Roosevelt in Mombasa 1909

from wikipedia

African safari

In March 1909, shortly after the end of his presidency, Roosevelt left New York for a safari in east and central Africa. Roosevelt's party landed in Mombasa, British East Africa (now Kenya), traveled to the Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) before following the Nile to Khartoum in modern Sudan. Financed by Andrew Carnegie and by his own proposed writings, Roosevelt's party hunted for specimens for the Smithsonian Institution and for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The group, led by the legendary hunter-tracker R. J. Cunninghame, included scientists from the Smithsonian and was joined from time to time by Frederick Selous, the famous big game hunter and explorer. Among other items, Roosevelt brought with him four tons of salt for preserving animal hides, a lucky rabbit's foot given to him by boxer John L. Sullivan, a Holland and Holland double rifle in .500/450 donated by a group of 56 admiring Britons, a Winchester 1895 rifle in .405 Winchester, an Army (M1903) Springfield in .30-06 caliber stocked and sighted for him, a Fox No. 12 shotgun, and the famous Pigskin Library, a collection of classics bound in pig leather and transported in a single reinforced trunk.
Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped more than 11,397 animals, from insects and moles to hippopotamuses and elephants. These included 512 big game animals, including six rare white rhinos. The expedition consumed 262 of the animals. Tons of salted animals and their skins were shipped to Washington; the quantity was so large that it took years to mount them all, and the Smithsonian shared many duplicate animals with other museums. Regarding the large number of animals taken, Roosevelt said, "I can be condemned only if the existence of the National Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and all similar zoological institutions are to be condemned."^[51]
Although the safari was ostensibly conducted in the name of science, it was as much a political and social event as it was a hunting excursion; Roosevelt interacted with renowned professional hunters and land-owning families, and met many native peoples and local leaders. Roosevelt became a Life Member of the National Rifle Association, while President, in 1907 after paying a $25 fee.^[52] He later wrote a detailed account in the book African Game Trails, where he describes the excitement of the chase, the people he met, and the flora and fauna he collected in the name of science.

Mombasa,Kenya

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying on the shore of the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry.
Also known as Mombas in colonial times, its name has been derived from Manbasa. This was the Arabic name of the former sultanate of Mvita, which had its capital here. In modern times the town is the headquarters of Mombasa District, which, like most other districts in Kenya, is named after its chief town.

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is upstaged by a cute baby elephant in Kenya

I'm ready for my close up! Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is upstaged by a cute baby elephant in Kenya

By Laura Schreffler

As one of the world's most beautiful women, all eyes are usually on Gisele Bundchen.
But the 31-year-old Brazilian model found herself well and truly upstaged by an adorable baby elephant during a recent trip to Africa.
The stunning star looks deliriously happy in photographs she posted of her January trip to Kenya on her Facebook page today.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2116268/Gisele-Bundchen-upstaged-cute-baby-elephant-Kenya.html#ixzz1pTtOdLzu

Every Penny Counts

A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned During a troubled economy, such as the one we are facing today, people sometimes start scrambling for ways to save money. They start looking at their budget, or lack of one, and trying to figure out how they can make ends meet. The new goal is to figure out what expenses are a priority and what ones can be cut in order to afford more sensible and important things. Setting up a budget is easily done. Simply figure out your total expenses and compare that number to your total income. This will help you see where you need to cut back. Once you have that figured out, set up budgets for each of your expenses. If it seems like a daunting task, try to view your budgets as goals of where you want to be and start working towards that. After you have your grocery 'goal' set up, it’s time to figure ways to cut back in order to give you more leeway in your finances. Most people are overspending on their grocery bill in enormous amounts and don’t even realize it. The first things to lose are the drive-thru and take-out menus. Fast food can account for large portions of a family’s grocery budget, not to mention its’ negative impact on your health. Once you come down from the fast-food high, it’s time to change your actual shopping habits. There is one small trick that can help shoppers of any skill level save money on a consistent basis. An added bonus is that it takes little to no effort to complete. Couponing is a trend that is taking the world by storm. There are blogs devoted to finding the very best coupons or vouchers, T.V. shows that depict the shopping antics of extreme shoppers, and all kinds of different groups of like-minded people. Once you learn the basics, you will be couponing like a professional. There are two aspects to couponing; where to get them and when to use them. Coupons can be found from a variety of sources. They are typically in your local newspaper once a week, and this is the easiest ways to get them. Other ways to get coupons are through online sources and magazines. You can also ask a company directly for some ways to save money. This may not always result in a freebie or coupon, but is still worthwhile. Coupons are also readily available if you join a coupon trading group or sign up for a coupon train. In groups like these, people are able to get rid of the coupons that they won’t use, and gain ones that are more valuable to them. Like most activities, timing is important to couponing. In order to save the most money, you should match coupons with active store sales. This will allow you to get items when they are at their lowest price, which in turn lets you stock up on items so you won’t have to pay full price for them later. There are places to get advice on how to follow store sale cycles and know when a particular item is at it’s rock bottom price, but once you start doing it on your own it will come naturally after a few weeks of practice. Now that you know some beginner tips on how to save money on your grocery bill, it’s time to put them into action. Try starting off slowly, that way you don't get overwhelmed. As long as you make a small effort each week, the savings will start showing up time after time. Eventually, you will be teaching others your secrets.

Money Saving Habits

Saving Money Should Become a Habit Saving money in a tough economical time may seem like a daunting task but it can be done with a little diligence and hard work. Developing the saving money characteristic is something that develops over time, but we all can develop it with some practice. Saving Money should become a habit in order to live a comfortable stress free life. Money Saving Tips The best ways to save money is to look at your budget and determine what your necessities are and what your wants are. When trying to cut the budget the only items that are priorities are items that you absolutely need, the other stuff you will have to temporarily do without. Spending less can start with eating at home instead of out at restaurants all the time, taking bagged lunches to work , cooking homemade meals and snacks at home, brewing your own coffee in the morning, and buying in bulk when you shop. Saving money can incorporate shopping and finances by always making a list when grocery shopping so that way there is no distraction or impulse buying. Always use coupons , reuse the grocery bags from the store as small garbage can liners at home, consolidate all credit cards and pay them off as soon as possible, be diligent with your finances and buy what you need and sign up for an auto savings plan. Money saving tips can also include paying bills on time to avoid late fees, using cell phones as the primary phone in the home, get rid of the land lines. When looking for entertainment books and videos can be borrowed from the library or watched for free online. When looking for clothes for the kids there are always bartering clubs or other moms that would be willing to exchange their kids’ clothes for your kids’ clothes and that way you both save. Saving Money The key to saving money is to reuse and recycle and always look for deals. Reuse and recycle household items such as clothes, which can be swapped. Maintain your current vehicle instead of always buying new. By keeping your current vehicle maintained and whenever possible carpool to save on gas you will save a considerable amount of money. Walk or take a bike whenever possible. Join free online rebate clubs that give you cash back on purchases. Buy used and check out auction sites and get things at severely reduced prices. Sell items you have that you don’t have any use for, or barter for things you want. Saving money and spending less can be done on utilities as well by being a smart shopper and consumer. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs instead of traditional bulbs this will cut down on energy consumption. Make sure the home is properly insulated; tune up the furnace, lower the temperature on the thermostat, use cooler water to wash clothes and weather strip your home. Making sure that your home is properly insulated will prevent heat loss from the home which can save or very high electric bills. Insulation around windows and doors can be as simple as placing a homemade snake made of old piece of clothing and stuffed with fiber or cushions and placed at the foot of every door. When shopping for seasonal items shop after the season is over, this is when everything is half price or almost free. This can be great for the next season. Always pay bills on time to avoid late fees and pay bills online if possible this will save on the purchasing of stamps. Many companies offer incentives or free rewards for those members that opt for paperless billing and payment processing. Always check for rebates, coupons, vouchers and sale items, sometimes with the right combination of coupons and sales discounts and item can be free or close to it. Some of these tips may only save you small amounts, but those small amounts soon add up and over a monthly or annual budget you will soon see the savings which will easily become a habit.

Top Mombasa Hotels

This is My list of the top Mombasa Hotels

Mombasa is often visited by tourists who want to experience the scene of white sandy beaches first hand. The area is also frequently visited by guests who would want to explore the tourist spots Mombasa has to offer. As with any visit to an unfamiliar place, you would need a place to stay and rest.
 For this, Mombasa offers a wide array of hotels, ranging from expensive and luxurious five-star hotels to affordable yet decent hotels. Hence, you are surely going to find a hotel which suits you best according to your budget and desires. Every hotel in Mombasa offers something different from the others.

Each hotel is uniquely conceptualized and specially designed to meet the needs of its customers. As Kenya’s tourist industry boomed over the recent years, the hotels in Mombasa have also been upgrading their services to ensure that satisfaction of their guests. Today, most Mombasa hotels have their own bars, restaurants and even activity centers so that their guests can have a more meaningful stay at their respective places.

Here is a list of some of the Mombasa Hotels classified according to their locations:
 City Center:

Castle Royal Hotel
• Hotel Sapphire
• Royal Court Hotel North Coast:
 • Club Sun N’ Sand
• Hemingways Resort
• Reef Hotel
• Whitesands Beach Hotel
South Coast:
• Neptune Paradise Village
• Sheshe Baharini Beach Hotel
• Shimba Hills Lodge
• The Sands at Nomad