Journey with Nella

You Go Sister!

2010-03-23T05:41:00.001-07:00

Did you know that all the ants we see are females? Not only that, they are sisters!!

Would you like to be courted by someone who first offers you a delicious gourmet meal, then an extravagant wedding and THEN a beautiful home in which to raise a family? Then go find yourself a dung beetle!

How about standing above a termite mound and knowing that more than 2/3 of it is below ground and that down there, termites have air conditioning and water reservoirs?

Or... how about that wasp that hunts a spider and paralyses it. Then it digs a hole and puts the alive but immobile spider into it. Then it lays its eggs on top of the spider and then - beware oh the squimish - the wasp larvae hatch and - well - EAT the alive but paralysed spider bit by bit until it dies...

Alfred Hitchcock and Dario Argento must have been entomologists!

Our bug walks with Dino Martins this past weekend at the Suyian Yoga on Safari and Lifeshop Discovery Retreat were absolutely fascinating. Add to that a most heart racing display of elephant mating, observed from our lunch table under the Acacia tree and a leopard rasping just beside our spot for yoga on the rocks and yoga under a rainbow and we all must say that the recent weekend in Laikipia was a perfect combination of serenity, excitement and, good fun.

Yoga on Safari in a desert island paradise

2010-03-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

Kiwayu Island sits before me as I madly race from my sunbed to my "banda" where I quickly throw both feet into an enormous, REAL, oyster shell filled with deliciously cool water. HOW can sand get so hot! This is the hottest time of year at Kiwayu and our yoga sessions in the morning and evening turned into "Hot Yoga" whether we meant them to or not!

Yoga on Kiwayu is the way to go. We took over one of the bandas where we could do inversions against the sisal matting on the walls and gaze out at sunsets over the Indian Ocean. We did yoga trance dance in a lone banda way down the beach and then had sundowners there. We did walking meditation on a wild beach as very surfable waves rolled in and we meditated on a platform underneath a giant Baobab tree. And that was just the yoga! Kiwayu is the desert island paradise that you are imagining and doing yoga there makes it all feel like a journey to another planet indeed.

A Retreat at Suyian, Special Suyian

2010-01-21T00:18:00.000-08:00

Anne Powys has grown up playing on the massive boulders of her family farm. She knows every piece of rock and every blade of grass and has become one Kenya’s top botanists.

Her new, four “banda” ecological lodge, Suyian, is Anne’s way of sharing her passion for Laikipia and for every indigenous plant in Laikipia with others. Suyian means Wild Dog in Maa, the language of the Maasai and Samburu. It is not uncommon to see the dogs hunting along the ridge, screaming past in a pack; the most efficient hunting animal in Africa and coming back now from the brink of extinction in Laikipia.

Many lodges and camps in Kenya call themselves “eco” – a great buzz term for marketers. When you see Suyian, the meaning takes on another form. Just as there is not a single plant on the ranch that is not indigenous to Laikipia, there is not a single element of construction at Suyian that does not come from the ranch. The “bandas” are private, thatch cottages open on three sides looking out over a natural salt deposit that draws in impala, zebra (both Burchell’s and Grevy’s), leopard, dik dik, hyena, lion and elephant. They are built of twisted olive wood and river stones. Bathrooms are adjacent to the rooms, outdoors in an enclosed area with a separate loo and shower. Loos and showers are in the true safari tradition: a long-drop loo with wooden seat and safari bucket showers filled with perfectly hot water and hoisted overhead by the staff. After a day in the bush, a shower in the twilight is heavenly.

I discovered Suyian after some friends suggested Anne and I meet. I flew myself in, with my little terrier-dachshund, Flora, and spent the night with Anne. I behaved slightly neurotically during our first encounter owing to Flora constantly running off in pursuit of interesting sounds and smells. I anxiously interrupted our conversation by yelling “Floooorrrraaaa!” while visions of a leopard having a delicious terrier snack danced in my head. When I continued on to my friend, Shelan’s, house in Timau the next day, I could not stop raving about this amazing new place I’d found.

Yes, I was on a high from the flying as I always am. And yes, I was on a high from the fact that Flora had survived the night in the wilds of Laikipia. But it was more than that. It was Suyian. It was special.

Thus the idea for a weekend retreat of yoga by me, a workshop about life by Shelan and guided botanical walks by Anne was born. It happened last weekend - and it was amazing.

Friday, January 15th was the day Kenya experienced the partial eclipse. I flew myself and a friend coming on the weekend from Lake Naivasha to Nanyuki in the morning. As we took off the light was dim and the air was still and serene. While flying over the top of the Aberdare Mountains, I detoured to see the stunning waterfalls that plummet into the gully. We landed in Nanyuki to collect Shelan with enough time for a cappuccino and a bit of breakfast at Barney's, the airstrip café. The three of us then piled into the plane and prepared to fly on to Suyian.

In Kenya, pilots often say, "Time to spare? Go by air!" This certainly was the case on Friday. As I did my pre-flight power checks, I noticed a problem and had the owner of the charter company have a look. He got his mechanics on to the problem immediately, reassuring me that it seemed something small and I should be in the air in about an hour. Alas, I should have known that with aeroplanes dating back to the 1960s that hour is often two or three -- or four or five. Missing the first yoga class in a three-day event is not the end of the world, unless of course you are the one LEADING that yoga class! After endless back and forth-ing about the plane ready, not ready, ready, not ready, I reluctantly tucked my plane to bed and jumped in a friend’s car. We rolled into Suyian just in time to see the others strolling back from an evening bush walk. We all joined together for sunset yoga. As we concluded our practice with meditation in the fading light of the Equatorial sun, it felt we were honouring the day of the eclipse.

After our showers, as we sat around the roaring campfire under a blanket of stars that literally stopped you in your tracks. I knew that the weekend was going to be very special.

The sound of trumpeting elephants echoed throughout camp that night and upon opening my eyes the next morning, I saw a family of elephants browsing through the trees just beyond camp with the peaks of Mt. Kenya making a resplendent backdrop. Ahhhh. A big exhale as I sunk deeper into the peaceful energy of Suyian.

It’s slightly a misnomer to call what Anne does a bush “walk” for we really amble along so slowly that we only get a few hundred meters from camp. You can see her mind working as she passes a nondescript little bush and then gives in and decides to talk about this one too: “That’s ipomea spatulata, it’s great for pregnant women suffering from spotting. A Samburu man I know gave it to his wife because the doctor was a day’s walk away. Her bleeding stopped and the baby was fine.” Anne could easily talk about every plant we pass but she makes an effort to go gentle on us. Euphorbia heterospina (toxic but in the exactly perfect amount great for chest congestion and cough); Acacia brevispica (favourite of the elies all the time); Acacia melifora (favourite for elies when they have a tummy ache or need help digesting). She repeats the Latin a million times if necessary, explaining the most interesting indigenous uses for the plants and engaging everyone in the fun of tasting and smelling.

On that Saturday morning’s bush amble we collected wild lettuce for a salad, saw natural eye drops ooze out of a plant, tasted bitter and sweet, examined tiny ants at work by looking through our binoculars backwards and generally had loads of fun. … Needless to say, it’s now impossible to simply ‘go for a walk’ in the bush!

After a delicious breakfast featuring an array of delicious tropical fruit, homemade granola with yogurt or camel’s milk and the “full-English” for some, we sat down for Shelan’s Lifeshop Discovery.

Let me begin by saying that what Shelan does is not woo woo foo foo in any way. This is not therapy. It is not cultish. It is not linked to needing to sign up for more – although you can work with her individually if you wish. This is not a self-help movement that borders on a “you’re with us or you’re against us” mentality. This is real stuff about real, every day life. I think I speak for everyone in saying that there was nothing threatening or scary about it, no pressure to bare the soul. What we did do is explore the areas of doing and being in our daily lives, carving out ways to have a bit more time for ourselves, to finally tackle that desire to play the guitar or let go of the guilt or just be more present to ourselves when we are doing

something nice for ourselves. We even got to eat chocolate! Three times! The time flew by and before we knew it were having lunch under a big shady tree feeling very good indeed and ready to create positive things in our lives more and more.

The yoga session that afternoon was a blast. We chanted, meditated, did sun salutations, flowed from pose to pose, let go into balancing and even did some yoga trance dance to great music with lots of drumming. The Samburu tribesmen in camp were quite impressed with our rhythm it turns out.

Some elephant came browsing through camp just as we were having dinner under the stars. I saw the conflict in Anne as she worried for her trees. “I don’t want them to knock the new ones down!” If forced to choose, I’d say elephant are probably my favourite African animal. I could see that it wasn’t so for Anne. Elephants tend not to grow out of the toddler stage and if they want to munch on a leaf, it’s just as easy to knock the whole tree down as to reach to the top. As long as elies have enough room to roam freely – and that means thousands of acres mind you – then there is a balance of elie damage in nature. If these toddler-minded powerhouses are forced to limit their range then the damage can be devastating. Yet another reason to be grateful for the Laikipia Wildlife Forum and the private ranches who are extremely dedicated to conservation in this area.

That night I felt that Anne had scared off every animal in the vicinity, as I didn’t hear a single sound. Shelan informed me otherwise in the morning: “There were hyena and elephant trumpeting everywhere! I could hardly sleep.” Seems I’d just had too good of a sleep after our wonderful day.

We did a beautiful game drive on the roofs of Land Rovers that Sunday morning to park below a massive outcrop of boulders. We walked to the top for our yoga class overlooking the entire Laikipia plateau. Two Verreaux Eagles and a family of hyrax watched us from the rocks. I found it hard to balance perched up there on the rocks and enjoyed that vulnerable sensation. It’s so nice not to be the all-powerful human race all the time!

It was clear that we were all energized by our weekend as we had breakfast on the rocks in the shade and chatted away happily. We were all on top of the world, literally and figuratively.

Anne then took us to a cave with some prehistoric art. As usual, archeology boggles my mind. This cave had been home to prehistoric man. Bodies had been found, excavations done. Then members of nomadic Nilotic tribes had used it. Now they still use it - as do the porcupine.

We had our wild lettuces, fresh foccaccia, salads and cheese for lunch before we all reluctantly jumped into cars and went our separate ways back to Nanyuki, Nairobi, Gil Gil and Naivasha. We all vowed to come back soon. I know we will. Suyian is now forever in our hearts.

Please write to nella@yogaonsafari.com if you’d like to know more about Yoga on Safari at Suyian.

The magic of water and wood: Selous and Ruaha in Southern Tanzania

2009-10-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

In the Selous Game Reserve, it's all about the water and the life in and around it. If crocodiles give you the heebie geebies, maaaaybe, you'd better not… but if you think looking at wall-to-wall crocs on the sandy banks of lake after lake of fresh water is quite a sight, then by all means, visit Selous! If you like the idea of stepping into a boat for an afternoon on the lake looking at these crocs, endless hippos, elephant coming to drink and an absolute birding paradise, then by all means, visit Selous. And if a chilled bottle of wine on a deserted beach at sunset sounds like bliss and harmony, then by all means, visit Selous.

In Ruaha National Park, it's all about the rough, dry landscape teeming with animals resting in the shade of giant Baobab trees. Oh, the Baobab - Adansonia digitata: the upside-down tree that looks like its roots are reaching to the sky to drink in the heavens! If you have read Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince and felt inspired by the magical baobab tree, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you like watching herd after herd of elephant gathering to drink in the riverbed, then by all means, visit Ruaha. If you don't mind taking a walk along the Ruaha river and coming across a pride of lion in the distance, eating a recent kill, then by all means visit Ruaha. If you are at all keen to see the elusive and rare Sable antelope or to sit with the most unafraid Kudu on the planet, then by all means, visit Ruaha. You will feel like you've entered Saint- Exupéry's magical kingdom.

Now, mind you, this was a BUSINESS trip. I was on a serious trek through these two remarkable lands to find the best way to experience them for Africa with Nella guests! (Aren't I self-less?). I saw 9 camps in 10 days and have come away feeling very good about bringing guests to some of them. Criteria, such as the position of the camp, the aesthetics of it, the comfort and safety of it, the efficiency and hospitality of the management, the quality of the guides, the surrounding areas, the activities offered were all scrutinized in a friendly and easy way. But mostly, I come away from a place with a feel. Is there a philosophy in this camp that goes beyond a money-making enterprise in the tourist industry? Is there a passion for the surroundings? Are the guides extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic? Is the management giving off the right "vibe"? Is the room or tent nice? Is the food very good? In order to come away with a feeling for all of this, I always spend at least one night in camp so that I can pick up on the "energy" of the place.

Selous is to Ruaha as water is to wood; they both have fantastic energy.

Evening boat rides in the Selous, with skilled boatmen seamlessly navigating us past crocodiles and hippo pods to gorgeous and secluded spots to watch the sun set were surely a highlight. A journey down the Rufigi river with a picnic breakfast in the early light, watching animals come to drink along the sandy banks was another.

Walking to a hot springs where you can soak in extremely hot, very hot or just plain hot pools flowing downstream and a game drive to see a pack of wild dogs with adolescent pups wasn't too bad either!

The light and landscape in East Africa is as much a protagonist for me as the animals. I thought I had seen some of my best sunsets ever in Selous and then I got to Ruaha. Upon arrival, we made our way over the dry landscape, seeing lion, elephant everywhere, and even a leopard crossing the road - all under the shadows of the most amazing African twilight. We saw prides of 20 lion; buffalo herds of 1000; antelope everywhere; herd after herd of elephant. With luck you can time a visit to the river when some elusive Sable antelope come to drink.

And, wow, the kudu! The male has the most beautiful horns of any antelope in my opinion and in Ruaha, he wants to show them off. The typically skittish and shy kudu are here as relaxed as can be. Three male kudu walking by in a line, each with horns more impressive than the other. No wonder great artists like Mike Ghaui and Rob Glen base themselves here.

Here is a list of some of my more exciting sightings:

Wild Dog! (First time for me and the end of a very unlucky streak of being oh so near but oh so far!)

Kudu (as above, absolutely unafraid)

Eland (big herds with babies)

Impala (October is foaling season and we saw hundreds and hundreds of baby impala. Some born within the hour!)

Lion (whiter colour and not the big black manes of the Serengeti and Mara lions.)

Zebra (a sub-species of the Burchell's or Common that actually looks like a combination of a Common and a Grevy's).

Elephant (digging holes in riverbeds to find water in Ruaha. Thus providing water for everyone else too.)

Bushbuck (usually very shy and in Ruaha not so shy)

Crocodiles (those of the Selous make up for quantity what they lack in size!)

Hippos (much more relaxed than those here at home in Naivasha…thankfully!)

Waterbuck (not the Defassa as we have here mostly but the Common. Very beautiful ones down there)

Giraffe (an AMAZING amount of Maasai giraffe that I think has something to do with it being the national animal of Tanzania and therefore not hunted at all.)

Wildebeest (lots and lots although much lighter and prettier than our Blu Gnus up here. Another sub-species.)

Oh, yes, and the birds…

Loads of:

Eagles, hawks, falcons, guineafowl, pelicans, storks, herons, egrets, kingfishers, bee-eaters, hornbills, turacos, parrots, rollers, shrikes, weavers, sunbirds, and waxbills.

And some firsts for me:

African Open-Billed Stork; Yellow-Billed Egret; Black Egret; Three-Banded Plover; Crested Guineafowl; Immature Palm-Nut Vulture; Dickinson's Kestrel; Yellow-Collared Lovebird; Grey Go-Away Bird; Purple Crested Turaco; Bohm's Bee-Eater; Spot-Flanked Barbet; Ashey Starling; Retz's Helmet Shrike; Arrow-Marked Babbler; Crested Barbet…

Not a birder? Come to East Africa and you will be!

All the best,

Nella

Internal Transformation through Oustanding Travel: Africa with Nella Ltd.

Yoga Safari May 2010

2009-10-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

The next exciting yoga safari is scheduled for May 22 - 27. A week in the wild bush of Laikipia in Kenya's northern wilderness. The camp has the perfect feel. Simple but safe. Understated but detailed. And when we talk of eco-lodges in Kenya the term, alas, is very loose indeed. This IS the business: only materials from the land, community involvement over three generations, absolutely minimal impact on the environment. There aren't even any non-indigenous plants around here! Shower under the stars, sleep in luxurious beds in your own thatch-roofed hut, learn the medicinal uses of local plants and herbs. Interact with Kenya's foremost botanist, meet members of the Samburu tribe and practice yoga daily in the most inspiring settings you can imagine. A week that will feel like a month. Cost: $5,850 per person. All inclusive of accommodation, food, all drinks (including alcohol), transportation within Kenya, all guiding, bush walks, game drives, all yoga, all gratuity. Please confirm by December 15th, 2009. www.yogaonsafari.com. nella@yogaonsafari.com

Cuddly Toys for our local school children

2009-07-25T03:20:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of helping a friend distribute toys to the smallest children at the Greenpark community school recently. Every child in the school was given a stuffed animal. It was a beautiful and joyous moment shared between us all and it reminded me that sometimes, a gift from the heart, for the heart, with no practical purpose whatsoever is the most valuable kind.

The children were shy at first but as you can see, they quickly got excited about their new toys. Each was called individually by the teacher and handed a toy by Lel Cartwright, who organised this donation. They shook her hand with wide-eyes and looked SOOO serious - until they turned back to the other students in the classroom, toy in hand, and absolutely BEAMED.

These children live in the Greenpark community. Their parents work for the Great Rift Valley Lodge just down the road from me. These children have their needs met. They have food, clothing, schooling, parents, family and community nearby. When they are older, they will begin walking many miles to go to school and after they turn 14 they may stop going to school altogether as that is when school is no longer free.

We cannot secure the future for these children. We can only do our best to give them a reason to smile in the present. And what smiles we got that day!

Yoga on Safari Gets Press! Tatler & Drum...

2009-06-15T01:05:00.000-07:00

The June issue of East Africa's DRUM magazine has a profile feature about me and my yoga safaris. So tell anyone you think might be interested in trying a yoga retreat to check it out.

Also, the June issue of TATLER Magazine is advertising my Bush and Beach Yoga Safari this September in collaboration with Borana Lodge and Manda Bay. This is an ideal way to experience an African safari with a bit of yoga everyday.

Namaste!

Nella

Upcoming Yoga Retreats!

2009-04-16T01:09:00.000-07:00

June 23-26 Yoga Retreat at Samatian, Lake Baringo. Samatian is a beautiful setting for yoga amidst lapping waves and singing birds. This retreat focuses on yoga and meditation as well as doing bird watching and boat rides and lots of chilling by the pool.

Please contact nella@yogaonsafari.com for more information on these soulful events.

Internal Transformation through Outstanding Travel!!

Holidays that Make a Difference

2009-03-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

A private sailing dhow cruise,
A swim with dolphins...

A safari for couples...

a difference... to your life and the lives of others. Your life because if you go to a secluded beach in Lamu and swim with dolphins, you will never be the same. I know. I went to review some private beach houses (7 stunning private homes on a long stretch of beach, all with gorgeous views, pools and roof-top terraces that literally leave the jaw agape). The owner whisked me onto her traditional dhow for a sundowner sail and booked me in to swim with dolphins the next day. We came across about 30 dolphins in several schools. We jumped into the warm water and snorkelled with them for over two hours. I had NO IDEA that swimming with dolphins was this amazing. It is one of my life's highlights for sure. There is something about listening to the dolphins sonar and chatting underwater and then seeing them come to the surface to investigate you that makes you feel that all is right with yourself and with the world. The only problem is that I can't hold my breath as long as a dolphin. Otherwise it was perfect. At one point I was swimming sideways, about a foot away from a dolphin who was also swimming sideways looking at me. We went to the surface together, took a breath and went back down to swim along together. Bliss. If you want to participate in an upcoming yoga retreat,

In May, Loisaba Lodge in Laikipia is offering a very good special yoga package. The idea is to convince couples to come and enjoy all the fun of the bush (riding, walking, massage, swimming, watching elephant, zebra, giraffe, lion and leopard) while having the opportunity to do a bit of meditation and yoga to deepen the experience even more.

The monthly weekends at the foot of Mt. Kenya continue and offer the perfect respite and restoration to the body and mind. Mukima House is gorgeous and so comfy and cozy for these weekends that no one ever wants to leave.

So whether you are living in Nairobi or in California, this is the opportunity to have a quality holiday that enriches your life and helps to keep so, so many people here in Kenya going. It's a beautiful holiday choice to make for yourself and for many others indeed.

A Flying Safari to Kalacha

2009-02-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

Think the border of Kenya and Ethiopia....

Think English Patient.....Think Doctor Zhivago....
Think vast expanses of sand running from the North of Kenya into Ethiopia. Think an invisible sand airstrip that takes five passes to find. Think hot wind, camels, herders, goats, palms and thousands upon thousands of sand grouse flying in at dawn and dusk to drink. The male birds soak their breast feathers in water and fly back to the nest to give their young a drink of water.
This is Kalacha, an oasis on the Chalbi Desert. After flying over nothing for an hour, a green island appears. As I buzz the camp and the nearby mission town, the camels and goats scatter. Finally I land and taxi through the trees (literally!) to the camp. An old man from the Gabra tribe, known as the "camel nomads" of Northern Kenya politely tells me that there is a big wide (OBVIOUS!) mission strip just over there. I smile and thank him, feeling absolutely ELATED that 1. we found the strip finally and 2. I did quite a nice landing if I say so myself.

The instructions had been to look for "a biggish tree on the left and a pretty normal tree on the right and land between them. But don't land at the beginning because there is a hump that will get you airborne again. If you get it wrong and DO land on the threshold and get airborne on the hump, add power and settle down again and DON'T worry that the strip starts to go downhill and you feel like the palm trees are racing towards you, you'll be fine." Hmmm. Quite a lot to think about for someone with only a 120 hours in a plane. And that didn't include thinking about the HEAT and the WIND.

This was my biggest flying safari so far and it was one of the "must do" trips in Kenya. We departed Greenpark on Lake Naivasha, walking down to the strip and loading the plane with all the gourmet food, wine and beer we would need for our "self-catering" trip. We flew to Nanyuki at the foot of Mt. Kenya and loaded the plane TO THE GILLS with fuel. We took off and set course for 003 degrees - pretty much straight North. We passed the beautiful Matthews Range and then the Ndoto Mountains, looking for strips marked on the map, timing progress and flying first by dead reckoning with a gps for backup. After the Ndoto's we came across a sand storm as the wide desert opened up before us. I tried to go around it but saw that it was never ending in width but not too high. I climbed up well-above it for fear of dust clogging up my beloved single engine. That worked fine and soon we could see the end of the storm and a clear path ahead.

Once the landing at Kalacha was done, and the taxi through the trees, a cold beer in the swimming pool that lies half in and half out of the little lodge was in order. We had friends joining in their plane and soon we heard the hum of their engine and breathed another sigh of relief now that the rest of the food and the Champagne had arrived.

Two days at Kalacha camp were spent watching the herdsmen bring their goats and camels to drink (and watch us). We also took walks around on the desert and went to visit a beautiful little church at the mission town with frescoes by an Ethiopian in the traditional Christian style of that country.

We left Kalacha in floods of laughter when I told quite an ancient Gabra man passing by who wanted to look into the cockpit that I was the pilot: "No, Bwana is!" he insisted (Bwana meaning the MAN of course!) "No, it's me, really, me, not Bwana" I told him in Swahili. He seemed convinced and began laughing with his whole body, waving to me as we taxied back through the trees to the strip and took off for Lake Turkana. Known as Lake Rudolph in Colonial times and called the "Jade Sea", Turkana is home to lots of Leakey family research as well as lots of famous photo shoots by Peter Beard. The winds are legendary and the landing at Loiyangalani strip was into a 30 kt headwind that caused me to fly again just before touch down. Happily the strip is LOOONG. Word is this strip has been used for access to everything north of Kenya and there are supposedly plenty of spies here! From Turkana we flew down the Seguta Valley, considered one of Kenya's most stunning flights. The landscape varies from gorgeous lakes teeming with flamingo to lush rivers to four story high sand dunes to canyons and flows and everything else related to relatively recent volcanic activity. We flew all the way down the valley taking photos and changing our minds about driving the Seguta with the 100 degree temperatures up high in the ventilated cabin.

We landed at Lake Baringo, home of hippos and crocs and the most peaceful still water in Kenya. Our friends collected us at the strip, drove us to their home on the shores where we had a swim ("We've got a quick meeting, go for a swim to refresh, just have a good look first to be sure there aren't any crocs.") We had two swims and LOTS of good looks around. After a relaxing lunch and snooze on the lawn to let the heat of the day pass, we climbed back into our faithful Bravo Papa Kilo and sailed home just before dusk.

It was 6 hours of flying time. 594 nautical miles. Three new airstrips. I landed back at Greenpark with that rare feeling of having got the landing oh so right. After a big hug to BPK, we went home, toasted ourselves for a great flying safari and fell into bed.

TUSCANY IN MAY

2009-01-26T04:13:00.000-08:00

What better way to enjoy the dolce vita than on a private villa holiday in Tuscany. Relaxing hours to learn some Italian, try some wine, learn to make gnocchi. Tranquil days strolling in the Italian way through towns off the beaten path, experiencing Italy as if you lived there. Perfect late-Spring weather for sitting outside in the lasting evening light chatting with friends.

It's the Complete Italian Experience.

Please visit www.italywithnella.com for more information.

Tanti saluti,

Nella

In the Sunlight of the Mountain...

2009-01-13T04:48:00.000-08:00

Mt. Kenya is over 17,000 ft. high. It has three peaks: Batian, Nelian and Lenana - in order of descending height. The biggest challenge of getting to Lenana is altitude. Batian and Nelian require technical climbing. Mt. Kenya is a national park and a truly wild place - with roaming lion and elephant. The micro-climate created by the mountain makes the town of Nanyuki, nestled at its base, a wonderful place to live.

This past weekend, I led 8 women on a yoga retreat in this area and, as you can see from the above photo, the mountain presided over us quite clearly. (And I mean this literally for it is very normal for the peaks to peek out of cloud in the morning and then disappear for the whole day.) For three days, we did yoga, meditation, ate amazing food, chatted, swam and got massages with the mountain shining before us.

One wonders if this might be why the retreat was so fun and meaningful for us all. The mountain certainly played its role. So did Mukima, the gorgeous private house we were in. Mukima was built in the 1930s by an English brigadier who ran a big cattle ranch all around it. Leslie Duckworth has now restored the house to become the perfect blend of old elegance and perfect comfort: in other words, it has great energy!

The theme of the weekend was: "When the winds of change begin to blow, some people build walls, other people build windmills."

Our day went like this:

...Guided meditation at 7:30 followed by yoga on the veranda. Breakfast on the veranda, with home made jams, meusli and yogurt as well as virtually anything else one might fancy. The chunk of freee time after breakfast was spent by the pool and having massage and other treatments. We gathered under a beautiful Yellow Fever Tree to discuss some ideas around the theme and then returned to our shaded veranda for a delicious lunch: lots of different salads, home made pate' and freshly baked foccaccia. As the heat of the day cooled, we took a walk around Mukima's lake, home to some of Africa's best birds: Crowned Cranes, Spur-winged Geese, Sacred Ibis, Egrets, Yellow Billed Ducks and more. Afterwards, in a grove of trees with the dappled light of early evening, we did walking meditation followed by yoga class - and dance.... The last part of the day was spent on the upstairs deck facing The Mountain as the sun went down. We were all in great spirits for a great dinner and a cozy chat by the roaring fire.

It was Yoga on Safari and it was so much more.

A Samburu Christmas...

2009-01-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

This is my second Christmas at beautiful Sarara camp. (See the yoga photo of me above on the rim of the infinity pool - and don't miss the elephants below me at the watering hole!) My family tradition growing up couldn't be further from this new way of spending Christmas and so it has been surprising for me to see just how much I've come to love it. Instead of a big family gathering (which is hard since all of my family are in California), I now pass Christmas with my beloved and quite a few "strangers". At Sarara Camp, in the dramatic Matthews Range of Northern Kenya, the soul is nurtured in any season: elephants roam freely and comfortably, ancient cycads as old as Christ grow in steep, orchid-filled ravines and Samburu tribesmen dig wells in the river bed and sing special songs from beneath the earth to call in their cattle, camels and goats to drink from tree trunk troughs.

This year, I arrived in the trusty four-seater Cessna 182 I fly with James and prudently landed at the nearby Namanyak strip since the Sarara strip has a somewhat nasty reputation and is not recommended for a new pilot like myself. From Namanyak, it is a 25-minute game drive through dry bush filled with Acacia trees and oh so many beautiful birds - for which I often yell "Stop!". We settled into our tent which has a private plunge pool made of natural rock that invited us in immediately. The temperature at Sarara is pleasantly warm both day and night. It is hot under the sun and the pool is welcomed but at night there is a nice coolness to the air that lends itself to an after-dinner tea or drink under the stars with at most a light sweater.

From our plunge pool that first morning, we watched a big troop of baboon come in to drink. A female baboon had lost all of her hair and was completely naked in a very human sort of way. It was a first to see this and quite fascinating - especially because she didn't seem to be unhealthy at all and because the rest of the troop took special care of her, making room for her to drink and treating her with respect.

It was Christmas eve that day so we decided to go for a long walk in the afternoon and end up somewhere nice to have a cold bottle of champagne while the sun set. Mark, our Samburu guide who we know from previous trips and who is truly a lovely and knowledgeable man, guided us through the bush, pointing out footprints and birds and the way an elephant had dragged its trunk along the sand in playfulness. We also had an "askari" or guard who carried a rifle in the unlikely event that we surprised something and had to fire a warning shot. (In all my many walks in the African bush I am insistent that an armed guard accompany for safety and yet have never even come close to needing him.)

As the sun faded and the stars came out, the three of us entered into discussions that really covered all areas of the meaning of life. Mark told us about the Samburu belief that the dark sky is the skin of God and the stars are God's light peeking through to us. He explained that it wasn't always like this - that God didn't used to hide behind his skin but that one man thought he could build a ladder and climb up to God and in his hubris caused God to retreat. - An Adam and Eve type myth in Samburu form.

Mark also explained that the planet Mars (whose flashing reds and greens are TRULY amazing to watch in this pitch black African sky) is a planet that Samburu are not aloud to look at when it is directly above them or else wars and strife will come their way. (I don't think they even knew that Mars was the god of war when they established this.) They can look when the planet is ascending or descending in the sky but not when it is directly overhead. Looking at the stars with my absolutely fantastic Swarovsky binoculars was a big treat for Mark who had never had such a close look before.

After our discussions we found ourselves sitting in the complete darkness and decided to drive home, arriving for dinner with the others at 9 p.m. It was a beautiful and soulful Christmas Eve.

The following morning, oh so early to beat the wind, the manager of Sarara and I went back out to the Namanyak strip to get my plane and try flying into Sarara. Piers is a pilot himself and so he sat next to me and gave me all the good advice he could about how to land on this tricky uphill strip with a tail wind and no chance of going round in case of error. I did it and when I shut down, Piers said, "Happy Christmas". It was a good way to start the day.

After a morning swim, James and I went to open our presents at our tent. Just as we began, two elephants walked up just in front of our little wall and began drinking from the water hole. We sat smiling in silence until they ventured onwards to the big watering hole where they could have a bath as well as another fresh drink (and probably scare off some insistent warthogs).

Before Christmas lunch, we all gathered under a shady tree and had a Samburu ceremony. The camp guests (about 6 of us) and the staff (about 20) all prayed and sang and clapped together. Amongst the staff were members of the Samburu tribe and the Kikuyu tribe and songs were sung in each of their languages as well as in Swahili and English.

English tradition took hold after this tearful and beautiful ceremony which one must really experience for oneself to grasp. We had Pimm's by the pool and then a full roast turkey lunch complete with trimmings, crackers and even some fun stringy spray that the four-year old American guest from New York City really loved.

Naps, a bit of yoga, reading and chilling filled the day until we all gathered again for a walk in the cool hours of the afternoon. We came across a big bull elephant just across a dry river bed that was working very hard to eat a vine off of a tree - not easy! It seemed he might just fell the tree to get the vine in the end! The poor eyesight of elephants only calms you a little when you are standing on your own humble legs just feet away from the largest land animal. The wind was in our favour (i.e. blowing towards us and not towards him) so he didn't smell us but he did raise his trunk a few times to check us out. We walked on to find the rest of the herd, about 25 bulls all calmly drinking in the riverbed. Just beyond them we came across a roaring campfire with chairs all around and a full bar set up and we all had our surprise Christmas drinks just down river from the elephants having theirs.

It was a glorious Christmas day.

Bush and Beach Safari in Paradise April 20-28, 2009

2009-01-06T04:33:00.001-08:00

Yoga on Safari, Borana Lodge and Ranch & Manda Bay Island Resort

invite you to

The ultimate way to experience the African wilderness -

in the bush, and on the beach!

Internal Transformation through Oustanding Travel

Choose quality experiences this year

"When the winds of change begin to blow, some respond by building walls -

others by building windmills."

Let yourself be blown to Paradise this April.

Contact: nella@yogaonsafari.com for the luscious details!

Yoga on Safari this March

2008-11-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

Africa with Nella and Bliss Flow Yoga invite you to:

THE MAGIC OF KENYA:

A transforming experience of Yoga and African Wilderness

March 21-30, 2009 with Nella Nencini and Angela Gargano

Please see www.yogaonsafari.com for a full itinerary.

Internal Transformation through Outstanding Travel: You will remember the magic forever!

Kenyan Public Holiday declared in honour of President Obama!

2008-11-05T08:16:00.001-08:00

The news this morning that Barack Obama has become President of the United States brought singing and dancing to the streets of Nairobi. Tomorrow has been declared a Public Holiday. I am pretty certain that it is a first for Kenya to declare a holiday for a foreign Head of State. The excitement was tangible as I drove through the streets of Nairobi today. Rappers sang the Obama song, grocery boys beamed optimism and when my American accent was recognised, strangers yelled "Obama" with enormous smiles and gave me a thumbs up. From a political perspective, it already feels better to be an American.

And for so many today, it felt great to be a Kenyan too. Obama is a symbol here. He represents a brighter future and a bigger national identity to believe in. Will Barack Obama becoming President change the daily lives of the average Kenyan? - of this Samburu woman pictured above? In many ways no. But in some very important ways, yes. And here's to that!

Screenplay about Kenya!

2008-11-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

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It's Hollywood so one never knows but I've recently collaborated with a successful screenwriter on a comedy that is hopefully going to be based in Kenya. I can't reveal the details but the actors are superbly funny so if it goes forward you'll know exactly which film it is!

Postcard Perfect Positano on the Amalfi Coast

2008-11-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

Recently with ITALY WITH NELLA

2008-11-03T05:31:00.000-08:00

I've just returned from a month in Italy accompanying three women on a true journey. I called it "The Antipasto Italiano" because we had an appetising taste of what Italy has to offer. Two of the women had been previously but not for decades. The other was an initiate to Italy although thanks to her husbands Italian roots, she knew a lot already: especially about Calabrian food and the infamous Italian testa dura.

We began in Tuscany, staying at a beautiful villa about 20 minutes from Florence that is the quintessential Tuscan experience. You can actually sit on a loggia designed in the Renaissance sipping Prosecco and glimpsing the Duomo of Florence in the distance through the olive grove. Tuscany merits an entire Italian sojourn just for herself and we got a good feel for things in Florence, Siena, Vinci and with a private wine tasting and cooking class.

From there, my clients travelled to Naples on the first class Eurostar for a bit of adventure and a fun lunch watching the Tuscan, Umbrian and Lazian countryside pass by. Naples is tricky as almost everyone is ready to take advantage where possible. There's something funny about it though and each time I called them on their rip-off attempts, they would smile and wink as if it was all a great joke. The highlight for me in Naples (a city I call the NYC of Italy and that I adore) was having a pizza margherita. Pizza in Naples is unmatched. It's perfect. It should have it's own name.

Calabria came next - a real trek into the remote areas of the hills near Cosenza in search of some long lost relatives (and they do actually whisper when they talk about the mafia - or as it's called there, the "'ndrangheta"). We managed to find lots of family links, lots of amazing people and enjoyed a true off-the-beaten path experience. The stories abound - some to make you cry from the tenderness of the past and others to make you cry from the humour of the present.

After Calabria we headed to the Amalfi Coast to a stunning hotel in Positano, my favourite spot on the Amalfi. There were still lots of tourists even though it was coming up on mid-October but we didn't feel it too much in our wonderful haven. The Mediterranean was still lovely and warm and I immediately went down to the beach for a swim. We had the luck to be there on one night when they celebrated a religious festival by producing a long and elaborate fireworks display right in front of our hotel. We sat sipping something delicious watching from our private balconies. We also spent a day on Capri (which is pronounced CApri, not CaprI, in case you are wondering...) riding around in a convertible under the perfect temperature of a sunny island in the Mediterranean. Capri is so chic it's hard to describe but I must say the shopping really is great. I found a store with discounted shoes and I promise I would have bought every single pair if they had stocked enough in my (big!) size!

We left the tranquility of the Amalfi Coast for Rome, passing through Pompeii for a privately guided tour with an expert. It was fantastic and fascinating. It is really worth it to have a specialised guide but you need to know which one (not usually the ones hawking themselves at the entrance, alas.)

Rome was packed with people. It must be the most international city on the planet. The first night after everyone called it a night, I took a stroll to the Trevi Fountain. At first, I admit, I was slightly horrified by the sheer numbers of tourists crowded around this showy fountain but then I started to look into the faces of the individuals. There are certainly pros and cons to this smaller, more easily accessible world we live in and that night I felt the pro. These people, many of them young-ish as it was close to midnight, have taken time away from their busy lives full of technology, schedules, familial duties and such to make the effort to come to Italy to see the marvels of Rome. It gives me faith in the human being and in the future of our planet that so many people make it a priority in their lives. (I do still wish I could have private viewings of everything but then, I'm a bit difficult about that kind of thing.)

Again private guides compensate for the impossibility of private viewings. In Africa, I'm used to insisting that my clients and I watch animals completely alone - one vehicle only - us! In Italy, my Ph.D. in Italian Literature can cover many bases on art, history and culture but to know the intricate details of Pompeii, the Vatican, the Uffizi, the Sistine Chapel... well, it just doesn't get any better than having a specialist on specifically that city or site. In Rome, our excellent guide took us around by car and on foot. We could have picked his brain for weeks more.

And perhaps we will - for this was just an Antipasto, a Starter. The appetite is stimulated now and there is more Italy to come undoubtedly!

Welcome to Journey with Nella - my new blog

2008-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Journey with Nella is my new blog to keep everyone updated on all that happens with my three activities: Africa with Nella, Italy with Nella and Yoga on Safari. I'll be posting stories, tidbits and photos regularly as well as reminding you all what great adventures for the soul are coming soon.

I'd love lots of feedback.

Cheers,

Nella