Tuesday 5 October 2010

Greetings from Dubai

Ok so it's been a few weeks since my last blog - that's because I've been at home for a few weeks catching up with family and friends, running a few races, and earning a bit of cash to keep the travels going.  Oh and there was a wedding reception to attend - more about that later.

And so, phase 3 of the travels has just commenced.  I'm sitting in Dubai International Airport waiting for a connecting flight to Nairobi and making use of the free internet access (probably the last reliable internet access I'll have until December).  I set off from Birmingham late last night, and managed about 3 hours disturbed sleep on the plane.  Despite the lack of sleep I feel surprisingly awake - maybe the 30 degree heat that hit me when I got off the plane woke me up, or the excitement of being on the road again is energising me.

This time I'm heading back to Kenya, and though I've been 5 times before, I felt that I had to come back as part of this trip, and put to rest the demons of my last visit.  Apart from home, the sleepy town of Iten, in the Rift Valley is probably my favourite place in the world.  However, when I last visited in Dec 07/Jan 08, our trip came to an abrupt end, when, following post-presidential-election violence, running there became unsafe.  And so, following a police escort from Iten to Eldoret airport, we left behind a country that was on the verge of self destruction.  During my previous 4 visits I couldn't have felt safer; in 2007 I was actually scared for my life.  And that's why I need to go back.

After Kenya, I'll be visiting Ethiopia for the first time, and plan to run the Great Ethiopian Run on 21st November, before returning home to get a new passport so I can travel some more.

As all I've seen so far is the inside of Dubai International Airport (which while for an airport is not completely unnoteworthy, it's still just an airport), today's pictures come from Patrick and Tatiana's wedding reception - nothing to do with altitude of course, but I thought I'd share the photos of this happy occasion none the less.




Even the rain wasn't going to dampen our spirits that day.

The boys doing a Russian dance as ransom for the kidnapped bride - a Russian wedding tradition.

Patrick going through his stretching routein before the First Dance.
Tatiana flexing her muscles before the First Dance.
The First Dance.  It looks like all the preparation paid off!
It's an Egan celebration; of course there is more than 1 cake!

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