KENYAN TID BITS

Memories of  Kenya

            Aaskari was a new word to me and I quickly learned it meant armed guard. During my visit to Kenya they were all over the tourist district, we understood mostly for pick pockets and minor crimes. In our well known hotel askari patrolled each floor of the hotel 24/7. They were on the streets and in front of stores. One evening one of the hotel askari accompanied several of us to an Indian restaurant two blocks away. I must say that I never felt threatened and was only uncomfortable in the local market because it was so big and such a potential fire hazard.

            Bougainvilleas ,in all colors, grew everywhere. They often formed gorgeous living fences and they grew as big as small trees. They hung over walls and were always a beautiful and a cheery site.

In the early 1900s the English indentured the Kikuyus to work in the sisal fields. Unable to read or write they did not understand that their thumb print on a piece of paper was obligating them to five years of very hard work. Many of them left but were arrested and returned to the plantations or put in jail if they refused to work. Because harvesting sisal is so difficult the crop was eventually replaced with coffee. One delightful evening spent in an Indian restaurant, the owner from India enlightened us some more about what a tough job cutting sisal was.

We arrived at the Aberdare Country Club about noon one day on our way to the Ark. The club veranda looked out over the valley and Mt Kenya beyond. What a view! It was a perfect place for the panoramic camera.  After lunch we wasted no time commandeering a rocking chair on the veranda just to enjoy the incredible view. I’d have been happy to have eaten lunch on a tray there but we dined inside with tux-clad waiters hovering over us fulfilling our every desire.

On the gentle lower slopes of Mt. Kenya we stayed at a quaint little English cottage lodge along the Naro Moru River. The area offered us a good opportunity for some nature walks and bird watching. The river was relatively clear but the water cold. There were several small waterfalls along the river. It was another lovely landscaped lodge. That night we lit the fire that was laid in our cabin fireplace and fell asleep to the crackling logs burning. Great!

            A total surprise of this trip was the totally unexpected beautiful hotels. After traveling over miles of rough dirt dusty roads it was a shock to come upon an oasis in the desert with running streams, swimming pools and lovely lush landscaping.  Our first plush hotel out of Nairobi was Amboseli nestled in the foothills of majestic Mount Kilimanjaro.  Part of the foothills are in Kenya but all of Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania.

After checking in at the hotel, I rounded the corner of the lodge veranda and nearly tripped over a yellow faced monkey! Later I observed him going into the coffee room and stealing a packet of sugar, then scampering off to eat his treat. He was fun to watch and he obviously was used to being around people.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND

A Few City of Edinburgh Highlights

This city of 500,000 is Scotland’s jewel festive epicenter of Scottish culture, as well as an important financial center of the United Kingdom.    Locals call themselves Edinburghers.

Edinburgh has been Scotland’s capitol since the 12^th century. Framed by rolling hills and the blue of the Firth of Forth, it is one of Europe’s fairest cities. Half medieval and half Georgian it is often referred to as to as the Athens of the North. In 1999 Edinburgh became the seat of the Scottish Parliament. Filled with history, battles, kings, bold ideas and literary association the city is the gateway to central Scotland. It is a city of contrasts where the past meets the present and ancient streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of modern day city life. Scotland aligned itself with France in 1513, and England burned the city but spared the now famous castle.

In the 12^th century Edinburgh was a walled city. The 1707 Act of Union with England moved the power to Westminster. The city is divided into Old Town and New Town. Edinburgh University was founded in 1583.

The seat of centuries of Scotland’s colorful and turbulent history Old Town is best seen on foot. The backbone of Old Town is the famous Royal Mile where kings and queens traversed for centuries. Grassmarket, south of the castle, is where the dreaded gallows hanged convicted criminals and burned witches at the stake.  Many squares, terraces, circuses, wynds and closes crisscross the city interrupting the cobbled streets thus making street numbers very confusing and difficult to find. Numbers are often missing, and follow no logical sequence.

James Craig, only 27 years old, designed New Town with its classical grid design that was the first in Europe. The buildings are Georgian. After New Town was built Old Town became a slum and remained so until a 19^th century restoration. Taxes were based on the number of windows in a house, so it is not unusual to see artificial windows on the top floor that reflect no light. New Town dates to the 18^th century, the golden age of Edinburgh. Three main streets: Queen, George, and Princes run parallel in the Georgian masterpiece. The rectangular symmetrical grid links Charlotte and St. Andrews Squares.  The first building went up in 1767 and by 1846 Edinburgh was a true British city with a direct rail link to London. Rose Street, directly north of Princes Street, has more pubs per square block than anywhere else in Scotland. Shops and restaurants are nestled between the pubs.  New Town covers one square mile and contains 10,000 buildings that are listed for architectural merit. (The equivalent to our historical building.)

St. Giles Cathedral, Scotland’s principal church, has a turbulent religious history. It was Episcopalian twice. John Knox delivered fiery Presbyterian sermons here that drove Mary, Queen of Scots into exile.

Robert Lewis Stevenson lived at 17 Heriot Row from 1857 to 1880. A sickly and lonely child, he spent a lot of  time in a third floor bedroom window looking out onto the street. A local wealthy citizen who turned into a sort of cat robber in the evening was the inspiration for Stevenson’s Jeckle and Hyde. The lamplighter who came by each evening to light the street lamps inspired his famous poem The Lamplighter.

The Walter Scot Memorial looks like a church spire without a church. In the middle of Princes Street by the park it really is a monstrosity looking very much out of place. Built in 1844, it towers 200 feet over the sidewalk. Inside the spire is a marble statue of Scot sitting in a chair, his favorite dog sitting beside him.

Holyroodhouse, also spelled Holyrood House, was originally built as a 12^th century abbey, ruins of which are visible from the courtyard.  A little history: Queen Margaret eventually became Saint Margaret. She was very altruistic, doing kind deeds all the time, but not so her son, King David.  One day he was thrown from his horse and suddenly was confronted by an angry stag. When he put his hand up to protect his face the stag turned and walked away. He took this as a sign to change his ways and built the original fortified house down in the valley. The house was built in two sections. Mary, Queen of Scots, occupied the 16th century tower. In the 17^th century additions were added to join the other buildings and form the inner courtyard. The ceilings inside were absolutely exquisite. Made of egg white and horsehair they were as fine as any plaster ceiling. The detail and design was incredible. This would not be my choice of residence and it is said that the Queen detests Holyroodhouse. 

There you have some highlights of Edinburgh.

FAIRY PENGUINS

 The Penguin Parade

One evening while in Melbourne, Australia we drove  to Phillip Island. We had an excellent lobster dinner at The Jetty Restaurant before going to see the penguins. In Auckland we had seen the largest penguins (emperor) in the world and now we were going to see the smallest ones.

The tiny Fairy Penguins live only in southern Australia and every evening shortly after sunset they march across Summerland Beach to their nesting area an event known as the Penguin Parade.

A visitor center was built to protect the penguins and prevent people from trampling the beaches and destroying the penguins' home. Bleachers line the beach for spectators to watch this evening ritual.  If the pathways leading home through the sand are destroyed the penguins get lost. No flash pictures are allowed as the flash hurts the penguins’ eyes.

Over a half million visitors a year visit the center. You can imagine what that many people could do to the nesting area. The penguins live in homes burrowed in the sand.

These tiny animals, smallest of the 18 species, often swim 20 miles off shore feeding. They can dive ten meters and have been clocked swimming 24 mph. Mating season is July-September and these penguins mate for life. Each couple raises two chicks and the parents take turns feeding the youngsters. After 6-8 weeks the little ones leave the nest and learn to swim, they cannot fly. The fairy penguin is, on average, 33 cm long and has an ink blue coat.

Watching the penguins walk across the beach, I whispered, “What an experience! They are so tiny, just precious.”

After the parade one can walk on the boardwalk through the nesting area which is filled with the sounds of the penguins talking. Do you suppose they are asking, “Did you have a good dinner?” Pretty fantastic to be so close to them!

The center has a lovely museum and a nice gift shop.

This was a once in a lifetime experience and it was fantastic!