Tag: views

Siavonga’s Savee Beach Resort Getaway

Getaways are the reason for some of the good in us like enjoying of health benefits, improved mental health, overall motivation and all those good things. You know the other good thing about them? Saving costs. Just because I love travel, doesn’t mean I always have to go so far off, nop. I just needed to be away yet within and do this without emptying my pockets.

In life, we should learn to have a balance because this world is full of things like work, stress, family, marriage and if you allow this endless list to take the best of you, this may be the cause of many unwanted pressures on you with unpleasant consequences.

The whys of this getaway

Ahhmm… first because planning international trips as a solo female traveller with an 8 to 4 job of a teacher can take longer than usual without using a travel agency. I am my own travel agency. So who is gonna wait for later for a longer break because that in itself comes after a good 3 to 4 months. Am not waiting that long to be out there! The other ‘why’ for this trip is a definite ‘ just because’.

So where are we going anyways?

You know if you have been reading my blogs, you realize I have a soft spot for the beach yet born in a landlocked country hence the constant thirst to get to the coastal areas. Siavonga! That’s the name of the small town in Zambia you could enjoy beach moments without having to travel to the coast! I told myself to cool it with the next coastal visit preps and enjoy a weekend on Zambian soil.

This kind of taught me about few times in life we have looked at greener grass on the other side of where we are standing. Sometimes, it’s okay. But this time was time to enjoy grazing the grass I was standing on. So let’s graze!

Coming from the main international airport in the capital of the country and want to try it? This location is about 3 hours away but you won’t regret the distance.

The road trip

Part of the fun of a road trip is you get to see the country side and being that the wet season is over, brown and a bit of green here and there was the theme color nature provided.

The trip from Lusaka Town area to Siavonga town was about 3 hours but I bet it would be less for faster drivers. On your lucky day, you will find some cows and goats on the road making sure they blocked your way.

From a distance as you head to Siavonga, you will see some hilly areas as well but I particularly liked parts where the road meanders through higher land.

The area an hour and a half from Lusaka to Siavonga is quite underdeveloped and if viewing the slower life is your thing, you will particularly like the African village look having mud or thatched small houses and some villagers selling fruits, charcoal or whatever could be sold by the roadside.

I checked my watch and it was almost 3 hours of this road trip. I knew we were almost there because I could see the color blue in the horizon not too far off and though the sky sometimes appears blue, this wasn’t the sky but the beautiful Lake Kariba! The signpost to confirm we were here was just in my face!

Siavonga

Arrival

I knew this getaway was going to be perfect when I saw the entrance to the destination resort I settled for. Savee Beach Resort has a beautiful entrance starting from the gate to the reception area. The fountain gave a refreshing look to the face of the resort. The decor at the reception was simple and all the glass doors, windows were sparkling clean! The floors, though white in color, were also absolutely spotless. I couldn’t help but make this moment last by keeping a lasting memory. For a beach resort in a village near a lovely lake, the face of this hotel was a cool four star! The personnel were on point trying to check me in with cheerful yet professional attitude.

General appearance

The outside of the resort was more like getting up a hilly area. There were stairs almost everywhere because the landscape was high and low. Stair cases were well built with grey bricks.

I must say it’s home away from home kind of place and quite a beautiful hideout for escapists. A stone throw away from the Lake Kariba makes it such a perfect spot for beautiful sunsets.

Some of the facilities it had were about 70 plus rooms which could accommodate single and double occupancy. I got a single room which had simple yet elegant decor with the theme colors chocolate and cream.

The reason I loved this room was because it had a lake view I could access just by opening the glass door. I could say the same for the restaurant. This resort offers multi cuisine but my concentration was more on the Indian cuisine and having my meal right next to the lake added to the great vibes of the place.

I could have sworn I saw many pools but after familiarising myself with the place, I discovered it has three pools. It boasts a small cozy bar and another building called The Boat House which appeared to be a conference or party spot and still being renovated.

So the general appearance considering that this resort used to be called Fresh View and renovations and beautifying are still underway, I must say I appreciate the smooth transition and what the place is becoming. For me its general appearance was a four star.

The highs and lows of the getaway

The highs of this getaway were the fact that this resort is next to the lake and this means wonderful views. The other high is that the food was mouthwatering!

The lows were that the room I was in had an unpleasant stain on the blinds but am sure they have that on their to-do-list considering the renovations going on.

You should totally try this hidden gem!

7

Awesome Southern African cities you should visit in 2023 (Part 1)

💕Hey you! Part 2 coming soon!💕

If there is such a thing as winning the lottery, having a get-rich-quick scheme go as planned or I just happen to afford it, I want to visit North America, Europe, Canada and my absolute favorite, Australia but the way I see it, these will remain dreams for now, but, thanks to bloggers, TV and indeed all the places I have seen and appreciated these places through. Imagine if these channels were never available.

Today I especially woke up with a dire need to share Southern African cities I have come to love and hopefully encourage someone out there to consider adding these cities to their bucket list and even if it ends up being a dream, it’s free to dream, right?

By all means do try out:

1) Livingstone (Zambia)

Let’s say you happen to be on the Southern part of the continent of Africa on Zambian soil and not made it to Livingstone, then you haven’t lived. I think at this moment, Livingstone is tired of having me. This is a place you will find African dancers communicating to you, appreciating and welcoming you through dance. Feel free to tag along and enjoy the rhythms of Africa.

I have done Livingstone sometimes just to get soaked by the splashes from the mighty Victoria Falls. I want no one to disturb me when am spending time with her. You will want to enjoy your awesome moment with her after all she is one of the natural wonders of the world! I love Livingstone! Never a dull moment here. If it’s not the falls you wanna be at, do the Zambezi river, all in one town! This river is like the fourth longest river in Africa.

You will enjoy lots of activities done on this river. Many other activities will make your visit to Livingstone memorable like the nerve-wracking, adrenaline-boosting lion interaction. Most of all, if you are a foodie like I am, you don’t want too many restrictions when it comes to food so enjoy tasty crocodile at some restaurants here but I highly recommend Zambezi Cafe. Yu-m-mmmy!

2) Walvis Bay (Namibia)

This is a port town on the coasts of Namibia. It is said to be the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. You will enjoy being in Walvis Bay as there are lots of boating and cruise companies to help you enjoy the Atlantic ocean and all that you can do there. Wanna enjoy the Atlantic ocean on African soil? Choose Walvis Bay. The cruise agency I highly recommend is the Laramon Tours which changed its name to Catamaran Charters. They offer variety of cruises suitable for all ocean lovers.

Walvis Bay is known for its varying birdlife for all those birders out there. Bucket list this place for all good hotels near the Atlantic ocean like Protea Hotel where you could enjoy your meals and stays with beautiful views.

3) Cape Town (South Africa)

I was amazed at how beautiful this city looks at night from where I stood. I was quite stunned. Coastal cities happen to be my favorite for some reason. Unlike other cities I have toured in my own style, I love that Cape Town offers city tours and the well known company offering these tours is the City Sightseeing red bus which is the hop on and hop off kind of touring. This absolutely gives you the opportunity to see Cape Town, Seapoint area in style enjoying the views of the Table mountain, Cape Wheel, Nobel Square and a boat cruise tour near the harbor area.

Sunsets in Cape Town are beautiful. It pays off to have a long beach walk and get rewarded with an amazing sunset. For your travel sustainable, clean accomodation, I recommend Mojo hotel in Seapoint right next to where the Atlantic and Indian ocean meet.

4) Dar es salaam (Tanzania)

We celebrate Tanzania because of its beautiful city of Dar es salaam. Everytime I have been here, I always find that this city gives me a whole new vibe. Its beautiful beaches could be well appreciated from pleasure resorts like Azure Boutique Resort. I wanted a quiet moment at the beach and didn’t want a public beach. It was only me, the ocean, the birds and this moment I will not forget. I knew that though Dar es salaam is such a loud town, I would enjoy the coastal town by trying out a private beach.

The market place in Kariakoo, I loved! I went round, shop after shop and all sorts of things by the market place are sold and I even took time to ask what some of this stuff was. I especially enjoyed taking a personal tour round the town center area and Mbezi area using their mode of transport I was enjoying to use because we don’t have these kinds back home. Try Dar es salaam for lots more other activities I did not do. Because it’s on the east side of Africa, you will love the sunrise in this town and you know what else caught my attention? Coconuts! Coconuts! Coconuts!

5) Swakopmund (Namibia)

This beautiful city full of awesome scenery is found on the Western part of the country. The beauty with this town is how you can enjoy the best of two worlds, the desert and indeed the coast right in one space! How amazing can it get?!

I had way too much choice here. Took a walk down the road from the place I lodged at and bumped into a tour company right in the desert area called Desert Explorers.

Looking at camels then quad bikes, the adrenaline in me picked the bikes. You will appreciate the dunes using these tours. I was there for hours and would have loved to be there longer!

💕Hey you! Part 2 coming soon!💕

2

Trotover Farm’s horse trail tour

I woke up feeling so sophisticated and thought to myself what could enhance this feeling more than a horse ride. I wanted a getaway and be lost in nature so I packed my small bag and off I went to a farm called Trotover Farm which is also known as Trotover Equestrian Center.

There is no harm in going to a horse riding school and after the experience I had, I guess am revisiting my hobbies, wink wink.

The whereabouts of the farm

Planning on visiting Zambia and short of what to keep you refreshed?You could try this activity out just for the fun of it or as a set of lessons. This place is just a 50 minute drive from Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (LUN) and it will be cheaper if you got yourself a local sim card and downloaded an app called Yango so you enjoy cheaper taxi services but if that is a hustle, ask a nice person from the airport with this app on their phone to order a taxi for you.

I was not coming from the airport of course and my only challenge was the farm was showing on Google maps but not on the taxi app which made me enter on the app a nearby place to the farm then got on another private taxi which charged me more for such a short distance but anywho, I didn’t care cos it’s horses I was gonna be riding right? I forgot about the annoying taxi experience.

I did enjoy quite a bit of riding before in a small town called Chingola at a small ranch with fewer horses than these.

Me with Perle in Chingola

Arrival

For every service you get, so long you paid for it, you expect good to excellent services from staff and I must say I found a helpful person in charge who assisted with locating of the place on phone when I couldn’t find it. He, together with other members of staff had smiling faces as they cleaned up the stables and I stopped over for a short walking tour near the front area of the farm’s reception just to see what it was about.

The horse trail

I could see some poster asking for respect from the public that this was private property and that no dogs or children under 4 years were allowed. By it saying ‘clients only’ must have meant that they usually received unwanted guests. The helpful staff was there explaining to me few things about their horses but the one question I asked was whether it was easy to distinguish between a young horse and an older one. I was told that,”You can just tell.” I proceeded to the stables that had the older ones and yes, I can’t just put my finger on it but I could tell age was catching up with these horses.

After checking out the tired horses, the helper at the farm brought two white horses. They looked like twins except one had longer mane than the other. I chose Jumbo for that. We headed out of the front of the farm using a short route that had leaves falling all over until Jumbo and I headed to a small slop I heard fills up with water in the wet season. I wished I came with company but so what if I do solo chronicles?

Jumbo was calm, friendly and because the only company I had was the guide who knew the trail, I got to learn a sound he kept making trying to communicate with his horse and I picked up on it to connect with Jumbo.

I am no horse expert but I must say I love animals and connecting with Jumbo was no biggie. I have had friends that have had bad experiences with horses even as experts but I didn’t wanna dwell on that and ruin my chances of a peaceful ride with Jumbo in this trail.

After about a good 15 minutes we got to a place which was dotted with some slim trunked trees stretching over a large area and I wish I had recorded the music provided by the birds there. I bet Jumbo was also enjoying this too. The trail wasn’t so defined but clear enough to show there were more trees ahead of us. At one point, I noticed Jumbo was distracted by the grass when we paused for a bit. It was time for free tasting for him.

Jumbo and I enjoyed some slightly hilly spots as well as few depressed ones and I am happy to say he was good at what he was doing. I noticed when we get to these two places, it’s as if he would slow down and think how best he would handle these spots. Smart huh…..

By the time we finished our loop it was almost two hours and this must have been about 8 km to 10 km. I believe we could have gone further but that was where my 13 dollars ended and was already held up for the afternoon.

When I said my byes to the staff, I noticed some drawings of horses on the walls that are coming up quite well and I should be back here to see how they finish and the other was the quote hanging on the wall that I couldn’t agree more to but this ride was actually refreshing and made me reconsider my hobbies. Riding is actually good for the soul and should you be on this side of Zambia, do try this farm out and pass my regards to Jumbo.

Don’t do what I did

Not to brag but I could tell Jumbo was a calm horse and was about no funny business so I tried this ride with no protective gear on my head but I feel it’s important to wear one. The place did actually offer one and I wanted it in pink because it’s one of my fav colors but unfortunately the only pink one available couldn’t fit and I chose fashion over safety and crossed my fingers. Luck was on my side.

4

Nungwi to Kendwa beach hike and everything beautiful in between

How it looked on map😁

I have always been mistaken to belong to a younger generation than the one I belong to. In some cultures this is a good thing while in some, it’s quite a challenge because people judge you based on your body size. I applaud those that watch their weight by checking what food contains religiously but that has never been my thing. What has helped me is exercise.

Being a high school teacher, I have sometimes been mistaken to be a recent allumni because well …. some people think that way, not because I still get in touch with my teen self when working with teens at times but because they think I look young. But what has really helped me stay forever 21 in this confused world of stresses?

So basically, this is the thing: though a teacher, I have taken sport seriously. I have always started aerobics and tennis in schools I have been attached to. I have also always been involved in athletics with the teenagers I teach just to lead by example so to me exercise must be doing some wonders!

I would rather work out than diet🥺

When in my personal space without these teenagers I see everyday, I still take long walks mostly around my neighbourhood, which brings me to this beach hike I did in Zanzibar from Nungwi to Kendwa and back to Nungwi and you have got to see the beautiful things I saw!

I boasted an 8km in a day dedicated to beach side hike because the first 4km was done in the morning and I spent the afternoon going back to point A. This walk was not about the speed but the soothing effect of everything I saw in between. Naturally, for experienced walkers, this was supposed to take a total of 2 hours.

I started off with my pink Nike backpack loaded with nothing much but some swim wear cos I knew I would need cooling off somewhere ahead. I packed myself some ‘chewies’ to go. I didn’t carry a water bottle, I knew I would find H2O ahead.

Point 1 : Starting points

Starting point 1

I wanted my starting point to be so clear this was some serious walk and I meant business! The two places that marked my start were Makofi Guest House (Where I took a deep breath knowing I would be back in the evenings) and by another place with a poster you can only find in Nungwi. The beauty with this walk is that I had company and so I was more motivated than if I did this solo.

Like I mentioned before about not ageing, staying young has got to do with attitude as well as “loving what we do and doing what we love” just like the relaxing words I found at the start point of my hike. You will stay young when you do what you love and learn to love what you do. This happens because it keeps you smiling and a smile makes you look younger.

Starting point 2: Makofi Guest House

We walked for about twenty more minutes for the other signature start point I wanted which was the “Hakuna Matata welcome again ” sign post. This sign post spoke the truth to me as this was my second visit to Nungwi, Zanzibar. Again, I fell in love with this sign post because it spoke truth. Many would know this phrase from the legendary cartoon Lion King and this phrase means “no worries” in the swahili language. The reason people think am forever 21 is because I always stay away from worries. I look it in the eye but I get rid of it. I also almost all the time avoid toxic people unless there is really nothing I can do to avoid them.

Point 2: Aren’t horses the cutest?!

We continued walking for a good two hours. Not rushing much caused us to appreciate the turquoise waters of Nungwi! This was a long stretch of beauty only to bump into more of what nature can offer. Horses! I even remembered that the day before this hike, I went to the stables at Zanzibar Horse club in Nungwi and met a cutie called Oreo.

Maybe one of these horses we saw was Oreo at work but it was kinda nice to see horses on water! The two hours paid off obviously. It was clearly time to take pics. The horses looked at peace on duty and cooling off. This reminded me how we should stay calm even in adversity if you want to avoid those wrinkles. Focus on positives.

Oreo

Point 3: The cave lady

After a good time horse viewing, we enjoyed a stretch of nothingness except her majesty, the Indian Ocean.

After about an hour or so, we found a rocky, cave-like area. These caves must be formed by water from the ocean and its force. We paused.

When I saw these caves, I was reminded how caves are actually home to a number of animals and if this was the northern parts of the globe, I was gonna be talking bear stories. We don’t have them on this side of the globe. Nonetheless, caves are a refuge for some creatures and going back to keeping fit and staying young, we all need a refuge when down. The other reason I have also been mistaken to belong to the younger generation is because I have mastered where to go for refuge. When I feel down, I know what to do to snap out of it or go through it but feel safe and rested. I have surrounded myself with people with the right energy and sometimes like an eagle, I have sometimes shut some toxic people out so I energize.

Point 4: No place like home

No matter how much fun you are having away from home, the thought of your home country will cross your mind. After leaving the caves, we were at it again. This next spot felt lonely. We were in the middle of nowhere except for the ocean. I thought of back home.

I missed home but I had something on me reminding me of who I am, Zambian. I have had my flag for a long time now and always find a reason to carry it. You will stay younger when you know who you are and quit being like someone else.

Point 5:Pirate lady

I was exhausted and decided to take a dip in the shallow end of the ocean. The swim wear came in handy. Getting to Kendwa is all I could think of. I heard this was also a cool place where full moon parties are held every month! I shook off the feelings of missing home and decided why not pretend to be a pirate girl on this dhow that I saw. I needed to feel powerful to finish this exhausting walk. Sometimes pretending to be okay is okay and may actually cause you to be okay because your focus is on the positives.

Ahoy!

Point 6: Unfinished buildings

At this point, it was too late to give up on getting to Kendwa. We knew we were close but no sign of it was showing except for the unfinished building on water that was coming up which reminded me that keeping our hopes and faith high can sometimes drive out some negativity which you know will make you experience ageing. A stone throw away from this building was some art I found being sold and just looking at this art was quite refreshing. Always look at the big picture and brighter side to stay young.

Point 7: Kendwa, we are here!!

Because of the faith we had, we finally made it 4 kms to Kendwa! I really wished those much talked about full moon beach parties where happening this night because I was gonna stay at the beach overnight, lol! I saw the sign posts showing us we were in Kendwa and this is where I went into the ocean to cool off a second time. I have learned that finishing small tasks that you can handle is quite fulfilling. The feeling of accomplishment can be found even in the least challenging things like this hike but they do keep you in high moods and looking young.

And the truth is Kendwa does rock!☺️
5

6 Zanzibar restaurants you should try out in 2023

Zanzibar and her sunsets

We travel for different reasons and one of these reasons are for the experience, food wise. Some people have selective taste buds while others choose to be adventurous and expose their mouths to much. It’s okay to be traditional but when you feel daring to do exotic foods, try out these eateries that will make you appreciate these foods.

One of the most captivating and serene African islands you will fall in love with is Zanzibar. There is lots you are gonna see but definitely lots to eat too. If you love dining out like I do, why not try out one of these:

1) Mangi Beach Bar and restaurant (in Nungwi)

The outside of Mangi Beach Bar and Restaurant

I wanted to know a bit more of Zanzibar than just its popular center which is Stone Town. I chose to do a day in the north of the Island. Having met some cool people that also wanted to head there, I tagged along. We had transport and just put some fuel and off we went. From Stone Town, it took us like one hour to get to the north of the Island. Have you ever been determined to have a meal with a view? Someone did alert me how the northern parts of Zanzibar particularly Nungwi are home to turquoise waters and I wanted to experience this. We started off at about 9 O’clock and got there at close to 11.

The mashed potatoes always win

You are gonna love this restaurant for its views and outdoors (provided it’s not pouring). I particularly liked the pine trees am guessing I didn’t mistake for coconut trees. The other thing you may like is how there is provision for you to enjoy your own space or chill with others. This is not a restaurant you should go to on a date and dress to kill…. in heels…nop. There is beach sand and I think you now know what your dress code should be, should you find yourself on a special date. I loved their wide selection on their menu but my focus was more on my favorite mashed potatoes with chicken stir fry. Yummy…Their pizza is actually delicious.

2) Wild Dove Cafe (in Nungwi)

Wild Dove Cafe

Now some restaurants in Zanzibar are well known and have a large following. For Wild Dove Cafe in Nungwi, I can’t say that is the case. It is an upcoming restaurant that I see making it big should they continue with the meals I found. The place itself is nothing too fancy and you find it near Highland Bungalows in Nungwi.

You will like this place for the fair prices. It is found just in the dusty small roads of Nungwi so I guess no charging high prices here for things like views. I must say I had at least two to three good meals here and this was enough times to recommend others to give it a try. Their menu had burger, in curry, grilled and fried selection. There was pasta and noodle selection as well. That wasn’t all. They also made sure to cater for those that do desserts.

3) Zenjis Food Lover’s Joint (in Stone Town)

This restaurant is one of the most popular ones on the island. I particularly liked the location. Sometimes we don’t want to go so far in the outskirts to have that meal with a view. It’s okay to be within reach.

The maze streets of Stone Town

This restaurant is found in the heart of Stone Town. As you enjoy walking through the maze streets of Stone Town trying to find your way around, you will find this restaurant. I had a meal here that has made me recommend this restaurant to others. The setting of the restaurant is more like outdoor with a gazebo and well arranged tables.

Zenji Food Lover’s Joint Restaurant

I had company and opted to try seafood. I am a sucker for well done spicy, fluffy mashed potatoes. Knowing very well I come from a landlocked country and seafood is sold but not the one fresh from the ocean, I ordered some prawns. They were one of the most fresh prawns I have ever tasted.

Zenji Food Lover’s Joint

The food, I must say, was well prepared and we were surrounded by helpful staff willing to give help at our request. Whenever you are in Stone Town, do try out this restaurant.

4) Lukmaan (in Stone Town)

Another restaurant I heard people talk much about was Lukmaan restaurant found in the heart of Stone Town. It is highly rated and boasts the best local, dining experience award in previous years. I enjoyed two meals there. This place was packed both times I went there which can only mean that many find it a perfect dine in pick.

Lukmaan Restaurant

I wanted to try out seafood because it is actually expensive back home! I particularly loved their succulent prawns that were slapped with some salad. The restaurant has wide variety on the menu: Arabic food, fish, all sorts of seafood and pizza. The price range of food on their menu is from about 50 cents for the naan to about $15.

5) New Monsoon Restaurant

Walking around in Stone Town, I did find a restaurant just close to where I lodged. The New Monsoon Restaurant it was. It was beautiful inside out. You can dine from the outside or inside but with the scotching heat of the Island, I chose to sit outside. The view you have sitting outside is that of people walking down the paved roads. In the evening, you could catch a glimpse of street markets and ocean view. Forgive me for my love for mashed potatoes but I was at it again. The chicken mishkaki went perfectly with it. They made sure the salad was fresh and colourful. I tried looking for something to wash this food down and Indian Whiskey was just perfect.

New Monsoon Restaurant (Outside)

Should you be in Stone Town, Zanzibar for whatever reasons, do stop by because this place prides itself with the ability to offer multi cuisine, Indian and Indo Chinese food created at high standards.

6) The Silk Route (in Stone Town)

I felt like Indian food and because this place was just a stone throw away from where I lodged, trying it out was easy and it actually felt like visiting India! What I liked first about this restaurant was the view when on the next floor. You could see parts of the ocean and the busy town of Stone Town and am guessing it’s more heavenly in the evenings! The theme colors inside were orange, brown and cream.

The Silk Route Restaurant

The beauty about having someone to dine with was cost sharing which leads to having what we desired to have like….wait for it…lobster!!! It was my first experience and I didn’t regret it a single bit. It came with potato wedges and a salad. The second time around, I got rice and some beef stew which was medium hot spiced. Tasty! This restaurant has a wide selection on their menu and if you have a 15 cents to $20 on you, you could walk out of this place with a smile.

3

99 Countries in 9 months or 9 countries in 9 years?

I enjoyed the journey of painting not the final look

I am ashamed of this painting even though it is part of my collection and this is for two reasons. Firstly, it’s because I didn’t use much inspiration to paint it. I just thought of it and painted it. I am not quite sure this kind of flower exists. Secondly, I am extremely far from what you call an artist but I really love, love, love art! I must admit that though the result of this painting is something I am ashamed of, the actual process was really so soothing that it is the reason I have treasured this piece.

Every time I look at it, I always remember a quote by Greg Anderson that goes like, “Focus on the journey not the destination, joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” Very wise words from Greg that I wanna use to air out my views on why we travel to countries as opposed to what our motives are in how many counties we should travel to for the sake of keeping count.

In this day and age, travellers want to be known for so many countries they have been to but as a traveller who has done few countries many times, my question has been why one would pride in number of countries even if they just spent a night in that country.

Where am I going with this? The thing is this one time my week at work was so hectic and life of a teacher can be that way at times.I felt my mind protest that it just ground to a halt and I set off to a place I usually called my chill spot. This place is called Glamville and offers a variety of services ranging from spa to scrumptious food.

A plant would look good here

This one time I decided to do the ‘Paint and Sip’ treat from the same place. I was given a blank canvas and then remembered I had a mini obsession for black and white paintings.

Some of my old paintings

Since my mind was tired, I looked at the canvas and figured what could be more refreshing than a plant.

Coming back to travel lovers, this idea of a plant could just be your passion to travel 9 countries in 9 years so you could pick the ones you fancy and go there often. That’s my desire. But what is out there about travel can dilute what the purpose for travel should really be. I do understand I have met travellers who are moving from one country to another ( let’s say a month, a country) simply because they saved up and no competition here. But there are those that probably want this for the record. How annoying.

It would be nice to appreciate the journey like the phrase used earlier that was coined by Greg. I continued with my painting and I liked how the process felt…. soothing.

It all started with the flowerpot

It was so relaxing to do this with some soothing music in the background while sipping on some cocktail and enjoying some bites. I am not even an amateur painter, I am just not one in the first place but because of the feeling I got from the process, I focused more on the journey and how the mounting stress of that week was slowly fading away as I was finishing off my piece.

Travel should do that to us. Those that are actually diluting it to be a ‘sport’ in which they are crowned for the 99 countries they did in 9 months are ruining the fact that travel is sometimes therapy and can be seen as a way to appreciate where we go. You may sometimes not even like the country you visit but see a reason to enjoy that flight, get lost in the nature you see as you are many feet away from the ground level! Enjoy connection with the locals (of course with caution). How can you do all this when you have to do 99 countries in 9 months? (Unless of course with a whole different reason)

I must say I had company when I was coming up with this painting and these two ladies were such awesome painters like seriously I have never seen someone paint the Taj Mahal and another a very beautiful sunset like pros! If you ask me, I stuck out like a sore thumb! Clearly I was way outside their league! But guess what? I really didn’t bother about it because to me this treat was slowly diluting the stress that was piling up from work that week.

Thumbs up to that traveller that is genuinely doing it to enjoy the journey and not for trophies. It should not be a sport. Maybe if I am filthy rich my sentiments may change because I may do 99 countries in 9 months but I highly doubt I am interested in trophies. I am pretty sure the travellers that brag about numbers even include layovers lol! if your motives are different, this is not for you. I will gladly return to that place that I loved more than 5 times like I did in Zimbabwe, Southern Zambia, Tanzania, Zanzibar and South Africa just because I loved them.

I mentioned earlier that I love making black and white painting collections. I am just that way. I should have ended my painting at just this point until I heard someone suggest I add color to it if I liked.

I liked it up to this point

I listened to them and it’s at this point that I disliked the painting! The moment you start comparing yourself to other travellers and their trophies, you will miss the point travel was intended for. I was once inspired so much by this British traveller I met that has been traveling almost the whole post COVID period and are still at it. They saved up and decided to do the Cape to Cairo (Africa) travel and they have spent at least a month in a country and as I speak they are heading north! This traveller was not living in luxury though they could afford to. They chose to do hostels and use road transport and crossed land borders. They were not picky with meals and ate local affordable meals. My confession is I can’t do that, but I saw the real purpose for travel through them. When I asked whether they are writing about their experience, they said it wasn’t even their thing to write! That part, I did not like! I even offered to write their story, lol! I learnt that not all travellers are out there to get a badge of honor.

I am not out here to get anyone but the real purpose of travel has changed so much because some have even been rated expert because of numbers and it is inspiring to some extent but it is not the main reason for travel. Just like Greg advised to enjoy the journey, do enjoy yourself and for the 99 countries in 9 months, if you can actually enjoy the journey at that speed, then by all means enjoy the journey and quit reducing travel to be a sport.

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