ALMOND RESORT; Lifting Garissa’s Tourism to Scale

Garissa as they say is the hub on north Eastern Kenya, famously depicted as the linkage to the rest of Kenya. As we drive into the dusty town, we are thankful of the evening breeze to cool off the toil of the journey. However that is just one of the headaches we have to deal with. Having not made prior arrangements for accommodation, it became tricky to secure some rooms and we had to move from one hotel to another in our quest. Being a transit town, many travelers stopover for the night hence the difficulty in getting on-spot accommodation. We finally settle down for the night in a basic facility praying that the morning brings with it good tidings. Tired from the grueling journey, even the lack of mosquito nets does not disturb us much. The morning does come and instead of the good tidings, what awaits us instead, were mosquito bites lining our arms nor was the breakfast anything to write home about either. This strengthens our resolve to look for better boarding facilities, our expectations not high. Glad to be proved wrong, we look up on our way out of town and meet head-on with a hotel poster that looks too good to be true.

Driving on the recently carpeted Lamu Road, we see another huge signpost displaying what the bend on the right has to offer. Decked behind a strong concrete wall, is a sight to behold; a clear contrast from the dusty terrain is a grandeur Arabic styled establishment beautifully sitting on a lush greenery. Still the doubting Thomas’s, we venture inside; if only to satisfy our eyes desires. Inside the humongous welcome lounge, our tired feet find rest in the beautiful reed-made couches. The high ceiling, wide walls combine to give the area a coolness even without the expected air conditioner. We feast our eyes on the décor and sparsely furnished area; and oh, isn’t it just wonderful to experience such finesse?
After the alluring welcome, we head to the rooms, and the journey left us wondering whether we are not only in Garissa but in North eastern at all. So sagacious was the architecture that the heavy investment into the landscaping is one of the hotels attractions. Here, concrete pathways are lined with palm trees, well-hedged live fences as well as expertly manicured lawns, all of which give the air a strikingly fresh feel. The contrasting scenery inside the hotel grounds does not come cheap, the grounds are watered every day to maintain that special appeal.

The Rooms - Luxuriant is the best word to describe the rooms, one is spoilt for choice on whether to go with the cottages or the apartment style. For Ksh. 3000, you can afford a variably spacious room that offers space to relax as the gentle hum of the air conditioner lulls you off to slumber in the scorching afternoon heat. Being a new hotel you will not find the traditional big belly TV but rather a 32-inch flat screen draped on the wall. In case you were wondering, it has cable TV for the sport and movie fanatics.
Early in the morning there is a beautiful breeze as you take breakfast in the patio; unlike most hotels in Garissa where you will find the traditional tea, bread and eggs for breakfast, Almond offers its clients a rich array of culinary delights.

The big attraction – as we leave our rooms to go for a stroll out in the town we round the corner complaining about the heat, before us was a sight not expected in the arid lands – a spectacular mass of water glares invitingly. The square shaped pool sandwiched between the apartment style blocks beckons and with the sweltering heat overhead, the visual invitation is quickly accepted. Never ever once harboring the thought of carrying swimming costumes to Garissa, we venture out to scout for some. Out in the town, the shops do not stock swimming attire, infact most shop attendants were scandalized by the mere fact that we asked for one. For those of us who inhibit predilections for coastal ambiance, it would have been criminal to let that inviting water go to waste, so we had to invent swimming attire. For a small fee, non-residents can also access the pool services.

Visitors - Almond provides a suitable ambiance for a variety of clients. The service we got was reminiscent of the coastal hotels or the lodges out in the wild. Families or adventurous people can try to have a holiday on this side of Kenya. Or if you want seclusion for whatever reason, then you will find the silence amicable to achieve your objective. Corporates will find the place good for staff retreats, what with its three huge conference rooms, and you are more likely to full cooperation because the staff will not want to venture out of the serene setting for the scorching sun outside. Muslim wedding are also famous in Almond due to the huge space the venue offers. The night butterflies have the government guest house next door to venture for one or two for the night.

So for your next holiday, be serendipitous and head north!

The Subservient Friend

This weekend I witnessed two cases where people emotionally blackmail others to maintain friendships and I couldn’t help but be astonished at how conceited humanity can be! The amount of emotional baggage we carry around dumped on us from spouses, employers, landlords, and friend is a huge load to carry. What intrigued me most was the friends’ category. Being a bit careful not to term the others as acceptable, but let’s face it, we all tag along a lot of emotional baggage from family so much so that it may just be a necessary evil in some instances. Susan Forward in ‘Out of the FOG” defines emotional blackmail as the use of a system of threats and punishments on a person by someone close to them in an attempt to control their behaviors. FOG is the short form of Fear, Obligation and Guilt, which Susan says the blackmailer uses to get what they want from others.

Picture this; you have had a long time friend, closer than a brother/sister, twins if you can say so. However, both of your lives didn’t turn out the same and you end up being the poor relation so to say. Your friendship is ok until one day this big company calls you for an interview, ultimately opening a big door for you. With this comes the elegant two storey house in one of those neighborhoods on the other side of Uhuru Highway, a sleek top of the range vehicle and of course a new circle of friends. Or having been their plus one for ages, you meet this good looking person, hit it off and before you know it, bam, you are walking down the aisle. So everyone wakes up and notices that person who used to be in the shadows, now the object of attention. While before you would wait till your friend has had their fill to get a lift home from a party, now you can leave anytime you are bored since you have the means. That expensive drink whose name you couldn’t pronounce now glides from your tongue effortlessly.

Things are going on well yeah! Au contraire, your ‘loyal’ friend suddenly goes on the offensive, lashes at small things, questions this or that, tries to limit your exposure to the waiting world and vice versa. Or start using your emotions to get you back to the subservient friend you were. You see, to them you were useful as the poor relation which they are now bereft of. Being able to match them, they can no longer ‘use’ you for errands, or be their last option when a date cancels.

So what to do? When your ego-hungry pal feels you now don’t give them enough attention to validate themselves, simply walk away. No need to carry baggage and stay in a deleterious association when you can enjoy what the world has to offer. If you have to otherwise continue such a friendship, then choose to be impervious of the negativity. Remember if you cede ground then you build and feed a monster who will one day gobble you up!