what’s to eat #35
A seaside lunch on Nungwi Beach in Zanzibar: Calamari and cabbage, Chicken curry with rice, naan, and roasted veggies.
A seaside lunch on Nungwi Beach in Zanzibar: Calamari and cabbage, Chicken curry with rice, naan, and roasted veggies.
Just before dawn, we made our way into the Dubai desert to watch the sun rise and, along with it, an enormous and colorful hot air balloon. We arrived, along with a smattering of fellow flyers, to watch the magic happen. Eventually we were fired up, thanks to hard work and well wishes, and we scrambled into the basket that would carry us to the border of Oman. Our trusty pilot admitted that he had limited control; up among the clouds, the wind is the boss, and we can only guess at where she’ll take us. Traveling at the speed of the wind, our flight was remarkable for its silence. we floated without sound, only the clicks of cameras and the occasional blast of hot air to keep the view sweet. From sand to sky, flying into the sun, it was an unforgettable trip. Balloon Adventures, Emirates, with Captain Andrew Parker
Time passes, and there you are doing things you didn’t know were possible: harvesting tomatoes; meeting ministers; winning the trust of neighbors; chatting with cargo ship crew from New Jersey at the Berbera port; stripping down to bathing suits on a Somali beach, guarded by baby camels and soldiers with AK-47s. You made it, and the story no longer writes itself; you’ll have to put pen to paper and craft the day anew each morning. Here’s to relentless adventure.
Truly, I’ve never been so moved by a place–the wind, the chill, the mist, the honesty. I hiked in the mud and rain for 5+ hours. Soaked feet notwithstanding, I could have hiked for 5 more.
morning comes early on the Gulf: by 4:30am, the sun lifted our eyelids and danced on the humps of camels.
As long ago as 9,000 BCE, some herders on the Horn of Africa got busy with their crayons, and made beautiful art in hard-to-reach places. It lasted, as genius does, and we checked it out. For more on the Laas Geel cave paintings of Somaliland, see here.