Tag Archives: Money

Nairobi Nights

5 Dec

Nairobi gets a bad rap as a dangerous city that you don’t want to spend a lot of time in but if you know the right people and places you can have a pretty wild time. I was lucky to make friends with a great local that loved to party so we naturally got along like a house on fire. Nairobi has something for everyone from cheap local shot bars to glow stick trance parties. Westlands is a great area to go out in as you can hit up a lot of bars all in one strip. All that being said Nairobi is still dubbed Nairobery so always have your wits about you as you can still get yourself into unsafe situations. Always take a taxi after dark no matter how short the distance as I learned from experience even the police can be out for the money in your wallet. Guys, also remember no matter how into you the girl seems to be make sure to ask if she’s a hired lady as it can make for an awkward night.

Foggy

$1 shots

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Boys

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Diamond Bar

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Buy me a soda

22 Nov

In East Africa you will come upon the phrase “buy me a soda” a few times (if me quite a lot). Africans love their soda but at this point they don’t actually want you to buy them one. This is a code word for a little bribe to either get things going quicker or to get yourself out of some trouble you may have gotten into. With all bargaining try to start low but when it comes to border patrol or people in government roles soda prices are generally fixed. Good luck with your soda purchases and even though everyone knows what is going on always be discreet.

Foggy

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Rwanda Border

4 Nov

I was told that for Canadians you had to obtain your visa online before you got to the border. The form is very simple to fill out and can be found at the following address https://www.migration.gov.rw/singleform.php. It tells you that it will get back to you within three days with your visa in an attachment you will print out and take to the border. Three turned into five and I still had not received anything, so I said screw it and headed to the border. We got there early in the morning and they certainly were not happy about me not having a visa but American dollars always seem to smooth things over in Africa and I got my stamp and entry into the country. Another thing to remember at the border is that plastic bags are illegal in Rwanda so leave them at home as your bag gets thoroughly searched for the contraband and you can be subsequently fined.

Foggy

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Fishing on the Nile

31 Oct

I met Peter and Warren rafting the day before who were up from South Africa selling wine for their wineries. Warren was the marketing manager at Guardian Peak and Peter’s family ran De Westhof Estate. That night we spent testing their products and they invited me along to go fishing the next day. We met captain Rob and set out to catch some *Nile Perch. It was a pretty sophisticated fishing trip as the boys brought some wine and cheese to enjoy out on the water. Lake Victoria has been extremely over fished and we were warned that pulling anything out would be difficult. That didn’t stop big Peter though from pulling out a whopping 20Kg Perch. I tried to pay the boys in the end for my part of the boat fees but Peter said no way as I had a lot longer trip in front of me.

Huge Cheers to you boys!

Foggy

*Nile Perch is a huge fish found in Lake Victoria and the Nile that can weigh up to 200Kg.

Lake Victoria

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Rafting the Nile

29 Oct

If you are looking for a little adventure in Uganda make your way to Jinja. It is the adventure capital of the country. I booked with Nile River Explorers and they came to pick me up in Kampala. $125 will get you a full day of rafting which also includes three meals. We got lucky on our boat and got the river manager of the company Jane as our guide. With over 21 years of guiding experience all over the world she definitely knew her stuff out there. We were a little sticky for her in the boat though as she kept trying to knock us off in the rapids and couldn’t quite manage, she eventually gave up and told us to jump out on the last rapid so we could swim through it. Until my next near drowning experience!

Foggy

Nile River Explorers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Drinker’s Guide to London

15 Oct

Eight Bells

Great family run neighborhood pub located at 89 Fulham High Street, London, Greater London SW6 3JS, United Kingdom. This place had a great atmosphere to it and drinks were all very cheap. Great bar to put your arm around your mate and belt out the classics it has going over the speakers.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Penthouse

Located at 1 Leicester Square, London WC2H 7NA, United Kingdom on the 6th floor. It has a great view of Big Ben and the London Eye but it is a little too clubby for me. Drinks will run you about 6 pounds and are nothing special. If you are looking to dress up and hit the dance floor, saddle up the elevator to this joint.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Whitehorse

At 1-3 Parsons Green, London SW6 4UL, United Kingdom, this pub is for the toffy. It is a great looking pub with a dark mahogany finish on everything. We had some great food here but if you want a good day out with the boys this is not the spot for you. We spotted more baby carriages than girls (hard to believe but true), so a great spot for a family but we decided to move on.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walkabout

Aussies they are everywhere on this planet so instead of fighting it just give up and join them. With two locations one at Temple Station, Temple Place, London WC2R 2PH, United Kingdom and the second at 11 Henrietta Street, London, Greater London WC2E 8PY, United Kingdom. With a huge variety of Kangaroo on the menu this is an Aussie home away from home. They have a great burger and a beer deal that will set you back 6.95£. This place gets a little loose at night so if you are looking to enjoy your feed in peace head there for lunch.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O’neill’s

Located at 33-37 Wardour Street, London W1D 6PU, United Kingdom this is your typical Irish Pub. Food is good and the price of a beer is reasonable for downtown London. With 3 floors to choose from this place was packed on a Sunday night. They serve quite a lot of beers that run from Budweiser to Guiness. It is hard to go wrong with an Irish pub so if you have a short time in London this is an easy choice.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Live and Let Live Pub

Located at 35-37 North End Road London, Greater London W14 8SZ, United Kingdom this is your typical dodgy pub. With a crowd inside that is less than inviting we only stayed for one pint. A beer ran you about £3.50 but you thought at sometimes it might cost you the rest of the change in your wallet if you weren’t too careful. A fun experience but I don’t think I will be back.

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oktoberfest Pub

Always wanted to cheers a stein in Munich during Oktoberfest but never had the chance? Now Munich is located at 678-680 Fulham Road, London SW6 5SA, United Kingdom. With pork knuckles and bratwurst on the menu this place gives the Oktoberfest experience without the air fare. A great vibe inside with many people in great spirits!

London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lockside Lounge

At 75-89 West Yard, Camden Lock Place, Camden Town, Greater London NW1 8AF, United Kingdom. This is a great lounge to meet your friends after a long day in the office; the only problem is you won’t be able to hear your conversations with each other. They had a good selection of beer but for a bunch of boys looking to catch up with each other this is not the spot. As the night went on though and the place filled out the music got the people on the dance floor and it turned out alright.

London

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Ride Sharing

24 Sep

Short on cash and trains are not quite in the budget, and don’t feel like standing on the side of the road with your thumb out. Head over to http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ and saddle yourself a ride. The website allows you to put in what two cities you want to travel between and on what date. Then it will give you a list of drivers, what time they are leaving and how much they want for gas. It operates in France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Poland and Great Britain. It is a great way to meet people from the country and get yourself around for way cheaper than other means of transportation.

Foggy

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Belgrade

10 Sep

If cheap beer and beautiful women are not your scene than stay far clear of Belgrade. I had been here a couple of months ago on another trip so I knew what I was getting into (or thought I did…). I quickly found a hostel with some awesome Italian guys I met on the train and then the party started.  A half litre of beer in a bar will run you around 1.5 Euros ($2CAD), so your dollar goes a long way on a night out. We were lucky enough to meet some girls from Belgrade who were willing to show us the nightlife around town. The clubs were packed every night of the week with the most gorgeous women I have ever seen in my life. They all wore high heels and were all dressed to kill. I was told that summer is the downtime for nightlife and that winter is when things really get going in the city. I couldn’t fathom something better than this, but I might have to make a winter trip back sometime in this lifetime.

Foggy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Gravy Train is Over

16 Jul

Yes it is true, my travelling life is about to change dramatically. My parents have just left me in Copenhagen and I will no longer be living on their dollar. It was a tearful goodbye (once mom starts it’s all downhill) and then I was alone in the hotel room. This would be the last time I would be laying in a room by myself. I now start the hostel circuit, where I will be bunking up with travellers from around the globe as I continue this musical mystery tour. It is pretty exciting to be out on my own, there is not a lot of plans for here on out and that will always lead into a good foggy tale. I just want to thank you Mom and Dad for a great trip, and don’t worry Mom I will be home before you know it. For the rest of you here’s to hoping I won’t have to be giving special favors to afford this trip.

Foggy

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