Adjusting and falling in love

Zanzibar was stunning. The most beautiful beaches I have ever seen, I cannot think of how they could be more perfect. Had a lush few days relaxing with my friend, Laura. Even met a Ryan Giggs lookalike, amazing! Always great to see a familiar face!

The meat consumption has continued.....now includes beef, octopus and squid-had never even eaten those before!! There have been a few comments about how obsessed I now am, but I have two years to catch up on, and am loving how free range everything is, so trying to keep the guilt down low! Hoping to add ostrich and crocodile to the list this week..... It was just gonna be a Tanzania thing, then a pre working thing, but now I am wondering how I can live in Africa without meat. Not sure if it's the whole 2 years without it, or just the sheer quality, but it is amazing and fills my thoughts regularly hehehe

I've spent the last few days in Nakuru with Zoe, who lives here. It is absolutley gorgeous. Very chilled, surrounded by mountains, and filled with giraffe, zebra, buffalo, impala....and so it continues. Loving being in Africa. Have just been haggling in the markets trying to get things for the house. Yesterday I almost cuddled a dog, it's def coming. Managed to spend longer stroking them anyway. Had just been to a friend's house for the most awesome fresh beef burgers though, so possibly was due to an extreme state of contentment and relaxation! Zoe is impressed with my growth, and how my anxiety levels are either better hidden or reducing!

So as to give a balanced view.....I miss my shoes-dreamt about them last night! Have had generally very cold showers since arriving, got pretty bitten on the coast, the Internet is slow, and there are actual monkey traps on my school campus!!!! Still I love it and am so happy and excited to be here.

Animals-wet knees and chicken burgers

So....arrived in Nairobi to a power cut-fortunately a few weeks living on the mountain has got me used to them hehehe Was good to be back, and the family I stayed with were good fun. The last few days though have been characterised by wet knees.....everyone has dogs-check out the plural! I made the mistake of wearing skirts, and so have had wet knees almost constantly much to everyone's amusement! Why do dogs want to slobber everywhere?! Trying hard to be calm round all the animals, and even pat them on the head, but apparently my anxiety is very obvious and amusing to everyone. Never mind. Give me a few months and I will be a Dr Dolittle!

Came to Zanzibar yetserday after an 18 hour bus ride-oh my word!!! It is stunning here, really beautiful place. Last night something came over me. Wish I could blame extreme starvation, serious intoxication, or even peer pressure, but none are valid. I saw someone eating a burger and was desperate for one! I tried to resist, tried to reason, but to no avail. It may just be a blip....but man, it was a  delicious blip....we will see, had forgotten how incredible chicken tastes. Has Africa broke me already?! We will see....may just eat meat on Zanzibar.....drooling just looking at this pic again though....

Off to the beach today for some chill out time. Had a lil look round my new school and was a lil nervous to see monkey traps....need to be calm for arrival!

Dubai...city of superlatives!

So...the adventure has begun! Arrived in Dubai last night. Very impressed with Emirates-fresh flowers on board, and a free Hello magazine-brilliant! Nairobi's gonna be quite a change tomorrow!!! The airport alone was so huge and modern, took me ages to find the exit! My friend, Trevor picked me up and we went on a lil drive-gorgeous place, massive skyscrapers everywhere,  the buildings are incredible! Unbelievably hot though, freaked me out that it was the middle of the night and already boiling, fortunately modern cities have got air con!
Had a lil wander round today, saw the world's tallest building, and hotel, and aquarium....this city does not do things second best!! The shopping centres are crazy big. We walked through one today and there was an ice rink inside-surrounded by shops, and of course, the world's biggest aquarium. Completely surreal! Didn't realise how close Dubai was to Nairobi, so would be good to return and see more another time. How the wanderlust continues....

Waiting for flight to Nairobi now, still in surreal mode, but excitement's mounting! Great to catch up with people en route though, and looking forward to starting life in Africa!

It's all about the trunk!!

A few weeks ago I was chatting to mum about what I should use to send my things out to Kenya. She suggested a trunk.....oh dear, how old fashioned were my first thoughts! I was surprised to then read on the freight website that it is the recommended object! Sorry mum! So, after a few days in Newtown, I inherited my Grandmother's trunk and fell in love with it instantly. Already I feel we have been through a lot together. Our first journey together, and the beginning of our adventures down south was to Cardiff and can be simply described as amazing! I have never had so many people want to come over and chat about luggage before! People wanted to hold it, touch it, find out about its history-I am sure a few people took cheeky photos...ok maybe not, but it has become quite a photographed object since! Do have a slight trunk injury on my knee from swinging it too much on the train-trying to demonstrate that it wasn't that heavy, but if anything it just adds a lil bit more to our relationship!

Receiving my first trunk with Grandpa!

Well, I now have two trunks...it's amazing how one has become two! Have also been quite successful trunk spotting-even finding them used as coffee tables in restaurants-awesome idea, and may well be what mine becomes for a couple of years in Nairobi. Not everyone understands the trunk fever, so hopefully a couple of pics will help share the trunk love!! Enjoy!!

Poor Rich, the excitement of seeing and also touching a trunk distracted him from looking at the camera!