8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head do NOT Spend New Years
Jan 17, 2012, 9:10 pm
#16
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Jan 18, 2012, 7:29 pm
#17
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Before this trip, nearly everything I'd read about Nairobi was negative. Get out as soon as possible. It's an urban jungle full of crime. Nothing worth seeing, etc etc etc. I'm so glad we gave it a chance for a full day. Even though it was forced by flight schedules, our day there was amazing.
Although I'm sure it was moderately overpriced, we arranged for the Hilton Safari vehicle to take us on a tour of the Nairobi National Park. The cool thing was there was never a concern about how long the trip was - we could stay out as long as we wanted. Since we'd booked another afternoon urban safari, however, we kept it semi short from 7am to 1pm. Still, we saw a ton. Having just been on safari in Botswana four months prior we'd set our expectations low, but we ended up more than surprised. We saw another lion stalking a kill (though it didn't happen) and finally saw the one thing we missed in Botswana: Zebras!
Read more on my blog....
Although I'm sure it was moderately overpriced, we arranged for the Hilton Safari vehicle to take us on a tour of the Nairobi National Park. The cool thing was there was never a concern about how long the trip was - we could stay out as long as we wanted. Since we'd booked another afternoon urban safari, however, we kept it semi short from 7am to 1pm. Still, we saw a ton. Having just been on safari in Botswana four months prior we'd set our expectations low, but we ended up more than surprised. We saw another lion stalking a kill (though it didn't happen) and finally saw the one thing we missed in Botswana: Zebras!
Read more on my blog....
Jan 19, 2012, 8:14 pm
#18
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Now, first, I'm taking issue with the comments above who said my thread title was inappropriate. Lots of "normal people" holiday in Kenya, Egypt, etc. True...though Egypt isn't so popular lately. This installment will give a little more clue to my thread title....
As I mentioned earlier, booking tickets to Somalia isn't easy. The airlines don't operate frequently, there is next to no information about them online, not to mention anything about how to book. Thanks to a very helpful person I talked to on Flyertalk I learned about an airline called East African Safari Express who supposedly was the most reliable (i.e. the flights actually do go when they say they are going to) option. Took about 5 or 6 e-mails until they responded, but once we'd traded emails I found a date and time that worked and voila...it was booked. Of course, they only take payment in cash, and could you kindly show up in our office in Nairobi to do that?
Since we had barely 36 hours in Nairobi this was going to be tricky, but they agreed we could pay the day before. What they forgot to advise us was that the day before was a holiday in Kenya...and they were closed! Fortunately, immediately upon arrival we'd spotted their office, walked in, dropped several C-Notes with a shady looking guy in a back office...and had carbon copy tickets that were handwritten...things crossed out, changed, etc. Fortunately, all went well!
Arrival and check-in was quite quick and efficient, and there's not too much to say. They insisted we check our bags, but other than that...it was just like a "normal" flight. Through security, and into a very unfabulous lounge thanks to Priority Pass, and then it was down to the gate....where we saw the first glimpse of our plane!
East African Safari Express flight 1823
Nairobi, Kenya to Hargeisa, Somalia
Departure 8:00, Arrival 10:00, Flight Time: 2 hours
Aircraft: Fokker F-28, Registration 5Y-EEE, Manufactured (approximately) 1985
Seat 12E
They even served a meal!
For the rest of the post, feel free to check my blog.
As I mentioned earlier, booking tickets to Somalia isn't easy. The airlines don't operate frequently, there is next to no information about them online, not to mention anything about how to book. Thanks to a very helpful person I talked to on Flyertalk I learned about an airline called East African Safari Express who supposedly was the most reliable (i.e. the flights actually do go when they say they are going to) option. Took about 5 or 6 e-mails until they responded, but once we'd traded emails I found a date and time that worked and voila...it was booked. Of course, they only take payment in cash, and could you kindly show up in our office in Nairobi to do that?
Since we had barely 36 hours in Nairobi this was going to be tricky, but they agreed we could pay the day before. What they forgot to advise us was that the day before was a holiday in Kenya...and they were closed! Fortunately, immediately upon arrival we'd spotted their office, walked in, dropped several C-Notes with a shady looking guy in a back office...and had carbon copy tickets that were handwritten...things crossed out, changed, etc. Fortunately, all went well!
Arrival and check-in was quite quick and efficient, and there's not too much to say. They insisted we check our bags, but other than that...it was just like a "normal" flight. Through security, and into a very unfabulous lounge thanks to Priority Pass, and then it was down to the gate....where we saw the first glimpse of our plane!
East African Safari Express flight 1823
Nairobi, Kenya to Hargeisa, Somalia
Departure 8:00, Arrival 10:00, Flight Time: 2 hours
Aircraft: Fokker F-28, Registration 5Y-EEE, Manufactured (approximately) 1985
Seat 12E
They even served a meal!
For the rest of the post, feel free to check my blog.
Jan 20, 2012, 7:17 pm
#19
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Hargeisa, Somalia - Part I
If you'd like to see the post on my blog, you can click here. But this one is so memorable, I wanted to include the whole post here as well.
I'll start with a bit of background. I'm not sure anybody in their right mind goes to Somalia these days. Mogadishu hasn't had a real government going on 15 years now, and the country is probably the largest breeding ground of terrorists outside of Iraq...or was that Afghanistan. Nope, it's Somalia. Anyways...back in "the day" Somalia was two countries - British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. They were merged, and an independent Somalia was born...which didn't last long. About 12 years ago, the western part (former British Somaliland) left Somalia, and has been relatively quiet, peaceful, and stable ever since. Their own government, currency (as you saw in my previous post), border guards, and all. Unfortunately, however, the international community isn't buying it...and still considers it part of Somalia. For someone trying to visit Somalia, what better way to go!
I've already posted about our hotel...but when we got there, they informed us that all rooms had only one bed, and thus we needed, of course...two rooms. Fortunately, we got two across the hall and solved that problem. They were decent, functional, and since it was almost noon....we decided to grab some lunch in the hotel restaurant while the hotel sorted out the day trip we'd requested. So first, lunch! There were two things on the menu in Somaliland we hadn't had yet...and we were determined to have them! The first was camel (which we had as a steak at dinner...and was pretty awesome!) and the other was goat. Soon our goat stew arrived, and it was actually really tasty and one of the best meals I remember from the trip!
So there was another reason we waited and had lunch - you can't just "go" on a day trip in Somalia...you need permission. .Armed escorts, etc. .While we were eating, the hotel was busy getting all of this sorted...and after just under two hours we were set. .We had something passing for a truck/SUV, two armed Somali military escorts, and a driver. .We were off for the nearly two hour drive to the Cave Paintings at Laas Gaal.which are thought to be over 10,000 years old. .The trip was worth it just to get out of the city, and to see the countryside...it was absolutely fascinating! .Plus...who doesn't want to be in an SUV with two qat-chewing soldiers with loaded weapons, pointing them all over they place while they are stoned out of their minds on the local narcotic? .It was an amazing experience, and one I won't soon forget. .Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us take pictures with them. .Once we got to Laas Gaal it was maybe a 15 minute walk to the top and the cave art was amazing:
After taking time to see the cave art, it was just fascinating to take some pictures of the Somali countryside from this fantastic vantage point:
The drive back was a bit quicker, but more entertaining...since we had to drive the "curator" of the Laas Gaal site back to the town so he didn't have to walk the nearly 5km over dirt roads after he closed the "gate" - gate being used very loosely. .Somalia isn't exactly a place where rules and infrastructure have too much meaning. .I don't know how much of what we paid for the tour went to central sources, but I'm hoping most of it went to the people who helped us...the soldiers, the driver, the local guide...the people who made it a meaningful experience.
Now completely high on qat, the soldiers seemed completely spaced out for the drive back and the trip was pretty quick. .We got back right after sunset...just in time for a bit of internet time at the hotel (surprisingly, Somali internet is of a functional speed!) and then dinner int he hotel restaurant. .After the sun had set it got cold really quickly, and the only indoor seating they had was in the "private room" which was basically a giant round table in a hut that could have fit 6-8 people easily. .Since this is the only hotel of 2 star or more standard in the area, we were wondering where the other guests were. .Seems, according to the waiter, that most people just eat in their room.
I will say, the hotel had great food. .We split a camel steak for dinner which was delicious, and had more of the goat stew. .It wasn't quite as good as at lunch, but still really tasty. .Some ice cream rounded off the meal and the only thing missing was...a bottle of wine! .Unsurprisingly, Somalia is COMPLETELY dry, meaning there's no alcohol at all unless you're connected and have sources...which we obviously didn't have for this one night!
Dinner over, we did a bit of movie watching (Hotel Rwanda again - had to see it after staying at the hotel a few days prior) and crashed early, because we wanted to see more of the city before our big adventure LEAVING Somalia the next day!
I'll start with a bit of background. I'm not sure anybody in their right mind goes to Somalia these days. Mogadishu hasn't had a real government going on 15 years now, and the country is probably the largest breeding ground of terrorists outside of Iraq...or was that Afghanistan. Nope, it's Somalia. Anyways...back in "the day" Somalia was two countries - British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. They were merged, and an independent Somalia was born...which didn't last long. About 12 years ago, the western part (former British Somaliland) left Somalia, and has been relatively quiet, peaceful, and stable ever since. Their own government, currency (as you saw in my previous post), border guards, and all. Unfortunately, however, the international community isn't buying it...and still considers it part of Somalia. For someone trying to visit Somalia, what better way to go!
I've already posted about our hotel...but when we got there, they informed us that all rooms had only one bed, and thus we needed, of course...two rooms. Fortunately, we got two across the hall and solved that problem. They were decent, functional, and since it was almost noon....we decided to grab some lunch in the hotel restaurant while the hotel sorted out the day trip we'd requested. So first, lunch! There were two things on the menu in Somaliland we hadn't had yet...and we were determined to have them! The first was camel (which we had as a steak at dinner...and was pretty awesome!) and the other was goat. Soon our goat stew arrived, and it was actually really tasty and one of the best meals I remember from the trip!
So there was another reason we waited and had lunch - you can't just "go" on a day trip in Somalia...you need permission. .Armed escorts, etc. .While we were eating, the hotel was busy getting all of this sorted...and after just under two hours we were set. .We had something passing for a truck/SUV, two armed Somali military escorts, and a driver. .We were off for the nearly two hour drive to the Cave Paintings at Laas Gaal.which are thought to be over 10,000 years old. .The trip was worth it just to get out of the city, and to see the countryside...it was absolutely fascinating! .Plus...who doesn't want to be in an SUV with two qat-chewing soldiers with loaded weapons, pointing them all over they place while they are stoned out of their minds on the local narcotic? .It was an amazing experience, and one I won't soon forget. .Unfortunately, they wouldn't let us take pictures with them. .Once we got to Laas Gaal it was maybe a 15 minute walk to the top and the cave art was amazing:
After taking time to see the cave art, it was just fascinating to take some pictures of the Somali countryside from this fantastic vantage point:
The drive back was a bit quicker, but more entertaining...since we had to drive the "curator" of the Laas Gaal site back to the town so he didn't have to walk the nearly 5km over dirt roads after he closed the "gate" - gate being used very loosely. .Somalia isn't exactly a place where rules and infrastructure have too much meaning. .I don't know how much of what we paid for the tour went to central sources, but I'm hoping most of it went to the people who helped us...the soldiers, the driver, the local guide...the people who made it a meaningful experience.
Now completely high on qat, the soldiers seemed completely spaced out for the drive back and the trip was pretty quick. .We got back right after sunset...just in time for a bit of internet time at the hotel (surprisingly, Somali internet is of a functional speed!) and then dinner int he hotel restaurant. .After the sun had set it got cold really quickly, and the only indoor seating they had was in the "private room" which was basically a giant round table in a hut that could have fit 6-8 people easily. .Since this is the only hotel of 2 star or more standard in the area, we were wondering where the other guests were. .Seems, according to the waiter, that most people just eat in their room.
I will say, the hotel had great food. .We split a camel steak for dinner which was delicious, and had more of the goat stew. .It wasn't quite as good as at lunch, but still really tasty. .Some ice cream rounded off the meal and the only thing missing was...a bottle of wine! .Unsurprisingly, Somalia is COMPLETELY dry, meaning there's no alcohol at all unless you're connected and have sources...which we obviously didn't have for this one night!
Dinner over, we did a bit of movie watching (Hotel Rwanda again - had to see it after staying at the hotel a few days prior) and crashed early, because we wanted to see more of the city before our big adventure LEAVING Somalia the next day!
Jan 21, 2012, 7:58 am
#20
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Full story is also on my blog, but posted here as well.
Woke up, and decided to do what everyone else in the hotel was doing - have breakfast delivered! Can't go wrong with coffee, eggs, and toast...and we had the hotel set to arranging a tour around the city before our early afternoon flight. Of course, this involved going to hire an armed guard of course, but we negotiated to give him a few wads of the Somaliland Shillings this time, everyone was happy, and we were off to see the city of Hargeisa itself.
The Ambassador Hotel is set just near the airport (presumably so frightened NGO types can flee the country asap should things go bad) and maybe a couple miles out of the downtown proper.
First stop was the Somaliland Independence monument - even if things get better in Mogadishu this part of Somalia has no interest in re-joining the federation.
<!--more-->What you can't see in this picture is all the sketchy loitering youths who ran the instant they saw us and our armed guard. .Not sure what they were more afraid of...the guard, two white guys, or being seen in pictures with white guys that Al Shabaab might not be fond of. .Regardless, for the most part, we found people fled at the sight of a camera.
Next stop was what we read online was a the highlight - the camel and livestock market. .When we first got there, a few folks actually seemed to believe that we were there to buy. .When they realised we weren't, then it was take picture with me and pay me....we took some pics, but nobody got paid.
Sheep market...notice how I conveniently managed to sneak our guard into this pic .
You take picture my camel! .Give me money!
Next stop, a plane that the Somalilanders shot down in their brief struggle to get away from the rest of Somalia. .Never found the whole story behind this, but found the monument a bit funny.
Next up...the "money market" aka where people trade bundles of useless Somlaliland Shillings for "real" currency. .I was shocked when I driver said "I know him, you take picture, it ok." .This was something I really wanted to get a photo of, and glad it worked out! .Pics modified to protect currency dealers from, well...
Final stop....Hargeisa University where our driver's son attends. .He said fees are about $400 a year, which is a fortune. .His son is studying IT and hopes to get a job abroad - maybe Dubai - after he completes studying.
It was back to the hotel for a really quick early lunch...and then off to the airport for our big adventure...Daallo Airlines to Djibouti. .I'll leave most of the suspense, but all we knew is they had a reputation for being days late, and flying aircraft from before I was born....
Woke up, and decided to do what everyone else in the hotel was doing - have breakfast delivered! Can't go wrong with coffee, eggs, and toast...and we had the hotel set to arranging a tour around the city before our early afternoon flight. Of course, this involved going to hire an armed guard of course, but we negotiated to give him a few wads of the Somaliland Shillings this time, everyone was happy, and we were off to see the city of Hargeisa itself.
The Ambassador Hotel is set just near the airport (presumably so frightened NGO types can flee the country asap should things go bad) and maybe a couple miles out of the downtown proper.
First stop was the Somaliland Independence monument - even if things get better in Mogadishu this part of Somalia has no interest in re-joining the federation.
<!--more-->What you can't see in this picture is all the sketchy loitering youths who ran the instant they saw us and our armed guard. .Not sure what they were more afraid of...the guard, two white guys, or being seen in pictures with white guys that Al Shabaab might not be fond of. .Regardless, for the most part, we found people fled at the sight of a camera.
Next stop was what we read online was a the highlight - the camel and livestock market. .When we first got there, a few folks actually seemed to believe that we were there to buy. .When they realised we weren't, then it was take picture with me and pay me....we took some pics, but nobody got paid.
Sheep market...notice how I conveniently managed to sneak our guard into this pic .
You take picture my camel! .Give me money!
Next stop, a plane that the Somalilanders shot down in their brief struggle to get away from the rest of Somalia. .Never found the whole story behind this, but found the monument a bit funny.
Next up...the "money market" aka where people trade bundles of useless Somlaliland Shillings for "real" currency. .I was shocked when I driver said "I know him, you take picture, it ok." .This was something I really wanted to get a photo of, and glad it worked out! .Pics modified to protect currency dealers from, well...
Final stop....Hargeisa University where our driver's son attends. .He said fees are about $400 a year, which is a fortune. .His son is studying IT and hopes to get a job abroad - maybe Dubai - after he completes studying.
It was back to the hotel for a really quick early lunch...and then off to the airport for our big adventure...Daallo Airlines to Djibouti. .I'll leave most of the suspense, but all we knew is they had a reputation for being days late, and flying aircraft from before I was born....
Jan 22, 2012, 8:10 pm
#23
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Full post is on my blog here, but the rest posted here:
What, you've never heard of Daallo Airlines? Shame on you - one of the finest outfits in the business. I mean, you even have the luxury of calling a 1-800 number in the US to book with them, where you get transfered approximately 114 times to different people, have to fax photocopies of your credit cards to another 14 people, and then email them as well just so they're sure they can read them. Surprisingly...after all this...you actually do get a confirmation number...and when you check in at the airport things are flawless. Welcome to 1990 I guess? But...it all worked. Then, we got to the airport.
Honestly, the airport in Hargeisa was perfectly fine, and perfectly functional. Check-in was perfect, and we were informed that today we would have the luxury of travel on a relic - an Ilyushin IL-18D - a relic of an aircraft that is a bit of a legend from Soviet days. This plane was such a relic, I'm still trying to get details on its origins! Enough of that, however. Check-in was so good that our bags were tagged with proper electronic baggage tags, we got proper electronic boarding passes....and then off to passport control and security - which were honest, efficient, and only collected the fees posted on the wall. I was beginning to get a bit shocked at how anti-climactic this was!
Daallo Airlines Flight 159
Hargeisa, Somalia to Djibouti City, Djibouti
Depart: 10:00, Arrive 10:45 - later adjusted via e-mail to Depart 14:00, Depart 14:45 - flight time 45 minutes
Aircraft: Ilyushin IL-18D, Registration UP-I1801, Manufactured who knows when!
Seats: TBD, Printed as 18A and 18B
So, into the waiting hall where they were selling newspapers and food. THe usual sodas, crisps, etc, and then it was 14:00...and no plane. We found there were some plastic chairs out on the tarmac, so we went out there to have a sit and wait for our plane. Not much to see, but more interesting than inside!
Another hour came...and went...and still no plane. .Eventually, we met an expat on our flight, and he was quite chatty. .He lived in London semi-near Matt, and had good advice for us. .You need to be first on the plane - the printed seat numbers mean nothing, and you should rush to the front of the plane...because that's the only part that actually has seat belts! . Oh, and this flight is always a few hours late because it comes from Mogadishu and there are frequently security delays! .Eeek!
The plane finally came buzzing in about 90 minutes late, and only took about 30 minutes to unload all the transit passengers (they make them re-clear security or something) then the rush. .Which wasn't much of a rush. .We followed our new friend to the plane, and were very very glad we did. .We secured what would have been 3A and 3B had there been any numbers on the plane, and they both had seat belts. .Unfortunately, we discovered too late that Matt's seatbelt didn't work. .The buckle was broken...so he knotted it together....hoping it would hold in the event of...well, you know!
Due to no legroom, we put our bags in the bulkhead of row 1...and Matt got to play flight attendant (which he'll never admit to enjoying) and stacked several DOZEN bags in the front row...and several in the aisle as well. .TSA/CBP/etc would have had a fit, but the (non-existent) flight attendants didn't care, and it kept our legroom free! .Plus, we ended up with plenty of space. .Seems all the passengers up front were expats living in London, connected in Djibouti to Dubai on Daallo, and then onto London on BA. .They all knew the "front of the plane" trick - because it's true, there were no seat belts in back!
Not much more to say...but a few notes on the flight: .Takeoff was kinda like the bungee we did. .Pilot was on the runway and off the ground before I could even get through one or two lines or prayer, which was merciful. .Takeoff was smooth, not scary at all, and honestly...things felt "solid" unlike most airbus planes which are so light and made of carbon fibre that you feel a bit scared to be on them. .Never once on this flight did the plane itself feel unsafe!
Food/Bev Service consisted of someone that came around with a bottle of water, and poured you a glass if you wanted.....no drama or excitement there. .We arrived about 45 minutes after departure as predicted...so little more to do than post pics!
Haven't been on a plane with 4 props in eons!
LOL don't you feel safe?
Interior view:
A couple views from the outside:
Only one more note on this flight. .When researching the plane's registration number, we kept finding out that it had been registered in Kazakhstan...about 5 times in 4 years....clearly registered to a known arms smuggler. .What it was doing flying between Djibouti and Somalia who knows, but there's clearly something quite shady going on here. .No clue, but it got us there safely, for a reasonable fare. .Then, it was onto Djibouti immigration....
What, you've never heard of Daallo Airlines? Shame on you - one of the finest outfits in the business. I mean, you even have the luxury of calling a 1-800 number in the US to book with them, where you get transfered approximately 114 times to different people, have to fax photocopies of your credit cards to another 14 people, and then email them as well just so they're sure they can read them. Surprisingly...after all this...you actually do get a confirmation number...and when you check in at the airport things are flawless. Welcome to 1990 I guess? But...it all worked. Then, we got to the airport.
Honestly, the airport in Hargeisa was perfectly fine, and perfectly functional. Check-in was perfect, and we were informed that today we would have the luxury of travel on a relic - an Ilyushin IL-18D - a relic of an aircraft that is a bit of a legend from Soviet days. This plane was such a relic, I'm still trying to get details on its origins! Enough of that, however. Check-in was so good that our bags were tagged with proper electronic baggage tags, we got proper electronic boarding passes....and then off to passport control and security - which were honest, efficient, and only collected the fees posted on the wall. I was beginning to get a bit shocked at how anti-climactic this was!
Daallo Airlines Flight 159
Hargeisa, Somalia to Djibouti City, Djibouti
Depart: 10:00, Arrive 10:45 - later adjusted via e-mail to Depart 14:00, Depart 14:45 - flight time 45 minutes
Aircraft: Ilyushin IL-18D, Registration UP-I1801, Manufactured who knows when!
Seats: TBD, Printed as 18A and 18B
So, into the waiting hall where they were selling newspapers and food. THe usual sodas, crisps, etc, and then it was 14:00...and no plane. We found there were some plastic chairs out on the tarmac, so we went out there to have a sit and wait for our plane. Not much to see, but more interesting than inside!
Another hour came...and went...and still no plane. .Eventually, we met an expat on our flight, and he was quite chatty. .He lived in London semi-near Matt, and had good advice for us. .You need to be first on the plane - the printed seat numbers mean nothing, and you should rush to the front of the plane...because that's the only part that actually has seat belts! . Oh, and this flight is always a few hours late because it comes from Mogadishu and there are frequently security delays! .Eeek!
The plane finally came buzzing in about 90 minutes late, and only took about 30 minutes to unload all the transit passengers (they make them re-clear security or something) then the rush. .Which wasn't much of a rush. .We followed our new friend to the plane, and were very very glad we did. .We secured what would have been 3A and 3B had there been any numbers on the plane, and they both had seat belts. .Unfortunately, we discovered too late that Matt's seatbelt didn't work. .The buckle was broken...so he knotted it together....hoping it would hold in the event of...well, you know!
Due to no legroom, we put our bags in the bulkhead of row 1...and Matt got to play flight attendant (which he'll never admit to enjoying) and stacked several DOZEN bags in the front row...and several in the aisle as well. .TSA/CBP/etc would have had a fit, but the (non-existent) flight attendants didn't care, and it kept our legroom free! .Plus, we ended up with plenty of space. .Seems all the passengers up front were expats living in London, connected in Djibouti to Dubai on Daallo, and then onto London on BA. .They all knew the "front of the plane" trick - because it's true, there were no seat belts in back!
Not much more to say...but a few notes on the flight: .Takeoff was kinda like the bungee we did. .Pilot was on the runway and off the ground before I could even get through one or two lines or prayer, which was merciful. .Takeoff was smooth, not scary at all, and honestly...things felt "solid" unlike most airbus planes which are so light and made of carbon fibre that you feel a bit scared to be on them. .Never once on this flight did the plane itself feel unsafe!
Food/Bev Service consisted of someone that came around with a bottle of water, and poured you a glass if you wanted.....no drama or excitement there. .We arrived about 45 minutes after departure as predicted...so little more to do than post pics!
Haven't been on a plane with 4 props in eons!
LOL don't you feel safe?
Interior view:
A couple views from the outside:
Only one more note on this flight. .When researching the plane's registration number, we kept finding out that it had been registered in Kazakhstan...about 5 times in 4 years....clearly registered to a known arms smuggler. .What it was doing flying between Djibouti and Somalia who knows, but there's clearly something quite shady going on here. .No clue, but it got us there safely, for a reasonable fare. .Then, it was onto Djibouti immigration....
Jan 23, 2012, 11:49 am
#25
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This is great so far - particularly the last instalment on that ex-arms smuggler's plane. Priceless. The photos from around the cave art in Somaliland look stunning as well.
BTW, the mysterious little animal you spotted in Nairobi National Park is a rock hyrax. You can also find them in Cape Town on the top of Table Mountain (though they call them 'dassies' in South Africa). Useless fact about them: apparently the living animal that is genetically closest to the rock hyrax is the elephant - go figure. More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Hyrax
I remember The Carnivore in Nairobi from when I went there back in early 99. It was bad then, it looks like if anything it's got worse...
BTW, the mysterious little animal you spotted in Nairobi National Park is a rock hyrax. You can also find them in Cape Town on the top of Table Mountain (though they call them 'dassies' in South Africa). Useless fact about them: apparently the living animal that is genetically closest to the rock hyrax is the elephant - go figure. More here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Hyrax
I remember The Carnivore in Nairobi from when I went there back in early 99. It was bad then, it looks like if anything it's got worse...
Jan 23, 2012, 7:24 pm
#26
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Yeah, Carnivore was a big disappointment. They had a large explanation sign of "why you will be disappointed" which should have been a dead giveaway. Blah blah Kenyan law prevents us from serving game meat.
...that doesn't mean the meat you serve has to be fatty, and poor cuts.
Jan 23, 2012, 7:54 pm
#27
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,595
Two days in Djibouti - most of it is on my blog here, but a small teaser:
So...Djibouti immigration. Turns out 99% of our fellow passengers were in transit to the Daallo Airlines flight to Dubai (I suspect on another plane, since I don't think the IL-18 has that kind of range) so they were shunted off, and maybe 10 of us went into the immigration queue. Where they took our passports, told us to have a seat, and we waited...for 30 minutes or so.
Eventually, we were ushered into a small office, where for a charge of $60 each, we got a collection of stamps, stickers, and glue in the passports that passed for an official "visa" to enter Djibouti. We had heard $55 in advance, but with exchange rate changes were not about to argue over such a small amount. Before the trip, for some reason, I suspected Djibouti Airport would be much much bigger. It's not. it's essentially one giant room with a few different areas...this place is tiny!
Got outside, and the Sheraton shuttle was of course not there as we'd asked for. Taxi was cheap, and soon we were off to the Sheraton...where they had absolutely no record of our points reservation, and were completely clueless how to deal with it. Check-in took nearly two hours, when you count the time to figure out what to do, get us to a room, get us a stocked minibar, and have everything sorted. Oh, yes, about the minibar. Due to local "sensibilities" they leave it empty. However, for platinum guests, they are happy to deliver a more-than-adequate FREE minibar:
One more thing to mention...everything we consumed the first night was replaced when housekeeping came the next day. .Best platinum benefit worldwide if you ask me!
We'd come to Djibouti to meet a friend who was working there, so had a fantastic dinner poolside at the Kempinski hotel, and then crashed. .Before heading to the adequate buffet the next morning (note: if you're a fan of the German military, they all seem to live at the Sheraton so be sure to be on-time to breakfast!) took this picture from the breakfast room:
We'd booked a day trip to Lac Assal, which is a giant salt lake in the middle of the country. .I would definitely not choose the company we used again - it was booked via American Express Travel, and they clearly were not on their A-Game. .The van/car was way below what I expected, the driver barely spoke 10 words of English (thankfully, I spoke French, or it would have totally been lost on us) and they arrived well over an hour late due to a broken down car...or something like that. .On the upside, the driver was quite friendly, chatty, and willing to share (in French of course) and the "boxed lunch" was stopping at a store to buy whatever we wanted for lunch...so that was a plus. .I'll leave the rest to the pictures, but Lac Assal was absolutely stunning, and worth the long drive:
So...Djibouti immigration. Turns out 99% of our fellow passengers were in transit to the Daallo Airlines flight to Dubai (I suspect on another plane, since I don't think the IL-18 has that kind of range) so they were shunted off, and maybe 10 of us went into the immigration queue. Where they took our passports, told us to have a seat, and we waited...for 30 minutes or so.
Eventually, we were ushered into a small office, where for a charge of $60 each, we got a collection of stamps, stickers, and glue in the passports that passed for an official "visa" to enter Djibouti. We had heard $55 in advance, but with exchange rate changes were not about to argue over such a small amount. Before the trip, for some reason, I suspected Djibouti Airport would be much much bigger. It's not. it's essentially one giant room with a few different areas...this place is tiny!
Got outside, and the Sheraton shuttle was of course not there as we'd asked for. Taxi was cheap, and soon we were off to the Sheraton...where they had absolutely no record of our points reservation, and were completely clueless how to deal with it. Check-in took nearly two hours, when you count the time to figure out what to do, get us to a room, get us a stocked minibar, and have everything sorted. Oh, yes, about the minibar. Due to local "sensibilities" they leave it empty. However, for platinum guests, they are happy to deliver a more-than-adequate FREE minibar:
One more thing to mention...everything we consumed the first night was replaced when housekeeping came the next day. .Best platinum benefit worldwide if you ask me!
We'd come to Djibouti to meet a friend who was working there, so had a fantastic dinner poolside at the Kempinski hotel, and then crashed. .Before heading to the adequate buffet the next morning (note: if you're a fan of the German military, they all seem to live at the Sheraton so be sure to be on-time to breakfast!) took this picture from the breakfast room:
We'd booked a day trip to Lac Assal, which is a giant salt lake in the middle of the country. .I would definitely not choose the company we used again - it was booked via American Express Travel, and they clearly were not on their A-Game. .The van/car was way below what I expected, the driver barely spoke 10 words of English (thankfully, I spoke French, or it would have totally been lost on us) and they arrived well over an hour late due to a broken down car...or something like that. .On the upside, the driver was quite friendly, chatty, and willing to share (in French of course) and the "boxed lunch" was stopping at a store to buy whatever we wanted for lunch...so that was a plus. .I'll leave the rest to the pictures, but Lac Assal was absolutely stunning, and worth the long drive:
Jan 24, 2012, 7:50 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: anywhere and everywhere
Programs: UA GS, AS MVP 100K, DL Diamond, Marriot Lifetime Titanium, AmEx Centurion
Posts: 5,595
Next part is now live! Entire post is at this link:
The whole purpose of this trip had been to visit a close friend who was working in the region...since we seem to always be his only visitors on these sorts of trips. Somehow, I'm not sure he believed we'd show up in Djibouti...but after Kuwait he also shouldn't have been surprised! After a great night of showing us around, we had a relatively early morning ahead of us. But first, a shot from the beginning of the last night in Djibouti:
Up relatively early, checking out of the "luxurious" Sheraton Djibouti (after another breakfast with the German military, of course) and off to the airport! .We had initially bought a one-way ticked on Kenyan Airways to Addis Ababa, but then when we had trouble getting into Yemen and had to move things around, found a great Djibouti-Juba fare on Ethiopian that was cheaper than Addis-Juba alone....so, booked. .We couldn't find anyone capable at the airport to refund our Kenyan ticket, however, so ended up eating a bit of a penalty later on. .No big deal.
Stamped out of Djibouti with no issues, and onto the gate area, which featured smoking and all. .No 100ml liquids rule here, so the Diet Cokes we'd taken from the Sheraton's generous minibar were consumed beyond what passed for security, and it was time to fly. .When I booked, I hadn't paid much attention, but seems our Djibouti to Addis flight had a short stop in Dire Dawa, where we sat on the plane as it filled up. .When we boarded, we not only got blankets (take note New United) but also welcome-aboard mimosas! Impressive!
The whole purpose of this trip had been to visit a close friend who was working in the region...since we seem to always be his only visitors on these sorts of trips. Somehow, I'm not sure he believed we'd show up in Djibouti...but after Kuwait he also shouldn't have been surprised! After a great night of showing us around, we had a relatively early morning ahead of us. But first, a shot from the beginning of the last night in Djibouti:
Up relatively early, checking out of the "luxurious" Sheraton Djibouti (after another breakfast with the German military, of course) and off to the airport! .We had initially bought a one-way ticked on Kenyan Airways to Addis Ababa, but then when we had trouble getting into Yemen and had to move things around, found a great Djibouti-Juba fare on Ethiopian that was cheaper than Addis-Juba alone....so, booked. .We couldn't find anyone capable at the airport to refund our Kenyan ticket, however, so ended up eating a bit of a penalty later on. .No big deal.
Stamped out of Djibouti with no issues, and onto the gate area, which featured smoking and all. .No 100ml liquids rule here, so the Diet Cokes we'd taken from the Sheraton's generous minibar were consumed beyond what passed for security, and it was time to fly. .When I booked, I hadn't paid much attention, but seems our Djibouti to Addis flight had a short stop in Dire Dawa, where we sat on the plane as it filled up. .When we boarded, we not only got blankets (take note New United) but also welcome-aboard mimosas! Impressive!