Flying to Mombasa from chilly NYC and London, Suzzy and I were a little unprepared for the 90+ degree heat with 60% humidity. The electricity was off for 1.5 days so we baked for a bit in downtown Mombasa. Jacob, the program director, took us on a tour of his school in the poorer area of Mombasa. We also toured through the surrounding village and met many of the locals. It was great to play with the kids a bit. Suzzy taught them an 8 count dance. I drew in the sand with them. More details to follow...once we get some photo uploaded of the school and kids...
We just got back from a couple weeks in Dublin and a week in the English Lake District. Here's a summary of our trip & photos ( Dublin & Lake District ). Dublin Apartment We rented an apartment via Airbnb near the Google office and commuted on bikes along the canal, often in drizzling rain. We were surprised that it was quite cold. Work We both met several people on our teams. Li gave a couple tech talks and Cat worked on a few projects. We had a few "mandatory fun" team outings, like seeing "The Avengers", playing badminton, and gathering at some nearby pubs. Weekends We went on some great tours in Dublin. A free walking tour of the city itself, a tour of Trinity College, the Jameson Whiskey Distillery tour, and the Guinness Factory tour. The tour guides were passionate and all-around excellent. The Trinity College tour ended with a viewing of the centuries-old Book of Kelles and the beautiful Long Room. The Guinness Factory to...
I can't believe that I won't be working for the next 3 months. Gasp! Right now, I'm finishing up some last minute work stuff. Tomorrow is packing day. Here's the plan so far: Fly from SFO to Buenos Aires (Thanks to a generous gift of miles from Li's sister. Thank you!) Spend 2 days in Buenos Aires before flying to El Calafate (Patagonia area) Day-hike on a glacier 5 day hike through Torres del Paine National Park in Chile Free time (maybe see some penguins) Somehow make our way to Lima, Peru where we'll stay for 2 nights with family friends (Thanks Dora & family for this lovely gift) Acclimate in Cusco for a few days... 4 day hike to Machu Picchu - we got a pass!!! Free time (maybe see the Amazon jungle) When December rolls around, Li will spend some time in New York with his family & I will volunteer in Africa with my friend Suzzy. (Thanks Suzzy for doing all the research and planning. I really appreciate it!) I'...