Natural beauty from Masai Mara

Just when our little aircraft was about to land on a red tarmac lane standing out from the greens of date trees and the yellows of the savannah, it suddenly picked up speed and steered upward, letting a small horde of warthogs finish their business on the runway. Here in the little Masai Mara Serena Airstrip, these animals are the true kings of the savannah.

As the airplane dog swung open, Africa unveiled in front of my eyes a beautiful mixture of the savannah’s yellow and the trees’ green stretching seamlessly into infinity. Against that backdrop, the wildlife continued their “business as usual” carelessly of the curious safari trucks dropping by twice a day with cameras and occasional ooh-aahs. On the left, two or three giraffes gracefully strutted after their lunch. Down on the right, elephants and hippos leisurely bathed in mud pools to rehydrate, ignoring the crocodiles lying still on the bank. In the back, a queue of wildebeests marched across the landscape, making their annual river-crossing earlier than other years. And just there, amidst the thigh-high grassland, the lions lazily slept their day away.

Driving along the bumpy road one early morning, the sun appeared like a tiny red dot, gradually rising on the left and taking over the soft light from the moon, which was sheepishly fading away on the right. In that magical moment between day and night, LIFE, as it was illuminated in front of me, appeared to be nothing but a beautiful work of Nature. I was lost in that scene for a second, but never saw more clearly or felt more content.

And just like that, I felt alive.

Africa baby!

It's June - and Washington is just tortured with hauntingly humid and hot weather, not to mention insecure personalities suffering from boiling tempers. In such cruel atmosphere, I was more than happy to snap an unexpected opportunity to visit Nairobi, Kenya by way of Zurich, Switzerland, leaving behind the heat and the ordinaries. The next few blog entries, if I manage to do so, will detail this great adventure.

After a delayed flight on UA, Zurich greeted me with a tropical rain and a long queue at security screening. This condition didn't help improve my preestablished image of Switzerland - which I think is incredibly boring! This might have something to do with being turned away twice at Geneva train station to go back to France or feeling so dull in that city once I got in, or stuck at Zurich airport for 2 days before turning around back to Vietnam due to passport problems. Yet, stepping into the Swiss International AirLines B767, I have finally found something to like about this country - the LX Business Class cabin.

Designed in a 2-2-1 configuration, the LX Business Class Cabin is airy and open with seats that can transform into a 180-degree flat bed in a sort of beige/blue color template and punctuated with dark brown leather and light-color wood. The result is a zen-like suite that portrays luxury and comfort - enhanced by absolutely intriguing details such as remote-controlled entertainment system, mood-lighting, coat hooks at the seat, and USB/electricity outlets. The 2-layer blanket, one of which being this soft cotton material, adds warmth, comfort, and of course luxury to the overall atmosphere - completed by a beautifully designed bathroom filled with Valmont handcream, lotions, and lip repairs tubes. The service is exceptional for a Western airline, and the food was actually delicious - while helping open a window to Swiss regional cooking to global passengers.

Despite a short interception of the ever dusty and dangerous road from Jomo Kenyatta Airport to the hotel, I was quickly relieved by a hospitable reception of the Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club - where rooms in savoy style remind occupants of the old colonial time. Surrounded by comfort and a high-60's temperature, it is no wonder that the DC annoyances seem like a distant past...

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Photo Credit: Inkart.com and swiss.com

Savoring Stockholm

Somewhere between the crazy workload and the whirlwind emotional rollercoasters, I found myself unwind in Stockholm - capital of the Scandinavia as it is advertised - in a weekend of pure calmness and serenity - courtesy of some of my very dear friends.

Stockholm is beautiful - there's no doubt about it. The natural scenery is breathtaking with islands of palaces tucked among perfectly cultivated parks, connected with each other by all these bridges large and small. The design scene was absolutely revelating, showcased in different stores from casual to high-end. And the people - oh my! - are just text-book beautiful! You cannot help feeling like you are part of a photoshoot for some fashion catalogue with groups of models in absolutely chic styles passing by left and right. I thought that at any given moment, you can just snap a photo and it would be a perfect, from the light to the background to the models and their clothes. Everything was just gorgeous!

Yet, Stockholm didn't give me a feeling of New York, Paris, or London. Instead, it was perfectly calm and serene. It might have been the city design with low buildings and opening seaport or environmentally friendly technologies that somehow filter out all the noise pollution. Taking a walk down the port, one can easily find peace of mind, even among the crowd. As if it was not enough, a short boat ride to one of the archipelago would take you to an even slower pace of life, where fishing villagers live happily in red-painted wooden houses and spend their day at the local store or an icecream parlor next to the beach.

Now that's a good life!

Photo credit - XL. I found this waiter during his shiftbreak behind TGI Friday. He exemplified, to me, the perfect sense of Stockholm: beautiful and calm.