Paella, Arabic Architecture, and Excurisions through Europa

Hola amigos,

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I've been here in Spain for well over a month now and it has been an adventure. So much has happened I don't know where to start. Well I live in an apartment building on the edge of the city with a bunch of Spanish and international students attending the University of Granada. I've met some very nice people from all over the world. I started my classes at the beginning of October. They're interesting for the most part but not very challenging. I am required by the program to take a Spanish class at the University of Granada... let's just say languages aren't exactly my thing. Not that it's particularly hard, I'm just not very interested. The one class I really love is my Environmental Policy of the EU class. It's fun to compare the policies of the EU, America, and Kenya, and see how they all interact on a global scale.

My class schedule is pretty easy so I'm off from Thursday through Sunday every week which means ample time for travel! In the beginning of October I went to Portugal for three days with my roommate. Portugal is a beautiful country. I got to see the Atlantic ocean from the other side, beautiful cliffs, and quaint Portuguese towns. It was an amazing weekend. I've spent a few weekends just in Granada too which is also very fun. I went on a tour of the Alhambra, explored the city, walked up to the Albaycin (the historic part of the city). I love the old buildings and alleyways, it feels like you stepped through time. This past weekend we all went to the Mediterranean coast for a day and oh my was it beautiful. Pretty much a day filled with tropical fruits, paella, sangria, and the most amazing beaches you'll ever see.

 Last Saturday two of my friends and I went on a day trip to Osuna, Spain. Osuna is a very small town on the outskirts of Sevilla. The reason why we went there is because we are all big Game of Thrones fans and HBO was filming part of the series in Osuna. We saw the set from the outside and two of the actors... so incredible.

 The food is probably one of my favorite parts of living in Spain, and the weather. It's still in the high 80's everyday and it's the end of October. I do miss fall but I am definitely loving the warm weather. This weekend I'm just hanging out in Granada for Halloween which should be loads of fun. After that all of my weekends are packed with trips! I'm hiking in the Sierra Nevadas, going to national parks in Spain with my classes and Madrid and Toledo with everyone in November. The first weekend in December there is a Spanish holiday so we have off that Monday which means I'll have six days off in a row. With so much free time and some cheap airfare, I decided to spend that time in December in Paris!!!! I have been dreaming of going to Paris for a very long time and now I have a chance to visit at Christmas time when the city will be full of Christmas markets! And then right before Christmas I will be headed back to the states. There is definitely a lot to keep me busy!

So, my opinion of Spain? Beautiful, amazing food, nice people, rich culture and history, great for a visit. I am having a lot of fun here, meeting nice people, experiencing an interesting culture but it's just not for me. I'm glad I have the chance to visit but the only place I want to go or live in is Africa. I'm in love with a continent, with it's people, landscapes, and wildlife. For now though, I will enjoy my time in Europe, immerse myself in the culture, and try to get as much out of being here as I can.

I do have plans to go back to Africa and very soon! I will be spending this summer in Zimbabwe volunteering in a wildlife reserve on the Zambezi. Once you get a taste of traveling and of Africa, it
never leaves you. Regardless of the ebola situation, I will be going this summer. Africa is worth the risk.

But for now I will continue loving Spain! I am definitely getting valuable life experience. It is great living on my own in a foreign city. Spending the semester in Spain was a great decision.

Here of some pictures I took throughout Spain and Portugal, enjoy!

 Inside the Alhambra

 The coast of Portugal

 View of Osuna

 The most amazing Paella I've ever had

The Mediterranean Sea!



Until the next time,
Emily

Last minute adventures in Espana

So, if you didn't already know, I'm in Spain. I was supposed to be in Tanzania right about now but things got sort of complicated. In August before I was about to leave for Africa, the Ebola outbreak got really bad and I had my own health problems that prevented me from going. I also didn't want to go to East Africa already sick just to get sent home again. So I was able to move up my Spain plans and here I am.

Spain has been an interesting experience so far with quite the language barrier. I came here to study environmental policy and have zero language skills. Communication has been a struggle but I'm getting by. Spain is so beautiful, especially where I am living, Granada. Granada is in southern Spain right next to the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is also home to the Alhambra, the most visited landmark in Spain. The food in Spain is also amazing. Paella, wine, sangria, churros, ham... and the list goes on. I can not wait to try everything.

I am taking all of my courses in English (thank goodness). I'll be taking environmental politics in the EU, ecosystems in Andalusia, sustainability in the Mediterranean, and Spanish. My classes don't start until October 6, which is super late. I only have about 2 and a half months of class here so it should be exciting and busy! Until classes start I'll just be exploring Granada and eating amazing food. I am also hoping to do a bit of traveling around Europe while I'm here so stay tuned for that!

Last time when I studied abroad I got really homesick. This time I'm not homesick per say (I do miss my family of course) but what I really miss is Africa. Spain is amazing, beautiful, the people are great, and I'm having a lot of fun, but I can't stop thinking about Africa and how much I wish I could be there right now. I may be in Spain but my heart is in Africa. At least now I know that, while I do love to travel, Africa is where I really want to be. I'm sure it will be a great semester even though I am incredibly Africa sick.

 

I'm going to leave you with a picture of the Alhambra, the palace in Granada with the Sierra Nevada mountains as a backdrop.

Until the next time,
Emily

La dolce vita in Roma

Ciao!

Hi everyone! I've been back from Rome for about a month now but it was yet another amazing travel experience. Originally, I was supposed to go to Rome on my way back from Africa. Since I was sent home early I didn't get the chance to go to Italy like I had planned. After being back in the states for a few weeks after I left Kenya I decided to go anyway. So, I found some cheap airfare, packed my bags, and flew off to Rome two weeks later.

The thing I loved about the trip was how spontaneous it was. I loved being able to decide to go and then just do it. I did little in the way of planning besides find a place to stay, which may not have been the best idea but it worked out in the end.

After about a full day of travel, three planes, and four airports, I arrived in Rome. I was traveling completely alone and was tasked with finding my way through a foreign city where I didn't speak a bit of Italian. Challenge accepted. Luckily most of the signs were also in English so I was able to find a train into the city and then my hostel without much trouble. Honestly, being alone in such a big city in a country I had never been to was incredibly intimidating at first. But, I found a map and started to explore.

I saw all of the big attractions such as the pantheon, trevi fountain, the roman forum, the Vatican, the Spanish steps, and the Colosseum. All of these were beautiful and amazing to see in person. I went inside the Colosseum which was one of the best things I did in Rome. The Vatican was definitely my favorite though. I am not a religious person by any means but the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel absolutely blew me away. The scale of the place and the history was stunning. To be able to be in the same place as people that lived thousands of years ago that you learn about in history class.. wow. There really aren't words for how beautiful it all was... my advice? Just go and see, you won't regret it.

Now all of these places were great but one of the other reasons I chose Italy was the food. Oh my was it good. After arriving in Rome, I quickly found a couple of bakeries close by that I frequented quite often. The gelato was my favorite and I am not ashamed to say that I had it every single day. And the espresso, so good. The food is an attraction in itself and there's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.

When I was in Rome, I wanted to be more than just a tourist. I wanted to live like a Roman and see how they did things. Some days I did a whole lot of nothing, but that was the point. I had no where in particular to go so I just wandered the city, sat for a while, watched people, ate. That is how you should see Rome, not running from the Pantheon to the Colosseum, to Trevi and calling it day. I love seeing how other people live. Traveling alone was also quite the experience. I didn't realize how much I like people and how much I like to talk.. But it gave me a chance to be completely self reliant and make all of my own decisions.

So, it was basically two weeks of getting lost in Rome, seeing beautiful ruins, eating as much Italian food as I could, trying not to look like a tourist, and maybe learning something in the process.

Here are some pictures of my time in Rome.

 The Colosseum at night

 The Roman Forum

 Spanish Steps

 Inside the Colosseum!

 The gelato... oh so good

 The streets of Rome, even the mundane was beautiful

 Roman Forum

 The Pantheon

 St. Peter's Basilica, absolutely breathtaking

 Inside the Pantheon

Piazza Navona

 The Sistine Chapel, I wasn't supposed to take a picture of it... I got yelled at a couple of times but it was worth it

 Trevi Fountain at night, so much bigger than you imagine

The Vatican

On a different note, my friend Peter that was on the Kenya trip with me made a really awesome video of our time there. You should check it out. I am in it so you may see me towards the end of the video.

Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzOx_XEMKUs


Now when I think of traveling it is no longer a question of "can I do it?" but a question of "where to next?"

I leave for Tanzania on August 27th, just two more months!!!

Until the next time,
~Emily 

Kuwa mwanafunzi wa ulimwengu

Hello all!

Well as most people know by now, I am no longer in East Africa. In short I was sent home on a medical withdraw. Needless to say this was pretty devastating. It was hard to be living your dream, loving every second of it, and then to have it all taken away just like that. Coming back to the states was incredibly difficult after being in Kenya. There's really no point in dwelling on what happened so now I just have to look forward to new travel experiences and be thankful for the time that I did have in Africa. Kenya was amazing, beautiful, life changing, eye opening, and forever changed how I see the world. The people were so kind, the animals were beautiful, and the landscape was gorgeous.

Since I didn't get to finish out the semester I am planning on going back to East Africa this fall! The plan right now is to spend the fall studying conservation in Tanzania and then spend the spring semester studying at the University of Cape Town in South Africa! I guess you could say I have the travel bug. I'm also getting ready to leave for a trip to Europe in just three weeks! One of the greatest things I gained from this experience was finally finding out what exactly I want to do with my life. My goal is to travel as much of the world as possible and try to help people along the way. I'm considering joining the peace corps after I graduate from college. This semester, even though cut short, was a success and I was so lucky to be able to have this experience at all. This is not the end but merely the beginning of the adventures.

It's so hard to put into words what I saw there and how amazing it really was. So instead of trying to explain, I will leave you with a few of my favorite pictures.

 Lions in Lake Nakuru National Park

 I saw this elephant on a game drive in Amboseli, he was so close to us!

 Rhinos in Nakuru

 The landscapes in Kenya are truly breathtaking.

 And finally, one last shot of Mount Kilimanjaro. This was taken from camp right outside of the showers. I loved seeing this every day and I miss it.

Check back soon for some posts from Europe!

Until next time,

~Emily

Lake Nakuru and other adventures

Hello all!

It has been a very long time since I last posted and so much has happened. The biggest and most exciting event was my week long expedition to Lake Nakuru National Park. But before I get into explaining Nakuru, something else happened the day before we were supposed to leave for expedition. As I said before, I have been pretty sick for the past few weeks. About a week ago now, I woke up in the middle of the night with excruciating pain and collapsed on the ground on my way to the bathroom. Luckily one of my friends and my roommate found me soon after and I was rushed to a hospital in Oliotokitok. I was admitted to the hospital and spent the entire day there. I now have an even greater appreciation for modern medicine and American hospitals. I'm not going to lie, the hospital in Oliotokitok was terrifying and the conditions were deplorable. I was in a lot of pain but it was hard to feel sorry for myself when there were people that were literally dying all around me. I think a couple people actually did die in the middle of the night because they had some very loud prayer circles around a couple of the beds. It was definitely one hell of an experience. I've still been in a lot of pain since then and I just went back to the doctor today and he said I have a bad throat infection? God only knows what is actually wrong with me. The people at the program are taking me to Nairobi on Tuesday to see a better doctor and hopefully sort all of this out.

Now on to the fun stuff! Last week we went on expedition to Lake Nakuru National Park. It was about an 8 hour drive north from Kimana, past Nairobi. Lake Nakuru is a very interesting park and is so different from Amboseli in the fact that Nakuru is completely fenced. The fence is a double edged sword in terms of conservation. On the one hand it reduces human-wildlife conflicts with the local town (which is really more of a city now) but it also causes many internal problems such as overgrazing, overpopulation, and the spread of invasive plant species. Nakuru also has huge populations of rhinos and cape buffalo. The rhinos were amazing to see and I can now say that I have seen wild lions in Africa! When we finally found the lions, our group sat there for almost an hour just watching them, it was absolutely incredible. We went on games drives every day that we were in Nakuru. It was interesting to see the differences between Nakuru and Amboseli.

Well for now I have exams coming up this week, a game drive in Amboseli tomorrow, a trip to Nairobi, and then we switch countries and go to Tanzania on the 25^th. Being here definitely isn't easy but I love Kenya and the people and will do anything to stay here. Hopefully the next time I post I will have only good stories and I'll try to post some more pictures too!

Until the next time,

~Emily

Ninapenda Kenya

Just got back from a morning game drive in Amboseli. Kenya is beautiful, I love it here, and I don't think I ever want to leave.

Sopa!

Sopa everyone! (sopa means hello in Kimaasai, I think that's how it's spelled anyway)

These past few days have been incredibly eventful, both good and bad. Lets start with the good stuff. So, yesterday we went to a cultural manyatta. That's basically going to a Maasai boma but it's geared towards tourists. We went so that we could see what most tourists see of the Maasai and compare it with today when we went on our home stay. The two experiences were completely different. The manyatta felt superficial and fake. They really put on a show for us and threw in bits (like praying to Mt. Kilimanjaro) that are not a part of the Maasai culture.

Today, like I said before, was our home stay. We pulled up to a Maasai Boma early in the morning and all of the Mamas came out to greet us. We did the home stay in groups of two and we brought all of our food and water we needed for the day with us (trying to avoid getting sick). Our Mama brought us to her house and instantly started heating up water to make us some chai. I'm not a tea drinker but it is considered very rude to refuse food or drink so I did drink it, and it was actually really good! Our Mama, who's name was Mas (not sure how to spell it) and she didn't speak any English and I can only speak a few words of Kiswahili so the language barrier was extremely difficult. Some of the things we did included fetching water about a half a mile away from the boma and carrying it on our heads, which actually was easier than carrying it on your shoulders. We also went to collect firewood and had chai a couple more times. Mas said that she is 25 years old and she already has several children. At one point she was showing us pictures of her family and then we showed her pictures of our families, it was a very cool moment. Despite the language barrier and the immense cultural differences, we had a great time and she was incredibly kind and patient with us.

Now comes the not so fun part of the past few days. So last time I posted I said that I had some kind of stomach bug, well I'm still sick and it's been over a week. Yesterday, the pain was excruciating, so much so that I had to leave the cultural manyatta early just to sit down. At camp, the way medical issues are taken care of is that there is one person who's job it is to manage student affairs and health. He wanted me to see a doctor last week but I kept refusing and putting it off, hoping it'd get better on its own and I wouldn't have to venture into the terrifying unknown of the African medical clinic. Well, yesterday, I was forced, and I wasn't objecting anymore because I was in that much pain. The clinic actually wasn't that scary and they gave me antibiotics so here's hoping that it starts to work soon.

Studying abroad hasn't been anything like I expected it to be and that's not a bad thing either! I definitely romanticized the idea of going to Africa and the reality of it was a lot to take in all at once. I can now safely say that I am adjusting, mentally if not physically yet. I can say that I am experiencing everything Africa has to offer and even though I miss a lot of things and people from back home, I am falling in love with Kenya and these amazing people. I am experiencing the good and the bad, the beautiful and the ugly, but what I can say is that it's real.

Well, it's getting late here (still get confused about the time difference some times) and being sick has been really draining so I'm going to bed. I'll post soon about what life is like here in camp and in about a week and a half we leave for expedition in Lake Nakuru National Park! Hopefully I'll finally see some lions!

Lala salama!

~Emily

Week Three!

Jambo!

I cannot believe that I have been in Africa for three weeks! So, it's been a while since I last posted on here. A few big things have happened since the last time I posted after our trip to Amboseli. Mostly I have been having classes and doing homework. On the 18^th we did a transect walk through the town of Isinet for my Environmental Policy class. A transect walk is where you walk through a town and collect data/observe various land and resource use issues. During the walk we also had to interview local people about issues they have with the land. Most of the people we talked to said that their main problem was with wildlife such as elephants and zebra coming onto their land and destroying their crops. We also met a man who lived in a hut smaller than my closet that said that he worked the land all day and gets paid in food. Meeting this man and hearing his story just really made me think about all of the things I have and the insignificant things I complain about on a daily basis. I can definitely say that when I get home I will be much more grateful for things that most Americans take for granted. It really makes you reevaluate your view on the world.

On the 19^th we actually had a day off. In the morning some Maasai mamas came to camp and taught us how to bead which was pretty cool. Then we spent the rest of the day relaxing at a lodge in Amboseli. It was nice to be able to relax for a day.

On Friday we went to Kimana Wildlife Sanctuary. The Sanctuary was more of a small nature park and the animals have free roam throughout. We actually got to walk around the park and identify animal tracks. We saw elephants, zebra, gazelle, giraffe, and wildebeest! The only bad part of the day was that Africa has finally started to affect my stomach... I have been so careful with the water I drink and the food I eat but somehow a bug found its way into my system and has been wrecking havoc.

Finally, today we went to a local middle school in Kimana! I helped teach a group of seventh graders English. They were all very sweet and they loved us. After the class we hung around for a while to spend some time with the kids. They all wanted to take pictures with us and all of the girls loved my hair, they were playing with it and braiding it the whole time I was there.

Well, for now I just have school work and hopefully I can get rid of this stomach bug that is making my life hell.

Until the next time,

~Emily

Amboseli

Hi everyone!

So, I finally got to see some animals on Thursday and today! We spent both days in Amboseli National Park which is about a 30 minute drive from our camp. On Thursday I saw so many animals, I saw elephants (including babies!), giraffe, hyena, hippo, buffalo, SO many gazelle, warthogs, and wildebeest just to name a few. I didn't see any big cats which was extremely disappointing but the unseasonable rain we've been getting has caused all of the lions and cheetahs to leave the park and go to the surrounding areas. On Thursday we were there for a field exercise for our wildlife management class. What we had to do was count all of the animals that we saw and take down other data such as species, activity, and social behavior.

Today, when we went to Amboseli we were actually working with the Kenyan Wildlife Service to help them with one of their yearly census of the animals! So we actually helped them get a picture of how the animals are doing so far this year. It was pretty cool. I can now put working with KWS on my resume.

Classes are starting to get underway and I have a few papers and assignments due soon so we wont be going back out to the park in the near future which is a bummer. I can't upload any pictures of the animals because our internet is too slow so I'll have to do that when I get home.

Until the next time,

~Emily

Mzungu

Hey all!

So much has happened since the last time I posted. Yesterday (Monday), we went to a Maasai boma! All of the mamas (Maasai women) came out in traditional wear to greet us. They sang two songs for us, which were incredibly beautiful. We have been learning Swahili but the Maasai speak a different traditional language, so our attempts to communicate were useless. The mamas then set up blankets and their beaded goods on the ground for us to buy from them. This group of Maasai rarely see tourists, so they do not get the chance to sell their goods very often. And so began the bargaining, made more difficult by a serious language barrier. I ended up getting six beautiful beaded bracelets for two thousand Kenyan shillings which equates to about twenty American dollars. We tried to buy from all of the mamas so that we could help support them, at least in our small way.

Today, was a mix of good and bad to be quite honest. We had our first non program day (the one day out of the week when we don't have classes). We went on a hike to a waterfall near the town of Loitoktok. The hike was fun, a little hot, but the views were very pretty. Then on our way back to Kimana, we stopped at an HIV clinic for women. The clinic was amazing. The women there have battled, not only extreme physical illness, but have to live with the stigma of being HIV positive in a culture that already discriminates against women. They said that some people believe that they will get HIV if they associate with the women in any way and many of them have been ostracized by their families. They were very inspiring.

Next comes the bad part... We went to the market in the town of Kimana. When we stepped into the market, people instantly swarmed us trying to sell various goods amid shouts of “mzungu” (the Swahili word for white person) and “American!” Everywhere we went people stared and tried to get us to buy things. The hustle of the market was so scary and foreign to me that I left as soon as I could. A few of us that were not feeling the market attempted to leave to find the trucks waiting to take us back to camp but we got lost in the streets of Kimana. At one point when we were lost, two guys on a motorcycle were following us and calling out to us. It was terrifying, but we managed to lose them by ducking into a side street. Today was when the culture shock really hit me. Everything was so different from America, I'm glad I had the experience but will not be going back anytime soon.

I don't have any pictures of the market because I didn't want to look like more of a tourist than I already did. Tomorrow is just another day of classes but Thursday is the day I have been waiting for for my entire life. We get to go on safari in Amboseli National Park!!!

Until the next time

~Emily

(I will try to post some animal pictures after Thursday)

Mwanafunzi

Hey everyone!

So this is STUDY abroad right? Classes have finally begun! I really like being in class again and having something to do with my time. I am taking four courses right now: Wildlife Management, Wildlife Ecology, Environmental Policy, and Swahili. So for the past few days I've pretty much just been going to classes. We have classes on weekends too and for about 6 hours a day.We get occasional days off when we go on excursions in the surrounding area. Tomorrow we are going to a Maasai boma! I am really looking forward to that.

Just as a little side note, I'm not really a fan of the food here but the mangoes are absolutely amazing. Until next time I will be studying wildlife (not seeing them, unfortunately) and working on my Swahili skills. The title of this post (mwanafunzi) means student in Swahili.


Thanks for reading, I'll post again after Tuesday!

First days

Hello everyone!

 Well, I guess I'll start at the beginning. On Monday we took the bus from downtown Baltimore to New York. The bus ride was supposed to take only four hours but with the snow it took almost six. Then our flight from JFK to Amsterdam was delayed two hours because of ice. The flights weren't too bad, just so long! After finally arriving in Tanzania we spent the night in a hotel in Moshi before heading on to Kenya. I have now been in Kenya for a few days. Observation number one = it's hot here. The sun is so strong that I got a sunburn after being in the sun for a few minutes.

The camp is pretty basic but we do have plumbing (yay!) and electricity in the chumba (the central building). I haven't seen any wildlife yet, except for the baboons that live in camp and I heard zebras last night. Apparently, the baboons are pretty comfortable around humans and can become major pests. They're going to give us sling shots to deal with the baboons if they get too close. Also, we have to be really careful when walking around camp because we have some very poisonous snakes that live here, including puff adders, black mambas, and cobras. Plus, scorpions have been known to hide in shoes and crawl into beds if you don't have your bug net tucked into the mattress. Needless to say, I have been super careful and vigilant around camp. I also have not seen a single mosquito yet, I'm not complaining, just really surprised.

Overall, I can tell this is going to be a great experience but for now I am still jet lagged (I've gotten about three hours in the past two days), dealing with culture shock, and homesickness all at the same time. It's tough but classes start tomorrow and I am really anxious to leave camp and start seeing some animals. I'll post again soon, hopefully with some awesome animal pictures!

~Emily