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CHECKING IN WITH CHUCK
MILAN HIGHLIGHT: DA VINCI'S LAST SUPPER
We understood that visiting Milan meant we had to see da Vinci's Last Supper. Securing tickets for this requires some timing and patience. Tickets are released approximately 4 weeks before your intended visit date. They can be purchased directly from the Cenacolo Vinciano museum, but getting in the queue is essential. Tickets are released at noon in Italy, which is 3AM in California where we live, so I had to wake up in the middle of the night to make the purchase. You can bu
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NAIROBI TO ISTANBUL...not simple
I will chat briefly about leaving Africa and heading to Istanbul. Nothing is simple with going to and leaving Africa. We had to take a puddle jumper safari plane from Nanyuki to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Wilson Airport is where we also flew out of when we went to the Ndato Offbeat Safari Camp and is where most of the smaller flights go in and out of. The airport is a series of hangers and buildings that ramble for blocks and if you could image a facility that houses homeles
LAKIPIA: MOUNT KENYA DAY HIKES
When I was first planning my month in Kenya, I contemplated a 3 or 4 day trek up Mt Kenya until I reminded myself that I am the guy who needs the third room. Instead, we did visit the Ndare Ngare Forest and the Sirimon Route Hike, but only did part of both. Mount Kenya is Africa’s second highest mountain at 5,199m (17,058 feet) and the highest of all Kenya Mountains. On the Sirimon hike we started at around 10,000 feet and went up to 12,000 feet. I was surprised that I did n
LAKIPIA: NANYUKI AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
The next destination is Nanyuki, where my friends Lauren and David have a home in Africa. Nanyuki is a market town in Laikipia County within central Kenya, located about a 3 to 4-hour drive from Nairobi. It features a small airstrip, making access to the bush more convenient. Lauren has been traveling to Africa for over 15 years, having experienced numerous safaris across the continent. She and David chose Kenya due to its relative political stability, abundant wildlife, and
LAKIPIA: SUYIAN SOUL
Suyian Soul is a very special small camp about 30 miles northwest of Nanyuki and 3-4 hours by car. The windy, bumpy dirt roads keep you from pushing it too fast, plus the need to take the occasional pic. Lauren has been to this lodge twice before for a birding class (would be fun) and a snake one (no thanks!) The retreat is run by Anne Powys , who is a fourth generation Kenyan. Her grandfather purchased the ranch in 1963 and raised Boran cattle on it; there are currently abou
LAMU
I knew immediately after landing in Lamu and saw that our taxi was a dhow (traditional sailboat with a motor) to take us to our hotel, that this was going to be a magical place to hang for a few days. Lamu Island is a port, city, and island just off the shore of Kenya in the Indian Ocean approximately 150 miles from Mombasa. Lamu was founded in the 12th century. Lamu Old Town is a World Heritage Unesco site and is the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in
KENYA: LAX TO NAIROBI
I am embarking on a month in Kenya followed by three nights in Istanbul. My husband Scotty took a pass on this trip as he developed an "allergy" to third world countries after our trip to Egypt last year. Mind you it is not his lack of interest in the history and uniqueness which we strive for with each of our vacations, but the poverty and conditions in Cairo were profound and he feared he would encounter the same here in Kenya. I am traveling with my friend Lauren who is an
MASAI MARA: NDOTO SAFARI
We embarked on our first safari to Masai Mara. We took a small propeller plane to reach there; we were the second stop. However, when the plane landed on a dirt runway for the first stop, we got a flat tire. Who knew airplanes can get blow outs? Fortunately, they had a spare tire. We disembarked, the pilot and his crew jacked up the plane, and in under half an hour, we were back on our way to our destination. We were greeted by a driver from the Offbeat Ndoto Camp, where we w
TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM
We hired a guide to take us through the Tokyo National Museum with a goal to learn something about Japanese art. People from the West (which means me) are familiar with western art from the renaissance to impressionism and abstract expressionism, but learning about Asian art is not something one gets taught much in an arts humanities class in college. At the gallery, we had the pleasure of being guided by Rafa, the most organized and exceptional guide we've ever encountered.
TOKYO: AESTHETICS & ARCHITECTURE
Contemporary Japan has its own unique aesthetics and architecture; this was the focus of our last tour in Tokyo with Context. Our guide was Jay, who holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Tokyo and is an ex-pat from the US. Before settling in Japan 25 years ago, Jay spent time in Syria, Russia, and the UK. The quality of the Context guides continues to impress me. We met up with Jay in the Harajuku district , famous for its cutting-edge fashion retai
TOKYO: YANESEN
In Tokyo, we chose Context to book our tours. We appreciate both ToursByLocals and Context, and our choice usually depends on what each company offers for the destination we're visiting. Additionally, I find it optimal to stick with one company per location, though there is room for flexibility. Context typically features guides with a slightly higher academic background. We spent the entire day with Angel, an aspiring PhD candidate from Spain, who is studying the impact of
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