Safari Adventure in Kenya!

I feel incredibly blessed, fortunate, and grateful that I have finally been able to go on safari!

The vast savannas of Maasai Mara in Kenya

I took my family to Kenya where we went on safari in Maasai Mara,

Wildebeests and zebras in Maasai Mara

Samburu,

An elephant at the foot of a hill in Samburu

and Lake Nakuru.

Hundreds of pelicans in Lake Nakuru

We also got to visit Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island. It was such an amazing trip!

Hippos in Lake Naivasha

I have always loved animals. I used to watch Life on Earth with David Attenborough a lot. When I was a kid, we had many animal books that I read multiple times. I would also read all the animal sections of the encyclopedias we had at home. There was a time when we were subscribed to National Geographic magazine. I was also really good at Zoology in Biology class. So going on safari to see the wild animals of Kenya up close and personal has been in my bucket list for a really long time now. That I got to do it with my family made this experience significantly more meaningful and memorable.

Spotted hyenas in Maasai Mara

There are three very popular African safari destinations: Kruger Park in South Africa, Maasai Mara in Kenya, and Serengeti in Tanzania. So why did I choose Kenya? First, Filipinos need a visa to go to South Africa but we don't need one to visit Kenya or Tanzania (we still need an electronic travel authorisation or ETA but that's easier, cheaper, and quicker to get). Also, based on the research I did, it seems a Serengeti safari is more expensive than a Maasai Mara one. That helped me decide to go to Kenya.

Grey crowned cranes in Maasai Mara

Our safari was organized by Explorers Wild Adventures (although they also go by the name Wilderness Explorers). I discovered them when I was searching for a safari tour. I knew even before our trip that it wouldn't be easy to see all the animals that you want to see in the wild because it's not a zoo. You need to spend a lot of time in the bush to find them. As such, I felt that our safari should be at least 5 days and 4 nights long. (Also, it would be a shame to travel 17-18 hours from the Philippines to Kenya only to spend a couple of days there.) My initial search for safaris brought me to Safari Bookings, where I found options that varied in duration and price range. I found one option that was 6 days and 5 nights long and that was within our budget. I saw that the tour operator was Explorers Wild Adventures. A quick search on Trip Advisor showed a high rating and great reviews. I checked out their website and from there, I reached out to them via email and whatsapp. Eventually, I booked this trip with them.

Reticulated giraffes in Samburu

Our safari tour was private, which was good for us because it meant that we could make decisions quite easily without having to worry about other people, such as the time to leave in the morning and any adjustments we wanted to make in our schedule. The standard package includes a van transport but I paid extra for the jeep option because it would be more spacious and comfortable, giving us a better overall experience. We were the only people in our jeep, which can somewhat comfortably accommodate up to 7 adults. Our driver Zachary was also our guide and he was superb!

Our safari jeep

What I didn't realize, however, was that the three different game reserves in our tour - Samburu, Lake Nakuru, and Maasai Mara - are all pretty far from each other. This meant that our safari would be very exhausting. (I will share my thoughts about visiting these three game reserves later on as well.) We had an evening arrival in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, so I thought it would be best to stay at an airport near the hotel, especially since our departure the next morning would be at 7am. Here is what our itinerary looked like:

Day 0: Arrival in Nairobi, check-in at the Hilton Garden Inn Nairobi Airport
Day 1: Travel to Samburu, check-in at the Samburu Sopa Lodge, afternoon game drive in Samburu
Day 2: Morning and afternoon game drives in Samburu
Day 3: Depart Samburu, Travel to Lake Nakuru, check-in at the Sentrim Elementaita Lodge, afternoon game drive in Lake Nakuru
Day 4: Depart Lake Nakuru, travel to Maasai Mara, check-in at the Mara Empiris Safari Camp, Maasai village tour experience in the afternoon
Day 5: Whole-day game drive in Maasai Mara
Day 6: Depart Maasai Mara, visit Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island, travel to Nairobi, check-in at The Social House
Day 7: Depart Nairobi
Day 8: Arrival in Manila

Baboons resting on tree branches in Samburu

While this tour was exhausting, it did give us an opportunity to see so many animals, including the famed Big Five. I also wanted to visit Maasai Mara around this time of year because this is when the Great Wildebeest Migration happens. Over the next several blog posts, I will be writing in more detail about this amazing adventure.

Twilight in Maasai Mara

Next post: The Big Five

July Hodgepodge

I have a new favorite board game: Pokemon Splendor! Apparently, this game is only available in South Korea, which means the game producer there must have gotten approval both from Splendor and from Pokemon and develop and produce it. Somehow, a few of my board gaming friends got their own copy. So one of our board game nights, I got to play this. I am not really familiar with the many Pokemon characters or how they evolve but I always thought they were cute and the evolution aspect of this game was an incredible element added to the original game. I love this game so much that I have played it in almost every game night I attended since the first time tried this game. I now want to get my own copy haha.

Pokemon Splendor

Because of my upcoming trip to Kenya, I decided to get a couple of new jackets. The temperature in Kenya during our visit would go up to the mid to high 20s Celsius and as low as about 10 degrees in the evenings, which is pretty cold. While I do have jackets at home, they are all either brightly colored or black, both of which are not recommended. (Apparently, bright colors can scare animals away while black can attract tsetse flies which carry the African sleeping sickness.) As such, I thought of getting a new neutrally-colored jacket (although I ended up getting two haha). The first one was this really nice Adidas Z.N.E. Woven Full-Zip Hooded Track Top (see photo below). I really liked its design and its color, which is apparently tent green, and while it wasn't exactly cheap, it was on sale at 30% off so I decided to get it.

Adidas Z.N.E. Woven Full-Zip Hooded Track Top

Very shortly after that, I passed by Mango during their store sale. Some items, including this really nice brown jacket (see photo below), had a 50% discount. Wow! I really love how this jacket looks and the discount was too good of a deal to pass up so I got it as well, even if I already had a new jacket.

Jacket from Mango

Also in preparation for my family's Kenya trip, I decided to order Smart Tags on Lazada. These are like Apple Air Tags but for Android phones (which I have). I thought it might be good to have Smart Tags in case any of our check-in bags got stuck somewhere, including at the airport where we would have our layover. I never used Smart Tags before but I'm happy that they were all pretty easy to set up and use. (Thankfully, they all worked too and none of them were defective.)

Smart Tags for Android

I needed a bit of a break from the stress of all our travel preparation so when my schedule freed up a bit, I decided to watch Inside Out 2. I had been hearing lots of great reviews about this movie and now that I've seen it, I gotta say it was really good. I loved how the film depicted how one's belief system is formed and how anxiety can so easily take over. It's a very well-made and tremendously good sequel.

Inside Out 2

Finally, I got to join Tita Florence's birthday celebration. Initially, I wasn't sure whether I would go because she lives about two hours away and her dinner party was on a weeknight. However, I ended up going so that I could take my mom and so that we could also see Tita Florence's son and my cousin Fr. John, who was home for a few weeks. I was happy that we got to go because so many of our relatives were there, even if some arrived quite late on a rainy weeknight. Family truly is love.

An Unexpected Trip to the ER

It started on Friday afternoon. My abdomen felt some pain each time I would take a breath. Initially, I thought it may just have been a muscular problem because I woke up with some back pain. However, the pain started to get worse in the evening. I was hoping that by the time I woke up the next day, the pain would be gone. But it wasn't. I decided I needed to see a doctor.

Unfortunately, my HMO is a bit challenging to use because apparently, you need to find your own doctor before you can request a letter of authorization (LOA). Also, since it was a Saturday, I couldn't ask our company clinic for help. I decided the best option would be for me to go to a hospital emergency room (ER) since ERs normally work with the HMOs to get the necessary LOAs and paperwork done. I decided that Medical City in Pasig would be my best option.

I knew that my abdominal pain wouldn't be flagged as top priority after triage at the ER (I was right) so I was expecting a long wait. It took about an hour for me to get a more thorough doctor's assessment. She said that my abdomen was swollen and when she put pressure on one side of it, it hurt a lot. She prescribed some bloodwork as well as an abdominal CT scan. She also told me I needed IV fluids since I needed an empty stomach for the CT scan and it would take a while before I would get my turn so having an IV meant that I wouldn't need to eat.

The doctor said I would most likely be in the ER until the evening so if I had any plans that evening, I should cancel them. While I didn't have plans with other people that night, I was actually planning to finalize trip preparations for my family's trip to go on safari Kenya a week later. I still needed to sort out our electronic travel authorisations (which is sort of like a visa) and secure travel insurance. Being in the ER was worrisome because I wasn't sure how serious my condition was and if I needed to be confined, which could throw off our travel plans. And of course, no one wants to have a serious health concern that puts them in the hospital.

It was late in the evening when I finally got my diagnosis: it wasn't a serious condition and I didn't need to be confined. Whew! However, I would most likely to continue to be in some pain and discomfort over the next few days so the doctor told me to be in bed rest for four days. He also prescribed me a couple of meds, including a pain reliever.

Needing to go on bed rest was tough since I still needed to sort out many things for our safari but thankfully, I didn't need to be hospitalized. Hopefully, I recover fully in time for my family's trip.

Wimbledon 2024

Carlos Alcaraz continues to make a name for himself as he successfully defended his Wimbledon title, defeating Novak Djokovic in straight sets 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 in the final. Alcaraz has now beaten Djokovic in back-to-back Wimbledon finals (he did this too in 2023), which is an amazing feat considering Novak's legendary status and how no one else outside of Carlos has beaten him at Wimbledon since 2018. This is Carlos' second Wimbledon title, his fourth major championship, and his second Grand Slam title this year. Carlos is really on track to be one of the all-time greats in tennis and he is only 21 years old. Amazing!

To win here is special. To defend here is elite.

Carlos Alcaraz is the 2024 Gentlemen’s Singles Champion 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/kJedyXf0vn

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 14, 2024

Barbora Krejcikova won her first Wimbledon title and her second Grand Slam trophy, defeating Jasmine Paolini in three sets, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4. This is an amazing result for Krejcikova who hasn't made too much of an impact in a Grand Slam event since her French Open win in 2021. In fact, since then, she has only made it past the 1st week of a major three times and in those cases, she did not advance past the quarterfinals. Barbora paid tribute to her ex-coach and mentor, Jana Novotna, who herself won Wimbledon in 1998 (Jana sadly passed away 7 years ago).

Breathtaking. Brilliant. Barbora.

Barbora Krejcikova is the 2024 Ladies’ Singles Champion 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/Xz0jjezO89

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2024

Diede De Groot has added to her legacy yet again, defeating Aniek van Koot in the Women's Wheelchair championship match 6-4, 6-4. This is now Diede's 4th Wimbledon in a row, her 6th Wimbledone in total, her 16th Grand Slam Women's Wheelchair title in a row, and her 23rd grand slam singles title. She also has 18 Grand Slam doubles titles, making her a truly dominant force in women's wheelchair tennis.

15 Love ❤️

Diede de Groot extends her record streak to 15 consecutive Grand Slam singles titles 🤯

De Groot defeated compatriot Aniek Van Koot 6-4, 6-4 to become the first winner at the 2024 Championships 🏆#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/ikm5fQeK0c

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 13, 2024

Congratulations Carlos, Barbora, and Diede!

The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery

The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery has been in my radar for a while now. I learned about this place when looking for possible brunch venues with my friends. Its menu really appealed to me when I saw it so when I was in Glorietta recently and was thinking of a place to eat, I remembered that there was a Fat Seed branch at One Ayala Mall and decided to eat there.

Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery

For this first visit, I wanted to try a couple of items on their menu. First, I ordered their Bacon and Cheese Omelet (P270).

Cheese Omelet

I asked the waiter if it came with some toast and he said it didn't so I decided to pair it with their Grilled Cheese Sandwich (P380), which is a parmesan crusted brioche with four cheeses, served with tomato soup. That's a really good combo in my book.

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich comes with Tomato Soup

There wasn't anything too fancy about the dishes I ordered but they are flavorful comfort foods that make for a perfect brunch/lunch. I quite enjoyed my first visit here so when I had another opportunity to visit, I did. This time around, I ordered the Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Ube Waffle. There are a few options for this particular dish - 1 chicken and 1/2 waffle, 1 chicken and 1 waffle, and 2 chickens and 1 waffle. I decided to get the 1 chicken and 1 waffle option (P420). I don't think I've ever had ube waffles before but this was pretty good. I'm a fan of Chicken and Waffles so this dish was right up my alley.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Ube Waffle

On my third and most recent trip to Fat Seed, I was pretty hungry so I decided to order The Notorious Big (P625). This is their version of a big breakfast set, with eggs, bacon, sausages, skillet mushrooms, tomato, and sourdough. This is my go-to dish whenever I visit places that serve brunch and this one didn't disappoint.

The Notorious Big

What I also love about The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery is its ambience. It's very cozy and welcoming, making it an ideal place to chill out with friends or read a book while enjoying some good coffee. There are plants all over the restaurant and on the tables, adding some color and warmth. There are also unique decorative pieces inside, such as the very interesting and striking light fixture at the center of the restaurant.

Interior of Fat Seed in One Ayala Mall

The Fast Seed Cafe + Roastery has four branches in Metro Manila: One Ayala, Greenbelt 3, UP Town Center, and BGC. Clearly, I love this place as I've visited it three times already in a short span of time. I will definitely be visiting this place a lot more in the future.

The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery
https://fatseed.com.ph/

Happy Birthday, Wolf!

I will be perfectly honest: none of us at home know exactly when the birthday is of our pet dog Wolf. We adopted him from my grandparents when their dogs gave birth to a few puppies and couldn't take care of all of them. I do know he moved to our home in June. We don't normally celebrate Wolf's birthday - probably because we don't know the specific date - but this year, I thought we would celebrate at least his birth month.

Wolf has been getting sick a lot recently. I guess that's not at all surprising considering he is more than a decade old, making him a senior among dogs. Shortly before his birth month, he was in really bad shape. He lost a lot of weight because he wasn't eating and one day, as I was petting him, I noticed he was losing his fur at a more rapid rate than usual. I told my nephew to take him to the vet, which he did, and after taking some medication, he started to get better. I don't know how much more time we have with our beloved dog who has been with us longer than any pet we've had in the past so it made sense for us to celebrate his birthday, even if we didn't know exactly when it was. I saw this Chubby Paws 4-inch rainbow birthday cake with beef and liver flavor at Pet Express and got it for him. Thankfully, he liked it.

Rainbow birthday cake from Chubby Paws

Happy birthday, Wolf!

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino

I recently read my first book this year - The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino - and oh wow, it was outstanding! I love it so much that it is now one of my favorites of all time (and it may very well be my absolute favorite).

I discovered it when I was looking for possible books to include in Secret Santa wishlist last Christmas. I realized that it's been a while since I read a suspense thriller so I searched for fiction novels in this category in Fully Booked online. A few books by Keigo Higashino came up in my search. As I looked through them, The Miracles of The Namiya General Store kept popping up as a related book because it had the same author. The title made me curious so I clicked on the link and checked out its description:

“From exactly midnight until daybreak, the Namiya General Store advice box will be reopening for one night only.”

When three delinquents hole up in an abandoned general store after their most recent robbery, to their great surprise, a letter drops through the mail slot in the store’s shutter. This seemingly simple request for advice sets the trio on a journey of discovery as, over the course of a single night, they step into the role of the kindhearted former shopkeeper who devoted his waning years to offering thoughtful counsel to his correspondents. Through the lens of time, they share insight with those seeking guidance, and by morning, none of their lives will ever be the same.

As soon as I read this, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to get my own copy. I couldn't add it to my wishlist though because it was out of stock in Fully Booked. Thankfully, it was available on Amazon so I decided to buy it there.

The author, Keigo Higashino, is Japanese so his work had to be translated to English. I have so many thoughts on this novel and why I find it to be utterly sublime and incredibly powerful. It has themes of dreams and hopes and love and even, to some degree, regret. I guess all these really go hand in hand. The people to whom the letters are written, the sequence of letters, the series of events, and how the story flows across time and space all just tie up so elaborately and yet so neatly together. It was such a journey to read different stories from different people across generations and how their lives intersect in transformative and surprising ways.

I will say that the climax was a bit predictable for me, although it was the only thing I predicted (maybe reading all the previous twists and turns in this novel made me start expecting the unexpected). That said, the final letter - I won't share who wrote it and to whom it was written - was such a powerfully moving revelation that left me in awe once I finally put the book down.

I will also say that the chapter that affected me the most was the second one. As soon as I finished it, I found myself tearing up at the cafe where I was reading. It's the first time I cried because of a book. Even now, when I think about it, I am still deeply affected. I won't say anything more than that because I don't want to spoil it but needless to say, it was extremely emotional.

At 314 pages, it's a relatively short book. That, and the fact that it's such a beautiful novel that I just couldn't put down, allowed me to finish reading it in just one day, which is very rare for me. I started this blog post saying The Miracles of the Namiya General Store may very well be my favorite book that I've read. In fact, I raved about it so much that another friend got it for herself too. If you have a chance to get a copy of this book and/or read it, please do so. I very highly recommend it.