Category Archives: Nairobi Kenya

Eating Ghanaian Food while in Nairobi

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Travelling can be fun and exciting but there is always something about home that you will be missing and that for me and my kids  is our  food in Ghana. ( Now all our 5 kids were born in Ghana so they do love the Ghanaian food).

As we are making our travel plans I do a little research to find out where I can get some of my Ghanaian foods while travelling and funny enough I always find this places that serves authentic Ghanaian dishes.

In Nairobi the place is called Mama Ashanti and it was just the place I needed to visit 4 months into our travel.

Because while in Cape Town I did not find a Ghanaian place to indulge in my food so while in Nairobi it was time for me to indulge in it.

Mama Ashanti was just right…The food was so good, when I found out about it I was there for dinner 3 consecutive times just eating and feeling at home.

The food was really tasty and prepared and in a very clean environment. The staff were awesome and we got to meet the owner who is a Ghanaian.

Mama Ashanti is actually not far from Lavington Green Mall and really worth checking it our if you love West African Foods.

Here are some pictures we took while visiting Mama Ashanti.

Go Ghana Go West Africa.

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It’s Time to Move On

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One of the hardest things in travelling is when you are about to say goodbye to the country you are exploring…knowing that it might be the last time you create that particular moment again in your life.

We have 72 hours before we leave Nairobi Kenya to Bangkok Thailand and now we are in the process of packing our bags and making sure we don’t leave anything behind.

It has definitely been an awesome journey in Nairobi. Learning how the East African’s live and their daily lives is really great.

Now if you are in Nairobi and getting ready to go to the airport…here is a tip for you .

If your flight is at 2pm you must leave wherever you are staying at 10am just to make time for your flight. From Lavington without traffic is about 30min drive to go to the airport. But that same trip can take you 4 hours which most of the time it’s does, due to major traffic and when it rains then you might as well say missing flight about to happen…LOL!!!

Our flight to Bangkok leaves at 10:50pm, and we live about 30min away from the airport. And with international flight we must be there at least 2 hours before our flight which will be 8:50pm which means we must leave our apartment at 8pm. But due to unpredictable traffic we are scheduled to leave our apartment in lavington at 4:30pm….So there you go…Dont be layed back and miss your flight while in Nairobi because it happens too often.

Here are some pictures of us packing and wrapping up our Vitamix blender…LOL!!!

Let the Adventures continue on

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More to pack…

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Vitamix Blender all Wrapped up

Maasai Market Experience

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So if you visit Nairobi and you don’t visit the Maasai Market in CBD area ( Central Business District) then you have not visited Nairobi. So keep that in mind.

A little bit about the Maasai community

The Maasai people of East Africa live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania along the Great Rift Valley on semi-arid and arid lands. The Maasai occupy a total land area of 160,000 square kilometers with a population of approximately one half million people. However, many Maasai see the national census as government meddling and often miscount their numbers to census takers.

The Maasai society is comprised of sixteen sections (known in Maasai as Iloshon): Ildamat, Ilpurko, Ilkeekonyokie, Iloitai, Ilkaputiei, Ilkankere, Isiria, Ilmoitanik, Iloodokilani, Iloitokitoki, Ilarusa, Ilmatatapato, Ilwuasinkishu, Kore, Parakuyu, and Ilkisonko, also known as Isikirari (Tanzania’s Maasai). There was also once Iltorobo section but was assimilated by other sections. A majority of the Maasai population lives in Kenya. Sections such as Isikirari, Parakuyu, Kore and Ilarusa lives in Tanganyika

So The Maasai Market is a mobile arts and crafts market. They move to different locations every day of the week and over the weekend they showcase their items at the City Market area.

The place is filled with so much stuff to see and try on and buy.

I went with our life long friends in Kenya ( That’s what travelling does to you, you create long life friends in each country)

So we did a little bit of shopping and try not to fill up my suitcase, have to watch the weight limit.

Here are a few pictures  of my shopping experience at the Maasai market hope you enjoy.

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The excitement when we arrived

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This is what we call variety

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Not sure if I need more dresses…???

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My life long friend on a Maasai shopping spree….Thank Kawira for taking me

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All about Maasai

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I am now a Maasai queen

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one of my favorite pieces

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My new Maasai friend…she does not talk much

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My absolute favorite necklace…I love it

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Showing off my pieces

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In love with chess boards now….

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great pieces

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I was shocked with all my options

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ear rings galore

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wish I could take all home

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very daring for my life…

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will think about it

A camel Ride went Sour

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So If you read my last blog about my fantastic birthday weekend surprise by my family….you will have most of my story over the weekend.

So while in Swahili hubby and I decided to take a drive and have lunch out of our resort. So we drove on that strip which has mostly resorts.

We went to one that I wish I remember the name but it was beautiful.

So while Marcus and I where sitting there waiting on our ordered lunch. We walked to another table to meet a gentleman who was also having lunch and he invited us over to his resort which was down the road from ours.

So the next day we went to have lunch with him and his wife.

When we arrived at our friends resort he took us around to show us his resort and asked one of his staff to take care of us. They set a table right by the oceanfront and it was beautiful with ocean breeze.

They brought us a bottle of Champaign. They also gave us the menu and really it was delicious. We had a tasty soup and our main dish was a lobster grilled and poured some garlic butter on.  yummy..!!!

So while sitting there Marcus saw a guy leading 2 camels down the beach and he said we should go on and take a ride.

Now am not too excited when it comes to  animals…at least not like my 2nd daughter is Aasha.

So we got on the camel…I was hesitant but I knew I would have to do it anyway being married to Marcus( he is a risk taker and does not take NO for an answer).

So he got on the first camel and I got on the second camel.

When we got on the camel for some reason Marcus camel got a little wild and started scaring me. So I started yelling at the camel caretaker and told him to get me off because my camel seem to be getting wild too…I even screamed at the guy and said don’t worry I will pay you just get me off…

A few seconds after I said that, my camel went ballistic and wild and super scary for me…my camel could not be stopped it was horrible and it kept jerking me and got dizzy and screaming and crying and I could have sworn that I saw my life flash away from me…finally I fell off the camel and when I opened my eyes I was surrounded by lots of people. A lady by my side kept asking if I was ok and trying to test my sight and all the things you do when someone falls off a huge camel.

Then Marcus showed up…found out his camel could not be stopped either and so he jumped off when he saw that I had fallen. He said it was scary for him watching me fall off my camel.

So the people brought  a chair over and lifted me up to sit down and kept asking me questions to make sure all is well.

I had a few bruises around my tights and also a major headache which eventually all went away.

But I still have a tailbone pain that is yet to heal up.

Now my thing is, animals will always be animals….We are humans and they are animals…I don’t know if I will be riding any animal in this life….But with travels comes adventures so will see what my future holds.

Am really grateful to have a second chance to live….that’s why am living fully and staying in the moment.

some pictures below

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Marcus got on his camel first

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my camel waiting on me to get on

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And thats after my fall

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smiling because I am giving a second chance to live.

..

My Birthday Surprise in Mombasa

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My 36th birthday was one to remember for sure. We started our Manns’ Journey December 2014. So being on the road and travelling I did not expect much for my birthday, while in Nairobi Kenya. Since it’s a new country and a new environment I thought my birthday will be a dinner out with the family.

Imagine this

April 10th my birthday morning, I was fast asleep and I woke up to an amazing sight with lots of flowers and my family all around me singing and just smiles.

My husband and kids have surprised me by spending most of their weekend before that making calls and trying to arrange a gateway weekend for just me and Marcus. It was a total surprise for me. After they woke me up singing happy birthday and surprising me, My kids told me I have to pack my bags in 1hour because I have a trip to take. I was not sure if I was hearing them right, so I totally ignored them. Then they said mommy you have to pack…..So my girls got my suitcase and packed some cloths for me and now at this point my excitement was on high….

I got out of my room to find another surprise that my family had put together….believe it I did not cook breakfast on that day…they put together all my breakfast favorites. eggs, chicken and fried plantain. Now mommy was super happy…

So at 7:30am our driver showed up and Marcus and I left for the airport to catch our flight and jet off to Mombasa.

We arrived in Mombasa and I had another fun experience when we had to drive our rented car onto a Ferry to sail off to the other side. I was super-duper excited and new to me.

So finally we got to out resort. The Swahili Beach Resort….My jaws dropped…It was breath-taking and an amazing place to be. Romantic view and all the things I did not expect. The place had 8 warm swimming pool….

The arrival was super fun when they brought me Dawa, a very tasty non alcoholic drink. Let the fun begin….

So after we got checked into our room, that was also another level of excitement. The room was different from your ordinary modern rooms. The bath tub was built into the ground ( actually carved into the ground).

On that night while having dinner, I heard people singing in Swahili which I don’t understand. But I was telling Marcus how this people are making so much noise while we are having a romantic dinner. cookie thief I was, Only to find out they are singing happy birthday song for me with a cake….and they walked to my table. Now that was a shocker since I had no idea they all knew it was my birthday. I am thankful for the Staff at the Swahili beach resort.

My weekend was really magnificent and I enjoyed every bit of it.

Thanks to my husband Marcus Manns, my oldest daughter Destiny Manns, my second daughter Aasha Manns, my third daughter IMAHKUS Manns and my super nanny Janet. I am truly grateful for this opportunity to have the amazing experience on my 36th birthday.

some pictures below will complete my story.

Return soon to read about my Camel adventure in my next blogging while on my birthday weekend in Mombasa.

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Arrival in Mombasa Airport

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my suprise flowers

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My drink when I arrived

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Our beautiful bedroom

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My birthday cake

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Our rented car on the Ferry

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86 my lucky number

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My bathroom suprise…beautiful

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Birthday dinner

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My birthday breakfast prepared by my family

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Swahili staff surprise me with a cake

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A romantic weekend with hubby

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We are ONE

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Beautiful bar

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On the ferry

Kisses From Chok ( Giraffe Center)

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On mothers day we spent our day visiting other living creatures… We first visited the Elephant orphanage.

After that fun and exciting trip we visited the Giraffe center, Which my whole family thinks it was the coolest activity of the day.

The Giraffe Center was about 15min drive from the Elephant orphanage. And it was an amazing experience. It was truly the closest we have all been to a Giraffe.

And the Giraffe that we got to spend our moments with was super cute and fun and call Chok.

When we arrived we paid for 7 of us, which was Ksh 4,500 ( $45) total. And this is the price for non-resident.

After they gave us the palettes to feed them to the giraffe. You just lay the food in your palm and the giraffe sticks out his long slimy tongue. I was so scared to let him take the food off my palm, and I was shaking. The kids just got so excited and all over the giraffe.

Janet our nanny was scared too until she got comfortable around the giraffe.

Marcus was brave enough to get a giraffe kiss….yeap that’s right!!! he kissed the giraffe and it was nasty but funny.

We really enjoyed our time  there and We all said, now our new favorite animal is a giraffe..LOL!!!

Lots of pictures below for your viewing..

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David Sheldrick Wild Life Center

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And it’s that time of the year….Mothers day to all the mothers in the universe.

We all woke up early today even though it’s a sunday and it’s the day that we get to sleep in. We had to wake up early because we wanted to visit the Elephant Orphanage center.

From research we suppose to be there exactly 11am when the baby elephants comes up to drink their milk.

We waited for our Taxi driver John at our apartment to pick us up at 9:30am. So he arrived and we loaded up the car with everyone.

Drove to Karen which is about 45min away from Lavington.

So we arrived there and waited for them to allow us into the area where the elephants comes.

It was pretty awesome seeing how the elephants comes in a queue and the guards have this huge feeding bottle filled with milk and each elephant gets 2 whole bottles of milk and they consume it in 5min of less. super cool…

The kids got to touch the elephants and also listened to the story why  and how those elephants came about.  Some of the elephants came to the orphanage because their parents died or they fell in a well and some of them was attacked by other wild animals.

We really had a great time at the orphanage and seeing the kids faces as they watch the elephants and touch them was a very rewarding mothers day gift.

lots of pictures below

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Dinner with the family at Big square Junction

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I think the whole family is falling in love with big square place at junction mall in nairobi kenya.
I love their chicken wings and it’s priced right.
It’s a little chilly in nairobi…people wearing winter coats and boots…if I don’t look at the roads with all the potholes I would think am out of africa with all this boots and winter fur coats….lol!!!

for 6 of us to each have our own meal it cost is $35 not bad….

Great meal and great environment

No Stress Visa Process

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Yeyyyyyy!!!!!

Thailand here we come….I hope Thailand is ready for the Manns Clan.

Today I went to the Thai Embassy to pick up our Thai visa’s. It’s the less stress I have felt going through a visa process.

My first visit to the Embassy to drop off the applications for 6 passports only took me 30min to process.

And in 2 days Visa is ready for pick up. Now that’s a country that wants you to come and spend money on their soil. efficiency and speed….Now I see why they have the sky train there and not in Africa….LOL!!! seriously.

So we have 2 more weeks in East Africa before leaving for Thailand and Explore Asia.. The kids are super excited. Their first trip to Asia.

Let the Adventures continue!!!!!

Day Date with My Son

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Today was such a wonderful day. I took Mj out with me while I went to the Thai embassy to drop off our visa application. fingers crossed!!!

It was went very well. All documents in ok and our visa will be ready for pick up on Friday at 11:30am. So if you present all the documents needed for your visa it’s really a very smooth procedure and friendly staff.

After Mj and I decided to go out for an early lunch. So we went to the junction mall and ate at big square…..they had this tasty sticky chicken wings. It was so so delicious and we total enjoyed it. finger licking wings.

Mj (5yr old son) said it was tasty and he was licking his fingers until he consumed all the wings and fries.

In our family throughout the week we have daddy’s day out and also mommy’s day out. So we rotate. I will take each kid out and we talk about life and whats going on in their life and how we can be better parents and all that stuff.

When you have 1 kid the attention is easy to give, but when you have 5 kids scheduling dates is always the best way to really hear how each kid is doing and also provide your full attention to each kid. And our kids absolutely love that idea and always looks forward to our dates out. So if you have more than 1 kid then try this out you will bond well with each kid on different levels.

So it was definetly a fullfilling day

Pictures below of my son digging into some wings and chips…

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