where am I

Looking at my last post, I didn't have any ideas how to start writing again. A lot of things happened since my last writing. I got worried on how to start writing again with all the events and the airplane rides that I took in a matter of 2 months, I was left with the thought Where am I?

I will try my best to recount all the things in the past 2 months, but first to make it easier for me. I would like to start with where am I?

August 14

I took a flight from Cebu to Manila to Jakarta.

I arrived in Jakarta at 11:45 in the evening local time. After exiting from the immigration and getting my backpack, I followed what my host in Jakarta instructed me to do, look for a blue bird cab and gave the driver his address. ( I was still overwhelmed with big denomination of their currency) Since this was an unplanned trip, I did not have much time to study on the conversion rate.

The closest city I can relate Jakarta to is Manila. I thought that Manila has the worst traffic in the world equalling to those of New Delhi and Mumbai but Jakarta is far worst.

Buses and Taxis are the main mode of moving around the city. "Ojecs" or motorbikes can take you around fast but sometimes it needs a strong determination to face the fast running Ojecs racing in the main roads with big cars. One impressive transportation in Jakarta is the Bus way. If most countries have subways to transport commuters fast, Jakarta has a Busway that works like a subway but instead of being on a tube, it is a running bus with its own bus lane and stations to transfer to other routes as well.

For people who loves malls and shopping, Jakarta is the place. Malls are massive and modern.

W, my host trusted his apartment keys with me and helped me get a local sim card that can access the internet unlimited for 30 days.

I stayed with W for 3 nights and I headed to Bali flying to Denpasar via Batavia.

While waiting for my flight to Denpasar, I got an email from couchsurfing, that another host is willing to host me for a few days in Kuta. ( I got lucky on the last minute)

J, offered to pick me up at the airport. Since my flight arrived at 4pm and he still has to be in his office we decided to meet in one of the malls in Kuta.

Like W, J also trusted his apartment keys with me for 2 days.

On the first night we headed to the touristy Kuta beach for Beer. The beach is full of tourist and mostly surfers.

On the second day we rode his motorbike to a less rowdy beach with a magnificent view of the sunset. I offered to treat him for dinner and I thank him for showing me around because I have planned to head to the islands of lombok the next day.

(arriving at denpasar airport)

(a common sight everywhere in Bali)

The Trip from Kuta started at 6:30 am to Padangbai ( a little over an hour )

Arriving at Padangbai, we wait for the ferry that departs at 9am to Lombok ( around 4 to 5 grueling hours)

(leaving Padangbai to Lombok by ferry)

(my bed during the 5 hour slow boat ride)

With lack of sleep and a very uncomfortable ride, I was very tired when I arrived at Lombok Island. From Lombok port, I need to catch another bus ride to a smaller harbor ( almost 2 hours)

At around 4pm, I finally arrive at the harbor that will transport me to Gili Islands. I stayed in the harbor for an hour to wait for the small boats to fill up before it gets to the Islands.

At 5PM the small boat departed to the Islands.

I arrived in the Island at 5:30PM, without arranging any accommodation in the island, I was prepared to camp in the beach.

July to September are the high season in Bali and the Islands, which means prices can easily triple at this time. Bungalows near the beach are the most expensive ones. The farther from the beach the cost slowly drops. I was taken to a bungalow 10 minutes away from the beach. The price for the fan room is at 200,000 rps. Being on a tight budget but at the same time being very tired, I was tempted to get the place.

The craziness in me, tried to walk further until I reached a local village of fishermen and their families. With my heavy backpack, I just knocked randomly at local people's houses and asked if they have a spare room for me.

After 2 houses, I was referred to a boatman named Jamil. He offered to let me stay with his family for 50,000 rps

I stayed in his daugther room. The accommodation was very basic with outside squat toilet, what else can I expect at this high season for 50,000 rps.

In the evening I spoke with Jamil and I learned that I am staying with a muslim family and since its ramadam everyone in the family is not eating from Sun up until Sun down. They told me that everyone wakes up at 3am to start preparing to eat because everyone will not eat until 6pm in the afternoon.

I learned from Jamil that everything in the Island is expensive. The Island doesn't have fresh water and no electricity. Everything is transported by boat from Lombok. So i bathed in sea and showered with the same filtered salt water....

Life in the Island is very simple. No cars and motorcycles allowed in the island. The main mode of transportation is a horse by walking.

Internet in the island is also very expensive. Most internet shops charge 24,000 rps for an hour use of the computer.

He showed me around the village and told me where to get cheap food to eat, because restaurants by the beach are very pricey.

He introduced me to his family. His daughter Melanie is in elementary and is studying in the island's only school.

It is amazing to see the 2 face of the Island. Going to the beach side seeing foreigners getting massages on the beach side with their cocktails and beers and walking along the village where the locals main entertainment in the evening is talking among themselves and their neighbors to past the time.

Staying with the locals here made me appreciate the comforts I have at home but listening to their stories and their way of life is priceless...

One day I hope to comeback to this place, where swimming 20 meters from the beach line, means swimming with turtles and swimming in a very big aquarium of exotic fishes.

I am returning to Bali tomorrow after 3 nights here in the island. I will bring back with me a lot of memories.

(one of the pricey places in the beachside)

a short thought about life

5 minutes ago, I borrowed my 20 day old nephew dodong. I tried to test myself if I am capable of taking care oh him on my own for at least an hour.

I brought him inside my room and played music for him while he was staring into space. After about 10 minutes of his baby moves, he started to cry. I tried to quiet him down by some small hand patting on his baby bum.. He stopped crying.

After a short 5 minute of staring again, he began crying louder this time and he was turning red. I wanted to carry him but I am not sure if I can pick him up the proper way without hurting his head.

I realized how delicate this 20 day old life here in front of me. I decided to bring him back to his mom. I failed my test. I did not last an hour.

(dodong staring into space in my room)

After dodong left my room. A thought about life came to me. While we are welcoming the new addition to our family, I cannot stop feeling sad for a high school classmate named Dina.

Dina has been complaining of constant stomach crunches and pain. The doctor found some stones inside her and decided to operate her to remove the stones. When she was operated the doctors found a tumor on her Bile duct. They removed the tumor and had it checked if it was benign or might be alarming for cancer.

Last week the tumor biopsy indicated that it is cancerous. And it has spread through other nearby organs.

Dina is now in the hospital, the family is awaiting for her condition to stabilize before she can start with the chemotherapy.

I learned the sad news 5 days ago. It made me realize that cancer is not just for elderly people but it can hit anyone.

The difficult part of Dina's situation is she just had her first baby last January. Her baby girl is just 5 months old.

Friends, even if you don't personally know Dina, I seek your help in praying for Dina and her family in this trying times.

(Dina on her wedding day )

(Dina and her baby Julliana)

Life can come too easily and it also can go too quickly.

Let's all be happy and celebrate life

Mother Nature has spoken

Yesterday was an ordinary rainy day. Very light but non stop rain. No one anticipated that Mother Nature is gonna be talking to us.

Waters from highlands suddenly rush into our place, the low lands. I was stuck in the office until 10pm because the street where I live is unpassable by any vehicle. All I can do is call our house help on the phone regarding the situation inside the house.

I was expecting bad, but when I got home at around 10:30 This is what I saw.

This is the morning after picture.

The house is still a mess now. I hope we all learned our lessons.

Interesting Chat today

Today I got the chance to see an old friend online.

"I" now lives in Berlin we use to work together and after she got married to her german boyfriend, they transferred to Germany.

Since she got hired by a German Bank, I seldom see her online. When I saw "I" was online, I instantly message her. And ask her how are things and if she has adjusted to her new job already. Here are some parts of our catching up.

Me: have you adjusted well already?

"I": yeah, work is good I'm enjoying it stressful at times

Me:Wow that's really good to hear that you are enjoying work

"I": I am proud to say, modesty aside, that my bosses are impressed with me. I think I finally found the job that suits me. Its a mix of 3 things, Banking,Legal and Research, the 3 fields that interest me most.

After updating each other, we spoke about our common friends and some of her law school classmates whom I knew also. Our chat lasted for at least a little over an hour. Suddenly she has to go.

"I": dude I gotta run. "T" ( T is I's husband) promised to take me shopping cuz it's my birthday.

Me: hey sorry

"I": huh? why?

Me: I didn't know its your birthday, I closed my facebook I am not updated. I feel bad I didn't greet you.

"I": hahahaha no worries we're new yorkers we can take it.

Me: well yeah.... that's a good answer.

"I": haha thanks let's catch up again soon.

Me: enjoy your day newyorker

"I": Ciao!

After catching up with "I" , It made me realize again how we are and how we feel towards our birthdays. Some become sentimental, some needs more attention, some need to feel special and for "I" maybe it is just another day. After all she is a Newyorker.

Are you a newyorker?

my favorite pictures (to be given away)

Out of almost 2,000 photos, I scanned through some of my travel pictures and printed those that are my favorites.

After printing the 9 pictures, I realized how I wish to share the insights and learnings I gained from these trips. Since I am not good in putting all my thoughts into words, I guess sharing pictures to my friends will be a way to convey the wonderful feeling I had during my travels.

Here are some of my favorite pics and a little story behind the photos.

The Massai Guide. This man is our guide when we arrive at the massai village, arriving at the village on a wednesday. We were lucky to see the bustling and colorful exchanges of goods, which only happens once a week. The massai people are very strict with their photos taken. When we were going back to camp, I asked him If I could take a photo of him, He agreed but he looked away from the camera thus giving me this picture.

The orphans at Kibera. On my last day in Kenya, I decided to spend the day in one of Africa's poorest and largest slums. My first stop is an orphanage/school. I learned from this place the value of food to the orphans. It is rare that these kids get to eat a good meal. It is very common for them to partake a sticky liquid made from maize. I tried tasting it. It was just like a sticky flavorless water. Yet for these kids, it is a way to fill in their stomach to combat hunger, regardless of its tastelessness.

The warriors. The massai warriors doing their traditional dance, which involves a lot of high jumping in the air. After printing this picture, It made me realize how fortunate I am to experience such culture at this modern times. Looking at this picture made me think that while we are bustling with our modern gadgets, on the other side of the world, there are people living their normal lives in a very traditional and laid back way.

The smiling Massai. I like this photo because of the sharpness capture of the massai guy in contrast with his fading background. This for me is a lucky shot.

Early morning tour. The most intense and spiritual city in India. I arrived in what I describe as the city of deaths, Varanasi feeling suffocated, irritable and emotionally drained. All these negativity is because of the intensity and the power of the place that overshadowed me. Seeing death in its natural form, it gave me another meaning to life. I hired a boatman to give me an early morning cruise at the gaths. This image conveys how locals do their daily morning routines of dipping in the world's most polluted water, which they believe is a way of cleansing themselves from the impurities of life. After staying a few days in Varanasi, I appreciated its negativity and its intensity, making Varanasi one of the best places I visited in India.

The scavenger. I like this picture because of how the young kid's face transformed because of the facial expression. And up to this day I am not sure if this kid is a boy or a girl. I like the intensity of the kid's eye. One of my personal favorites.

The Sand dunes at last. We started the 2 day journey in the Thar desert around 9am we reached the area with vast sand dunes around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. The trek was very exhausting but the experience of sleeping under the stars and riding the camel for 2 days was all worth the exhaustion. Plus we are only a few kilometers away from one of my dream destinations. Pakistan.

The greeters. Entering the old Jaisalmer fort, these ladies cant be missed, from the bangles they are selling to the vibrant colors of their clothes. Since I don't intend to buy any of their goods, I bargained for a few rupees for them to be photographed.

The musician. This man is sitting in the middle of the massive fort, playing with his instrument the whole day for a few drops of coins in his can. I took this photo quite far from him as so not to distract him and I was afraid that he might be angry having photographed without his knowledge. To my surprise he genuinely smiled when he saw me taking his picture.

Two pictures given away already. Do let me know if you want one.

Backtracking the goodtimes at the bad time

As I am writing this post, I am bloody stressed out now. Pardon me for I have been writing mostly on my downside, thus most of the post are on the negative side.

This time I wanna think of the good times I spent with my high school mates during the past holy Thursday and Friday. I am Backtracking the good times at a bad time.

Since I bade my Bali trip goodbye, I have decided to catch up with my high school mates in the city.

As concrete as I can I wanna share the good times with friends on a two day holiday.

Thursday April 21

After the 3.5 hour drive to the city, I arrived at my friend S's house. When I got there I saw E, K and J. J is the wife of S. A few minutes after I arrived R came in also. K who studied to be a chef, brought her sister with her to prepare for our Japanese inspired dinner.

I enjoyed eating the Sashimi the most. It is one of my favorite food. Nothing beats a sumptuous dinner over good conversation with friends.

(actual photo of our dinner)

After the having one of the best dinners of my life, Our host S and J invited us for a night swimming in their club house pool. Everyone was in the mood for night swimming except for R, who busied herself taking photos. Lapping in the pool was a very good way to release the stress from work. I can still vividly remember, I allowed myself to just float on my back in the water and seeing the night sky filled with stars and wishing that time would stop for me to savor the relaxing feeling of the water and floating while looking at the stars... it was an amazing moment.

(the goggles i used during the lapping)

We did not stop swimming until the life guard on duty informed us that the pool is closing. After washing up we head back to S and J's house. J announced to everyone that as soon as we are ready, she is going to meet us at their music room for some serious heavy drinking and karaoke night. True enough, she prepared Lime and salt for our Tequila shots and I really lost count on the bottles of wine we consumed that night. E and K started off by singing upbeat songs. Slowly as the night progressed everyone seem to loosen up as the alcohol started to sipped in to our system. I even dared myself to sing a song. I don't know if its the 3 straight shots of tequila, I selected this 1965 hit song. Slightly aware of the sound I am making, I decided not to finish the song, comparing my voice to E's semi pro voice and leaving a little dignity to myself.

It was J who first declared that she is a drunk already. E was dancing while drinking to make himself active and not let the alcohol take over his sanity. But the dancing did not help much as he suddenly puked in the kitchen sink while getting some food to eat. After cleaning his mess, without a word, he just declared to everyone that he is going to bed. Sensing that everyone had a bit too much, all of us agreed to call it a night. We all stayed in one room. I can't recall our bedtime because after I change to my sleeping clothes I passed out.

I just remembered waking up because of E's puking sound the morning after.

I looked at everyone it was E and R who were most affected by the hang over as they were alternating themselves puking.

(That's K on the background with our alcohol)

Friday April 22

Nursing a hangover the next day, J prepared warm soup for everyone. It was funny looking at how lanky E has become while eating banana, which is a hangover cure. Our Host reserved the morning for us to hit the beach. Sadly R, gave up and decided to go home to cure her hangover in the comforts of her house. E, despite the non stop puking decided to join us at the beach. We just made sure to get him gatorade as he was dehydrating already from all the throwing up.

On the beach, J, me and a getting better E decided to go for a swim. We even rented a jetski to crash the waves and explore the neighboring beaches.

(getting ready for our jetski ride)

Around 3pm we decided to start packing up to head home. But as we drove towards home, S invited everyone to stop by a newly opened firing range to try out the place. It was a very good experience, missing the target plates at the beginning then slowly learning how to properly aim at the targets. S is a very good teacher. I gained new admiration to those shooters who hit their targets while running, damn its not easy.

(aiming at our targets)

After finishing 2 rounds (200 bullets), we decided to go home. Since our host S and J has prepared so much for us already, I invited everyone for a Korean dinner. So everyone just washed up and changed clothes then we all went to a Korean Resto. Our host is not so familiar with Korean cuisine, I am not a food expert but I love korean food. Good thing K, our food expert is also very good in ordering korean food. I can barely remember the name of the food but it was all good. Thanks to K's ordering skills. We finished dinner at around 8. S and J invited everyone for a relaxing massage at a Spa.

Everyone got the "wholistic massage". Because I was so tired, I slowly dozed off as the attendant was rubbing my back. I was half asleep, and as my eyes close, I can feel my saliva dripping from my mouth... I did not care much, I am here for a relaxation.

(Korean dinner)

After our massage, everyone looked doped with our sloppy eyes. I informed my friends that I going back home early morning to catch up before office opens. Since my home is 3.5 hours drive. I need to get up at 3 am to make it at home at least 6:30 in the morning. We decided to kill the time and end our night with some late night snacks and coffee at starbucks.

We killed the time by reminiscing about the good old days during school and wondering how our other friends are doing. Me not wanting to sleep also had consumed 2 tall size americano to keep me awake until 3am.

Sensing that S is already sleepy, E needs some rest too after the bad hangover. I asked everyone if we can start driving home already. I just have 1 hour to wait before I start to head home.

When we reached home, E automatically fell flat. The couple S and J stayed up with me until 3 am so they can send me off.

I set my phone to alarm at 3am. 2:50 AM I told S and J that I would be heading home now, I don't want my alarm to sound so that I won't disturb E.

They went down with me until I reach my car and start driving.

(bagel and chips at starbucks)

I cancelled my Bali trip for a trip in the city. Looking back, it was a very short bonding time with my friends. The 3.5 hours drive is not easy and knowing that I would be working when I get home. But it was all worth it!

I feel better now

Not that bad after all

Driving on the way home yesterday, I drove pass the vast rice fields as the sun was slowly setting. Looking at the window I was greeted with this view.

I had to pull over and roll down my car window and hurriedly took my phone and captured this view.

(my hometown)

This view somewhat reminded me of the time when I was in Narok, Kenya doing a 3 day safari and looking at the one of the best sunsets of my life.

It was an exhilarating feeling that I was halfway around from my country and I was one with wilds at its best.

(narok kenya)

With the negativity I have towards this seemingly lifeless sleeping town that I am living, I continually struggle of thinking of the exciting life away from my comfort zone, thus making my hometown a place that I need to vacate.

Looking at the Beautiful sunset yesterday, it made me realize wherever I will be, we are all under one sky and we share the same sun, no matter how nice and ordinary looking it sets at our angle in this side of the world.

Arriving home yesterday made me feel its not that bad after all...........

Yet the struggle continues. Have a blessed holyweek

My no looking back song

I have been in hibernating mode for the past weeks.

I kept quiet and chose to disconnect myself. I closed my facebook account, and I overcame the habbit of automatically typing the facebook address everytime I open a webpage.

I decided to shut down myself from people close to me because I fear that if I connect with them, I might spread the negativity I have with me now.

Last January, I booked tickets for a short holiday in Bali which is supposedly for this week.

I was looking forward to this trip for me to re energize and unwind.

The past few months has been very difficult for me. Each day I battle of the thought of living abroad again against staying in the comforts of home with the security of being with family.

For some, it might sound crazy risking myself living on the edge with uncertainties abroad while I do have a secured place called home. But digging deeper, I realized its not about having a secured future and making sure that I am living comfortably when my senior years arrive. It's about making the most of my my fading youth , and living life doing the things that makes one happy. Bottom line, I would want that during my golden years, I would have bunch of stories to tell; and I would want to end it saying, "it was tough, it was never easy, but it was fun and not a single moment I regret".

Right now the battle and struggles continues day after day. I get upset thinking about it. But I remembered the time when I took a risk of quiting my office job for an unknown adventure in china. While preparing for my trip to china, I felt a lot of uncertainties and anxieties. But despite that, I promised myself that the moment I step out the plane and arrive in Shanghai I would listen to this song to welcome myself to my new adventure. And it actually felt good walking to the chinese immigration while listening to my song.

For now, plans are still uncertain. But I already have a song in mind that I would be listening when I set foot again for my planned adventure. But its different this time. I have learned my lessons from home thus I wanna call this "my no looking back" song .

Promise... I will do better

This is for now.... But Promise. I will do better

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How I see my future

It has been a tough week since I got back from my holiday. Everyday seems to be a struggle to get up. I had been wanting to get back to running just to shake everything off. It has been raining and it is impossible to get out and run.

I don't want to sound negative but everything at work is just black now. I am starting to question myself if I made the right decision of leaving my life abroad. Turning back on my independence and freedom in exchange to the life I am living now with my family.

I honestly don't want to think that I made the wrong move. The decision of coming back home was a move that I thought over and over. But in this negative situation, I cannot help but ask myself of the things that matter and how I see my future with regards to how I am working to achieve that future that I long for.

After job hopping and some traveling, I have come to realize that I don't want to be rich and live in an expensive lifestyle. I just want a comfortable laid back and secure future.

For now, I wanted my future to be related to traveling. And to realize this, I want to open a guest house or a hostel in a foreign land where backpackers often visit.

This is not so much of an income generating business but meeting people and exchanging travel stories is one thing that I enjoy most.

Running a hostel does not require high maintenance compared to running a hotel.

I once stayed in a hostel in Seoul where the owners clean the house themselves and leaves the house in the evening, meaning only guest remains in the house during night time. They just leave a note and number to call incase of emergency.

The couple treat everyone as family. People just come and go in the hostel.

(common living room of stay korea in Seoul)

(one of the hippest hostels i have stayed)

Ideally, aside from running a hostel in a far away country, I would like to be a part time college professor. Running the hostel in the mornings and do teaching in the evenings. I would like to teach a business related subject in the University. I have not tried formal teaching, but I have a strong feeling that teaching in the University is something that I would enjoy doing.

Now coming back to reality, None of the present things I am doing can lead me to achieve this goal for the future. That is why I am burned out easily.

To my friends who reads this blog, kindly get in touch with me and tell me what you think about how I see my future. Do you think it fits me? I need your thoughts

East Africa

A small presentation to sum it all up

East africa Slideshow: JP’s trip from Manila to 6 cities Nairobi, Kampala, Kigali, Kisumu, Nakuru and Narok was created by TripAdvisor. See another Kenya slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

I am not a bag

It's a rainy wednesday afternoon. I took a break from work and opened my facebook account. At the home screen, I saw that my sister was tagged in an album.

Note: Once you are tagged in a photo, when people look at your pictures, the photo that you were tagged will appear in your "photos" .

I scanned through the albums, and there wasn't a single photo of her. It was an album of signature branded bags for sale.

Looking at it, It got me into thinking the reasons why we create our facebook profile and how it became a universal website (except in china, where facebook is banned).

Facebook is use to connect with other people.

Facebook is to tell other people of what is happening with our lives now

Facebook is boast to other people of our latest travel pics, to boast to other people of pictures that we look good in. ( most of us even have different albums to arrange our photos).

Now as I scanned through the album where my sister was tagged into. It was purely 127 pictures of different overpriced bags.

When I checked into my sister's profile page, It says that she has 200 photos. When I clicked the photos, they were different photo collections of travel pictures, family pictures and some beach pictures. Since she was tagged in an album full of bags, there were at least 13 pictures of different bags included in her photos.

I wondered if she is okay that she became an overpriced ordinary looking bag in 13 pictures in her profile.

What's worse is that because of a lot of fake designer bags being sold. These albums want to make sure that their bags are "authentic" they also post pictures of the receipts and some helpful logos to attest to the bag's "authenticity".

Now check your profile pictures, you might be a designer bag now, or maybe a korean fashion dress!!!

Just thinking aloud

(This is my sister, turned into Ferragamo)

(she is not fake. Check the logo)

(still not convinced? she was bought in a ferragamo store. look at her receipts)

It's sunday and It's Complicated

It's sunday.

The first Sunday I challenged myself to update more often.

Nothing much really happened this week. Though there were occasional mood highs and lows during the week, but nothing really significant worth noting down.

Right now, I am just trying my best to let the feeling of excitement of going to Africa sink into me. Last night I printed my Tickets and Visas just to let it all in, but it didn't really do much.

Today I booked my accommodation for my first night in Kenya. ( I normally just book an overnight accommodation and feel the place and see things from there.)

For this trip, I am planning to try some homestays, wherein in locals would open their house for travelers to stay for a minimal fee. I got an account via www.homestayweb.com for me to contact families willing to accept me in their house. This for me is a good way to experience the local's culture and way of life.

After I paid for my accommodation I got a confirmation email and a follow thru mail offering for an airport pick up.

Hi JP

Thank you for booking accommodation with us. Your reservation for a double garden tent, arriving on SATURDAY, 3 JULY, for 1 night has been confirmed.

If you would like to book an airport pick to bring you to our camp, this will cost 1,700 Kenya Shillings (for a saloon car) from the International Airport . To arrange this all we need is your flight details (flight arrival time and number). If you plan to make your own way to our camp, please advise of your arrival time, as all rooms, even if previously confirmed or paid for in full, will only be held until 16:00 hours. If your plans change, and you no longer require this reservation, please let us know via the contact details below.

Dinner is served (buffet style) at the camp at 19:00 each evening. If you would like dinner, please advise in advance. For guests arriving in Nairobi after 20:00, it can be difficult to buy meals, even takeaway, so it is good to plan in advance if you think you might like something to eat on arrival.

Accommodation, camp, and travel services can be paid for with cash (Kenyan Shillings, Euro, British Pounds, US Dollars), credit or debit card (visa and mastercard only), or bank transfer prior to arrival. If you plan to use your credit or debit card here in Africa , don’t forget to advise your bank before you leave home. If you are bringing US Dollars, ensure that the ‘series date’ printed on them is 2000 or newer (notes printed in the 1990s are not accepted in East Africa – even by banks).

We have a travel office at the camp which can assist with booking day tours, safaris, trekking, beach accommodation, bus and train tickets and much more. Please visit our website below or email us for further details.

Thank you again for your booking and we look forward to welcoming you to Wildebeest Camp.

Kind regards
Daniel

I am not so keen on getting picked up in the airport. For one, I am not comfortable of someone waiting for me specially if there are flight delays. Secondly, 1,700 kenya shillings is too much! The site says that they are located about 2 km from the airport, and there are reviews saying that the camp's airport pick up is a ripped off money! With this, I am going to brace myself with my bargaining skills to take a cab to bring me to the camp, anyway I am expecting to arrive at 2:24 in the afternoon.

I want to share some photos of the camp I will be staying, which I got from www.hostelbookers.com

(Indoor accommodations are inside the house)

(outdoor accommodations which I will be staying by the garden)

With that, I am starting to feel the excitement build up now!

It's complicated

This morning I got hold of a movie titled It's complicated.

It is an entertaining film. More of a mature sex and the city style. A break also from the usual teens to 20's 30's cast in a romantic comedy which is we commonly see in the movies.

The story tackles 50 year old divorcee Jane and how the romance with his husband rekindled after being separated for 10 years.

I got the notion that hot steamy sex are just good on the first few years of being married. But this story got me to thinking. Does sex actually still exist at 50?

A funny scene was when the divorced couple had sex for the first time after 10 years. After they orgasm, the panting husband touched the groin of the wife, who was also still catching her breath saying " home sweet home!"

Here is the link to the official trailer of the movie

Have a good week ahead

Need to write more

This is it.

I am challenging myself to write more.

I will try to set a day, or every sunday of the week to update this blog. Be it something new that I experienced during the week or something that would just spark an interest in me.

Let me share an interesting email I got a few weeks back.

Here goes:

Dear Jp,

I am the Dallas artist who about a year ago contacted you for permission to paint from your photos. I finally got around to posting some paintings on my Facebook page. You can see it in my "Painterly Musings" album. I hope you like it. It is hanging in a Dallas gallery I co-own! I get many nice comments on it, too. I used to do portraits in oils about 25 yrs. ago and this is the first watercolor portrait I've attempted and I hope to do more.

Thank you for allowing me to be inspired by your talents! I also hope you pursue your gifts. You have such sensitivity in your photography!

Sincerely,
Marianne Phelps

(unedited photo taken 2009)

(painting inspired from photo above)

I hope she did justice to my picture. You guys be the judge.

I have added a small feature on this blog called "fishes" . Please take time to feed the fishes, specially the black one. That is ME.

This made my day

My Friend E, an ex addict, HIV positive, gave light to me today.

I have been feeling down the past few days.

While chatting with E, I asked for an inspiration. I told E to recommend a song for me to listen and to get inspired.

He gave me a youtube link which directed me to this song.

By coincidence, I have this song in my ipod already, but I have been figuring out the song's title for almost a year now. The lyrics are in foreign language, and it is hard to hum the song and ask people if they are familiar with the song.

Thus I named the song "unknown song" in my ipod.

(my ipod with a picture of me and the unknown song)

This song made my day. Specially in times like this, that I feel stuck and contained. It just gives me hope that whatever situation we are now, we can make things happen.

With this, I am telling myself. One day I will resume flying again... And when that time comes. I gonna be flying for good

Cheers everyone