All I wanted from the trip to Kazakhstan with my kids was good company, good food, and a chance to get out into nature. Our first trip out of Almaty, to Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake, and Kaindy Lake more than delivered on all three. Charyn Canyon Charyn Canyon itself is starkly beautiful in a… Read More Charyn Canyon, Kolsai Lake, and Kaindy Lake (with kids!)
I took the kids to visit friends for eight days in Kazakhstan. Yes, as in, the country with the 9th largest landmass in the world, in Central Asia. A friend living in Almaty invited me and my monster gang to visit her and her own monster gang, and I knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.… Read More 8 Day Kazakhstan Itinerary with Kids
I thought it’d be relatively easy to DIY chocolate liqueur. Everything else I’ve tried has been simple, so chocolate should be too. WRONG. There are a TON of recipes on the Internet for homemade creme de cacao, some of which were obviously not tested to make sure that they can be replicated. UGH. It’s true that… Read More DIY Chocolate Liqueur (Creme de Cacao)
I can’t believe we made it six months in Malabo without visiting the Equatoguinean National Park. It’s more like a Central Park or the National Mall than what we would think of as a wildlife preserve, and it’s full of beautiful spots and places for kids to play. Now, we’re regular visitors. It’s a great… Read More Parque Nacional de Guinea Ecuatorial (Equatorial Guinea National Park)
Homemade coffee liqueur was one of the first liqueurs I experimented with when I realized that Malabo would be an excellent opportunity to get really really good at my hobbies (one of which is DIY everything). A copycat Kahlua looked easy, and I thought it’d be easy to make in bulk for Christmas presents. I… Read More Homemade coffee liqueur (Kahlua, Tia Maria)
Sometimes you just need a little bit of peace and quiet. We took advantage of a recent local holiday to hit the beach and the pool. I’ve written about the Sofitel resort at Sipopo before, and it’s weirdly post-Colonial feel. That hasn’t changed at all. Even so. The kids and I had a great… Read More Island Life and Relaxation
I have sworn off bitching about things I can’t change, and also bitching about things that I could change if only I would put an little bit of effort into changing them. DO NOT WORRY I AM STILL THE SAME ANGRY NEGATIVE NANCY THAT I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. I’m just trying to be negative only… Read More A little bit of self-care goes a long way
I went to the state hospital last week for a dentist appointment. The dentist was all business, and super direct about the things he felt I could do better to care for my teeth, in a way that was off-putting at first, but also strangely familiar. The dentist was clearly not of Equatoguinean decent, and… Read More Homesick for Jerusalem. Finally.
I am too hipster to buy cucumber vodka in a store. I’m a snob. There, I said it. “Oh, this wasn’t artisinally made for by subsistence farmers in a village that doesn’t have power or running water? WELL, NO THANKS, SIR.” But Malabo isn’t like that. There are for sure subsistence farmers on Bioko Island,… Read More Cucumber infused vodka
I recently dragged Bertrand and the kids up Pico Basilé, the imposing volcano that sits behind Malabo. As the volcano hasn’t erupted since 1932, we surmised that it would be utterly safe to visit the national park on top of the mountain. On our way up the winding and narrow road, we stopped at a… Read More Pico Basilé – Bioko Island’s Biggest Volcano
