#because miss typhoid decided to come visit

[thedogeveryonehates]

_

[calleo-bricriu]

Well, the book is finally getting into the title’s namesake, even if the definition of “pervert” so far is pretty tame.

This book, if you’ve missed it so far.

Oh, and even though I didn’t bother getting into chapter 13, I did skim the first page and had one of those, “Well, there it is, what he’s been hinting at the entire time with the descriptions of Mizpra.”:  “Her maternal and reproductive instincts had been starved and enfeebled by a life of wrong training and misdirected study, augmented by the unphysiologic life of the disappointed femme sole, and environed by the false and unhealthy ideas of the New England women suffragists."

So, Mizpra, basically:

Anyway, on to the chapters I did force myself through.

Chapter 10!

Three week time skip where Leigh had himself locked away in what amounts to a drunk tank despite the fact that he hadn't gone out drinking.

Also, he apparently didn't eat OR drink (anything) for those three weeks which is one of those sorts of things that, if you tried to do it, you would actually die.

Alas, I'm not so lucky. Leigh is still alive to bore us for a few hundred more pages.

No surprise he's having wild ass mood swings, not eating or drinking or sleeping for three weeks. Surprised he remembers his name is Leigh at this point. Thankfully, the author has remembered and rambled on for a good ten or so pages about how we should all feel sorry for the tortured genius of Leigh.

I realised another reason I dislike Leigh: He smokes cigars, and I just hate the smell of cigar smoke so not only do I have to hear this moron pretend he's a genius philosopher in my own head as I read this book, I can now also smell him while he's doing it.

Anyway, skipping the dozens of pages that have nothing to do with the plot and are Leigh going on about how he thinks religious people are stupid and why he's so smart and so burdened under the weight of all of his absolute genius.

A genius wouldn't name their kid Mops, as an aside.

Skipping more pages of an irrelevant exchange between some guy outside trying to sneak some guy inside some alcohol.

Now we're up to some thing about a Catholic woman who's gone off the rails, is fully nude because that's a relevant thing to bring up you creep, and is very clearly mentally ill and is locked up. Of course they want Dr. Bell and Leigh (who, I might remind everyone at this point, is still technically inpatient at this place) to see her because geniuses or something.

Don't care, not relevant to the plot. We get it, Leigh, you're a genius.

"She then uttered a string of filthy pornographic oaths that would have put Emulphus to shame." and the author isn't going to share a single one with us.

So, Leigh the genius, declares this naked raving woman perfectly fine and says she--just needs a cold bath. Okay.

So that's the end of chapter ten.

Chapter 11:

Leigh is back home and his wife is not concerned abou tany of this, only "exceedingly interested" in hearing about his struggle with his "other self".

This makes her, in the author's judgement, reasonable.

Obera is, however, getting really antsy to get Mizpra killed, so there's that.

Rev. Bell comes to visit and as part of his groveling hello, "I have heard your pæans shouted from the housetops, and have been anxious to meet such a well-known man." I already dislike him.

Also, sin is the root cause of all illness. Of course Leigh had to go on and on about that so he could be sure it was still clear that he is, in fact, a genius in every way.

10 pages and he's still talking about that.

All right, so Leigh finally said one reasonable thing: "The words 'insanity' and 'insane' should disappear from our scientific vernacular, as they carry with them an atomsphere of medieval superstition and prejudice. There should be no distinction drawn between a person ill with typhoid fever, consumption, or any other physical disease and one ill from disease of the brain; it is only a difference of the organ affected."

Probably the only reasonable thing he'll say.

So, he finally shuts up and Rev. Bald tries to ask him to hang out outside of the house sometime and gets immediately shut down by Obera going with, "Dr. Newcomber prefers his home and books," and he just sort of parrots that back as well.

Obera asks Leigh what he thought of Rev. Bald and gets, "He is an ecclesiastical bunco steerer," and she tells him he's not allowed to hang out with the guy because of--the thing with Mizpra trying to straight up murder Mops.

He tells Obera not to blame Mizpra because "she is not morally responsible" due to being mentally ill, which is all good and well, but she did try to murder a child and should maybe be made to take a tiny bit of responsibility for that.

His solution is to send Obera and Mops away. Cool.

Dr. Bell visits the next morning to tell him the hysterical naked woman ran off with "our big Swede, Andersen. He was a mere animal. We kept him under control by giving him the furnaces to attend".

Turns out, the naked raving woman was relevant as it was Leigh's sister, Marcia and he's not--at all concerned by any of this, just, "Eh, oh yeah, I forgot to mention, she's my sister and she's fucking bonkers, it's no big deal."

And that's chapter 11.

Back to Mizpra for Chapter 12.

"To stand upon the wreck of her brothers and sisters, offering them enough assistance to prolong their misery, was her ambition." Settle down a little Mizpra.

She decides they should all go to Chicago to look at real estate instead of to California, then sort of goes on for awhile about how real estate agents are all crooks.

Long rambling introspection to determine that her mother's side of the family "suffered from weak arteries in advanced years" (like everyone else?) which made her prone to having a stroke or three and that she's arthritic.

So the switch to going to Chicago was to "keep her mother in a low altitude for a few days, then rush her rapidly up the Rockies" hoping to trigger a stroke that would HOPEFULLY not be fatal and if she did die, oh well, can't murder someone by stroke, so she'd not be arrested.

"She must witness torture and cause pain. This was her life." That's the intro for a good few pages of Mizpra thinking over all sorts of torture scenes from mythology which I'm sure are meant to be shocking but the author is what the author is and there's not much for detail. You'd get more detail reading the actual myths.

At the end of that she decides not to throw diphtheria infected toys at Mops anymore and she's going to aim straight at Obera with some method she'd seen but we're not told yet.

Great.

Oh, it's just anthrax.

I was hoping for something a little more creative than more small scale biological warfare.

Trying to murder people by sending disease via post seems to be some sort of fetish for Mizpra.

By now Burke is getting kind of annoyed that Mizpra is treating him like a secretary and errand boy but, honestly Burke, she basically told you that was the arrangement from the start, why are you surprised?

"Burke Wood was one of those unfortunate bipeds whom men despise, women hate, and the females of pervasive instincts employ as useful adjuncts to their much-scorned skirts." Well, we all know what the author thinks of Burke now. Also, all we’ve seen from Burke so far is that he’s a genuinely decent guy who adores Mizpra.

So mom comes in and asks Mizpra if she thinks she's treating that poor idiot Burke correctly and we find out that she somehow made this man with no training her LAWYER not just her secretary. Anyway, her mother reminds her if she keeps being nasty to him he's probably just going to leave her.

Then it just gets weird with her mom trying to not so subtly hint she needs to start with the sex where Burke is concerned and reminds Mizpra that she has "sex instincts".

Not the sort of conversation I'd want to have with my mother and, apparently, Mizpra doesn't want to have it with hers either. She brushes it off and tries to change the topic but this is what mother wants to talk about tonight so here we go.

"I preferred to see you enthusiastic over the dissection of a cat rather than playing with feminine foibles," what is this family even? Well, she regrets doing that now because apparently she's even noticing that Mizpra has some--interesting--obsessions.

Now even her mother is remarking on Mizpra's big, coarse, bony, manly hands. No wonder Mizpra has bizarre anger issues.

Mother figures out, finally, that Mizpra doesn't love Burke and isn't even remotely attracted to him like everyone but her and Burke figured that out at the wedding.

What mom's concerned about is that Mizpra doesn't want to fuck Burke; mom needs to mind her business, and this is not her business.

The problem, of course, is that Mizpra has had TOO MUCH education not that all we've seen of her is everyone else going on about how ugly and mannish she is.

I don't really want to read this old woman lecturing Mizpra on how she needs to fuck more then maybe she'd be happier.

So Burke interrupts them as Mizpra sent him to pick out some books she might like to read and pack the rest, and he interrupted to ask about one and we find out that if the "History of Flagellation does not meet with your approval, then it is because you do not understand the degredation of the woman of the past and my efforts for her enthronment in the future."

She then orders him to sit down then just kind of jerks his head back (with those big ol' coarse, manly hands of hers) and STARES at him before kind of sarcastically asking if he sees "anything but love" in her eyes then gives some, "Sorry if I've been cruel, I'm worried about my mother."

...then she tries to hypnotise him to sleep only she does it...loudly. While holding his eyes shut with her fingers.

To test some of that, she takes her scarf pin (which was holding together her, of course, “masculine necktie”) and jabs him in the forehead with it, then pierces his ears with it, then opened one eye and just jabbed her finger onto it so apparently holding someone's eyes shut then loudly commanding them to--be hypnotised works.

On Burke, at least.

She could have given him earrings or something.

Anyway, she then stabs the pin through his entire cheek then decided this is all making her way too horny and runs off to the sink to dunk her entire head into cold water.

So Mizpra's got a fetish.

For stabbing sleeping men with scarf pins.

I'm going to just stop here.

[racingtoaredlight]

RTARL’s 2020 NFL Season Week 5 Extravapalooza

My 13-year-old nephew was visiting this weekend, and he decided he wanted to become an NFL fan. In his short time on Earth, he’s lived in England, Montana, Georgia, Guam, and Connecticut, so he doesn’t really have strong regional ties anywhere. My brother and I are New Englanders, and since they now live in Connecticut, the Patriots seemed like a logical choice. But, he wasn’t feeling it. He has a fascination with New York City, so I helpfully told him that NYC has TWO teams he could choose from. He was excited, and settled on the Jets. Years from now, when he’s bigger and stronger than me, he will stuff me in a garbage can for setting him down the path of New York Jets fandom, and I will totally deserve it.

BONUS LINK THAT I FOUND INTERESTING: Scoring is way up in the NFL so far in 2020, and this post on 538 tries to figure out both why that is, and which teams benefit the most from this high-scoring and aggressive environment.

My picks are in BOLD, and the lines come to us courtesy of our friends at Vegas Insider. I use the “VI Consensus” line, which is the line that occurs most frequently across Vegas Insider’s list of sportsbooks. Your sportsbook of choice may offer a different number, and if you’d like my opinion on said number A) you are insane, and B) leave a comment below and I’ll try to answer at some point before things kickoff today. 

EARLY GAMES

Philadelphia Eagles at Pittsburgh Steelers (-7)

I saw a Smart Football Knower on Twitter saying that the Steelers defensive line leads the NFL in “pass rush win rate,” and that Carson Wentz has been the worst QB in the league when under pressure. That seems less than ideal for Philly, and it’s good enough for me to lay the points here.

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (-2)

The Packers’ ruthless stomping of the Falcons this past Monday probably choked out any hope and crushed whatever will Atlanta had, and they’re doomed to spend the rest of the season listlessly playing out the string and losing to less-talented squads like Carolina....IS JUST WHAT ATLANTA WANTS YOU TO THINK! I’m not falling for it and neither should you.

Las Vegas Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-11.5)

Kill them, Patrick. Make them regret they were ever born. It’s crazy that as good as the Chiefs have been, it still feels like they haven’t played at their full planet-destroying potential for a whole game yet. Doing so this week against the hated Raiders would make me a happy man, all because the Raiders have had the audacity to ruin my picks more than any other team over the last couple of seasons. Well, it sure SEEMS like they have, anyway. I suppose I could actually go back and check to see if the numbers bear this out, but that seems like far more work than I’m willing to put in. It’s way easier just to hate them in blissful ignorance.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-5.5)

I’m happy for Texans fans finally being rid of Bill O’Brien, but this team still has issues and I’m gonna need to see drastically improved performance on the field before I raise them above “Trash” in my personal power rankings. Also:

Arizona Cardinals (-7) at New York Jets

The Jets had their own coronavirus scare yesterday when one of their players popped a positive test result. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, it turned out to be a false positive, so game on. Allow me to be the 1,000th person to make the joke that Adam Gase purposely tried to infect his team in order to get this game postponed, so that he may live to coach another week.

Los Angeles Rams (-7) at Washington Football Team

It’s COMPLETELY insane that Alex Smith is the #2 QB for Washington in this game. He has drop foot! His leg is made of paper mache!  Alex Smith entering the game to the deafening silence of a fanless stadium and immediately having his leg destroyed again would be the most Washington Football Team thing imaginable. 

Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-12.5)

Cincinnati’s 8-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Geno Atkins will be making his season debut in this one, and that should be enough for the Bengals defense to contain Ravens QB Lamar Jackson. Hahahaha, just kidding. This pick is based purely on my potentially misguided faith in super cool new kid Joe Burrow and his ability to put up enough points in garbage time to hit an infuriating backdoor cover. 

LATE GAMES

Miami Dolphins at San Francisco 49ers (-8)

San Francisco is 2-2, they’ve had an absurdly easy schedule so far, and they’ve also been decimated by injuries. Tough to get a read on these fellas. I’m inclined to believe they’ll round into form and make a nice playoff run, but it might take a bit for them to get into rhythm as they reintegrate their returning players. I think the Dolphins are plenty frisky enough to make this a legit scrap.

Indianapolis Colts (PK) at Cleveland Browns

Is it just me or is Indy Phillip Rivers infinitely less charming than San Diego Phillip? I don’t even know why I feel this way, he’s the same loudmouthed redass as before, but the Colt version just seems so bland. Maybe it’s the missing lightning bolts on the helmet/uniform. Those really do add pizazz to everything. Like everyone else, I very much enjoyed the Browns deploying multiple gadget plays in their thrashing of Dallas, but I’m not sure it’s a good sign that they felt the need to bust out so many of them against a truly ghastly Cowboy defense. Baker Mayfield still wasn’t all that great in that game (19-30, 165 yds and 2 TDs), so it’s tough for me to say the Cleveland offense has actually turned any sort of corner, especially with the loss of Nick Chubb.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-8.5)

I assumed this game was gonna be on FOX and I was excited at the prospect of Uber-Crotchety Troy Aikman making an appearance as he finally loses it completely and shits all over a poor Cowboys performance and the NFC East as a whole, but it turns out this is getting the CBS Romo/Nantz treatment. So, now I think we’re gonna get a hefty dose of Gigglin’ Tony as Dak throws for another 450 in a blowout win. Is this sound reasoning for making picks? Absolutely not.

SNF: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-7)

Once again, the Seahawks find themselves in the game with the highest over/under for the week (56). Giddy up! Vikings QB Kurt Cousins finally showed faint signs of life last week in a win over Houston, and a meeting with Seattle’s worst-in-the-league secondary should fully unleash the dragon. Among a fantastic-looking rookie class of WRs, Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson is quietly emerging as the best of the bunch. GEAUX TIGUHS!

MNF (Early): Denver Broncos at New England Patriots (-8)

As of now, the Broncos and Pats are scheduled to kick off at 5:00 PM on Monday night, but this could obviously be derailed by another positive COVID-19 test result from New England (or Denver, I guess). There’s also a question as to whether or not Cam Newton will be allowed to start at QB for the Patriots. Since Cam’s infection has been asymptomatic, he’s allowed to resume playing either A) ten days after his initial positive test or B) five days after his initial test, but with two consecutive negative tests 24-hours apart. Cam tested positive on Oct. 2, and the game is set for Oct. 12. 

This game is off the board at sportsbooks right now, but Vegas Insider pulled that Pats -8 from somewhere, so fuck it I’ll take a crack at it. I’m picking the Broncos to cover based on my assumption that Cam will NOT play, because believe it or not emotionless cyborg Bill Belichick has been one of the more progressive coaches at any level of football in terms of taking COVID-19 seriously. Low bar to clear, but still. 

UPDATE: This game has now been postponed as another Patriot has tested positive for COVID-19.

MNF (Late): Los Angeles Chargers at New Orleans Saints (-8)

The Saints appear to be getting healthier, with WR Michael Thomas, TE Jared Cook, CB Marshon Lattimore, offensive linemen Andrus Peat and Ryan Ramczyk, defensive linemen Marcus Davenport and Trey Hendrickson, and safety Malcolm Jenkins all returning to practice, albeit in limited fashion. But, the Justin Herbert-led Chargers have lost their three games by a combined 15 points, and they’ve looked extremely feisty each week, including decent stretches where they were in control against both the mighty Chiefs and championship-contender Buccaneers. Eight points is too many, in my opinion. Have I mentioned that I love Justin Herbert? What a dreamboat.

Tuesday: Buffalo Bills (-6.5) at Tennessee Titans

Much like the Patriots/Broncos game, this game isn’t being offered at sportsbooks as of right now. But, in my relentless commitment to consequence-free handicapping with no discernible benefit to me personally, I’m gonna pick it using the Vegas Insider line provided. 

It’s a real shame the coronavirus has turned this game into such a redheaded stepchild, because it’s a seriously tasty matchup. The Bills are on track to welcome excellent CB Tre’Davious White back, which is great news for a defense that’s been much shittier than expected so far. Tennessee’s best WR A.J. Brown is still listed as Questionable with a knee injury after missing the Titans’ last game (Week 3), and on top of that WRs Corey Davis and Adam Humphries are question marks due to testing positive for COVID-19. Not great! But, the Titans do still have Derrick Henry and a great offensive line, and as I mentioned before the Bills D has been butt so far this season. I think the Titans will still be able to move the ball effectively and eat up clock even with their potentially depleted pass-catching corps. Dare I say we’re in for some SMASH-MOUTH FOOTBALL?! Somewhere, John Madden just used a marker to telestrate a Halfback Dive on the nearest wall. BOOM!

Now for some stupid jokes! Hey, how ‘bout this Titans team holding outlaw practices and keeping their in-house plague going? More like TENNESSEE TYPHOIDS, amiright? If this game is canceled due to another positive test by Tennessee, you can always get your football fix by watching the classic film Remdesivir the Titans!

*thanks to Gov. Mike Huckabeav for helping me with that last paragraph

UPDATE: Another member of the Titans organization has tested positive, and their facilities have been closed down once again. This game seems perilously close to being postponed/canceled. Son of a bitch.

Last Week’s Record: 4-7-2

Season Record: 30-25-4

[itsyokythings-blog]

My Five Acres. Travel. Adventure. Yoga. My Five Acres. Travel. Adventure. Yoga. - Travel. Adventure. Yoga.

Do you need for Vietnam ? Yes, there are a few you should definitely have and few more to consider to avoid unexpected health calamities. This simple guide wil help you understand exactly which you need for Vietnam.

What’s in our guide to Vaccines for Vietnam?

1. 3. 5. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, cycled across northern mountain ranges, sailed Ha Long Bay, motorbiked the coast, lazed away days on beautiful beaches, volunteered in rural villages, and so much more.

Vietnam is an incredible country which offers visitors a diverse set of experiences.

Vietnam is a diverse country with a huge range of experiences.

Of course, it also offers a diverse set of health risks. Getting your injections for Vietnam before you leave home is the first step to a healthy trip.

As always, when seeking health advice online, it is best to double-check with your doctor or expert before you make any final decisions.

With that said, read on to learn all about…

Also don’t miss these posts:

Solo in Vietnam → Vietnam advice → The best Vietnam itinerary →

Vaccines you should definitely have for Vietnam

Make sure you are up to date on your routine jabs including:

MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)

Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis

Chickenpox (Varicella)

Polio

Annual flu shot

You will also need to add at least these two :

Hepatitis A

Typhoid

Both of these diseases can be contracted through contaminated food or water in Vietnam.

All lers should be vaccinated for Hepatitis A before going to Vietnam.

Travellers who plan on staying in home stays or with friends, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or eating street food or in small restaurants (so almost everyone), should also get the Typhoid vaccine.

Vaccines you might need for Vietnam

We can give you general advice about these but if you are unsure about what you need, please make an appointment with a vaccine specialist at least 2 months before your trip.

Japanese encephalitis

The Japanese encephalitis vaccine is very expensive but is generally recommended if you plan to stay in Vietnam for more than a month, or plan to spend a lot of time in rural areas or outside.

Full disclosure: We have never gotten the vaccine for Japanese encephalitis, even though all of those conditions apply to us. But just because we took the risk doesn’t mean you should — speak to your local vaccine specialist who will help you decide.

Hepatitis B

You’ll need this if you plan on have sex with strangers in Vietnam, or you’re going to get a tattoo, a piercing, use IV drugs, or have any medical procedures. Obviously, we recommend that you don’t engage in any of these activities on your Vietnam trip!

Malaria

It is rare for lers to get malaria in Vietnam. You might consider taking anti-malarials if you’re going to be camping, or are planning to spend a lot of time in the outdoors in the central and southern areas bordering with Cambodia. For most lers, liberal use of a deet-based mosquito repellent is sufficient for Vietnam.

If you’re going to wild regions of Cambodia and Laos as well, you should consider taking anti-malarials for that part of your trip. I got malaria in northern Cambodia / southern Laos last year and it was the most awful experience of my entire career!

Stray dogs, bats, and rats in Vietnam can all carry rabies. Probably not this cutie though.

Rabies

You can get rabies from dogs, rats, bats, and other animals in Vietnam. Not fun! If you’re going to be outside a lot, have a penchant for caving or playing with street dogs, or are ling with children, you might want to consider a rabies vaccine.

Yellow Fever

There is no yellow fever in Vietnam and you only need proof of the vaccine if you’re ling there from other countries with yellow fever. This applies to many African and South American countries.

Zika

There is no vaccine for zika and it is present in Vietnam. Your best protection against zika is to avoid mosquito bites! Be diligent about wearing mosquito repellent and opt for long sleeves and long trousers. If you are pregnant or considering getting pregnant, to countries where zika is present is not advised.

The cost of vary widely, depending on where you are getting the and what type you need. This is a rough estimate of the expenses you’ll face for your Vietnam shots:

$100 consultation fee with vaccine expert

$50–100 for each vaccine you need

$1–5 per day for anti-malarial pills

Budget $300–600 for and consultations for your trip. If you’re on a tight budget, don’t be tempted to skip your injections. If you get sick, not only will your trip be ruined, but you’ll have the additional medical fees to worry about.

This little guy can cause you lots of problems, so beware.

The best way to avoid these diseases is to avoid getting mosquito bites.

Which Kind of Mosquito Repellent Should you Use?

In the west, you might rely on “natural” repellants to keep you from getting bitten. In areas where mosquitos carry disease, this is not good enough. These repellents, though they smell nicer and are less full of disgusting chemicals, tend to be less effective against mosquitos — and their effectiveness varies depending on the breed of mosquito.

If you must use a natural repellent, those containing Lemon Eucalyptus Oil have been shown to be the most effective “natural” repellent. Be aware that you need to apply it more and more frequently than you would with DEET.

There are other options, such as insect repellent clothing, which might be useful if you’re going to spend a lot of time in rural areas.

Are Mosquitos the Same Everywhere You Go?

In Asia, mosquitos can be quite different than the ones you’re used to:

Some are so tiny you might not even notice them flying around or biting you

They are quieter, too, so you might not hear them buzzing

Some barely leave a bite mark and the itching can go away in a matter of hours, while others leave huge misshapen welts that itch like crazy

Certain breeds are active during the day, while others are more active in the morning and evening

Because of this, it’s important to wear repellent even when you don’t notice any mosquitos or notice them biting you. Don’t be fooled into thinking you don’t need mosquito repellent!

Is It OK to Avoid Repellent if Mosquitos Don’t “Like” You?

One last caution. Mosquitos in the east can have different taste buds from mosquitos in the west.

In North America and Europe, Stephen is a mosquito magnet. He can’t go anywhere without getting a bite. I am the opposite; mosquitos barely notice me at home. In Asia, it’s the other way around. I get bites left and right, while Stephen gets by relatively unscathed.

Why is this important? Because Western lers often tell me “Oh, mosquitos don’t like me so I don’t have to wear repellent”. Don’t assume that your experience with mosquitos in the west will be the same as with mosquitos in Asia.

Vietnam is very safe but accidents can happen anywhere.

World Nomads insurance.

It is convenient, affordable, trustworthy, and easy to apply for.

Find out more about World Nomads →

The Best Tools & Companies for Your Trip

These are our favourite tools and companies for planning and booking your s in Asia. We have used all of them and recommend them for their dedication to providing you great experiences.

Best gear: Minimalist Packing Guide →

Cheap flights: Kiwi.com →

Hotel savings: Booking.com →

Small group adventures: Intrepid Travel →

Incredible bike tours: Grasshopper Adventures →

Best cooking classes: Cookly →

Bus & train: 12go.asia →

Tours, tickets & transfers: Get Your Guide →

Mindful journeys: BookYogaRetreats & BookMeditationRetreats →

Convenient insurance: World Nomads →

We hope this round-up of vaccinations for Vietnam helps you plan your trip. As always, we only provide health information as a starting point for your planning. Please consult your doctor or a medical expert before making any final decisions.

♥  Happy mindful adventures, Jane & Stephen

We’re not going to lie, it takes a LOT of work to create guides like this. But it’s easy to help us out! If you book or buy something using one of our personal links in this post, we’ll earn a small fee at no extra cost to you. Of course, we would never recommend anything we didn’t 100% believe in! Huge thanks in advance! –S&J

Pin this for your Vietnam trip.

The post Vaccines for Vietnam – Which Ones Do You Need for Safe Travel? appeared first on My Five Acres. Travel. Adventure. Yoga..

[sherristockman]

Unconventional Medicine — The Revolution to Reinvent Health Care and Reverse Chronic Disease Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Chris Kresser, L.Ac., an acupuncturist, licensed integrative medicine clinician and codirector of the California Center for Functional Medicine, is widely recognized for his contributions to the ancestral nutrition movement. As many leaders in and promoters of functional medicine, Kresser is a wounded healer, whose interest in alternative disciplines developed because conventional medicine failed him. “In my early 20s, I took off on an around-the-world trip. I was surfing in Indonesia [when] I got an acute tropical illness — fever, chills, diarrhea, delirium. I don’t really remember much of what happened during those few days. But there was an Australian staying in the little village that I was in who happened to have some antibiotics that brought me back from the brink,” Kresser says. “That evolved into a decadelong journey back to health … I came home and … proceeded to see probably no fewer than 20 or 25 doctors over the course of the next several years, in three different countries, hoping they would be able to help me. Most of the doctors I saw meant well. They tried their best to help, but I quickly found out that conventional medicine, while it’s fantastic at dealing with trauma and emergencies, it was really miserable at dealing with the kind of complex chronic illness that I had developed. Despite everyone’s best efforts, nobody was able to help. I eventually decided there was no one that was more deeply invested in my own healing than myself. I started my own exploration, which eventually led to returning to school to study Chinese medicine and acupuncture. I chose that because of all the modalities I tried along my journey, that was what has been most helpful to me. But then, even before I graduated from school, I realized I wasn’t going to end up practicing Chinese medicine. I discovered functional medicine and kind of moved in that direction.” Unconventional Medicine Kresser has written a number of books, the latest one of which is “Unconventional Medicine: Join the Revolution to Reinvent Healthcare, Reverse Chronic Disease, and Create a Practice You Love.” In the beginning of the book, he discusses the impact of conventional medicine on chronic disease, and why it so rarely works. When modern medicine as we know it was developed, the primary challenges were acute problems, and this is one of the reasons why conventional medicine lacks the tools and know-how to address the many chronic ailments facing us today. The landscape of health and disease has changed rather dramatically, and acute care medicine doesn’t work well for chronic problems. In 1900, the top three causes of death were all acute infectious diseases: typhoid, tuberculosis and pneumonia. Other common reasons for medical visits included broken limbs, gallbladder attacks, appendicitis and similar problems. “The treatment for those problems was relatively straightforward. You put the arm in a cast or remove the gallbladder,” Kresser says. “It was one doctor, one problem, one treatment and that was the end of the story.” Today, 7 of the 10 top causes of death are chronic diseases rather than acute diseases and, unlike acute problems, chronic diseases tend to be complex, difficult to manage, and often last a lifetime. In short, the model of care that was developed for treating acute problems doesn’t work for chronic disease. As noted by Kresser, “That explains why 1 in 2 Americans now has a chronic disease, and 1 in 4 has multiple chronic diseases, including almost 30 percent of kids. We’ve just been using the wrong tool for the job.” Chronic Disease Has Become an Existential Threat This is also why the health care debate, which is really focused on the availability of insurance, is completely missing the point. “If we don’t get a handle on chronic disease, there’s no method of paying for health care that will be sufficient,” he says. “A simple thought experiment will show this. It costs $14,000 a year to treat the average patient with Type 2 diabetes. The most recent statistics by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that 100 million Americans now either have prediabetes or full-fledged Type 2 diabetes. You don’t have to be a math genius to multiply 100 million times $14,000. You get a number so big that it’s absolutely impossible to generate the money we would need to cover that.” The situation is actually far worse than that, because insulin resistance likely affects upward of 250 million Americans, and insulin resistance is a foundational core of prediabetes and diabetes. Work by the late Dr. Joseph Kraft, author of “Diabetes Epidemic and You: Should Everyone Be Tested?” suggests that 80 percent — 8 out of 10 — of Americans are insulin resistant.1,2 Statistics also reveal opioid overdoses are now a leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50, and two separate studies have confirmed that conventional medical care is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. As noted by Kresser: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that chronic disease is an existential threat to society and humanity at the same level as nuclear weapons, warfare and other things that we typically worry about and concern ourselves with. I don’t think that chronic disease gets the attention that it should get as a threat to our health, well-being and longevity as a species.” Doctors Are Victims of the System Too Doctors are also hogtied by a medical system that doesn’t allow them to really invest sufficient time. Most physicians genuinely want to help people. But how much can you really accomplish in mere minutes? The average primary care visit is eight to 12 minutes. Most primary care doctors have 2,500 patients on their roster and see an average of 25 patients a day. The incentives for physicians are based on how many patients they’re seeing each day, and with an average debt of $200,000 for medical school, doctors have to play this numbers game to pay off their debt and still make a living. Add to those pressures the interests and incentives of the drug and insurance industries, which rarely align with the best interest of patients or even doctors. “You end up reimbursement-based medicine, where the treatment chosen is based on what will be reimbursed by the insurance company, not on what the evidence suggests is the best option. You’ve got all these misaligned incentives, which almost guarantee that the type of care that’s offered to patients is not in their best interest,” Kresser says. “To clarify, there are three issues here. 1) There’s a mismatch between what our bodies are hardwired for and the way that we’re living now. 2) The medical paradigm is totally mismatched with what we need for chronic disease, and 3) The way care is delivered is mismatched [to our true needs] … If we recognize that diet and lifestyle is a primary driver of chronic disease ... then we need to acknowledge that changing our behavior, our diet and our lifestyle, is one of the most important steps we can take to prevent and reverse chronic disease. And yet our medical system just pays the briefest lip service to that. It’s not at all set up to actually deliver that kind of care.” The ADAPT Framework Kresser has developed a program called the ADAPT Framework, referring to the need for adaptation to our environment (which has dramatically changed from what it was for most of our evolutionary history), adaptation of our medical paradigm to one suited for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease, and adaptation of our health care delivery methods. “Those are really the three separate elements of the framework: realigning our diet, behavior and lifestyle with what our bodies are hardwired for; changing the medical paradigm to one that prevents and reverses chronic disease instead of just trying to manage it for the whole patient’s life; and updating the way we deliver care, so it supports the most important interventions which, again, are diet, lifestyle and behavior changes,” Kresser says. Case Sample: Prediabetes As a hypothetical example, take an individual who is diagnosed with prediabetes, meaning he has a fasting glucose level above 100 milligrams per deciliter but not high enough to qualify as diabetes. The current medical paradigm has nothing to offer at this point, because his glucose level is not high enough to start prescribing medication. In essence, the patient is simply told to wait until full-blown Type 2 diabetes develops, at which point treatment can commence. “What could happen in that situation would look something like this: ‘The good news is we’ve discovered that your blood sugar is high. It’s not full-fledged Type 2 diabetes yet, and the earlier we intervene, the better prognosis you’re going to have, the more chances that we have of preventing or reversing it,’” Kresser says. “To do that, we need to address your diet and your lifestyle, because we know that’s the primary driver of this condition. So, we’re going to set you up with a health coach, who is going to come to your house and do a pantry cleanout. They’re going to take you shopping. They’re going to give you recipes and meal plans. They’re going to work intensively with you to adopt this diet, because we know that information is not enough to change behavior. If it was, we wouldn’t be in the situation that we’re in now. I can’t just tell you to eat well. I have to actually give you some support in order to do that. Then we’re going to set you up with a personal trainer at the gym. They’re going to get you on an exercise and physical activity program that’s going to also support these efforts. The good news is your insurance company is going to cover all of that, because they recognize they could save potentially half a million dollars over the course of your lifetime just by preventing you from getting this one single disease. They’re going to spend a few thousand dollars now to save a half-million dollars over the course of your lifetime. That’s just one small example of how this model could work, because it’s actually focusing on preventing the disease before it happens or reversing it once it started to progress. Nothing that I just said is not possible, given our current technology, resources, and even the system as it currently exists. This could happen tomorrow if it was the way we decided to offer care.” A Collaborative Practice Model To facilitate this kind of switchover, Kresser has developed a powerful collaborative practice model that embraces streamlined operation and reduced overhead bureaucracy, and that really cuts to the core of what needs to be done to address chronic illness. One of the key changes is allowing for more time with each patient. You simply cannot cover diet, exercise, sleep and stress management in a 10-minute appointment. For that, we really need a team-based approach. Patients need support to implement diet and lifestyle changes. They need medical experts to help them understand the significance of their test results. Kresser’s collaborative practice model integrates physicians and other licensed providers such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, health or wellness coaches and nutritionists trained in functional medicine, who can provide specific guidance related to diet and lifestyle changes. “Ultimately, I would say the proper ratio of health coaches to doctors would be probably five or six [per] doctor in each practice, depending on the patient load,” Kresser says. This model also requires the elimination of red tape bureaucracy and bloated, inefficient electronic medical record systems that simply get in the way. Technology should be used to automate things that create more time for what should never be automated — the face-to-face direct patient care. Community can also be built around online and in-person classes, video meetings and group care, where people with similar condition get together and actually connect with and support each other. “There are some electric medical records that are actually designed for this type of medicine that we’re talking about. They strip out all of the stuff that you don’t really need. They focus on only what you do need. The one that we use has features that make it really easy to quickly enter what you need to enter so that I can focus on the patient. But I also have a nurse practitioner with me, and she does all the note taking. I can just work and maintain eye contact with the patient and do what I need to do. That’s part of this team-based approach to care as well,” Kresser says. “We’re moving toward [this] program at our clinic. When the patient comes in, they work intensively with the health coach and nutritionist for several months before they even see the doctor. Now, of course, you can’t make hard and fast rules. Some people need to see the doctor right away if they have a more serious issue that needs to be dealt with. But in general, if someone has what we could call a lifestyle disease, which is most chronic diseases, and they haven’t yet taken the steps to address their diet and lifestyle, what’s the point of them even working with the doctor until they get that stuff under control? In many cases, if once they get that stuff under control, they may never even need to see the doctor.” New Payment Models Are Also Needed Naturally, someone’s going to have to pay for this care model. Health coaches typically bill by the hour, and few insurance companies presently offer reimbursement for this kind of care. There are signs of change, however. Iora Health,3 for example, a Denver-based primary care facility, is currently addressing Type 2 diabetes using health coaches. “They use something called capitated payments, where they go to the insurance companies and say, ‘Give us your patients with Type 2 diabetes. We will reverse Type 2 diabetes … or at least get your diabetics back to prediabetes. We’re going to do this mostly with health coaches. If we are successful, you pay us this much. If we’re not successful, you pay us less. If we are more successful than we said we would be, pay us more.’ That’s an attempt to realign incentives. It’s actually performance-based compensation instead of the way it usually works in medicine, where the compensation happens no matter what. That system has been pretty successful. I think it’s a good proof of concept that that could actually work, even within our current system. But this is just one company in one area. That will need to roll out on a wider scale for it to be successful. Whether or not that happens goes back to that other question: Is it going to happen voluntarily, or is it going to happen because it has to happen?” The National Board of Medical Examiners also recently teamed up with the International Consortium for Health and Wellness Coaching (ICHWC) to create standards for health coaches. This too is a step in the right direction in terms of legitimizing health coaching in the eyes of medical professionals, with the goal of incorporating them into the health care system and provide reimbursement for their services. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is not known as a particularly progressive organization, has also publicly recognized the need for health coaching. “Even without the full collapse of our health care system, I think we will see more integration of health coaching in the next decade,” Kresser says. “Whether we can get all the way to where we need to get to is another question.” The Importance of the Basics It’s hard to overstate the importance of basic lifestyle strategies when it comes to protecting and optimizing your health. Take sleep for example. One-third of Americans get less than six hours of sleep per night. Fifty-five years ago, that number was only 2 percent. This upshot of sleep deprivation is undoubtedly having an impact on public health these days, as lack of sleep has been linked to weight gain, diabetes, cognitive impairment and reduced immune function, just to name a few. For example, most obesity researchers now agree that sleep is the second most important factor beyond diet for maintaining healthy body weight. Even a single night of sleep deprivation has been shown to cause insulin resistance in healthy people with no pre-existing insulin resistance. “Sleep is where we rejuvenate and regenerate our mind, our body and our spirit. If we don’t get enough sleep, that doesn’t happen. We basically start to fall apart in every area of our life,” Kresser says. Electromagnetic field (EMF) exposures, especially electrical fields generated by electrical wiring, is a related issue, as these fields have been shown to impair biological function and disrupt sleep. For most people, it would therefore be wise to shut down the electrical circuit in your bedroom at night, to allow your body to recuperate and regenerate optimally. More Information At present, the ADAPT Program has trained over 400 clinicians, and in June the ADAPT Health Coach Training Program will be launched. The training has been submitted for approval by the ICHWC. If approved, anyone who graduates from the Health Coach Training Program and completes the requirements will be eligible to sit for the ICHWC accreditation, which will be internationally recognized. “We’re really excited about that. I view that as the next step in this collaborative practice model, because we’re training the practitioners and we’re training them on why they need health coaches and nutritionists, and then we’re training the nutritionists and the health coaches on how to work effectively with licensed clinicians,” Kresser explains. “We really want to create that synergy, all under this ADAPT Framework umbrella … Part of what differentiates our program from most others is its emphasis on practical application. You can’t learn to be a good coach by reading books or watching PowerPoint presentations. The ADAPT program focuses heavily on skills development, mentor coaching and supervision, and practice coaching sessions with real clients to ensure that our students are well-prepared when they graduate.” To learn more, and to sign up for the ADAPT training for clinicians and health coaches, please visit KresserInstitute.com. There you can also find a list of providers who have finished the training program. Also be sure to pick up a copy of Kresser’s book, “Unconventional Medicine: Join the Revolution to Reinvent Healthcare, Reverse Chronic Disease, and Create a Practice You Love.”

[thegrassisaalwaysgreener]

Jambo from Mount Kilimanjaro

        About a year or so ago, I was at work chatting with a few coworkers when one said that a few of them from work were headed to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Since I love to travel and climbing a mountain was on my bucket list (who’s list isn’t it on…) I asked if I could join and of course, they said yes! Over the course of the next 9 months, we planned, shopped and packed for this exciting, 3week trip to Africa.

         Africa (for those who can’t Wikipedia it) is the 2nd largest and first most populous continent in the world. It is located south of Europe with many bodies of water surrounding it including the Mediterranean Sea, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It has a population of approximately 1.6 billion, which comprises 16% of the world’s population. While Africa is abundant in natural resources, it is one of the most underdeveloped and poorest continents with many issues arising from corrupt governments, illness and illiteracy. Africa is well known for there amazing culture and spirit with many sports teams and traditional dances.  Even though we were only going to one country, I was really looking forward to visiting this amazing continent that is so different than anywhere else I have been.           In order to get ready for the trip, I had a lot of packing and planning to do. I didn’t realize the magnitude of the different things I would need from clothes to equipment to immunizations. A few of us went to the Travel and Immunization Clinic off of Harvester in Burlington for our immunizations. The travel doc there was very efficient. I received 3 immunizations (yellow fever, Hep A and Typhoid) along with all of the necessary medications for the trip. Being a nurse and super anal, I over packed on all medications and first aid supplies but was happy to have the majority of the travel supplies. We were given anti-malarial meds, antibiotics, Diamox (to decrease the risk of altitude sickness) and steroids in case things got real bad. I have to say other than the steroids (thank goodness), all of the medications were used. In addition to vaccines (which set the uninsured me back over $700), I made sure to follow the packing lists to a T, which meant picking up some hiking supplies.  I felt real silly buying a camelback along with hiking poles but boy was I happy to have them. In addition to the poles and camel back, I made sure to have a few buffs, good base layers (that still didn’t cut it on the coldest days), hats, mitts and worn in boots. Having first aid supplies especially duoderm or blister pads were key as, despite wearing in my boots, I still had some areas of redness and potential breakdown from the friction of the boot. By the time all was said and done, I had packed a medium checked suitcase along with my large 60 L hiking backpack for the trip along with my small day pack which sufficed with plenty of room.

August 26th & 27th, 2017            Today was the day we were heading to a new continent! After triple checking my packing, I headed to meet the girls at the airport. I was travelling with 4 coworkers- Lynn and Cathrin are both nurses at Mac with me, Cathy is a Respiratory Therapist that we work with at Mac and Chris used to work at Mac before leaving to work in the north. I was excited (and a little nervous) to travel with a new set of friends. Travelling is one of my favourite things to do and finding great people to do it with is half the battle. We all met at the airport and were checked in and through security in no time. Our flights were with Ethiopian Air, which we had heard mixed reviews about but chose to go with them since the times worked best for us. We had a long trip ahead of us starting with our flight from Toronto to Ethiopia (14 or so hours) which I didn’t mind as I had downloaded a ton of shows and movies to my IPad (Technology these days is fantastic).  Plus, I love sleeping on planes so I wasn’t too worried. We endured the longer leg of the light with minimal issues (at least from my perspective minimal issues as I thoroughly enjoyed my meals, wine and movies. We arrived in Ethiopia around 7 am local time, which thinking about it now, is funny since we all cracked open a beer while we waited for our connecting flight. I mean, it was late at night at home and noon somewhere in the world right? The Ethiopian airport has some decent duty free stuff (including watches, which I had to buy since mine broke during check in) however it was not the cleanest place I have been, nor was it air-conditioned which was a bit tricky. It was fine for what we needed. We took off around 10 am for our final and shortest leg of the flight (ADD to JRO).            This flight was short, at 2 and a bit hours and not as busy as the previous. They even served us a hot meal on the flight! When we arrived, there was quite a long line to get the visa needed to enter the country. The visitor visa was $50 American and valid for 3 months.  We could've gotten it ahead of time however; most resources said it was easier to get it at the airport. Thinking back on that line, it might've been easier to get the visa ahead of time. The arrivals section was under construction and had wires hanging from the ceiling and was not air-conditioned which made it very, very warm (first world problems, I know). The airport was hard to navigate due to the construction and had minimal signage due. Once you made it to the front of the line, it was easy to get the visa and immigration was fairly easy with fingerprinting, photography and a battery of questions. Luckily, our driver Emmanuel was ready at the entrance to pick us up and take us to Arusha, a city in northern Tanzania. On our way, we stopped at a convenience store and picked up a few snacks and beers just outside the city of Kikatiti.              On the 45 or so minute drive to Arusha, Emmanuel answered our many questions about the area, country and customs. He also told us about his job at Good Earth Tours and a little bit about the town of Arusha and the Maasai people we were driving by. I will talk about the Maasai people in greater detail in the next blog from when we went on safari. We learned a lot about the schools, which we were told are both private and public and is now free since the new government has taken over. This new president is very, very well liked but has increased taxes, which has made some people unhappy. He has been able to provide a lot more social services with the tax money so most people understand and are agreeable to the tax increase. The main industries in Tanzania are trades in terms of mining, brickmaking, tourism and agriculture. They do mine for Tanzanite, a rare and expensive blue stone that is said to be extinct within the next 10 years. During the drive, we saw Mount Meru in the distance which is just outside of Arusha and is the second largest mountain in Tanzania. There is lots of farming and agriculture noted as we were driving along with many small shops of people selling things on the side of the road.  We did chat  a bit more about the country and area itself and learned more neat facts. They're over 120 different tribes in Tanzania with many different languages however the majority of people do speak Swahili (don’t worry, there will be many Swahili words used in the next blog along with a list of what we learned to come). It is very interesting to see the different ways people dressed; some people were dressed in very western clothing that were either bought or given to them by tourist and others were dressed in beautiful traditional dresses, headwraps and scarves. I really enjoyed the traditional dress as it was very different from home and showed that they still believed and lived their cultural views.

          After the car ride and some great learning, we arrived at our first of many destinations. We were staying at Planet Lodge for the first and final few days of the trip as per the Good Earth tours company. The Planet Lodge was beautiful! It was in a gated community (as many of the hotels and resorts are). We were in a three-bedroom room that was fairly spacious and very clean. The lodge had a nice pool along with several outdoor areas to sit down in. There was a lobby where we had dinners and other meals along with some Internet access and computers. Since we arrived mid day or so, we decided to hang out by the pool and just relax and unpack before getting ready for the next few days of excitement. We did do a buffet dinner which was delicious and included many different traditional meals such as curry, rice, meats flatbreads and of course a variety of desserts. We went to bed fairly early as jet lag was starting to kick in and we wanted to try to conquer it.

August 28th, 2017             The next morning we woke up and had a great continental breakfast that had an omelette station, waffles, pancakes, toast and fruit - the works really. We then met with Rose and Dismas from Good Earth Tours. Rose worked in the office and did much of the organizing and coordinating while Dismas was going to be our main guide on the climb. They gave us a run down of the next few days along with packing tips. It was really exciting to chat with them about the next few days but also a bit nerve-wracking. We also got to meet Scott who was going to be joining our group of girls. Scott lives in Washington state and is an avid hiker who has climbed to Everest Base Camp. He seemed super nice and as if he would fit it well with our group.

          After our meeting, we hung out by the pool and got ready for the climb, which involved lots of beer of course. My favourite was the Kilimanjaro beer while the other girls seemed to really enjoy the Tusker beer. We packed up our stuff according to what Dismas said, which seemed a lot easier ahead of time. It was very hard to make sure you had everything packed and that you weren’t missing anything (or maybe that was because of the beer). I think I checked my bag and list three times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. After we were all fairly happy that we hadn’t forgotten much, we headed to the lobby for dinner, which was more western than the previous night. We had avocado salad with cilantro that was absolutely amazing and fresh (and unreplicable as a few of us have realized back home) despite being told by one of our infectious disease docs not to eat anything that wasn’t cooked or properly washed (sorry Dr. Fulford, it was well worth it!) Among the salads were a wide variety of foods including pasta, cheese, soup, chicken, beef and mixed desserts. Since we had a very early and exciting day, we decided to call it a night early in anticipation of Day 1 of the climb.

August 29th, 2017           Today was the day we were starting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro! For those of you who haven’t googled it yet, Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest freestanding mountain in the world and is the tallest mountain in Africa. It has an elevation of 5,895 meters above sea level and is a dormant volcano with three volcanic cones called Kibo, Shira and Mwenzi. It is approximately 3 million years old and last erupted between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago. Some 25,000 people attempt to climb the mountain each year and approximately 66% are successful.  Ok, now back to our trek! We were picked up at 8 o'clock after a traditional breakfast of everything under the sun: eggs, waffles, pancakes and fruit. I was definitely a little taken aback by how many people were there to support us. I knew it was going to be a large group but I don’t think I really understood until they were all there greeting us. We had a large tour bus with racks on the top that were already pretty full of food and equipment by the time we were picked up. We had to stop on the way to pick up some more porters but in total there would be 6 of us climbing, 17 porters, 3 guides, a chef, waiter and a partridge in a pair tree- WOW! We got a brief introduction to the guides- Dismas was our main guide and then Richard and Moses were our assistant guides. Dismas has been a guide for his entire adult life basically and has summited Mount Kilimanjaro over 200 times. Moses and Richard had been working for 4-6 with the company and were also very experienced. We all hopped into the van (that even had pull out seats in the aisle) for the drive from Arusha to Moshe to pick up more porters and some last minute supplies (aka candy).           Mount Kilimanjaro has 4 different climate zones and we drove through the first zone- the cultivation zone on our way up to the gates. This zone is mainly coffee plantation but does house other types of crops such as carrots, which is what we saw many people picking. We had to check in and get everything weighed at the Londorosi Gate, which was a half hour or so drive to the Lemosho Gate where we were starting. While the porters and guides checked in and did their thing, we had our very first boxed lunch! It was full with yummy stuff such as : carrot sandwich (of course), hard boiled egg, chicken, chips, chocolate, cookies, pancake (that was similar to a crepe at home but so yummy), fruit and juice. The chicken was and is still my favourite thing from those boxes. After we enjoyed our lunch, we wandered around and met some other climbers. We met a couple of nice guys- one from Brazil and one from Aus who we chit chatted with until we left for the Lemosho Gate. Once we arrived at the Lemosho gate (2100m), we took our photos in front of the signs (which would become a daily tradition) and then started our first hike towards MTI Mkubma Camp approximately 7 km away. This initial climb was fairly easy and we completed it in less than the estimated 4 hours. The terrain was Forest like (as we were in the 2nd climate zone) and had many lush trees and plants. The guides were great and chatted to us as we walked, always checking in and making sure we were doing ok.           When we arrived at MTI Mkubwa Campt (2650 m) after approximately 16, 750 steps (thanks FitBit), we were immediately greeted by the porters, who had hiked way ahead of us to get everything set up and prepared. Our tents were already set up and all we had to do was put our bags in! I was bunking with Cathrin in the Ze-bra tent. We were floored by the hospitality already as “snack” and warm wash bowls were ready for us. After washing up, we went into the dining tent (which most other groups didn’t have) and hot water was prepared with delicious popcorn. We had our choice of various hot drinks and sat and enjoyed each other’s company. After snack, we unpacked for the night and wandered around the campsite. Dinner was served around 6pm and was a 3-course ordeal (which we would learn would be customary each night). We started out with a cucumber soup, followed by crusted and fried Tilapia (Lynn’s favourite), potatoes, pasta, sauce, veggies and fruit. We were all so impressed by the amount and taste of the food- I think we even had seconds! We enjoyed some more chatter before heading to our cosy tents and resting our heads on our mattresses and comfy sleeping bags.

August 30th, 2017            Today was day two of the climb and we were pretty excited to get going- minus the fact that we were up at 0630. We were woken by one of the crew members named Pascal, who would say “Knock Knock” on our tent to wake us and then say “Can I unzip” and offer us tea or coffee including milk and sugar. I mean, I am not a morning person but this made my morning! We spent the next 15 or so minutes getting dressed and enjoying our coffee in the tent before being told to “Wash, Wash”, which meant that our warm wash bowls were ready for us. After washing up and packing , we  would head to have breakfast in the dining tent. Breakfast was pretty much the same (delicious though) selection each morning that started with oats, followed by omelet styled eggs, sausage (that looked like mini hot dogs), toast, pancakes and fruit along with tea, coffee and hot chocolate.  After stuffing our faces full of yummy food, we were given a snack bag and our water bottles to pack up. Our snack bag was more of a lunch bag and had chocolate, nuts, chips, juice and a muffin in it! We were packed and ready to go! Of course the porters had already starting taking out tents down while we were eating and some of them had already left to hike to our lunch or nighttime spot.            Our guides had given us the great suggestion of changing the route a little bit. Instead of having a super long hiking day, on the day we summited, they suggested that today (our 2nd day) be a longer one, with 2 four hour hikes instead of just one. We happily obliged, knowing we would want more rest time the day we summited. They did warn us that the first of the hikes would be pretty steep- and they weren’t lying. I think that while I am not the fittest person around (or in the group), that I wouldn’t have had such a hard time but man, that first few hours were so challenging. We spent the greater part of 3 hours climbing up hill and I had the hardest time controlling my breathing for some reason. The climb was not a steep incline but was still challenging with the various rocks and steps in the warm weather and more humid “forest-y” climate. I definitely struggled and was very relieved when we made it to our break spot. There were even tears of joy (or pain, I am not too sure still).  We spent about 20 mins enjoying the views and each others company, and of course, catching our breaths. I was very thankful already for my camel back (which allowed me to take small sips without completely losing my inability to breathe) and my walking poles (which I always made fun people for using and could not fathom doing a hike without them now).           After our break, we hiked for about another hour- on mostly flat terrain (which was a relief) to Shira 1. This was supposed to be our original camping spot for the night but instead we were just stopping for lunch. Our chef, Pascal and a few porters were there and they welcomed us and took our bags immediately. They were so sweet and so accommodating. Shira 1 is at 3610 meters and is a common camping spot for those on the Lemosho route. It is relatively flat with not the best views of anything. I was glad we were only stopping there for lunch. Lunch was mushroom soup (which was for sure my favourite of the trip), pasta with sauce and veggies. We spent about an hour total at Shira 1 before continuing on with our 2nd hike of the day. We had about 10km to go which sounded a lot easier and less time consuming than it was. The terrain was less forest/jungle than earlier as we had moved into the 3rd climate zone of Heather and Moorland. This area still had some vegetation (large heathers and tall grass) but was far less dense and more open with higher winds and less rain than the Forest climate. The temperatures in this climate area could soar to 40 degrees in the day and below 0 at night. In many areas, we would be above the clouds and which would mean a lot more views of the mountain and the amazing stars.  I also asked about the various flowers we may see along with what kind of wild life can be found on the mountain. Moses explained that various trees/flowers we would see but the main ones I remembered and enjoyed were the everlasting flowers and giant senacio pants which are only found on Kili. In terms of wildlife, there isn’t a whole lot found near the top other than vultures and birds however there are lots of other birds, some small rodents and even monkeys in the lower climates such as the Moorland and Forest.  The 10 km between Shira 1 and Shira 2 took us about 3 hours and we arrived at Shira 2 (3850m) just before 5 pm. I was shocked at how cool it was! The guides said it was about 10 degrees which, for a Canadian doesn’t seem that cold, but after hiking in 20-30 degree weather, it is definitely a shock. After cleaning up with our warm wash cloths- which was necessary since my legs were covered in the dust that surrounds this climate zone) and checking out the bathrooms (which actually had a toilet seat that made me very happy), we changed into our campsite clothes (wool tights, a long sleeve and sweater for me) before heading into the dining tent for popcorn and warm drinks. This was the best view (thus far of course) of the mountain! The sky was so blue and the mountain looked pristine with its amazing glaciers. I was definitely impressed and a bit scared that we would be at the top of the mountain in only a few days.  Since it was so cold, Cathrin and I headed back to our tent to “read” which totally turned into a snooze for me. I was so warm and cozy in my sleeping bag that I didn’t even want to go to dinner! Me, not want dinner- crazy! Looking back, I think this was partly because I was cold and partly the altitude starting to affect my appetite. Cathrin reminded me who was boss (her) and told me that I had to go to dinner to make sure I kept up my energy. I was very glad I got up for dinner! We had butternut squash soup with toast, rice with beef and veggies and oranges. I was very impressed (as were the rest of the group) with the flavours, variety and caliber of food we were enjoying. Good thing we were burning tons of calories hiking each day (32, 450 steps logged)! After dinner, we made our final trip out to the cold washroom before cuddling into our tents and reading before bed.

August 31st, 2017         Knock, Knock, can I unzip? It still makes me smile thinking about Pascal and his sweet demeanor stuck with the job of waking us up each morning. At least he brought coffee, so we were always happy to see him. 0630 was our wake up time again and we continued with our usual morning regime- coffee in tent, dressing/packing, cleaning up and then breakfast with the group. This morning we were headed to the Lava Tower as our halfway point, which would be the highest altitude we would reach thus far. This hike was going to take us about 4 hours and was approximately 6km away. The temperature was definitely cooler than the previous days but the hiking was a lot less steep with more gradual inclines. Today’s hike, despite being cooler, was more enjoyable than the previous mornings. I was able to chat, and not concentrate as much on breathing as I was the day before. We enjoyed little anecdotal stories about each other and just got to learn new things about one another which was neat. We arrived at the Lava Tower (4600 m) around lunchtime and I was definitely feeling the altitude. After visiting the travel clinic a few months ago, I had done some research and our guides had said that regardless of physical fitness and training, anyone could get sick from the altitude. The guides reminded us of the basic things to remember: Fluids (3L at least while hiking, 5L /day total), fuel (eating well), rest and pole pole (slow, slow). I made sure to listen to the guides and their guidelines but still, at 4600 m, I felt fairly crappy. I had a headache (2-3/10 but there) and wasn’t super hungry with some accompanied nausea. We spent about 45 mins at the Lava tower in total, resting and having a good meal. I felt a bit better after eating and some Advil cold + Sinus (since the pressure is the main issue and cause of the headache in altitude) and was ready to head down to our camp site (Hike high, sleep low is a common theme in the hiking world). We started the hike down by steeply climbing from the Lava tower at which time I was very thankful for my poles since I am one of the clumsiest people I have ever met. The way down was neat and we saw lots of random flowers, fun rocks and even a beautiful waterfall.            Barranco camp is at 3940 m tall and a pretty cool site. We arrived really early in comparison to other sites (about 1400) and after a mere 23,000 steps. The porters, as usual met us to take our poles and bags from us – as a side note, before you feel sorry for us carrying our “bags”, each day we only carried our day packs that had 3L of water, snacks, rain stuff and misc things (mine for instance had first aid stuff, a buff, hand sani and plenty of toilet paper). Anyways, we settled into our already set up tents and had a little lie down before snack time. The popcorn kept getting better and better each day it seemed and today, we had cookies, which I loved with my hot chocolate. We noticed that we were at a higher altitude when Scott went to open up a new hot chocolate tin and he opened the foil seal and the powder exploded everywhere. It was super funny and made us all laugh hysterically. After snack, we had another rest time for a bit, which involved me reading (and or napping) and Cathrin snoring (sorry Cathrin) that I barely noticed by this point. We made a trip to the washroom before dinner which was probably the most smelly and gross thus far. See, at Barranco camp, two routes (Lemosho and Machame) join so there are more people that  we noted previously on the trip. I was getting really good at the squat-hole toilets and thanked Crossfit for helping me develop a decent bottom position in the squat. All right, enough of the potty talk, after rest hour it was time for washing and dinner, which was fabulous, as usual. Dinner was a delicious beef, potato and veggie stew with toast. My appetite was almost back but I enjoyed a few too many candies during rest hour- Oops! We spent dinner discussing the importance and meaning of job satisfaction along with a Swahili lesson and finished the meal with a discussion of the plan for the day  (which was really how we ended each meal). After another trip to the bathroom, we headed to bed to read, journal and sleep!

September 1st, 2017           Yay for sleep ins! Today we didn’t have coffee until 0700 and breaky until 0800 which felt amazing. After our delicious breakfast, the porters sang us the amazing Kilimanjaro song, which made my day.  We got a full introduction to each of them (some of their names I knew, some I had no idea!) after their amazing 5 minutes song and dance.  All of the porters had been so kind, encouraging and hardworking so far and I loved having them with us. We headed out towards the Baranco wall, which I was pretty excited about. This was the day when we would be doing a little bit more “climbing” than hiking. There were some parts of the wall that you had to actually almost scale and be careful where you put your hands and feet. I had a hard time making sure my feet landed where they were supposed to with just my daypack, let alone the 30kg the porters carried on their heads. They are truly amazing at what they do and I am so grateful to have had them on our climb. After making our way over the “Great Barranco”, we had a quick break at the top, which was freezing and foggy but still super cool before making our way down again into the Karanga Valley. On the way to our camp, we listened to music and had a bit of Justin Bieber dance party. Much of the hike was downhill but involved some very slippery rocks. Since I was the youngest in the group, I had been given the nickname “Toto” which means baby. One of the guides always seemed to be near me and making sure I was ok. I am not sure if this was because I was the youngest or the clumsiest, but in any case, I didn’t mind because it was nice to have someone around and to answer my questions about the mountain, wildlife and country. We did have one final steep climb up to the Karanga camp but still made great time (approx. 4 hours, 6 km and 15,000 steps).             Karanga camp is located at approximately 4100 m and is the last camp before Barafu Base Camp. Since we arrived so early, we got to have a good rest session before lunch. Of course our tents were already set up and bags were already in our tents ready for rest. Lunch was probably Cathy’s favourite of the trip and involved leek soup, chicken (which I loved of course), French fries and coleslaw. We were all blown away that we were having French fries (good ones at that!) in the middle of a mountain. Since we had gotten to camp so early, we decided that after lunch, we would go for a short hike along the ridge. The ridge, clouds and views were awesome and even though I wasn’t overly excited to do extra hiking, I really enjoyed it.  We got in some great group photos and had lots of laughs. Popcorn and warm water for drinks awaited us when we got back. We stayed up for a bit and chatted before catching up on our reading and journaling before dinner. This was another one of those days that I had a hard time getting out of my tent. I didn’t believe mama Cathrin when she said that it was below 0 at night but Dismas confirmed that she was in fact correct (as usual, which I hate to admit) and that most of the nights that we camped in the Heather/Moorland and Alpine Desert zones were below zero. The Alpine Desert region was from about 4000m to 5000 m and was comprised of large volcanic rock stretches, boulders, fierce sun, below zero temps and of course minimal rain. Anyways, enough of a science lesson, back to dinner! As usual, we had a yummy soup (cucumber) with a great dinner of brown rice, beef and vegetables with oranges for dessert. Because of the cool temperatures, we didn’t spend much time chatting after dinner and after the briefing for the next day. We headed back into the tent and I put on an extra pair of pants to try and keep myself warm. By this point, I was sleeping in the same long sleeve and sweater each night, with my fave lulu hat and refrained from leaving my tent to do anything (including spit my toothpaste out which grossed Cathrin out) at night.

September 2nd, 2017             Today was going to be one long day! Thank goodness we were shift workers! We were headed to Barafu Base camp and then later on to summit the mountain! I was still feeling pretty crappy with a headache and decreased appetite along with now what seemed like a chest infection. At first I figured it was all the dust we ate in the first couple days of the climb but the cough wasn’t going away. I decided to take the antibiotics I had been given by the travel doctor because they couldn’t really hurt at this point and I wanted to give myself the best shot possible to summit. Cathy and Scott weren’t feeling so hot either this morning but we all sat down and ate a bit of breakfast before getting to base camp about 4km away. Since we had the longer day on Day 2, we just had to hike the 4km uphill to base camp and then we got to rest the duration of the day. Unfortunately, during our hike, Scott wasn’t feeling so well and required some assistance. The rest of us trekked along while Dismas and Richard stayed behind to support Scott up to camp. We made it to base camp in just under 4 hours. Barafu camp is 4,645 meters high which explained some of our symptoms (Scott’s illness, my headache, the shortness of breath on exertion etc). For the most part, the rest of the girls were doing ok with some minor headaches, nausea and appetite loss. Once we arrived at camp (11,450 steps later) we all had lunch together which was leek soup, chicken and veggie sandwiches. After lunch, we all rested, including Scott who was having increasing issues. To combat my headache, I drank 1 litre of h20 and took some Advil and Tylenol before resting. I was so upset and anxious that my headache wouldn’t go away and that I wouldn’t be able to get up and summit with the group. I willed myself to rest and get better and when I woke up from my nap, my headache was about a 2/10, which was a significant improvement. I checked on Scott on my way to the washroom and he wasn’t doing well and was going to head down the mountain with Richard and two porters. We were sad to see him leave, but knew it was for his health and safety. We all couldn’t believe how short of breath we were even walking to the bathroom! If we were short of breath walking 100 feet to the bathroom, how would we be walking up to the summit!            Dinner was a bit early tonight so that we could eat and rest before waking up to summit. We had butternut squash soup with pasta and veggies. The whole meal looked great but again, my appetite just wasn’t there. I had some plain pasta with butter and had a hard enough time with that. The guides (Dismas and Moses since Richard was on his way down with Scott) explained the plan for tonight and what to wear. After we were briefed, we headed back into the tents to rest until 2300 when we would be woken for the great ascent!

September 3rd, 2017             Knock, knock, Can I unzip was a bit earlier (or later depending on how you look at it) than the other days. We were awoken at 2300 to get ready and eat for the summit. I drank a full litre of water and had a bit of breakfast (biscuits and porridge) to help with the headache that was still there but relatively mild. Around Midnight on the 3rd, we started our ascent to the summit. As a recap, base camp is 4,645 m high and the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro is 5,895 meters high with a distance of about 6 km and approximate 1.2 km incline. To say that I was nervous was an understatement. It was pretty cool to be out in the dark with our headlamps, warm and cosy in our coats, hiking up a steep incline with a bunch of other like-minded individuals. When you looked up, all you could see was darkness and the sky with some head lamps and then when you looked down below you, you saw all those with headlamps who were just behind you. As we were walking, our guide Moses along with some other guides from different groups were singing various songs in Swahili to not only keep us awake, but to entertain us and keep our spirits up. I definitely just kept singing “put one foot in front of the other” to myself along with “just keep swimming”. We walked very slowly up the mountain in a zig-zag fashion so that it wasn’t so steep. I am actually very glad that we walked up towards the summit, it was dark and zig zag-y because had it been light out, I don’t know how I would’ve fared.               We stopped a few times to a) catch our breaths, b) have some water (that may or may not have been frozen despite attempts at keeping it warm with socks and such) and c) to have a snack. I have to admit, I was not a good listener on the climb up because I had such a hard time eating. Cathrin’s nag kept ringing in my head to just get a bar out and have a small bites but I just couldn’t do it. I had an energy gel about half the way up because that was really all I could tolerate. We made it to Stella’s point around 6ish am (the other girls a bit ahead of Chris and I of course) where we took a few minutes to drink some tea (which was delicious and hot) and pop on another layer. Putting another layer on top of the 4 that we were already wearing was pretty tricky. I felt like a 2 year old being helped get dress as everything was hard to do and a bit foggy (maybe because my blood sugar was crap and my brain was a bit mushy but who knows). We continued on our trek from Stella’s point through the snowy, windy path. It was about a 600 m walk and took almost an hour. I don’t think I have ever walked so slow in my life. It was very encouraging seeing people on their descent cheering you on. I did my best to smile and thank them but even mustering up that energy seemed challenging. We made it to the summit around 0700. I had been pretty excited since this was finally the moment we had been working towards and I have to say, it was very anti-climactic. It was very cold, windy and foggy/snowy at the top. There wasn’t much of a view of anything, which was super unfortunate. I think I thought I would feel as though I was on top of the world when I reached the summit. I would be lying if I told you I felt that way. There wasn’t even that sense of accomplishment yet at this point. We had some more tea, a pee and took a few photos- a total of less than 15 minutes at the top before heading down. Chris and I were at the back of the group and were happy that the others went ahead. On the way back to Stella’s point, I did get some great glimpses of the glacier as the fog was lifting and the sun was starting to shine bright. That was pretty magical! I hiked down again with Moses who was just the most positive, reassuring guide imaginable. Once we were past Stellas point, it began to get steeper and more sandy. We started “Skiing” down the mountain- using our poles to run/glide down the mountain. It was pretty fun until you would get short of breath and have to take a break. While the ascent took almost 7 hours, the descent was supposed to take us around 2. We made our way down the hill, slowly de-layering as the sun came out and became more and more fierce. There were two moments during the descent that I actually started crying and was just done. My headache was raging and the porter who had my bag was with Chris somehow which of course had all my Tylenol and Advil in it. I felt as though I had the flu almost, just tired, weak and achy. Moses was such a positive influence and I would probably still be near the top of that mountain as I write this had it not been for him. As we were walking down, our camp in the distance became closer and closer. The final 500 m were some of the hardest as there were lots of steep rocks and challenging angles to descend. I made it back to camp in about 2 and a half hours just before 10 am. While it was amazing being greeted by the hugs and smiling faces of congratulations from all the porters, I just wanted my bed. I took off my boots and curled up in the tent and started crying. I felt just terrible. Thank goodness for Mama Cathrin who got her hands on some Advil for me to start helping with the headache. I drank a bunch of water and then took a nap in my sleeping bag (because I was freezing).             I woke up about an hour later when it was time for lunch. Chris was back and not doing so hot, which made us a bit worried. She perked up a bit after lunch (as did I) and we were ready to tackle the afternoon, well sort of. The guides told us initially that we were going to be hiking about 4 hours today after lunch (around 1300) to low camp. They made the decision that we would only be hiking to high camp today, which was about 2 hours away to ensure that we got some rest and were in good shape for the hike down tomorrow. We were all in agreement. We packed up and headed out just before noon or so. Our walk to high camp was pole pole to say the least. As we went lower and lower, I started to feel better and better (shocking I know!) We saw some interesting things on our walk down such as stretcher type contraptions used to get people who were injured off the mountain. We were making our way back into the moorland climate it seemed and we were seeing more and more low shrubs.  

         We made it to high camp just before 1400. This was one awesome camp site! To me, it looked exactly like what I pictured “Africa” to look like for some reason. It had the wide, even branched trees everywhere with a view of the mountain. There was some fog but you could still make out that we were above the clouds, which looked super cool. We had our standard snack of popcorn and hot chocolate before having a bit of a siesta. I was so grateful for this time! I was also so grateful for my strong legs that, despite all my discomforts on the trip, had not bothered me at all and had been the strong things they are. Before dinner, Cathrin and I figured out the tipping stuff (which was harder than we thought it would be) and then got washed up for our last dinner on the mountain. Dinner was leek soup along with rice and veggies, which I was actually mildly excited to eat. After discussing the plan, we all got ready for bed after a long (39,399 steps!) day. I was glad to be feeling more like myself (minus the gross cough) but alas, we can’t have it all!

September 4th, 2017           Today was rather bittersweet. It was the last time that we would hear “Knock Knock” on our tent and be served coffee in bed. However, we were also heading back to a lovely hotel to have showers (yay) and sleep on something other than the ground (not that I minded, I can sleep almost anywhere). After we had coffee, packed and cleaned up, we headed into the dining tent. Breakfast was delicious as always. We came out of the tent and the sun was just rising and the porters sang and danced for us- this was one of the best times of the trip. I have posted a video of it on my Facebook page if you haven’t seen it- it is rather long but it is wonderful. The views of the mountain in the background are incredible. After the song and dance (literally haha) we gave out the tips (which felt really weird and like they were coming in for a job interview), packed our daypacks and headed for our final descent. We were told that this descent would be fairly tricky as there were lots of rocks that would be pretty slippery along with some steeper areas. The first 3 km were super steep and we took a break at high camp to grab a snack and washroom break. The next 2 or so hours were quite painful- physically and mentally. Me being the clumsy person I am, slipped and rolled my ankle, which sucked. The pain wasn’t terrible, more annoying. The other girls went up ahead (which I still bug them about) and I hung back with Moses. We chatted about various things; differences in our countries, 5 year career plans and listened to music which was nice. I only slipped onto my butt once more during the hike down (which of course lead to a mini meltdown). As we got closer to the gate, we saw more and more kids who lived in the neighbouring villages along with more hikers finishing up there climb. Moses and I made it to the Mkweke gate around noon. The girls were just finishing the sign out process while I took my final photos at the gate before jumping on the bus.          Smelly, hot and tired, we made our way towards Arusha. Moshi was our first stop to drop off some of the amazing porters and have some lunch at Pub Alberto. We all had American food (cheese burgers and fries), which were pretty delicious. My appetite still wasn’t totally back but the fries were pretty darn good. We made another stop in Moshi at the Blue Zebra. The Blue Zebra (or Ze-bra) was one of the better retailers of Tanzanite. It was a weird strip mall sort of vibe but most of the lights were off to conserve energy and resources I assume. We went into the money exchange place, which looked closed due to the lack of light. The lady there exchanged our money (we still don’t know to this day if it was right or wrong) in the dark. I was definitely quick to get out of there. We did some perusing of the stores and all of the fun souvenirs. I, of course wanted to buy all of them but was taking the time to really look at what was there and what I actually needed vs. wanted (wants vs needs right mom). After our little shopping trip, we were dropped off at Planet Lodge where we had left our luggage. We each received our certificate of completion (of climbing the mountain of course) before saying goodbye to our amazing team. Immanuel, our driver picked us up a bit later to take us to the Ahadi Lodge where we would be relaxing and recuperating for the next three days.

       We arrived at the Ahadi Lodge around 5 pm which similar to Planet lodge, in that it was a fenced in lodge. The check in process was easy peasy and we were settled into our rooms. Lynn and I were sharing the double room while the other girls had the pool side room. The rooms were, neat and clean. Unfortunately, within an hour of arriving, we realized our shower didn’t work. The staff were great and moved us very quickly so we could get all cleaned up- they could probably smell us, hence why they were so prompt. It was nice to just relax and be clean. Cathrin and I had some snacks and beers at the bar and chatted with the lovely staff (the only one working other than the security guard). The lodge was small- about 10 rooms in total and we were the only ones there, which was pretty cool.  I think I have bored you enough with this 12 page day by day of our first 10 days in Tanzania. Stay tuned (if you dare) for the rest of our trip to Tanzania including our trips to the orphanage, market and SAFARIIIIII!

[luckybouquetnachous-blog]

African Travel Tips When Visiting Kenya

Kenya is the land that has given start to the most popular African activity for vacationers, specifically the safari, and its easy to see why. Subsequently, all travel to the nation was advised towards, and a lot of people wanted to assert on their global travel insurance coverage, which was complicated given the unusual circumstances. Additionally don't miss the Mombasa Marine National Park, the Moi Avenue gateway arch, dhow cruises and the beaches. Try to get a private deal, with just the two of you touring, moderately than being part of a big group, and be sure that your travel is commensurate with the posh you might be in search of: a minimal of business class flights, and first-class rail and street journey where it is involved. Indignant folks went to the streets after evidence of election fraud by the present President, Mwai Kibaki. Kenya's excessive tourist season is between January and February and June to September. This board markets vacationer locations regionally and internationally has played an awesome role in enhancing this sector. This space is right for walks, picnics, trout fishing, camping and evening sport viewing. Most persons coming to Kenya would love an opportunity to visit this wildlife reserve. It additionally has a Safari Stroll - a really unique facility that allows one to see nearly all the animals of the jungle in just a brief stroll! Throughout your keep in Mombasa, I suggest at all times requesting for bottled water to drink versus the tap water which is typically questionable. Moi worldwide airport -The airport is about 10 minutes from the city middle permit an additional half -an-hour on your journey to the south coast because of the ferry crossing. The water in most city accommodations is usually safe for consuming Nonetheless, if in doubt, bottled water is obtainable. Climbers can rent equipment, ropes and kit in Kenya, but may wish to convey their own private equipment and equipment. For individuals who can not afford the short flight safaris which might be accessible to single vacationers, joining a price range safari presents a viable method to enjoying the wonders of the Mara in a more inexpensive approach. From April 2009 to November 2009, the vary has been roughly 1USD: KES74.00 to 1USD: KES80.00. Most banks offer extra aggressive charges than resorts however the quite a few overseas alternate bureaus available in Mombasa will most likely offer you the most effective charges without a commission cost. There are numerous tourism authorities-owned our bodies which have played an important function within the fast growth of tourism in Kenya. The Kenya National Parks are protected by the Kenya Wildlife Service and the money charged from the doorway fee is used to cater for wages, park improvement and upkeep. Use our customized Kenya Journey package to print records of all this data. Sibiloi Park is Situated at the border of the Kenya and Ethiopia. Mombasa locals use rickshaws (tuk tuks), matatus (minivans) and boda boda (bicycles) to get across the city. During your keep here in Kenya, your accommodation can be in the very best lodges, resorts and luxury tented camps where you may be served scrumptious meals and drinks. Most inns and restaurants embody a ten% service charge. The excessive value of transportation in some locations makes it tough to take pleasure in various excursions. The park is house to 116 species of amphibians and reptiles, 139 species of mammals and more than four hundred species of birds. You too can visit Wasini the place there is a marine nationwide park to see the inexperienced turtles, dolphins, the whale shark and numerous kinds of stunning fish. Divers will discover wonderful dive gear for hire in Kenya, but may wish to bring their very own regulators or dive computer systems. Emails can be sent from inns, as can faxes and telexes. There are also many coastal points of interest together with sandy seashores, marine parks and coral reefs. For walking safaris or sport viewing on foot clothes needs to be of neutral color, and white, vibrant or vividly patterned clothing prevented. Use it as a base for a visit to Lamu Island, which was a base for the slave commerce, and on which the only means of journey apart from foot is by donkey. The Corcovado Nationwide Park in Costa Rica is an excellent rain forest that incorporates over one hundred,000 acres of land and 5,000 acres of marine habitat. All travellers to Kenya ought to go to their personal physicians or health clinics four-eight weeks before departure. cheap hotels denver co The park is a forested mountain rising up out of the surrounding desert. This vaccination is to be taken at the very least two weeks before you make that trip to Kenya. This type of disease is very common within the highland region of the nation however visitors to Nairobi and Mombasa also have to take it. As an illustration, the tourism companies in Kenya pay a Catering Tourism and Growth Levy(CTDL). Earlier than departure, travellers are advised to transform any excess Kenya Shillings into foreign forex at a bank or bureau de change. The Mombasa Kenya seashores similar to Nyali, Bamburi, Mtwapa, Tiwi, and Diani have world-class resorts and guesthouses that offer glorious accommodation and cuisine. For that you will have to guide your self a luxury adventure trip, with personal service providing vacation planning from just your self and your accomplice. Visas: most guests to Kenya require a visamultiple and singe entry visas can be found. Unfortunately the big recreation, the lions specifically, are in grave hazard in Nairobi Park due to the action of humans, so make the most of the chance to see them within the wild while you can. Nevertheless, if you are traveling alone and do not thoughts becoming a member of other like-minded, although strangers on safaris, you may break through the associated fee barrier and luxuriate in magnificent safaris. The vast mouth of the coastal waters at Kilifi Creek makes Mombasa a perfect place for crusing and there are yachts in addition to trained crew obtainable for rent. Security it's a wise precaution to not stroll alone within the isolated cities or beach areas particularly after darkish. Take your credit cards collectively Traveller's Cheques and a few U.S. Dollars money. You may have a custom-made tour to fit your necessities or select a selection of budget and luxurious safari packages with the help of your company. Jomo Kenyatta airport also connects common flights to Lamu, Malindi, Mombasa and Kisumu. Safari's range from less expensive choices starting around $500.00 for an eight day excursion to very luxurious safaris costing up to $9,000. Bank cards- All main international playing cards are accepted. You also needs to check out Masai crafts on the Utamanduni Craft middle and go to the giraffes at the Giraffe Heart. It made me wonder about different locations that may be conducive to viewing wildlife in a natural setting. You may discover the Malindi Nationwide Park by boat as you watch the marine life. The Kenya Airways is the nationwide airline and a Sky Staff associate member. Humpback whales and sea lions are in abundance off shore and on land bears and moose are often times available for viewing. If you call or email the travel agent, they are going to inform you whether it is out there or not, depending in your dates of travel. The most important international airports embrace; Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport, Moi Worldwide Airport and Eldoret Worldwide Airport. Mombasa is on the same time zone as the remainder of Kenya. Most of such safaris would invariably be the finances type. The country is known as after Mount Kenya, the second highest mountain in Africa. As you enjoy sport viewing within the limitless plains of the Mara reserve, you'll have an opportunity to see the massive 5(lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) and make your tour a true African safari. For these planning loads of travel by public transport or trekkers, a backpack is advisable. From my research I have give you a listing of among the greatest locations to visit if viewing animals in nature is your goal. The Masai, Pokot and the Turkana communities are good examples of itineraries where you possibly can learn and follow a number of the cultural actions. The Kenya Tourism Improvement Company is responsible for tourism facilities growth in varied fields such as; direct funding, expansion of present facilities, improvement of facilities within the business. There are various different the explanation why it's best to travel to this country. Mombasa is a excessive-threat area for Malaria and it is very important take a course of anti-malarial tablets. This situation was hardly safe for guests coming to Kenya. Although English is also extensively spoken, it's helpful to know some widespread words and phrases to use while visiting Mombasa. When going out on a safari, it might be effectively worth it to go to the grocery store at the start of your journey and buy some issues. When Hudson Bay freezes, between October and November, this town is overrun with polar bears as they travel their migration path. In Malindi, there's the perfect Sea Fishing in the African Content where you will find sailfish. Forex Kenyan shilling (KSH) currently around Ksh67 per USD. This place is good for snorkeling, diving, fishing and surfing. Areas which are more susceptible in towns are slums like Kibera in Nairobi the place there is very poor sanitation and lack of satisfactory piped water which at all times results in outbreaks of typhoid and Cholera. At the start of a 12 months, Kenya could usually count on to be welcoming lots of of tourists a day - the current fall out lowered the numbers down to a brave few who had decided to disregard the inevitable warnings from the overseas office about travelling to the country, which was then positioned in the 'civil unrest' list of locations to not visit. So there isn't any need to journey across your complete nation simply to expertise the tradition of the various communities. The small city of Marsabit has basic facilities including a bank, petrol station, post workplace, airport, eating places and retailers. Within the United States, nationwide parks are the most effective place to start. A peaceful tropical island with an interesting historical past, which will be explored within the winding streets of its medieval stone city, a World Heritage Website partly as a result of it being the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. Theodore Roosevelt is a less well-known park and due to this fact presents great viewing of bison, wild horses, deer and elk with out all of the crowds. You can camp in the park for better game viewing and photography. Visit the magnificent Fort Jesus and harbour, see the Arab architecture in Outdated Town and scent the scent of spices. As a result of altitude and topographical variations of the various areas, these seasons and temperatures are not uniform and vary drastically. Malinda is another part of Kenya you have to not miss: situated on the Indian Ocean Malinda offers Hemingway's a luxury lodge that provides the perfect personal service. Conversely the obvious draw back of such a safaris is that you are in the firm of individuals which might be strangers to you. Other Africa greatest-recognized nationwide parks include the Amboseli, Tsavo and Lake Nakuru that are all located in Kenya. You can too do it in fashion, however make sure that your price is all-inclusive for the reason that extras for the flights and safari journeys might be excessive. The kind of luxury you'll be able to expertise on these trips is unbelievably excessive, and journey journey to Kenya is just not all safaris and living tough. The lengthy coral seashores and the Malindi National park are the highlights of this beautiful Island. A lot of the instances they are costlier but you would nonetheless get a very good deal for those who book early.