I had some notice so after shopping around and watching ticket prices I decided to go via Amsterdam which had a short lay over on the outbound leg and a nearly 24 hour one on the way back so that way I could spend a day in the city which would be my first time. It was that or Atlanta and apart form the horror stories I’d heard about the Atlanta airport, Amsterdam was just the more exciting option!

With a 9 hour flight the first leg to Amsterdam and nearly 11 hours the rest of the way to Jo’burg it was going to be a bit of a mission but I was super excited and couldn’t wait to see her and deliver the package.

So excited but also nervous about somehow giving it away and ruining the surprise. The first really nerve wracking moment came when the flight to Amsterdam was delayed. The aircraft had been struck with lightning as it came in to IAH and then the inspection before we could leave was delayed by an issue with the equipment.

Ready and waiting.

Thank God for decent reading material!

  As I was maintaining radio silence with my sister’s fiancee so as not to make things too tricky for him, I sent cryptic messages just in case I didn’t make the connection and kept the SO informed. We finally boarded 2 hours late and with only a 3 hour 15 min layover I was watching the clock like a hawk. Thankfully I’d checked by luggage all the way through so having landed with 15 minutes till boarding to go I only had to make a sightly mad dash for the gate when we arrived at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

I spent both flight pretty much counting the minutes and barely slept and must have worked my way through something like 6 movies total. I was very relieved to arrive at O. R. Tambo International Airport in one (albeit very tired but wired) piece. My partner in crime and his local partner in crime managed to get away and pick we up and then it was of to the hotel I’d be hidden in till we sprung the surprise the next day.

Round the corner from Montecasino and the location for our surprise, the SunSquare Montecasino is contemporary and  comfortable and was perfect for the one night with all the basics including wi-fi. After some no doubt misleading messages to my sister to see if she was enjoying her trip and catching up with Mr A., I managed a few hours sleep.

Up reasonable early and after breakfast I was picked up for a recon of the location and then I had a few hours to myself so I headed into Montecasino, massive complex that houses shops, restaurants and bars, a cinema,  a world class theatre, the Teatro and of course, casino.

The cool thing about Montecasino is that it is designed to look like outdoors in a Tuscan village despite being very much indoors. Ceilings painted with blue and night skies, cobbled streets with trees, benches and vintage style cars and retro shop signs.

  It’s right across a piazza from the hotel and I’d been before on previous trips so I was comfortable wandering around to kill a few hours and picked up a few little souvenirs and gifts and had a treat before heading back to have a little rest and get my stuff together as I’d be staying with my sister, her fiancee and friends after I made my appearance.

Sunsquare Montecasino

Can’t say no to gelato

  5 on the dot I was ready as planned and went off in an Uber to secure my spot for the big moment. It’s not my story to tell so no details but I will say that I’m officially even with her for all the times she and Mr. A have got me! There was screaming, tears, lots of laughter and excited calls home and of course a ring on her finger!

Hiding in the bathroom!

View from where I was waiting out of sight.

Chocolate cake & congrats from the chef

  Sunday we planned to be up at 8 and head out at 9 but we didn’t quite manage that. Staying up to bask in the celebration and a midnight breakfast meant we were a little worse for wear. It worked out though because we felt rested and ready to eat when we headed out to the Fourways Farmers Market a couple hours later than planned.

If you’re in Jo’burg over a weekend I would definitely recommend you make time for this foodie fiesta (open Sundays 9AM – 4PM). Steamed buns with pork belly, barbecue ribs and chicken, seafood paella, fresh ground coffee, dumplings, desserts, natural juices and fruity cocktails and lots more including arts & crafts, souvenirs and the like – they have it all and in a fun, relaxed family friendly environment.

Steamed buns

Pork belly or vegan mushroom?

Barbecue!

Sumting Fresh in progress

Done!

Seafood paella

Arts & crafts…

…souvenirs & stuff

Churros

Pure honey and honey comb

  Full of good food a maybe a cocktail, it was time to head out of the city a little ways. Now, there had been mention of our next activity – free falling, the day before but I had made the decision not to ask too may questions (in case I psyched myself out) and just see what happened.

What happened is that I let someone from me 40 meters into a net from 70 meters up in an old cooling tower.

All about that in the next post!!

NEW POST: Destination Diary - Urbane Hanger's Postcard From Republic Du Benin

Traveling around the neighboring countries in West Africa had been on my mind for a while now. For one reason or another, the desire has just remained a dream (although I have visited Republic of Benin several times, but this is the first time I’m going with a camera and some friends). (more…)

NEW POST: VisAdventures of Her - I Believe I Can Fly

In the period of my silence, the dollar has gone up astronomically- along with the price of tomatoes and petrol and Noble hooked Chioma. (Disclaimer: these events are totally unrelated) It’s been a while since my last post (I do hope I have been missed a tiny bit) and like they say time and tide waits for no one. Though dollar cost I have managed to get in a memorable trip to one of my favourite…

Of course, apart from the event that I went for, I made sure to do a few touristy things around the V&A Waterfront, where my hotel was. I posted some pictures on Instagram while I was there, but here are a few more.

First of all, let me share the view from my hotel room. Yup. Every morning, I woke up to this – views of Table Mountain, clouds, tumbling over the summit, boats in the bay, and seals playing around in the water. It was glorious. Sadly I didn’t get to climb the mountain because it was closed on account of being too windy on the days I was free to go. I could not get over the view. It gave me so much life.

The Cobb Salad – this was my favourite thing on the room service menu. This picture doesn’t do it justice. Under those crunchy leaves was a velvety dressing, and then blue cheese, bacon, eggs and avocado gave it a salty, creamy finish. I also liked the fish and chips. Cape Town is a great place for fresh fish.

  Breakfast was glorious as well. My two staples were the greek yoghurt with various seeds and fruit, the South African breakfast fry up, a cup of coffee, a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, and a glass of champagne – in that order.

  I also tried Springbok Steak  for the first time. A springbok is a kind of native deer or antelope, native to SA.

  There was of course a visit to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent the majority of his 27 years of jail time. It was deeply, deeply moving. The tours on the island are given by ex-political prisoners and ex-inmates. I can’t begin to imagine how much courage it takes to return to the scene of your unjust incarceration for a good cause. This is me and Jala who was our guide for the day. God bless him. Can you imagine returning to the site of your unjust incarceration, and working there every day? He explained to us how he deals with it by focusing on the greater good that his custodianship and curation of the history serves.

  Nelson Mandela’s cell. There was no place to hide, so he hid the manuscript of his book in one of the gardens outside, and got a friend (also incarcerated) to smuggle it out on his release from prison. Look at the barricade on those windows. Ain’t no way you’re getting out. I mean, can you imagine?!

  One of the most fascinating things about prison life was the food. There was one menu for Coloureds and one for Blacks. The White political prisoners were kept in a different prison altogether. Even political prisoners who were fighting to end apartheid outside the prison walls were subject to the same divisive treatment on the inside.

  To get the the island, you had to go on a big ferry, and we saw whales and dolphins. My camera trigger finger wasn’t quick enough to catch the whale, but I did catch the dolphins swimming along with us.  How amazing. Did you know that although South Africa occupies only 1% of the fact of this earth, they are number 3 in the world for  biodiversity? I didn’t before this trip. I just couldn’t believe there was such beauty and such real dolphins on the other side of my lens. Not what they show you on the news about Africa, but real nonetheless. Watch my mini dolphin video Dolphin watching in Cape Town.

  I met up with some cool people, and we ended up at a modern day speakeasy called the Gin Bar, which is on Wale Street. It is hidden away behind a gourmet chocolate shop, and so you won’t know it’s there, unless you know it’s there. And then guess what happened, the picture I posted on Instagram got picked up by this SA blog and they used it on their site in their own list of hip things to do in SA. It makes a blogger so happy to be right on the money in a new city, heeheehee.

  Went to a wedding in Franschoek, which is a stunningly beautiful, mountainous part of the winelands. I felt like having a Sound of Music sing-a-long. As per, ‘the hills are aliiiiiiiiive, with the sound of muuuuusic….’ But I was wearing make up and back-breaking heels and it was a smart event, and bloody hot, so somehow, the thought of that tomfoolery died almost as soon as it appeared.

  A lovely walkabout the V&A Waterfront Food Market where I bought a number of things, and I have filmed a haul video to share it all with you guys. Stay tuned for that post coming soon!

  And then finally, I had one of the best experiences of my life, at The Test Kitchen in Cape Town, which is rated number 28 in the whole world. It was SO GREAT that it had to have its own separate post, and you can read all about it here.

  Altogether a wonderful trip. This was only my second time in Cape Town. I can’t wait to visit it again, and experience even more of the wonderful food. I got so many good recommendations, but sadly didn’t have enough time.

I visited in October 2015 to attend the international photography festival, Rencontres de Bamako. Although the exhibition was open until the 31st of December, 2015, I made the effort to be present for the opening week which held on the 31st of October – 4th of November, 2015 so as to have a front row, first hand experience of the main activities of the festival.

Hotel Onomo, Satellite Exhibitions, The City, Night-Life, More People, Food & More.

In the last couple of years, Mali has struggled with legislative conflicts and Islamic extremism which led a three-year sabbatical and the cancellation of the 2013 edition. However, this year’s edition provided a vision of hope to the people. How perfect the timing of this year’s festival, it’s like hope was restored. It’s just sad that three weeks after the official opening of the biennale, Islamic extremists attacked one of the opulent hotels in Bamako, where twenty people were killed in a hostage siege that lasted for more than seven hours. However, such devastation is not familiar to Mali alone as the week before that, there had been attacks in Paris, France, and then Beirut and then a week after that in the Northern part of Nigeria. These terrorism issues extend as a global crisis.

From the very beginning of my stay in the Bamako, I noticed that the security measures were intense with a thorough stop and search before entering or leaving any major building or area. I later understood the reason why all of these were of utmost importance. How sad.

All through my stay I’m Bamako, Hotel Onomo was my home away from home. Located on Quartier du Fleuve, the beautifully designed and nicely decorated accomodation was also home to other foreign visitors we did have to go through rigorous security measures every day of our stay. Very comfortable with an equally welcoming staff and a good restaurant, I’d recommend this 4 star hotel to anyone visiting Bamako. In my one week stay at this beautiful shelter, I enjoyed the overflowing pool located just right by the garden and I stopped by the gym once, just to flex some muscles and burn some calories.

  The satellite exhibitions I saw during the festival opened my eyes and my heart even more to the surprises the city offers. These exhibitions are away from the National Museum of Mali and were located in different parts of the city although all part of the biennale. The whole idea was to witness more of the city and explore it’s beauty which was even much more exciting for me.

On this particular day, I had visited the Institut Français for the POPCAP exhibition which curated by Angela Maria Nyffeler and Berlin-based media artist, Benjamin Füglister. Angela also happens to be one of the people I am glad I met. A very focused lady of unrivalled ambition, she also never failed to turn heads with the choice of her sttire. “You are so beautiful”, she had said to me on the day of the opening. Never did she know that that statement made my day.

  I also met Americans Peter Barbera and Natalie Bell. While Peter is a curator based in Philadelphia, Natalie works as a curator at the new Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. One of the trips I took with the two was the visit to Abdoulaye Kanoute’s studio. In my Kimono piece made by Nigerian designer Toochi Ugoala, most security personnel referred to me as Nigeria (Ni-dzey-ria), in that francophone accent. How my look screams Nigeria, I have no idea. Perhaps like a modern African prince, complimenting the kimono with my Timbs!

  Abdoulaye Konate’s abode looked like a palace and I remember jokingly telling Natalie how men like that perhaps are married to more than one wife hence the need to accommodate more people. Abdoulaye Konaté is the director of the Conservatoire of Arts & Media in Bamako. He and his work have received several awards, including in 2002 the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mali and Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de France. I had the opportunity to see some of his work as well as had the privilege to speak to him, asking as many questions as I wanted. His works are more than prodigious. I was spectacularly captivated by The World In Textile, which was being exhibited on the day of our visit. The Malian artist used raw and dyed Malian cloth to make amazing pieces of art that depicts the present day age. The sculptures Abdoulaye Kanoté makes with textures projects a deep consciousness of social as well as economic challenges, interpreting the worlds and its events.

  Likewise, there was the exhibition at the AD Gallery, and this time, it was Ethiopia in the spotlight. Called Photography In Ethiopia, the platform was created for emerging photographers in Ethiopia to showcase their works internationally in various festivals and galleries. A tool to promote the country in a balanced perspective, this exhibition features a wide range of photography such as archival, portraits, photojournalism and fine art. Curated by Aida Muluneh, the award-winning photographer is also the curator of Addis Foto Fest, an international photography festival held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, whose main objectives is to support the development, dissemination, and promotion of images from Africa through the participation of both continental and international photography community. At the exhibition, I was won over by Aron Simeneh’s collections of photographs that exposes Ethiopian patriots, the soldiers that risked their lives for the sake of their country. Did you know that Ethiopia is the only African country that has never been colonized, hence the annual celebration of Victory Day in Addis Ababa on the 5th of May? The next Addis Foto Fest will take place in December of 2016 and I would love to attend.

  I also saw the work of the late, well renowned Nigerian photographer J.D ‘Okhai Ojeikere who is popular for his work with unique hairstyles found in Nigeria. Also, his photos of Lagos, Nigeria, had me marvelling as I saw what the Nigerian state looked like, years before I was born. In addition, the Mali Focus section of the satellite exhibitions unmasked the growing generation of upcoming local photographers and I was honored to witness the innocent yet inspiring works of these local photographers, a heartening experience.

  My satellite exhibition experiences would not be complete if I don’t make mention of my visit to Malick Sidibe’s Studio (Studio Malick Sidibe). Malick Sidibe is a popular Malian photographer known for his black and white studies of popular culture across Mali in the1960s. The studio, also painted in black and white, has a large banner with an image of the photographer with his camera hanging over his head and can’t be missed in the Bagadadji area of Bamako. I love that I had the opportunity to see this historical photography studio which was opened in 1958, very popular in Bamako and Mali in general.

  On display inside this tiny studio apartment are old cameras, beautifully displayed on a shelf just to the right of your entrance. Also displayed are photographs of different people in his signature black and white style, as well as other old photography tools. It was like a walk through the past. The Malian photographer whose works sell for over $25,000 became the first African and the first photographer to be awarded the Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale. I was privileged to be here at the historic space myself and it’s a must-see for anyone intending to pay Bamako a visit.

  My adventure and my experience of the Malian people would be incomplete if I didn’t tell you about my visit to the National Zoo Of Mali, the Night Life I experienced in Bamako, a couple more people, as well as the food. 

At the zoo, I met Faama, the name meaning King in the local Bambara dialect. Listening to the tour guide as he told me about this particular animal that had been rejected by it’s own pride because it came in contact with humans, I couldn’t help but be fascinated and excited that I was able to stroke the lion. How fulfilling! I almost immediately fell in love with this extremely dangerous animal that could eat me in the blink of an eye without hesitation,  never mind it being caged. Although I watched other animals with interest I’ll never forget my encounter with Faama.

The night life in Bamako was quite low key but very enjoyable. The city is known for its local delicacies, but there is also plenty of French cuisine as well as an abundance of French nationals. My first night in Bamako, I visited Le Loft restaurant, a very popular and highly rated French restaurant popular for its amazing food menu and selection of wine. I had one of the most amazing meals of my life and I made sure to clear every plate of every single bit of food.

Also, in between attending the exhibitions both at the National Museum and satellite sites, I had definitely tasted Mali. From Malian Jollof Rice, sandwich poulet avec fromage/frites, riz avec sauce piment, to okra, fish, the chicken and vegetables, quiche, pizzas, and lots more, with their ginger drink, hibiscus juice, wines and what have you. Not for a single moment did I miss home!

One night, I went to Bla Bla, a notable restaurant and bar in the neighbourhood of Commune II, Bamako, a rendezvous for all, foreigners and expatriates alike. This is where it happens, and on this particular night, every person I had met or made friends with all through my stay here was present.

Bla bla is a fun restaurant and the atmosphere commands contentment and optimism. I reveled in this optimistic atmosphere as I was welcomed by the colourful display of lights and decoration made of local material. Francois Xavier Gbre’s art was on show drawing a lot of people and as such they spent the remaining part of their evening here before everyone returned back to their hotel and lodges. You could decide to sit in the small air conditioned bar inside or on the large and very well ventilated terrace, the latter being my choice.  

My table was particularly fun because everyone here was quite familiar with each other, either because we had a final destination in common, Hotel Onomo (being our residential lodge), or that we’ve just become fond of each other in the course of the biennale, hence, there was so much to talk about, laugh about and even learn from each other and we did over bottles of Flag beer, sodas, cocktails, glasses of wine and resident delicacies and signature dishes from the in-house chef. What a memorable day and amazing nightlife experience!

  With only a few more days before I left Bamako for Lagos, I had visited Comme Chez Soi to witness Fatoumata Diabate’s inspiring works of photography, enjoying the natural feeling that enveloped the air around it; Medina Art Gallery, where I saw the car used by the first President Of Mali and attended a dinner organised by Royal Air Maroc to wrap up the opening week of the festival. The Moroccan airline Royal Air Morocco is officially the carrier of this African Biennial of Photography and for the next two editions.

After a couple more events, it was time to pack up and ready myself to leave Bamako. Enamoured I recalled the highlights of my stay and I told myself never to hesitate returning to have another riveting experience in this pleasant city.

According to Lao Tzu, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”, I am very much ready for what this new project #JordanSeeSeries has in store for me and I am equally excited and all systems go to take on any new challenge whatsoever, as “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

In the end I decided to make a solo detour on my way there because a little me time never hurt nobody. After shopping around for options that would suit the timelines and budget, I picked Rwanda.

  The land of a thousand hills as it’s popularly called was cool, pristine and peaceful; three words that described my immediate impression of Kigali. I had a rather pleasant flight from Lagos on RwandAir which was short and sweet due to interesting conversation with a fellow traveller about everything under the sun.

On arrival, touchdown to getting in a taxi was 20 mins max. It was a pretty small airport so, after a brisk walk from the tarmac you walk straight to a short queue for a visa and as most travellers are in transit to other destinations it’s pretty quick. You buy a visa on arrival for most nationalities and it was a pain free less than 10 minute process. A few meters away the baggage belt was already fired up and luggage waiting. Easy breezy, just as all airports should be!

Touchdown Kigali

  Thanks to two movies, Hotel Rwanda and the much less popular Shoot The Dogs almost all I knew about Rwanda had to do with the genocide of 1994. It wasn’t the most cheery city to stopover from that perspective but a friend who had visited earlier this year had nothing but good things to say. So I thought #noteverytimeturnup, roll with it with an open mind and enjoy.

Arriving on a Friday was a great idea because after settling in to the hotel, I was able to head on out to see whatagwan in Kigali. First stop was Chez John for dinner which unfortunately was a bust so I diverted to a lively spot called Urban Hotel in the Kiyovu area. It housed a great boutique hotel with a rooftop restaurant and lounge with views to die for. I decided on a yummy coffee coated steak dinner and was quite pleased with my choice.

  After dinner, on the headwaiter’s recommendation I headed to a place just down the street called Tiamo. The band was LIVE … literally and figuratively! Their love for Nigerian music and dance had me all smiles despite the somewhat dingy interior of the place. I spent a happy hour watching the multilingual band perform Nigerian, French and Spanish songs before heading to the next stop. I must say this was the first place I got to witness the full on love the East Africans have for Nigerian music particularly P Square and Davido! As we all danced and sang along to the lyrics it occurred to me that English is not even a first language in Rwanda. Had me feeling proudly Nigerian!!!

  On to the next one! Papyrus (which has a new name but no one calls it that) is something of an institution in Kigali. It is probably the first place anyone would recommend you go to and I could see why. I absolutely loved the vibe and energy there because they have it so right. Huge open space with the illusion of an open air bar (but it was not), with just the right amount of lighting. I had my favourite cocktail in hand, shisha and loads of people to watch. Bear in mind I was travelling solo, these were ingredients for a good… scratch that, great night.

The bar

  Met some lawyers from Sweden in Africa for the first time on business and in my opinion, they couldn’t have chosen a better first destination. After a while I noticed the exodus of the bar crowd downstairs to the club called Envy so I decided to join the fun as the last stop of the night. They say the best nights are the unplanned ones. So far I was loving country 30 and couldn’t wait to see what the rest of the trip had to offer!

  More soon!

NEW POST: For The Life Of Mimi - #MimiTravels: Fringe In The City

I’ve been in the Big Rich Town for a few days now and it’s been the best time. Labor day weekend just went by which meant a ton of activities to do, places to go, people to see and fun to be had. From the Nigerian Entertainment Awards to the Best Day Party Ever and everything in-between, I’ve tried to make the very best of my time here. Oh, the Big Rich Town is New York City! (more…)

NEW POST: Tomi In Gambia - My Top 5 Must Eat Foods

I would be lying if I said I’m not a foodie. If you know me this isn’t news and for those who don’t, now you do.  So for this trip i decided to play a little bit with my taste buds and experience the most popular foods in The Gambia. Here are my top 5 must try food and drinks when in The Gambia. (more…)