Bits & Pieces

Thursday October 18^th

Cliff was hoping to get up to Pangani this weekend, driving up tomorrow, but has had to cancel so I decided to brave the basi and have a trip down to Dar as Salaam.  I have to go sometime in October anyway as I promised my GP to have my blood checked because of the Warfarin (rat poison) that I take and there are no facilities to do blood tests in either Pangani or Tanga.  It seemed silly to go when Cliff has moved on so I have decided to ‘kill two birds with one stone’ (Three if I can get hold of that cockerel – oh behave yourself Lonsdale).

Because of the safari I needed to set work for my classes to cover my absence and this and the organisation for tomorrow seemed to take most of the day so I decided that today’s log is a mish mash of things that I have not had time or space to cover before.

Firstly, transport.  I have mentioned many times, my adventures on the back of motor bikes and that I have finally stopped hugging Denis and instead have a white knuckle grip on the luggage rack behind.  This is how the ladies cope with it –

The side-saddle seems the preferred position whether on the back of a push bike or a motorbike and often the passenger on closer examination is nursing a baby as well. 

Secondly, transport again.  Getting commodities moved around the area is quite a task and it is nothing to see a push bike travelling down the road laden to the skies.  I even saw one yesterday with a double bed mattress strapped on behind.  He should have waited and this pickup could have dropped one off for him –

Thirdly, cleanliness.  The day ay Boza starts well before assembly at 7:45 as this group illustrate.  The time is 7:30 and they are sweeping leaves off the drive with what from a distance looked like egg whisks.  Eva and Deo do the same task at the YM. –

And finally some good news.  The cockerel has finally proved his worth (or rather one of them has).  I was becoming quite guiltily concerned that the procession that had been three cocks and four hens seemed to have been whittled down somewhat on the female side and there only appeared to be two hens around.  Was I the guilty party.  I decided to investigate and found that the two missing ladies had been hatching a clutch of eggs and with about 15 additions to our little family, hopefully ‘kuku’ might be on the menu a little more regularly.

Dar as Salaam tomorrow. Early start.

Baadaye.