sample a meat or cheese before you commit; sometimes they continue to feed you even after you've made your choice.

Grocery shopping can become a chore, but I'm trying to establish those all-important relationships with the places I frequent (while trying not to be a predictable target, of course), and I'm well on my way. Bring on the summer fruits and veggies!