alibertinemusing

SNAKE RIVER CANYON, IDAHO

TETON NATIONAL FOREST, WYOMING

Kenya’s capital city has risen in a single century from a brackish uninhabited swampland to a thriving modern capital. When railway construction workers reached this area in 1899, they set up a basic camp and supply depot, simply called ‘Mile 327’.  The local Maasai called this highland swamp Ewaso Nai’beri – the place of cold water.  The camp became a rustic village, and then a shanty town, which by 1907 was the capital of all of British East Africa. It was soon an important center for the colony and a mecca for adventurers, hunters and travelers from all over the world. Modern Nairobi is still the safari capital of the Africa, but the modern world has quickly caught up with the city. A frontier town no more, Nairobi has become one of Africa’s largest, and most interesting cities. Nairobi is a city that never seems to sleep with a vibrant nightlife and a robust musical scene.  The city has not lost its sense of the past, with an excellent museum and the historical home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa open to visitors. This is not a modern capital separated from the great wilderness that surrounds it. Just outside the city is Nairobi National Park with miles and miles plains, cliffs and forest and a huge variety of wildlife..

English is rarely spoken, and tourism is not a priority in Minsk. It would be wise to learn some key phrases in Russian (which is the default language, but Belarusian may also be spoken or understood).

The traditional Kiwi aspiration for a freestanding house on a quarter-acre section has resulted in a vast, sprawling city. The CBD was long ago abandoned to commerce, and inner-city apartment living has only just started to catch on. While geography has been kind, city planning has been less so. Unbridled and ill-conceived development has left the center of the city with some architectural embarrassments. To get under Auckland’s skin you’re best to head for the rows of Victorian and Edwardian villas in its hip inner-city suburbs

Especially if you’ve been in China for a while you’ll also find there is a distinctly different feel to Macau. While about 95% of residents are Chinese, the remainder is mostly made up of Portuguese and Macanese (people with mixed Portuguese, Chinese and/or African blood). It’s this fusion of Mediterranean and Asian peoples, lifestyles, temperaments and food – oh, the food – that makes Macau so much fun.