Amsterdam

We landed in Amsterdam on the way to Africa and stayed four days before flying on to Nairobi. We stopped again on our return. This was the first time that we had ever been to the Netherlands. By the time we returned to the USA, we felt foolish that we had not visited there before.

A few impressions: Yes, everyone actually does speak English. Dutch women are very attractive. Amsterdam makes San Francisco seem prudish when it comes to sexual mores. Spending a few days in Europe highlights what an obesity problem the United States has. Many major restaurants are closed from July 15 to August 15. There are more excellent restaurants still open then than one can handle.

The special exhibit of Van Gogh's drawings at the Van Gogh Museum was a high point of our trip. Discovering that the Rijksmuseum is undergoing massive restoration and that only a teeny portion of its holdings are on view was a major disappointment. That disappointment was partly offset by discovering an exhibit of Venetian art at the Hermitage Museum (a branch of the Russian Hermitage Museum).

Happy Hippo

Google has made an improvement in the way I can insert photos in my web log. Now, if you click on the photo you can see a really large picture.

(Photo taken in the Serengheti, Tanzania.)

Restaurant De Zwethheul

In the Dutch countryside, 6 km southeast of Delft, is Restaurant De Zwethheul. It is situated at the edge of a teeny village by the side of a canal. It is not easy to find. We were taken there by Jerome and Gwendolyn Boevé who live in the area. Even with a GPS navigation system, Jerome had difficulty.

We were greeted warmly (despite two children in tow) and shown to a table overlooking the canal and the countryside on the other side. The decor of the room was light and modern. The other guests were well dressed and in a celebratory mood.

Looking at the wine list confirmed that this was a restaurant to be taken seriously. It was the most complete yet carefully selected wine list I can remember seeing. The menu confirmed that impression. I had foie gras poached in Pinot Gris as a first course, followed by one of their specialities: Raviolis de poulet noir de Bresse aux langoustines sautées. Katherine had a ballantine of veal sweetbreads and oxtail, followed by the same speciality.

The children, who were getting a little bored after a couple of hours, asked to see the kitchen. There, they were taught how to make the elegant deserts they had ordered. When they returned from the kitchen, each was followed by a waiter bearing their desert.

If I were to list the five best restaurants I had ever been to in my life this would be on that list. Michelin gives it one star (and three red forks). I would rate it higher, but largely because of the combination of the food, the wine, the ambiance, and the service. Being with good friends made it even more special.

The Carnivore

In Nairobi, Kenya, there is an interesting restaurant near the airport named the Carnivore. I'm told that it's one of the best restaurants in town. However, if you have ever been to Nairobi you realize that doesn't say much.

The basic concept is borrowed from Brazilian churrasco barbeque restaurants in which meat is grilled on skewers and then slices are carved onto your plate at the table. The difference is that the Carnivore specializes in wild game - eland, zebra, hartebeest, ostrich, etc. - as well as beef, lamb, chicken, and pork. When I was there in 2002 the wild game was an order of magnitude better than European meats. So much so that one suspected that the European meats were being overcooked to make the local meats seem even better.

When we were there a week ago, most of the wild game was not to be found on the menu. We were told that suspicions had arisen as to whether the game was actually raised on a game farm - as opposed to poached. The only wild game was ostrich and crocodile. The ostrich was very good but you can keep the croc. It's still a good show, but with the giant gift shop and a parking lot full of busses and vans it looks more like Knott's Berry Farm than a barbeque restaurant.

Balloon at Sunrise-II

10.038-Balloon-at-Sunrise-I
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

On the last day we took a sunrise balloon ride over the Masai Mara. It was a high point of the trip. The view of the Mara was not only beautiful but gave a wholly different perspective on the terrain and wildlife. The biggest surprise was to learn that a balloon is a great platform for bird watching. At one point we coasted just over the treetops and looked down into the nests of large birds and rare species on the ground.

(You are probably wondering how I took this. Three balloons were launched at the same time. This photo is of one of our companion balloons. We must have looked the same.)

Black Rhino

Black-Rhino
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

This is the rare and endangered black rhinocerous. Notice the ox pecker birds riding on his (her?) back.

The day was hot and dry, but not as sere as the photo appears. When I have time, I need to adjust the color balance.

Giraffe

Giraffe
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

This was taken in the Masai Mara. This giraffe is doing what giraffes do best: standing and staring. I took this photo because I liked the lighting and composition.

Impala

Impala
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

A few moments after this photo was taken, this male impala caught the scent of a lion and bolted, runniing at full speed. The impala is the fastest of the antelope with a top speed of 70 mph.

We could see the lion about 300 yards away. The implala could not.

Baby Elephant

Baby-Elephant
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

I suggest that you click on this to enlarge it.

Our guide estimated that the baby was only a few weeks old.

Lion

Lion
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

This lion had just mated with a female outside the view of the camera. Then he stood up, looked around, growled, lay down, and went to sleep.

Back from Africa

Cheetahs
Originally uploaded by jmoule.

We returned from a trip to East Africa yesterday. We stopped in Amsterdam coming and going and spent two weeks in Africa. It was a very pleasant trip.

I will put a few of my photos on the 'blog. This is the first of that series, taken in the Serengheti.