God's Creation Under the Sea

When I think of the first glimpse of Heaven, I think of the first time I went snorkeling. It was absolutely breathtaking. There were thousands of fish of every shape and size and color, and just when you think you’ve seen the most beautiful creation, here comes another one. It’s endless. (I've included a couple pictures my sister Emily took of us snorkeling.)

Firstly I was terrified of the idea of having to get into the ocean and swim with the fish. The thought of coming face to face with fish of all sizes was quite perturbing. I was honestly very comfortable feeding the fish from inside the boat. But after my sisters and friends all got into the ocean one by one and I was almost the only one left on the boat, I decided to give it a try. 

Feeding the fish

                   

The fish under the boat

Getting used to the idea

     Finally got the hang of it

                           

The water was so clear I had the sensation of falling, and I could see fish and coral on the bottom as if just a few inches away.  

Corals are marine invertebrates in the class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. (Now before you think I did Marine Zoology or am in a certain category of genius, I have to admit I got this definition from Wikipedia).

For most of my life I had seldom thought about that other world under the water. But I fell in love with that other world, and often find myself thinking about it even now.

It’s exhilarating, even worshipful, to be immersed in a God-made world normally beyond our reach. I felt closer to God during that thirty minutes than at nearly any other time in my life.

With photography as one of the hobbies at the top of my list, I’d love to film underwater stills and some decent videos which I was not able to do since I do not have a waterproof camera as yet, but that will be one of my next purchases before I go back snorkeling again. Nonetheless I'd love to be back to swim with the fishes as I just discovered exquisite underwater sights.

Williams Hill Day Hike

It was a warm sunny Saturday morning, a welcome change from the liquid sunshine that we had experienced for the previous week over Nairobi with the onset of the short rains.

We set off by bus to the small Italian Church on Mai Mahiu road where we were all set to start the day.

Today I want to share a few images from the trip and hike and some of the amazing views from atop the hill.

This pentagon-like shaped church is located on the busy Maai Mahiu-Rironi road and is made up of red tiles, stones, wood and even metal.

The interior has four small wooden pews, an altar with a pulpit and measures approximately 15ft x 8ft. It also has three normal doors for access. It is among the smallest churches in the world which also includes Our Lady of the Pines that accomodates 12 people and measures 12 x 12ft which is in the United States.

                                         It has colourful stained glass windows.

This signpost at the entrance/ exit of the church which indicates that it was built in 1942 by Italian prisoners of war.

 Th trail to the base of the hill was flat terrain and made for an easy walk. These acacia trees were homes to several birds as can be seen by the nests.

 I couldn't help but dip my feet in a stream as the YOLO effect took to, which is actually an acronym which I usually love to hate (post for another day).

                                               These Maasai cows were resting along the trail.

After a 10 minutes walk we came to this beautifully kept secret at the base of Williams Hill, Osotua Camp and Cottages

The rooms were neatly kept and had a nice African feel to them.

            This little kitten took a cute pose just for me!

  Then the real climb began. 

                                  A Maasai traditional homestead on the route.

                     The terrain was rocky and it took a liitle bit of getting used to at first.

               I particularly loved this shot showing how the clouds cast a shadow on the ground.

From this vantage point on the hill, I was actually viewing the Great Rift Valley Viewpoint and the cars on the highway.

I couldn't help but pose with the clouds at the top of the Hill, after all the torturous climb to the top had earned me the bragging rights. Oftentimes its easy to forget how difficult the climb to the top is once you're there and its time for lunch.


On the way downhill, we took the longer but less steep route which was reeaaallly long.

              To wrap it up, I had to take a shot of this tree.It was so picturesque.

Happy with the results, it was time to officially end the trip. I was extremely exhausted but happy. 

Looking Back, Giving Thanks, Pressing Forward

Hey folks, so after a long abatement (new word I learned 3 days ago that means – an interruption in the intensity or amount of something… You know I had to use it.. Ahem) I’m back with a new and exciting post.This post should actually have been up over a year ago. But then again I had a writers block and had shelved my blogging. But am back!Well, last year September I was in Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki is the capital city of Finland and I traveled there via Istanbul, Turkey. The flight there was breathtaking.

           I loved how dramatic the clouds over Istanbul looked.

                My dinner in the restaurant above the clouds.

The table was set, the munchies sizzling and the scrumptious meal of pure gorgeousness was before me (and my trusty camera) so I clicked away.. These were some of the results…

                                  This was one of the beauties at Vantaa Airport.

                                  The Cathedral at the Senate Square in Helsinki.

A distinctive landmark in the Helsinki cityscape, with its tall, green dome surrounded by four smaller domes, the building is in the neoclassical style. It was designed by Carl Ludvig Engel as the climax of his Senate Square layout: it is surrounded by other, smaller buildings designed by him.

                                                     Kamppi Chapel of silence

The wooden building in this picture is a very modern church. Kamppi Chapel is situated in the mall square and made entirely from wood. I would have never guessed that it was a church by looking at it.

                                                Kamppi church from the inside

The inside of the chapel is all wood with no paintings or decorations. It is curved. Staring at the wood almost looks as if you have fallen into some wooden (black) hole, it has a strange affect.

                                  One of the magnificent buidings in the city

             I particularly liked this fountain and the statue at the end of it was magnificent.

                                                     This little dog caught my eye.

                     The trams were so convenient for transportation around the city.

                   Was tempted to take a cruise to Sweden but duty called back home.

                            The prices at Stockmann were well out of this world. 

                          This is where the Open Knowledge Festival went down

                                               I had some 'I believe I can fly' moments

                                                And some random poses in the city

                                            More randomness in my hotel room

 

 Absolutely enjoyed my stay at the OmenaHotel…Omena  means Apple in Finnish

                                                               Checking out! 

Chasing the Sunset

It was one of those random plots for a Saturday afternoon on a long weekend. Being the procrastinator I am, I made last minute confirmations to attend a nyam-chom meat up at Kitalu. God bless the organizers because they indulged me and got me on board.

So off to Magadi, via all the shortcut backroutes all to avoid the Langata road and Ngong Road snarl up on a Saturday afternoon. So we went via Ngong town to avoid the Rongai Traffic.

First stop after a looooong drive was at the viewpoint. Ken who was driving us was kind enough to give us a much deserved stopover.

This is a sneak peek of how my Instagram timeline looked from then on.

    Scenic Rift Valley

   A view of the Rift Valley from Ngong Hills at the viewpoint

    Time to engage low gear as the ascent to Ole polos was quite steep

    Kitalu Restaurant - Up close with the wild
                                     

    I tried to fly a kite but it was extremely windy!

    The panoramic view from Kitalu restaurant.
                                   

The beautiful sunset that made me appreciate nature at its best.