Well...after 5 months I have come to the end of my great African adventure. I have had such an amazing time and have well and truly fallen in love with the beautiful landscapes, sunsets, sunrises, animals and most of all people that make this continent so special. But am ready to move on, and really looking forward to seeing lots of friens - old and new - in Australia.
My trip has ended in Johannesburg, where I've spent the last few days trying to recpover from a stomach bug that knocked me for six over the past week. A few of us on the overland trip suffered from it, I think we drank some contaminated water at one of the places we stayed. After writing my last blog we drove up through the beautiful Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho which is famed for its Basotho ponies, blankets and stunnning scenery. I went pony trekking which was a lot of fun and we stayed at the famous Malealea Lodge. On leaving Lesotho we drove north to the Drakensburg Mountains. There I did a 25km hike along a gorge to the 2nd highest waterfall in the world. It was a beautiful walk but I wasn't yet feeling 100% and the sun was very very hot so unfortunately it set me back a few days in my recovery... from the Drakensburgs we drove up to Johannesburg. The weather in this area has been incredible - massive thunder storms with dramatic lightening. The place we're staying has a picture window overlooking the city which is pretty cool. I haven't ventured into central Johannesburg, partly because of the horrific statistics we've all heard about the murder and mugging rates, but mainly because I just want to rest! I did of course go to the Apartheid Museum. I have just finished reading Nelson Mandela's 'Long Walk to Freedom' so was interested to find more out about Apartheid. I must confess, before coming to South Africa my knowledge of the subject was very limited. I won't bore you with it here but needless to say I felt very humbled.
Next time I write I will be on the other side of the world!
Monday, 30 November 2009
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Good times
So we continue our journey through the beautiful scenery of South Africa and the Garden Route. Yesterday we went to Bloukrans Bridge which is the site of the highest bungi jump in the world, at 216 metres. You may be surprised to hear that I swallowed my fear and surprised everyone by...not doing the jump. I watched a lot of my friends so it and that was more than enough adrenaline for me!
Yesterday we reached a place called Storms River where the big attraction is black river tubing. It's cool, you sit in an extra-strong rubber ring and fly down the river, a bit like one man white water rafting. Imagine my excitement at the prospect of doing this cool adrenaline-filled activity. And imagine my frustration and disappointment when I fell off a rock yesterday whilst hiking a coastal trail and sprained my ankle!!! So I am currently sitting in the hostel writing my blog while the rest of the group are out on the river. Bad times :(
I'm now almost at the end of my African adventure, and have had plenty of time to reflect on what I've learnt over the past (nearly) 5 months. When I arrived fresh off the plane in Tanzania in June I was shocked to see the level of what I saw as poverty but what I now regard as simplicity in which the people live. Coming from a western country, I was used to having countless clothes, books, cosmetics and plenty of food and to see first hand that that's not the case for so many was humbling. I remember the house girl where I lived (and by the way a house girl isn't a wealthy person's luxury, but usually a relative or friend of the family who does the cooking, washing and cleaning in return for free board and sometimes education), Neema once came into my room and was amazed at how many things I had - baring in mind that I had brought the bare minimum that I thought I needed to survive! All she had was a few changes of clothes, a bar of soap and bottle of a shower gel which I had given her as a present.
I didn't have time to write much when I left Longido as I was having to use incredibly slow and relatively expensive internet, but now I am back in 'civilisation' I have more time to reflect and sum up what was such an incredible and important time in my life. Although for only 3 months, living in a community with a culture so different to my own was amazing. The priorites of the people are very different to ours. For the maasai, cattle take more prescedence than even family. The past months have been dangerously dry, and what little water we had was first given to the cows, then to the people. Many herds were taken hundreds of kilometres away for grazing, and of those who stayed there were many fatalities; when walking in the bush it wasn't unusual to come across carcasses. The drought was awful. For me, the worst it meant was that sometimes I couldn't wash my clothes or have a shower (most annoying after a week on Kilimanjaro without washing facilities) but we had enough to cook and drink, unlike some. Puts the UK hosepipe bans to shame...
Community is also very important to Tanzanians. When there is a wedding the whole village is invited. During my time I was (unofficially) a guest at 2 weddings; once it was a friend of a friend who had a celebration in the village which was so full that we didn't even make it inside the hall but were given a soda outside and had to watch the celebrations through the window! The other was on a very random night out when 2 fellow vounteers and I jumped in the back of a pick up truck and drove to the Kenyan border town of Namanga and went to a nightclub which had been hired out by a wedding party, but instead of turning us away they invited us in to join the celebration! Although poor, all the people I met were unfailingly generous.
I think I have learnt a lot and probably changed a bit as a result of my experinces. I'm without a doubt a lot more relaxed and don't get as stressed as I used to. I have also learnt to really enjoy my own company - something that I always enjoyed before but had never had to rely on as much. Unfortunately I haven't lost as much weight as I had hoped, which I thought was a given in Africa! Turns out that even though I wasn't eating any chocolate, crisps, snacks or even drinking alcohol, the carb-rich diet undid any progress I might have made. But not a big deal in the scheme of things. On the plus side i'm very brown! Plus I'm very happy which is the most important thing.
It's strange being back in the western world. Everything is much the same as back at home and although i'm having fun, being here isn't as interesting or educational as Tanzania was. My time in Africa will come to an end on 30th November when I fly to Sydney. I'm looking forward to it as I will get to see many friends who either live in or will be visting Australia while i'm there, but will be sad to leave this continent which I have some to love so much. I know i'll be back soon...
Yesterday we reached a place called Storms River where the big attraction is black river tubing. It's cool, you sit in an extra-strong rubber ring and fly down the river, a bit like one man white water rafting. Imagine my excitement at the prospect of doing this cool adrenaline-filled activity. And imagine my frustration and disappointment when I fell off a rock yesterday whilst hiking a coastal trail and sprained my ankle!!! So I am currently sitting in the hostel writing my blog while the rest of the group are out on the river. Bad times :(
I'm now almost at the end of my African adventure, and have had plenty of time to reflect on what I've learnt over the past (nearly) 5 months. When I arrived fresh off the plane in Tanzania in June I was shocked to see the level of what I saw as poverty but what I now regard as simplicity in which the people live. Coming from a western country, I was used to having countless clothes, books, cosmetics and plenty of food and to see first hand that that's not the case for so many was humbling. I remember the house girl where I lived (and by the way a house girl isn't a wealthy person's luxury, but usually a relative or friend of the family who does the cooking, washing and cleaning in return for free board and sometimes education), Neema once came into my room and was amazed at how many things I had - baring in mind that I had brought the bare minimum that I thought I needed to survive! All she had was a few changes of clothes, a bar of soap and bottle of a shower gel which I had given her as a present.
I didn't have time to write much when I left Longido as I was having to use incredibly slow and relatively expensive internet, but now I am back in 'civilisation' I have more time to reflect and sum up what was such an incredible and important time in my life. Although for only 3 months, living in a community with a culture so different to my own was amazing. The priorites of the people are very different to ours. For the maasai, cattle take more prescedence than even family. The past months have been dangerously dry, and what little water we had was first given to the cows, then to the people. Many herds were taken hundreds of kilometres away for grazing, and of those who stayed there were many fatalities; when walking in the bush it wasn't unusual to come across carcasses. The drought was awful. For me, the worst it meant was that sometimes I couldn't wash my clothes or have a shower (most annoying after a week on Kilimanjaro without washing facilities) but we had enough to cook and drink, unlike some. Puts the UK hosepipe bans to shame...
Community is also very important to Tanzanians. When there is a wedding the whole village is invited. During my time I was (unofficially) a guest at 2 weddings; once it was a friend of a friend who had a celebration in the village which was so full that we didn't even make it inside the hall but were given a soda outside and had to watch the celebrations through the window! The other was on a very random night out when 2 fellow vounteers and I jumped in the back of a pick up truck and drove to the Kenyan border town of Namanga and went to a nightclub which had been hired out by a wedding party, but instead of turning us away they invited us in to join the celebration! Although poor, all the people I met were unfailingly generous.
I think I have learnt a lot and probably changed a bit as a result of my experinces. I'm without a doubt a lot more relaxed and don't get as stressed as I used to. I have also learnt to really enjoy my own company - something that I always enjoyed before but had never had to rely on as much. Unfortunately I haven't lost as much weight as I had hoped, which I thought was a given in Africa! Turns out that even though I wasn't eating any chocolate, crisps, snacks or even drinking alcohol, the carb-rich diet undid any progress I might have made. But not a big deal in the scheme of things. On the plus side i'm very brown! Plus I'm very happy which is the most important thing.
It's strange being back in the western world. Everything is much the same as back at home and although i'm having fun, being here isn't as interesting or educational as Tanzania was. My time in Africa will come to an end on 30th November when I fly to Sydney. I'm looking forward to it as I will get to see many friends who either live in or will be visting Australia while i'm there, but will be sad to leave this continent which I have some to love so much. I know i'll be back soon...
Friday, 13 November 2009
Back in civilisation
Well here I am in Cape Town! The weather has been pretty shocking. More wet weekend in Bognor than balmy urban paradise. I had really wanted to go to Robben Island and climb Table Mountain but the ferry to the Island has been cancelled every day this week, and the mountain has been cloaked in thick grey clouds. That is until today when they lifted long enough for me to queue for an hour and a half, see a guy get hit by a car due to the incredibly stupid and dangerous road systems in Cape Town and finally made it up the mountain. It was worth the wait though. Incredible views across the bay, and right the way down to the Cape of Good Hope. I've also used the opportunity of being in a big city to catch up on all the things I've been missing since leaving London. Namely; shopping, cinema and sushi!
It's a strange part of the trip because half the people are leaving and we are picking up a whole new set of travelling companions. Oh well, they say a change is as good as a rest, and although I am having a fantastic time, new conversation will be much appreciated. Although I have made some great friends so far who I will miss :( We leave Cape Town today and travel down to Cape Alguhas (?), the most southerly point in Africa. Not too sure what else we'll be doing along the way, but the basic itinerary is along the Garden route, up through Lesotho to Johannesburg.
It's a strange part of the trip because half the people are leaving and we are picking up a whole new set of travelling companions. Oh well, they say a change is as good as a rest, and although I am having a fantastic time, new conversation will be much appreciated. Although I have made some great friends so far who I will miss :( We leave Cape Town today and travel down to Cape Alguhas (?), the most southerly point in Africa. Not too sure what else we'll be doing along the way, but the basic itinerary is along the Garden route, up through Lesotho to Johannesburg.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Namibia
Namibia has been amazing - after Tanzania easily my favourite African country so far. We spent a few days in the strangeness of Swakopmund and then drove down the coast and inland through the Namib desert. The scenery was stunning; sculptured sand dunes stretching as far as the eye can see, and amazing flat topped mountains. We visited a place called Sossusvlei and Dune 45, which is the most famous of all the dunes in the world. You know the iconic picture of the dune with an s-shaped curve...No? Never mind.
http://images.google.co.za/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=dune+45&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&start=0
Then we went to Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia which is, geologically, very similar to the Grand Canyon. The main difference being the lack of commercialisation; helicopters, fast food restaurants, fat americans etc..! It was beautiful but unfortuately my camera had run out of battery so I wasn't able to take any pics. Grrr...
Yesterday we crossed the border into South Africa, and immediately I felt as though I was back home. Heavy drizzle and all the trappings of the western world. We're in wine country for a couple of days (Stellenbosch for conossieurs) and then onto Cape Town.
http://images.google.co.za/images?hl=en&um=1&sa=1&q=dune+45&btnG=Search+images&aq=f&oq=&start=0
Then we went to Fish River Canyon in southern Namibia which is, geologically, very similar to the Grand Canyon. The main difference being the lack of commercialisation; helicopters, fast food restaurants, fat americans etc..! It was beautiful but unfortuately my camera had run out of battery so I wasn't able to take any pics. Grrr...
Yesterday we crossed the border into South Africa, and immediately I felt as though I was back home. Heavy drizzle and all the trappings of the western world. We're in wine country for a couple of days (Stellenbosch for conossieurs) and then onto Cape Town.
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
A great achievement
So...i'm now in Namibia and have travelled the entire width of Africa in 3 weeks! We are staying in a very strange litle town called Swakopmund for a couple of days. It's like being in a 1980's time warp! It's also the adventure sports capital of Namibia, so my friends are throwing themselves out of planes later today... don't worry mum I will be safely on the ground holding the camera! Although I did go quadbiking on the dunes yesterday which was awesome (and I don't use that word lightly or often, but I feel this warrants an awesome).
What else...? I am slowly turning ino the female equivilant of Bear Grylls. Bush camping every night; I've really had to toughen up. Neil, you would be proud of me (and probably quie shocked to see how quickly I can now erect a tent).
What else...? I am slowly turning ino the female equivilant of Bear Grylls. Bush camping every night; I've really had to toughen up. Neil, you would be proud of me (and probably quie shocked to see how quickly I can now erect a tent).
Friday, 30 October 2009
Shortly after writing my last blog I walked across the famous bridge that spans the Zambezi, spearating Zambia from Zimbabwe (stopping to watch a bunch of crazy people throwing themselves off it on bungee ropes)! In Zimbabwe I met up with the Oasis Overland group and after a very drunken first night, settled in very quickly. My fellow travellers are all in their 20s and 30s, and I get on well with the vast majority. Of course there are inevitable annoyances when you spend 24/7 with 25 other people in a confined space, but we are managing well so far...
From Zimbabwe we crossed into Botswana and Chobe National Park where we saw some incredible sights - including a herd of elephants crossing the river, lots of hippo's and a couple of sleeping crocodiles.
We then travelled onto the Okavango delta which has a long-held fascination for me. I wasn't disappointed! We went out on Mokoros (traditional wooden canoes) and camped under the stars within earshot of grunting hippo's (which was quite frankly terrifying). We swam in the delta and went on some lovely walks on the islands. I was also lucky enough to take a 45 minute flight over the delta which was incredible (and a real bargain - $60 US). From Botswana we crossed into Namibia where we vistied the Etosha wildlife reserve.
Last night I was at a watering hole and saw a black rhino from a distance of about 10m. Very cool. We also saw 2 huge prides of lions, plus the usual assortment of antelope, zebra, giraffe, buffalo etc which are, after 4 months of being in Africa, a bit old hat (but still lovely to see)!
From Zimbabwe we crossed into Botswana and Chobe National Park where we saw some incredible sights - including a herd of elephants crossing the river, lots of hippo's and a couple of sleeping crocodiles.
We then travelled onto the Okavango delta which has a long-held fascination for me. I wasn't disappointed! We went out on Mokoros (traditional wooden canoes) and camped under the stars within earshot of grunting hippo's (which was quite frankly terrifying). We swam in the delta and went on some lovely walks on the islands. I was also lucky enough to take a 45 minute flight over the delta which was incredible (and a real bargain - $60 US). From Botswana we crossed into Namibia where we vistied the Etosha wildlife reserve.
Last night I was at a watering hole and saw a black rhino from a distance of about 10m. Very cool. We also saw 2 huge prides of lions, plus the usual assortment of antelope, zebra, giraffe, buffalo etc which are, after 4 months of being in Africa, a bit old hat (but still lovely to see)!
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Goodbye Tanzania, hello Zambia
Leavng Longido was as hard as I had imagined it would be. The kids at school were great, they put on a play for me and each gave me a little card to say goodbye. And they clubbed together to buy me a present...a packet of biscuits and a soft drink! It was so sweet of them, obviously they have very little so it was a very nice gesture. The adult class threw a small party for me and presented me with full maasai gear - which I promise to model for anyone who wants to see when I get back to the UK!
I think the hardest goodbye though was, of course, Issiah. It was heartbreaking to watch him walk away for the last time, knowing that even if I do come back to Longido one day he won't be the same little boy I knew.
I am now in Livingstone in southern Zambia, after an epic 4 day journey from Northern Tanzania. I took the coach from Arusha to Dar es Salaam, where I spent a few days arranging train ticket, visa, money etc... It wasn't all hard work though as I managed to get to the beach for a day and a night which was pure paradise. I then took the Tazara train yo Kapiri Mposhi, which goes through some amazing scenery and the Selous National Park where the animals are so used to the trains they graze right by the trackside. Unfortunately, we passed through at night so missed all that! I stayed one night in Lusaka which seems to be a fairly well developed capital city. It was strange to see petrol stations and fast food restaurants after so long in the wilderness!
I'm now in Livingstone, where I have found a geat backpacker's hostel (with pool) where I can rest for a few days before joining an overland tour group on Tuesday. To be honest when I have encountered these groups on the road my reaction has been to roll my eyes and thank God I am not part of one of them.. but I am going to have to out my prejudices aside and join the spirit as doing so will enable me to visit Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. I'm sure I will be fine, but my greatest fear is that I am on a truck load of gap year students. I know I've not exactly got one foot in the grave myself yet but I am hoping to meet people from different age ranges so that I will have some slightly varied and educated conversation!
I think the hardest goodbye though was, of course, Issiah. It was heartbreaking to watch him walk away for the last time, knowing that even if I do come back to Longido one day he won't be the same little boy I knew.
I am now in Livingstone in southern Zambia, after an epic 4 day journey from Northern Tanzania. I took the coach from Arusha to Dar es Salaam, where I spent a few days arranging train ticket, visa, money etc... It wasn't all hard work though as I managed to get to the beach for a day and a night which was pure paradise. I then took the Tazara train yo Kapiri Mposhi, which goes through some amazing scenery and the Selous National Park where the animals are so used to the trains they graze right by the trackside. Unfortunately, we passed through at night so missed all that! I stayed one night in Lusaka which seems to be a fairly well developed capital city. It was strange to see petrol stations and fast food restaurants after so long in the wilderness!
I'm now in Livingstone, where I have found a geat backpacker's hostel (with pool) where I can rest for a few days before joining an overland tour group on Tuesday. To be honest when I have encountered these groups on the road my reaction has been to roll my eyes and thank God I am not part of one of them.. but I am going to have to out my prejudices aside and join the spirit as doing so will enable me to visit Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. I'm sure I will be fine, but my greatest fear is that I am on a truck load of gap year students. I know I've not exactly got one foot in the grave myself yet but I am hoping to meet people from different age ranges so that I will have some slightly varied and educated conversation!
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Crazy adventure safari
The last couple of weeks have been eventful... last weekend I was invited by a friend to his sister's high school graduation, which is a big deal here in TZ. I have already been to one and it wasn't an experience I was in a hurry to repeat, but it meant a lot to my friend so I agreed to go. So last Saturday morning I was ready at 8am to make the 2 hr journey...and by 11am everyone else was ready and the very old VW Beetle we were taking had finally decided to start! I knew the journey wouldn't be without its pitfalls, so when we got stuck in sand 5 miles outside Longido I wasn't surprised - the poor car was filled with 6 people and not designed for sandy, bumpy dirt tracks in the African bush!
We managed to get the car out without too much trouble and were on our way. But not for long. As we neared our destination, the village of Kitumbani, the car decided it had had enough and well and truly broke down. The boys tinkered under the bonnet for more than an hour but to no avail. Eventually a dalla-dalla (beat up old mini bus crammed to the rafters with usually a minimum of 20 passengers) came along and true to Tanzanian fashion, the people were very helpfu and agreed to tow us the rest of the way. Unfortunately the tow rope that we fashioned from the Beetle's one remaining seatbelt wasn't strong enough and kept breaking. In the end we had to abandon the car and jumped on the dalla dalla for the last few miles. To my secret relief, we arrived at the school just as the ceremony was finishing, but in time for food! Afterward we walked back to the car and pushed it into the village. By this point we were extremely tired and thirsty, not to mention filthy from the dust...my cream trousers were a very dark brown! We decided to stay and try to fix the car in the morning, so they boys bunked down in the car while I splashed out 3,000 shillings for a very questionable guesthouse (my room had a dead cockroach being devoured by an army of ants - who says you can't get luxury for 1.50)?! Miraculously, a mechanic had fixed the car in the night and by sunrise we were on our way home. This time thankfully without any drama...although many sightings of garanack, Thompson's gazelle, giraffe and kudu. I also saw some elephant tracks while the boys were trying to fix the car and followed them a little way into the bush before deciding it probably wasn't the nest idea in an area known for its lions. It was then that I had one of those moments when I thought 'what would I be doing if I was at home - and decided that I would have been in Tesco's with mum and gran. Sorry mum and gran, but I know which one I would choose!
This weekend I have spent a lovely days and night in Moshi, the town at the foot of Kilimanjaro. I went with 2 other volunteers and we had a great time indulging in semi-luxury. Moshi is fairly touristy so I was able to have a sandwich and a real cup of tea. Doesn't sound like much but 3 months of rice and beans is finally getting to me!
It's now less than a week until I leave Longido. I am very sad to have to say goodbye to my many new friends and of course the wonderful kids at school, but am ready to move on. I am heading down to Dar Es Salaam from where I will catch the train to Zambia to meet up with my overland tour group and begin my next adventure in Botswana and Namibia.
We managed to get the car out without too much trouble and were on our way. But not for long. As we neared our destination, the village of Kitumbani, the car decided it had had enough and well and truly broke down. The boys tinkered under the bonnet for more than an hour but to no avail. Eventually a dalla-dalla (beat up old mini bus crammed to the rafters with usually a minimum of 20 passengers) came along and true to Tanzanian fashion, the people were very helpfu and agreed to tow us the rest of the way. Unfortunately the tow rope that we fashioned from the Beetle's one remaining seatbelt wasn't strong enough and kept breaking. In the end we had to abandon the car and jumped on the dalla dalla for the last few miles. To my secret relief, we arrived at the school just as the ceremony was finishing, but in time for food! Afterward we walked back to the car and pushed it into the village. By this point we were extremely tired and thirsty, not to mention filthy from the dust...my cream trousers were a very dark brown! We decided to stay and try to fix the car in the morning, so they boys bunked down in the car while I splashed out 3,000 shillings for a very questionable guesthouse (my room had a dead cockroach being devoured by an army of ants - who says you can't get luxury for 1.50)?! Miraculously, a mechanic had fixed the car in the night and by sunrise we were on our way home. This time thankfully without any drama...although many sightings of garanack, Thompson's gazelle, giraffe and kudu. I also saw some elephant tracks while the boys were trying to fix the car and followed them a little way into the bush before deciding it probably wasn't the nest idea in an area known for its lions. It was then that I had one of those moments when I thought 'what would I be doing if I was at home - and decided that I would have been in Tesco's with mum and gran. Sorry mum and gran, but I know which one I would choose!
This weekend I have spent a lovely days and night in Moshi, the town at the foot of Kilimanjaro. I went with 2 other volunteers and we had a great time indulging in semi-luxury. Moshi is fairly touristy so I was able to have a sandwich and a real cup of tea. Doesn't sound like much but 3 months of rice and beans is finally getting to me!
It's now less than a week until I leave Longido. I am very sad to have to say goodbye to my many new friends and of course the wonderful kids at school, but am ready to move on. I am heading down to Dar Es Salaam from where I will catch the train to Zambia to meet up with my overland tour group and begin my next adventure in Botswana and Namibia.
Friday, 18 September 2009
Climbing Kili!
Well...I did it! Hopefully you're not too surprised... was a great week, much more fun than the week of hell I had been anticipating. I did the trek with 2 other volunteers, Fiona and Jenna who were really good company. We had a fantastic team of 7 porters, a cook, waiter (!) and 2 guides - one of whom was called Hallelujah! We did the Machame route which is meant to be the second most demanding, but is good because it allows plenty of opportunity for acclimatisation, which is the cause of the majority of failed attempts (including Roman Abramovich's last week).
The nights were freezing and the food pretty monotonous, but i'm so glad I did it. The feeling of achievement was great - but not as good as the feeling of my first shower after 7 days without washing! I am back on terra firma now and have only 3 weeks left on my placement, before travelling down through Botswana and Namibia with an overland tour group. While I am excited for my next adventure I am very sad at the prospect of having to say goodbye to the many friends I have made and of course the wonderful children who I will miss terribly.
A little something that people from the Dengie will appreciate - last week I was waiting for the bus into town (I say bus, its more like hitch-hiking) when a C.J Bardwell lorry went past - in my tiny little Tanzanian village a lorry from the Dengie was the last thing I expected to see. I was standing with a group of maasai school children and I started screaming like a mad woman, it was such an incredible coincidence!
Friday, 4 September 2009
Update
I am now about halfway through my time in Longido and am starting to contemplate having to leave the place that I consider (a kind of) home. I am truly integrated into village life now and the kids are used to me. I still get treated as a bit of a novelty by some but am generally accepted - now when the occasional tourists come to visit I feel more akin to the locals than the wazungu (white people). school is great, i have been teahcing some standard 7 classes (age 15-20) before their final exams next week. Is a bit daunting when some of the kids are taller than me by about a foot and a half...and in a class of 95 pupils!
In other news, I am preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next week (uh oh...now i've said so on here there's no turning back...
Apologies for short blog. In brief, all is good. I am still survisving on ugali and cabbage but am feeling happier after investing in a pair of jeans so I feel like less of a hillbilly!
In other news, I am preparing to climb Mount Kilimanjaro next week (uh oh...now i've said so on here there's no turning back...
Apologies for short blog. In brief, all is good. I am still survisving on ugali and cabbage but am feeling happier after investing in a pair of jeans so I feel like less of a hillbilly!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)