Love At 30,000 Feet

Virgin Atlantic Has Come Up With A Great Innovation In The Dating Scene

    Is the dating scene getting you down?  No luck finding Mr. Right in the produce section of your local Whole Foods.  Or are you constantly running into the same annoying girl who goes on and on about dressing up her cats in Civil War era attire at the local speed dating event.  Do you just simply feel like you are looking for love in all the wrong places?  Well, do I have news for you!  How about meeting that special someone at 30,000 feet.  Why not look for the girl of your dreams on your next business trip to Seattle or on a cross-Atlantic flight to London.  If you fly on Virgin Atlantic Airlines, this could become a reality.  Richard Branson, the multi-billionaire and consummate innovator has come up with a cool new App for his backseat entertainment system. This one allows you the opportunity to meet other single people while flying. Sounds unbelievable, or hokey, right? Than be prepared to be amazed. 

     So imagine that on your next flight to Los Angeles, you just happen to see this gorgeous young lady in seat 22C.  She's beautiful, successful, and intelligent, or at least this is what you are telling yourself as you picture the rest of your life with this incredible gal.  Then it dawns on you, how do I meet this women?  Walking up to her and starting up a conversation just feels too intense and doomed for failure, but you do not want to miss out on this chance of a lifetime.  Then try Virgin's newest app.  You begin by selecting a drink that this breath taking goddess might like.  Next, you  key in a suddle but oh so charming message.  Finally, you wait and see what fate has in store for you.  After you send this request, the stewardess will promptly deliver your enigmatic drink, and will tell her to checkout your smooth and seductive message.  If the gal finds it absolutely irresistible or at least somewhat flattering, she can reply to your message or even better yet, come back and start up a memorable conversation with you.  If all goes well, you and Miss 22C might have a lot more to do when landing than just picking up your luggage at baggage claims.  Who knows!

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Great Itineraries: Masai Mara

African Elephants Roaming The Masai Mara 

   Africa is an enchanting place that people dream of.  It is an incredibly beautiful land full of exotic animals and unique cultures.  A place where your imagination and reality can converge and become one.  To truly experience this, then you need to head to The Masai Mara in Kenya.  This vast Savannah is chocked full of animals.  During the summer, The Mara is inundated with over 1.5 million wildebeests and zebras.  Couple this with the largest collection of big cats in the world as well as a large population of elephants and giraffes; and  this wildlife reserve is a must see for any animal enthusiast.  While seeing these majestic creatures, swing by a local Masai village and learn more about these fascinating people.  These are just a few of the reasons why a trip to The Mara will be a truly memorable experience.

Day 1

• 6:00 A.M.          Embark for an early morning safari
• 9:00 A.M.          Head back to the lodge for breakfast
• 11:00 A.M.        For some perspective into the native peoples of this land and their cultures than visit a local Masai village
• 2:00 P.M.           Lunch
• 4:00 P.M.           Try to see some more of "The Big Five" on an afternoon safari
• 7:00 P.M.           Unwind with an evening cocktail, and a scrumptious diner

Day 2

• 5:00 A.M.          Watch the sunrise over The Masai Mara from a hot air balloon.
•               When the balloon lands, enjoy a champagne breakfast in the middle of nowhere.
• 10:00 A.M.        Time to put up those well wore hiking boots and relax
• 12:00 P.M.         Grab some lunch
• 3:00 P.M.           Squeeze in one more epic safari in The Mara
• 7:00 P.M.           Savor one last diner as you recall all of those memorable moments this trip has given you.  

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Bonus Article: Georgia O'Keeffe In New Mexico; Architecture, Katsinam, And The Land



 

 

     What can be said of the incomparable Georgia O'Keeffe.  She was an innovator in style, created epic pieces that have withstood the test of time, and helped pioneer the movement of American Modernism.  She has quickly become a true American icon and legend in the artistic world.  Recently I had the opportunity to attended an exhibition of her work.  The show, Georgia O'Keeffe In New Mexico: Architecture, Katsinam, And The Land, featured pieces that she had produced while living in New Mexico.  It was a compilation of abstract landscapes, haunting Spanish style churches, and relics from her time in the southwest.  For Georgia O'Keeffe, New Mexico was not just a land of incredible beauty and a medium for her to express her immense talent in, but a place to call home.  In fact, she once said that "as soon as I saw it that was my country.  I'd never seen anything like it before, but it fitted me exactly."  From 1929 to 1953 she made annual pilgrimages from New York City to Ghost Ranch, her home home just to the north of Santa Fe.  This was her most productive period, as the awe inspiring beauty of the land and it's magnificent colors took hold of her, and shaped her creativity.

 

 

 

     This exhibit begins with an overview of the artistic life through a series of personalized photographs and some of her early work in New Mexico.  This is immediately observed by the vertical canvases.  O'Keeffe originally emphasised modernity and over the top grandeur with this vertical orientation.  This first room consisted of Chinese roosters, and cactus flowers, and a cow skull, accented by a blooming flower.  Contrary to most interpretations, O'Keeffe never intended for bones to represent death, but rather as a way to demonstrate contrast in a composition.

 

     The second room was comprised of a series of incredible landscapes.  These abstract landscapes were the defining feature of this period.  She was inspired by the land and the colors that the light instilled upon it.  Like most modernists, she utilized vibrant colors, reduced forms, and simplified compositions to convey the grandeur of this land.  She also started to use more horizontal perspectives in her compositions.  She did this in an attempt to illustrate an ancientness to the land.  She felt that this land was endowed with a spirituality that was hidden within it.

 

     As we head to the third room of the exhibit, I was surrounded by an array of Katsinam or Cachina Dolls.  These tiny wooden figurines represent to the Hopi Indians a connection between themselves and the rain gods.  Georgia O'Keeffe truly loved these colorful dolls and painted many portraits of them.  The odd thing about this, is that she was extremely secretive of these paintings and had never exhibited or sold one in her life time.  In fact, the first time these pieces were displayed to the public was after her death in 1986.  These paintings are colorful, realistic, and possessed a sense of whimsicalness about them.  Lastly, the fourth room in this extraordinary exhibit was centered around the Saint Francis of Assisi Church or as she called it "Rancho de Taos".  This characteristic, colonial style church is the center piece for many of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings.  She was completely fascinated by it's organicness and how it appears to be an extension of the earth that itself.  In fact, she usually painted this incredible church as if it was emerging from the ground.

 

     As a whole, I felt that this exhibit exemplified the range of talent that Mrs. O'Keeffe possessed as well as highlighted a very productive and important time in her life.  Above all, it gave me some remarkable insight into who she was as a person and demonstrated her talent as a true American Modernist.

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A Noble Savage Or Just One Of The Guys?

Masai Warriors Competing In A Jumping Contest

  As we headed to the village of Savora, I was completely burdened with uncertainty. I was given this incredible opportunity to visit with a group of Masai warriors but was not sure what to expect.  What were we going to encounter when we arrived? Were the Masai going to be open to sharing their unique culture with us and the rest of the world or were they going to be secretive about it? Above all, were we going to experience their genuine culture or something fabricated for visitors? So as I disembark from the jeep, I was quite anxious about what I was going to find.

      For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Masai, they have been considered the most feared tribe in all of East Africa. For centuries, other tribes in this part of the world would stay clear of them. In fact, the British even avoided dealing with them until the late 1800's because of their reputation as a group of feared warriors and exceptional hunters. This isolation by the modern world, until recently, has allowed for them to retain a lifestyle that is quite similar to the one that they have had for centuries. Which as a visitor can provide some great insight on who these people are and the effects of the outside world upon them and their exceptional culture.

A Masai Women And Child

      As I approached the village, I was immediately transfixed by the amazing colors. The color contrasts of bright red, deep purple, dark green, and light tan were striking. They almost took on a dream like quality in their vividness. The Masai are known to wear robes of extremely bright reds and rich royal purples, which I later found out from our guild, were traditionally worn to keep lions and elephants at bay. These incredibly dangerous animals do not care for these colors and will go out of their way to avoid them. Who knew, right? Anyway the village of Savora consists of about thirty adobe style homes that encircle a large courtyard. The courtyard is designed to house the villages cattle at night. They do this in an attempt to protect them from nocturnal predators. These animals are their lively hood and thus are very well maintained  The Masai use them for food, for clothing; they even use them as a mobile bank account. Our driver even went so far as to call these large anorexic cows, "cash on hoofs". Which is very appropriate, since a Masai man can use them to purchase things like building materials, or even wives from other Masai villages. The Masai are a polygamist group and can have up to ten wives at a time, that is if they are financially able to take care of them. Ironically enough, one of the villagers even made me an offer. He said that he would give me ten cows for my beautiful wife, I kindly refused and told him that she was worth at least 20!

      Once we entered Savora, we were kindly greeted by Bryan our guild and son of the village chief. I know what you are thinking, Bryan is an odd name for a Masai warrior. He explained to me that when the Masai come of age, they are allowed to go to school, but the catch is that they have to take on a Christian name while attending. So for our convenience, he went by this more westernized and much easier name to pronounce. So Bryan enthusiastically took us around his village, showing us how the Masai live. They demonstrated how they create fire to cook their food and how they carve wood into beautiful sculptures which are in turn sold to help support their village, and to send their children to school. The Masai truly value a westernized education.  They believe that there is a plethora of things to learn from the outside world. So they send their children off to a boarding school like environment at the age of twelve. These children later return as adults and use this new found knowledge to help improve their village. In case you are wondering, the children do return during school breaks, so they are only gone for a couple of months at a time.

      Eventually we came to this small but well maintained home. Bryan explained to us that this was the home of his first wife. Amongst the Masai, as a young man comes of age, he will typically be married. This happens around his 18th birthday and is arranged by the parents. The girl, who is around the age of 16 will be selected based on compatibility, maturity and wisdom. This way the man will have some stability in his house hold. Each wife the man selects after his first marriage, is completely his choice. Typically, these women will come from a different village and have to be purchased from their father. The father will be looking for a young man who can take care of his daughter both physically and financially. We asked Bryan how many kids he had. He told us that he had two from his first wife and bashfully said that he had a dog with his second. I quickly exclaimed that my wife and I had a cat. This immediately brought a smile to his warm face. He sequentially invited us into his home. For such a tall group of people, the place was tiny. There was a small room for the goat to be milked in, a kitchen with a small griddle to make bread on, and a bedroom for the family of four to sleep in. The whole place could not have been more than twenty feet long, and the ceiling was about six feet tall. The place was sweltering, as the heat of the stove warmed the place up. It was surprising how the adobe walls, which are made from cow dung, keep the heat in. Bryan had us sit on his wooden bed, which we crammed to fit on, and allowed us to ask him anything we wanted to. He told us about how he was studying medicine at school and hoped to one day become a medicine man. He felt optimistic about the future of his community and how the outside world could slowly improve the lives of his people. In fact, he started to introduce fruits and vegetables to his children. The Masai typically start each day with a mixture of cow's blood and milk. This is followed by a lunch of tortilla style bread for lunch and a grilled goat for diner. Because of their value, the Masai only eat beef on special occasions, and traditionally never eat plants. So for Bryan to incorporate these exotic items into his children's diet is a major variation from his culture.

      After an incredible and informative conversation, Bryan lead us to a large grass covered field behind the village, where a group of twelve warriors were gathered. As we approached, The Masai warriors began to chant and move around. They quickly surrounded us and continued to chant something in their native dialect. This was extremely exciting, but a tad intimidating to have these fierce warriors, spears in hand, screaming and grunting away. I was later told that this tradition was designed to make opposing warriors cower before these mighty warriors. After the dance was done, Several of the young men lined up and began to clap their hands in a rhythmic sound. As they continued to clap their hands they began to sing in unison. While this primordial act was commencing, a young man moved out from the line and began to jump. This very tall man jump as high as he could and another man joined him. They tried to see who could get more height in their jumps. This jumping contest continued as each man gave it his all to jump the highest.   Bryan explained to me that this was done to showcase each man's athletic prowess and to win over the hearts of eligible women. After about ten minutes of this amazing exhibition in jumping excellence, Bryan urged me to partake in the fun. At first, I was reluctant to join in. This is their culture, not mine, but I wanted to be a good guest. So I gave it my best shot, and started to jump with the Masai warriors. What an absolute treat to get to experience this foreign and unique culture like this! Granted some of the things we encountered while at the village were designed to captivate the imaginations of westerners, but these were still valuable facets of the Masai culture and help define who they are today. This experience truly gave me a new perspective on this incredible culture and it's remarkable people, and I feel absolutely blessed for having seen it.

 

For a video of The Masai dancing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37BatjDzK5I&NR=1&feature=fvwp

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Creature Comforts That Mother Nature Will Enjoy

The Malewa Wildlife Lodge

     Yesterday was Earth Day, a celebration of sustainability and a call to live a more Eco-friendly existence.  These are concepts that I am sure we all could probably work on.  One area that has started to embrace these ideals, is the travel industry.  I know what you are thinking, the travel industry is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to impacting the world through waste and energy usage, but this is all starting to change.  From New Zealand to Costa Rica, many hotels and resorts are becoming more and more conscious of their carbon footprint and the impact that they have on the planet.

     On my latest trip to Kenya, I stayed at The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, which happens to be at the forefront of the Eco-lodge movement.  Here they have learned to embrace their symbiotic relationship with nature.  They make substantial profits from the tourism that African wildlife brings in, and they consequentially make every effort not to impede upon it.  One way they are able to do this, is through the use of solar power.  The whole resort is operated by this environmentally friendly resource.  Besides being cost effective, it helps the lodge to avoid the use of fossil fuels and cuts down on air pollution.  When you arrive at The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, the first thing that you will notice is the thatched roofs.  Not only are they extremely charming and rustic, but are exceptionally effective.  Essentially, they will keep you nice and cool in the intense heat of the day and warm at night.  This effectiveness at temperature regulation is why they have been used throughout Eastern Africa for centuries.  These roofs are also very cost effective.  Locals can easily gather the materials necessary to build them by hand in the bush, and do not need to have expensive building supplies shipped in from large cities.  Best of all, these building materials are all biodegradable, and thus will not impact the land that it is is used in. 

     Another environmentally friendly touch that this hotel provides for it's guests, is the food that it serves.  Like Italy's slow food movement, this lodge has embraced the use of locally grown and raised food for it's restaurant.  Almost all of the food that you will consume here has been either farmed or raised or caught near by.  While I was there, we were severed an incredibly delicious grilled fish which was caught that day from Lake Naivasha, a mere twenty miles away.  The vegetables and beef that we had for diner all came from a small village which was less than two miles away.  This proximity to the original source has allowed the chef to produce fresh and incredible tasting dishes that guests simply rave about.  It also helps to employ the locals to procure these resources for the guests.  Talk about an absolute win, win for everybody. 

     Finally, they minimize their waste through a major effort in recycling.  Besides composting food waste, they take all paper, plastic, and metal garbage, and send them to the local village.  Here the villagers are able to turn these everyday items into ingenious handicrafts.  They take scrape paper, magazines, and posters, and turn them into elegant beaded necklaces and bracelets.  Plastic bottles are crafted into fashionable hand bags, and so on.  These newly created items are both incredibly beautiful and exceptionally durable.  They also provide the local villagers with an added and highly needed revenue.  It always impresses me how a society can become so creative when their resources are so few.  Truly amazing!  Anyway, very little of the waste that The Malewa Wildlife Lodge actually produces gets thrown away.  It truly is a sustainable and environmentally friendly place to stay, and the best part is that Malewa is just one of many Eco-Lodges throughout the world that are truly trying to make a difference in their local communities as well as the world at large.  So on your next trip, see if you can find an Eco-lodge and do your part to reduce the carbon foot print that we continue to create.

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For more information about The Malewa Wildlife Lodge, checkout their website at www.kigio.com

Up, Up, And Away!!!

Leo Our Pilot And Me Having A Good Time Above The Masai Mara



 

      I feel that I have been truly blessed in my life to see so many remarkable things and to have the opportunity to experience so much.  Over the years, I have snorkeled in The Great Barrier Reef, rode on top of an elephant to an abandoned palace in India, savored incredible wine in a Tuscan hill town, and soaked up the sun on some of the most sublime beaches in the world in Brazil.  So when the opportunity to ride in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara in Kenya arose, I jumped at it.  It was the first time that I was able to ride in a balloon and it was truly amazing!

   Like most balloon rides, you have to start out early in the morning.  This is critical, because the very early hours of the morning are the least windy and thus ideally the time to fly.  So, my lovely wife and I, headed down to the lobby of our hotel and filled up on that necessity of fuel, coffee and pound cake.  The breakfast of champions as the old Wheaties ads claim.  As we slowly devoured these delicious little treats in the rustic lobby of our hotel, a humongous bat whisked by our heads.  This fury guest, had to be a at least a foot long.  It was extremely quick and darted left and right throughout the lobby as it made this unique squeaking sound.  I immediately thought to myself, this is why I travel half way around the world, for these types of experiences.  Just then our driver pulled up to the front of the lodge.  After spending a couple minutes of exchanging pleasantries, we boarded the jeep, in anxious anticipation for what was about to become a truly memorable experience.  The balloon site was only about a mile from the lodge, but it felt so much farther as we bounced back and forth across the ruff dirt roads.  After only few minutes, we arrive at the launching site.  At first it was hard to make out where we were.  It was just before dawn, yet it was so dark that it could have easily been midnight.  As my eyes adjusted to the environment, I happen to notice that we were on a soccer field at the edge of the compound.  I guess, this was the best place for them to set up the balloon.  Our driver suggested that we wait in the jeep as the crew prepped the balloon and also it meant that we could get out of the slight drizzle that was moistening the air.  It was the beginning of the wet season in The Mara, so I was not at all surprised by the refreshing rain.  As we sat comfortably in the jeep; our fun loving Korean pilot Leo, instructed his team to unravel the ginormous balloon.  His energetic team of locals stretched the nylon to it's full extent as several crew members turned on two industrial strength fans on full blast.  The sound was absolutely deafening as the balloon began to inflate.  The brightly colored balloon started to rise slowly, like a chocolate souffle in the oven.  Once the balloon was filled up to about a third of it's capacity, Leo calls us over to the large, brown, wicker basket.  It was large enough to hold seventeen enthusiastic riders, but today we numbered only eight, which made it even more intimate and enjoyable.  Us lucky few, gingerly crawled into the basket as it laid on it's side.  As we settled in, Leo gave us a quick run down of the safety instructions.  After we were clear on the do's and don'ts of riding in a hot air balloon, Leo and his crew conducted his last safety checks. How bizarre it was, to see a small Asian man, walking inside a kaleidoscope of colors as I am lying on my back, taking in the whole scene upside down. This is when Leo eagerly mounted the engine and blasted a large flame into the balloon. As this makeshift flamethrower spewed out red glowing fire, we could feel the intense heat. It was incredibly hot! Without the metallic heat shield above our heads, I am certain that my hair would easily have singed right off. This continued for a minute or two until the balloon was so large that it pulled the basket up right with an alarming jerk. We were actually flying, be it a mere three feet off of the ground, but we were still flying. The crew members scrambled to detach the ropes that were keeping us tethered to the ground and at that moment, we began to swiftly rise towards the heavens.

    The balloon gently glided in a southwest direction as we reached a relaxing 1,000 feet in elevation.  As we cruised at this altitude, everything appeared to be so inconceivably small.  Roads and rivers appeared as abstract line and we barley can make out a cape buffalo grazing along the grasslands.  But as you looked off into the distance, you can see how impressive The Masai Mara truly is.  Not only is this land extraordinarily large in size, about 750 sq. miles in length, but it is exceptionally beautiful.  With the sun rising gracefully above the grasslands, the whole scene takes on an almost ethereal quality, and quite simply took my breath away.  Several times, I had to remind myself that this was not a dream, and that I was actually here in Africa!  As we progressively glided along, Leo would descend to about 400 feet or so, in order to provide us with fresh perspectives of the land and it's amazing wildlife.  That day, we were fortunate enough to see zebras galloping at full speed across the Savannah, a herd of elephants feeding, and even a lone giraffe feasting at the top of a wooded hill. 

    After an hour and a half of extensive site seeing and photography, Leo began our decent back to earth and the reality it holds.  The ground seemed to be in an absolute hurry to meet up with us, as it accelerated towards us.  We quickly sit and brace ourselves for the landing as the basket finally makes contact with ground.  After a few bounces we come to a complete stop and Leo's crew members begin to tie down the balloon.  They have finally caught up with us after Leo radioed them our location about half an hour ago.  After some neat photo ops, the crew loads us up into the jeep and drives us down the road for about two-thirds of a mile.  Along the way, we stopped to watch a jackal cross the road.  This is a sobering reminder that we are still in the middle of the wilderness, and that the unexpected is around every corner.  After leaving our canine friend, we quickly arrive at breakfast.  As the crew was disassembling the balloon, another group was preparing breakfast for us.  To think that was were going to have bacon and omelets in the middle of nowhere.  This was so cool!  How could you ever top this morning?  That is when Leo pulls out a bottle of french champagne and uncorks it.  For my wife and me, this was a truly memorable experience, to have a champagne breakfast in the middle of The Masai Mara after riding in a hot air balloon.  How absolutely amazing, indeed!



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For an incredible experience, contact Balloon Adventures at www.balloonadventures.co.ke

How Do You Go On A Safari

A Leopard In Action

    Have you ever dreamed of seeing a zebra galloping across a golden Savannah or to be so close a full size lion that you can smell his meaty breath?  These moments are simply unforgettable.  For many people, an African Safari is a life long dream, but how does one go about fulfilling this incredible aspiration?

     When you arrive in either Nairobi or Dar es Salaam, you will be completely mobbed by salesmen and hockers trying to persuade you to go on their safaris.  This should cause you some concern.  How do you know which one of these guys are running legitimate businesses and which one's are not?  Also, you need to know what kind of accommodations are going to be available.  Are you going to stay in an elegant lodge or roughing it in a tent?  How knowledgeable is the guild going to be and can he find the animals that you are in search for?  These are just a few of the factors that should influence your decision on the tour company that you will use for this expedition, and ultimately will determine if you have that trip of your dreams or not.  My best advise for you is to stay away from these unfamiliar hockers and select a repairable agent or tour company in the states.  To adequately do this, you have to do your homework.  You should spend sometime on the Internet researching tour groups that you might be interested in using.  There is a plethora of sites out there that evaluate tour companies as well as provide you with first hand accounts of these companies.  This way you can determine if they are a legitimate company, providing quality services, or not.  This can also provide you with some good perspective on your upcoming trip by telling you the horror stories that others might have had to endure.  It's always a good thing to see both the positives and negatives for a company before making a commitment on one.  Another good way to select a safari, is to go with word of mouth.  If you know someone who has had a good experience with a safari, you might want to consider that company. 

    I hope that this will give you some ideas on how to select a tour company when going on a safari. 

 If you have any questions, comments or suggestions than contact us at thriftyadventurer1@gmail.com

Or if you want to see more great pictures of my adventurers in Kenya then friend us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/chris.morrison.507679

For a company who does safaris well, check out Gate 1 Travels at http://www.gate1travel.com/africa-travel/

Let's Go On A Safari

A Male Lion Walking Through The Savannah

     Have you ever dreamed of riding through the thick, amber colored grasses of the Savannah in search of a ferocious lion or to see a herd of ginormous elephants bathing in a shallow pond?  This has always been a life long dream of mine, to actually see these incredible creatures up close in their natural environments, and last month this dream finally came true.  I was given the opportunity to spend sometime in the enchanting land of Kenya and it's expansive Masai Mara.  It was truly an incredible and memorable experience.  The Mara is about 750 sq. miles of the most pristine grasslands on earth, and if you are a wildlife enthusiast, then this is the place for you.  From the mind blowing mass migration that takes place here between July and October every year, when over 1.5 million wildebeests and zebras come from the south to fill these massive grasslands, or the fact that The Mara is home to the largest population of big cats in the world.  Either way, you will quickly discover that The Masai Mara has a collection of wildlife that is simply unrivaled.

An Elephant Out For A Cool Drink

    For those who are unfamiliar with how a safari works, well you typically go out in the early hours of the morning or in the late afternoon.  This is when the animals are most active and easiest to see.  As your skilled and knowledgeable driver takes you down some very bumpy roads or as the locals call them an African message, you anxiously scan the landscape for any sign of these precious creatures.  This pattern continues until you stumble across a large herd of imposing Cape Buffalos, one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa or a collection of wirey Thomson's Gazells. The driver will stop and allow you the opportunity to take all of the photos you can want. After you do your best Art Wolfe imitation, the driver will move on in search of that next illusive animal, be it a majestic Rothschild's Giraffe or a breath taking Leopard. It truly is amazing to actually see these magnificent animals in person. Growing up in West Denver, I use to see these wonderful creatures in cages or in artistically crafted pens, but never in the wild. What a tremendous experience! Typically, you will continue to search for animals all morning long. With any luck, you will see all of the animals that you have traveled half way around the world to see, and if not, there is always the afternoon session! Because everyday you spend in the Mara, involves at least two safari's a day. So if you are an animal enthusiast or have a yearning to see Africa in all it's glory, then head to East Africa and go on a safari!

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Innovations In Travel

Emirates Airlines' Newest Innovation In Customer Service 

     On my latest trip to Dubai, I came across a couple of really amazing and truly innovative ideas.  Have you ever landed in a strange airport and have no idea where to catch that connecting flight.  Well, The Dubai International Airport has come up with a great solution to this daunting task.  They have several smart maps on each concourse.  At first glance, these maps appear to be the standard diagram of an airport, yet as you look more closely, you will quickly notice that it is completely interactive.  By the touch of a finger, it will highlight and show you the most direct path to any amenity you can think of.  If you would like to know how to get to the McDonald's, then push the button for restaurants, select your eatery of choice, and it will show you the shortest path to get there.  Or if you are interested in finding the closet mosque for morning prayer, then select mosque and it will direct you to the nearest one.  This seems cool right, but how about finding your departure gate before your connecting flight takes off?  That's the best part of this computerized map.  You place your airline ticket under the laser reader and it will highlight your departing gate.  It will also show you the quickest way to get there, so you can avoid missing your flight.

     Are you one of those people who wants to get some sleep on your flight, but is worried that you are going to miss out on that delicious free meal or drink service? Well, Emirate Airlines has created a solution to this difficult dilemma.  They have stickers with directions to the attendants printed on them.  If you want the flight attendant to wake you up for meal or drink services, then you can peel off the green sticker and place it on the back of your seat.  This way you can catch a catnap and not have to worry about when your pasta dish will arrive.  Emirates Airlines also has a purple sticker that will notify the flight attendants to leave you alone.  This is great, if you need to catch up on some well needed sleep.

     So, I hope that these new innovations will spread to other airlines and airports respectively.  These great ideas will make traveling easier on  everyone.

When Wildlife Attacks!

The Wild Baboon

    When I returned home from Africa, the question I was most asked was "are the animals dangerous?"  Well of  course they are.  When you visit a game reserve or stay at a lodge within these reserves, you will not find any fences or barricades to keep the animals out.  This means that you will have the opportunity to have a baboon attack you or get to watch a man fight off an elephant with a stick or simply to have some very hungry hungry hippos having a late night snack at your door step.  I know this may sound extremely crazy but, it was my experience in Africa.

     One might ask, how I could put myself into a situation where a baboon might attack me.  Well I was having a refreshing drink at The Hippo Bar at The Keekerok Lodge, a remarkable hotel in the middle of The Masai Mara.  As a side note, this incredible hotel actually has a bar overlooking a pond overflowing with hippos!  Anyway, once I finished off my Tusker beer, I decided that I would stroll down the board walk in search of monkeys.  The day before we had stumbled across a group of the most adorable vervet monkeys.  As we followed the walk way, we happen to see a troop of baboons on the other side of the creek that runs along the boardwalk.  So I anxiously started to photograph these much larger apes.  All was going well as thoughts of glory flooded my mind.  I keep telling myself how excited the people back home were going to be to see these spectacular photos!  Then it happened, I herd this extremely loud thump to my left.  As I slowly turned to see what had caused this tremendous commotion, my beloved wife cautiously called my name "Chris!"  To my surprise there stood a three foot tall baboon.  This monstrosity stood on top of a patio table and towered over me.  He was huge! I could not even give it a bear hug if I wanted to.  To make matters worst, this behemoth was close enough for me to pet, that is if I wanted to lose a finger or three.  As I quickly assessed the situation I was in, the alpha male slowly pulled back his gums, to showcase his massive teeth and he began to hiss at me!  So what do you do when a 150 pound baboon is standing at arms length, hissing at you?  Well you keep taking photos right?  If you run, it's going to chase you.  If you try to scare it, and fail, it's going to attack you.  So the best course of action is to stay still and keep taking photos.  So after 30 seconds or what felt like a life time for me, he jumped down from the table and slowly wiggled his behind as he confidently meandered down the board walk.  As he and my bewilderment quickly faded, I realize that he had defecated on the table next to me.  He was just showing me who's territory this was.

     As time has passed, I have to say that this was an incredible encounter, be it a tad nerve racking.  To be close enough to pet a wild baboon and not being shipped back to Denver in a box.  Wow!  So to all the detractors out there that feel that Africa has lost some of it's wildness, I would have to tell them that they are horribly mistaken, and that I have a very hairy friend with exceptionally long teeth for them to meet.

How Being The New Guy Is Not So Bad

Several Friends That My Wife and I Meet at The Raj Ghat 

       My first trip to India was loaded with unique and interesting experiences; the monuments were simply breathtaking, the food was sublime, the traffic chaotic, and the monkeys were absolutely adorable.  But above all else, the most peculiar thing that I have encountered in India, was the people.  The people that I meet in India were extraordinarily kind, and very receptive to Westerners.  In fact, I felt more of a curiosity to them, then they were to me.  Several times during my trip, Indian's would out of nowhere, bust out a camera phone and start taking photos of me and the tour group that I was accompanying.  I even saw instances where locals would push their children up close to Westerners or even hand a perfect stranger their baby and take a pictures.  To me, this seemed so bizarre!  I have never been the center of attention just because of where I have come from. Yet, this seems to be a newly emerging trend in Northwest India.  Personally, I believe that this is occurring, because Westerners are not all that common in here.  When I visited this beautiful land, I had only come across about 50 Westerners in my all travels, including at The Taj Mahal, throughout Old Delhi, and at the major sites in Jaipur. One great thing about this unwarranted attention, is the accessibility of the people that you will encounter. As a whole, Indian's are very welcoming, many shop keepers will invite you into their shops for a cup of tea, or a stranger will approach you on the street and start up a conversation with you. They want to know where you are from, how many kids you have, what do you do for a living and so forth. You know, the usual stuff. This provided me with a wonderful opportunity to ask them about their lives and I was able to gain some great insight into their culture. One thing that I have learned from my travels is that these types of conversations can provide you with more information about a culture, than any guild book ever will as well as provide you with more meaningful experiences during your trips. This is why it can be very opportunistic to be "the new guy" when traveling abroad.

April's Letter From The Editor

Safariing in The Masai Mara, Kenya

     East Africa is a land of exceptional beauty, and rugged elegance.  It is full of cultural diversity as well as a an abundance of wildlife that is truly unrivaled.  It is a place where legends are created and dreams can be fulfilled.

     This month, we will focus our articles on this amazing part of the world and it's phenomenal people.  We will head out for a safari and see how truly wild the animals in Africa really are.  We will have a conversation with a Masai warrior and glide peacefully across the savannah in a hot air balloon.  Finally, we will continue our Great Itineraries series with The Masai Mara.  So from all of us here at The Thrifty Adventurer, we hope that you have plenty of  incredible and fun filled adventures in your near future.

Christopher Morrison
Writer and Editor of
The Thrifty Adventurer

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