TIA -This is Africa!

We all have those 'I hate Uganda' days (don't we?).

We dream of air conditioning, of orderly queues, of good service, shops etc etc. For my fix of 'civilization' I go to Nairobi. No boda-bodas weaving in and out of traffic, quick and good service at a restaurant, coffee to-go, Artcaffe (enough in itself!) shops with things I would like to buy...the list goes on.

Then...around the dinner table in Nairobi with The African Adventurer and his family on Sunday, the comment "I need to get out of Africa" was said. It was said many times that weekend actually, by different people. It is fine if you can hop on a plane to your house at the coast, or Europe...but this isn't always possible.

So, Nairobi has its many frustrations. I have no doubts that this is true, I just don't live there yet and am too overwhelmed in the supermarket to see them! (I spent five minutes looking at the different salad dressings on Saturday. I didn't buy any!).

But the grass is always greener, apparently so lush in Cape Town or Dar that I won't want to move to Nairobi when/if I visit.

My solution was to suggest a visit to Kampala, then everything in Nairobi will seem much easier!!

(By the way, today is not one of 'those' days. It is always hard to leave Nairobi,(yesterday made harder by Kenya Airways!) but today has been hassle free. I was awoken by a fairy this morning who made me coffee, had power to write reports, I caught up with lovely Jane and I'm off out for dinner with a friend after a hot shower. A good day!)

The Name Game

As tour guide of RUT, I pride myself on my ever growing knowledge of African wildlife.

"That one is a lion. This one is a lioness. Over there is a giraffe."

After over a year in Uganda, my knowledge is expanding and I can now name quite a few birds (mostly water birds) by sight and even by sound, thanks to my twitcher friend Sven. The hadada ibis (the clue is in the name!) being a good one for beginners, yet will still gain impressed nods from those novice safari-goers around you.

My African Adventurer then tried to take my enthusiasm for spotting one step further and started to test  my knowledge on acacia trees! I have a long way to go (!), but he obviously can see my potential, as has suggested I try and gain my safari guide badge once I am in Kenya (don't tell me if there is no such thing!!). My friend Kerry laughed out loud (a bit too loud!) when she heard this. Yes, indeed, it may be a bit harder than gaining our Girl Guides cooking badge at the age of 12...but I am up for a challenge!

My most recent RUT customers were a bit harder to please than some! How was I to know that one client, Nick, had spent over 20 years in Africa and knew a hyrax when he heard one (not a hyrux) and an eland (not an islander!) when he saw one? (All were slips of the tongue...honest!). We had a bet in the car on which animal we would spot first on safari; I said the Ugandan Kob...surely a easy win. Not, as I found out 5 hours later, when you are in Lake Mburu National Park (like we were at that time) and they don't have any! Bugger! Nick did continue to try to steal my thunder on a couple of occasions, but I wowed him with my extensive knowledge of trees!

It might take me a while to settle in to being a safari guide in Kenya; I think they have different giraffes there!!!

Topi

Ugandan Kob

Spotting from the Hide at Lake Mburu

The battle of the ultimate safari guides!

tingly arms, colourful skirts and express delivery.

My 3BT

• I woke up with tingly arms from swimming laps last night. They might not look toned, but they feel it!
• I chose a non-school skirt from the other side of my wardrobe this morning,  as I'm going for coffee after school with a glamorous friend. The material is from Zanzibar and it is bright and colourful, perfect for a Thursday!
• I signed for a DHL package today. Sometimes I forget that somethings things 'work' here! That is enough to brighten my day!

Time to train.

I am not someone who is easily motivated if left to my own devices. I don't find it hard to put on my trainers and cap, but I find it difficult to walk out the door with them on!

I need help! Help through motivational quotes from Runner's World magazine sent to my inbox daily and  through running buddies. I even signed up for the Two Oceans race and bought a flight to Cape Town, at  huge expensive, in the hope that it will make me get out running, regularly.

I rely too much on running buddies, and my buddy/coach is away at the moment, so am trying to get out on the roads alone more. This makes getting out the door harder, but as I am two weeks behind in my training schedule, I have no time for excuses. I just read that thinking alone, about my muscles will make them stronger (!), I better not chance it...so...

I'm off out for a run, alone.