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Africa

Be cool in Nyeri

By Wangechi Gitahi

Nyeri is located in Central Kenya which is in the highlands. It is thus generally cool all year round which provides good weather for farming of both livestock and crops. Coffee and tea are a common cash crop in the area even in small farms. The grade from this area is regarded highly as generally, the quality and grade of tea and coffee from Kenya is world renown. It is also home to the second highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kenya as well as the Aberdares National Park. It is dominated by the Agikuyu tribe who are famous for their love of farming and business expertise. Below are some activities I would highly recommend to make you “cool” in Nyeri. 1.Visit the tea farms The tea farms normally look like lush green grass from a distance and it is only when one gets close, that you see the tea leaves.…

Africa

9 fun things to do in Mombasa

By Wangechi Gitahi

Mombasa county is in the coastal area of Kenya as it lies along the Indian Ocean. If beaches, history, culture, sunrises, sunsets and having a good time is your thing, look no further, Mombasa is the place to be. When you see the above tusks sculptures, know you are entering Mombasa town. Mombasa is greatly associated with fun and relaxation and thus jokes are made that entering is easy, leaving is a problem. The coast area is divided into North Coast and South Coast and I will start off with North Coast which is where Mombasa is located. 1: Visit the Beach: There are several beaches in the North Coast that include Bamburi, Nyali, Shanzu among others. Bamburi beach is popularly referred to as Pirates beach due to a restaurant and club found there.There are so many things to do at the beach a) Search for a ship wreck There…

Africa

The suprise that is Samburu National Reserve

By Wangechi Gitahi

Samburu National Reserve is located in Samburu county which is in Northern Kenya. Samburu county is as a hot and dry area and thus I had previously stereotyped the reserve to not have a large number of wildlife. I was greatly and pleasantly surprised by the wide array of animals we found. The reserve decided to show off, to factually tear down the stereotype and reveal its true self, a true home to a wide array of wild life. In this instance, we were camping within the park, both a new thing for me as well as an adventure that could not be missed. As we pitched our tents near the Ewaso Ngiro/Ewaso Nyiro banks, the monkeys were all too glad to welcome us. They eyed us from the safety of the trees and only the bold ones approached our camp. Kindly note, we were camping in a designated camping…

Asia

Expression of love at Taj Mahal, Agra

By Wangechi Gitahi

Agra is located in Uttar Pradesh in the Northern State of India. This area is special to me as culture is all over from the preserved buildings of the Mughal-era to the culture of the people. The area is however popular as it is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Most people actually travel to this area just to visit the Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal: Did you know that the Taj Mahal is not a Palace but a Mausoleum? It was built from 1632-1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal whom he loved dearly and had died at child birth. Both of them are buried here and it is an expensive expression of Love posthumously. As we arrived at the Taj Mahal, we were met by this imposing red and white structure that…

Asia

Immersed in Sikh and Indian culture in Amritsar

By Wangechi Gitahi

Like some of you reading this, I had never heard nor seen pictures of Amritsar before. I actually learnt about it when our newly found friends in Boothgargh, Hoshiapur where we were living, invited us to visit a place they loved. Amritsar is home to the Sri Harimandir Sahin otherwise known as the Golden Temple, which is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. Amritsar exposed me to lots about India, Sikhism culture, great architecture, beautiful scenery and lots and lots of dance and music.The highlights of the place are Golden Temple, Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre and the Wagah border that separates India and Pakistan. 1.Dress Modestly: As you walk around, you will find most people either dressed in their traditional Punjab suit or modestly dressed. We took this time to bring out our newly tailored “Punjabi suits” that our friends mother had sawn for us. The ladies outfit…

Asia

The sanctuary that is Dharamshala

By Wangechi Gitahi

Dharamshala means “religious sanctuary” or “rest house” in Hindi. This place is indeed a refuge for several religious pilgrims as evidenced by the numerous buddhist monks living here, it being home to the youngest Dalai Lama as well as several refugee Tibetans. It is located in the Himachal Pradesh area towards the mountain region and is crowded with oak and conifer trees thus being a very cool and serene place. My highlights of Dharamshala 1.Visit McLeod Ganj It is famous for being home to the Dalai Lama and several Tibetan exiles and monks. As you walk around the place, you will easily meet with several Tibetans and Buddhist monks and if you are lucky, you may get a chance to actually see and hear the Dalai Lama address the people. 2) Learn about Tibet and its people The Dharamshala area is a haven for many exiled Tibetans and is refered…

Asia

Go wild in Shimla

By Wangechi Gitahi

It is the capital of the Himachal Pradesh State. It was known as the summer home for the Europeans during colonization, who retreated here whenever the temperatures rose in other states. It is in the mountains and thus quite cool and the scenery of the Himalaya Ranges from afar is breathtaking. The buildings have been done to have a somewhat Victorian look and the historic central area is a place of peace as traffic is prohibited. This was and is truly a retreat area. I totally went “wild” in Shimla and recommend you follow suit in the following activities. 1) Head to Kufri This is a hill station about 20km from Shimla and a place I highly recommend. It is more relaxed, there are more people to interact with and learn more about their culture. This is also the place we did crazy stunts as shared below: a)Ride a Yak…

Asia

India 101

By Wangechi Gitahi

India is officially known as the Republic of India and is located in South Asia It is bordered by Pakistan to the West, Myanmar and Bangladesh to the East, Bhutan, Nepal and China to the Northeast, and Pakistan to the West. It is the second most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.2billion people and seventh largest by mass. Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence from Britain via non-violent civil disobedience The dominant religion is Hinduism It has more than a million millionaires It has the worlds largest movie industry, Bollywood It is the worlds largest producer of tea, which is also its most popular beverage It is famous for being home to the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Kenyans require a visa prior to travel to India Check the below links for in depth information on my exploration of India: Taj Mahal: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/expression-of-love-at-taj-mahal-agra/ Hoshiapur: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/10-things-to-do-in-hoshiapur-my-home-away-from-home/ Amritsar:…

Asia

Hoshiapur-My home away from home

By Wangechi Gitahi

Hoshiapur is a little town located in the North Eastern region of India. The area is generally referred to as Punjab due to having a dominant Punjab community. The closest large city to it is Chandigarh and I was living in a little village called Boothgarh in Hoshiapur. I had traveled over 5500km, moving from a city life in Kenya to rural lifestyle in India, to volunteer teaching children in this region.This was the first time I was away from family and friends, away from my norm and truly, this area changed my life in more ways than one. I met a community that had never seen an African, and a black African at that, yet they took me in as their daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend. I made some of my greatest friendships here, I started breaking stereotypes here and I started discovering another version of me here. Below…

Africa

Kenya 101

By Wangechi Gitahi

1. Kenya is officially known as the Republic of Kenya, its capital city is Nairobi and it is located in East Africa. 2. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the North, Tanzania to the South and South West, Uganda to the West, South Sudan to the North West and Somalia to the North East. 3.English and Kiswahili are the formal languages. Some Kenyans speak exceptional English as a result of it being colonized by the British, thus English being a formal language. 4 . It is dominantly Christian but is open to all other religions. 5.Kenya has a population of over 45 million ,comprised of 43 distinct tribes. 6.It is generally refered to as an agricultural country and most of the best tea and coffe is produced in Kenya 7. The second highest Mountain in Africa-Mount Kenya which is 5199 metres high is found here. 8.The First African Nobel Peace…