Things that go bump in the night!

I haven't been able to sleep very well recently. This is not due to the winged vampires that find their way under my net; but from forcing myself to watch three episodes of Flash Forward. Some girls at school rave about it, but as yet, I am still glad when the ending credits roll-up!
Now, I am a bit of a scary-cat...I couldn't watch Taggart when I was younger and even in Kuwait I walked out of the cinema when I realised I was going to sit at the edge of my seat for hours through a thriller...I happily trotted to the screen next door to see The Queen. Whilst holidaying at the coast in Kenya, I woke with a start when a millipede was crawling on my pillow...rather unpleasant. So, instead of tossing and turning and waking my roomie, I went to safer grounds and read the whole night by the light of the fluorescent bulb!
My sleepless antics became the source of amusement to my travelling buddies...and I told them of one of my first nights on safari in Uganda.

You may recall my 'Run for your life' story, from Mhingo Lodge. Well, this story is the night before the run!Now...this is a great story to tell...but maybe hard to read...remember it is my stream of consciousness for most of it...bare with me!

Sleeping Lions

The view from Mhingo

My friends and I had just arrived at Lake Mburu national park, known for its zebras, horse-back safaris and Mhingo Lodge. Wine was poured and stories were told well into the night. The owner was telling us of  the farmers in the area and that they were claiming for recent lion killings to their cattle...these unusual killings were the first for over 20 years. I found this story, against the back-drop of the African savannah (and all the sounds that go with that) quite unnerving...it was my first night on safari remember. Anyhow, never one to show my feelings (hohoho), when the night ended I bravely went my separate way to my luxury tent; dodging buffalo and baboons on the way. The tent is so special because it is positioned on stilts with a large veranda, looking right out to the salt-lick. You are really in the midst of the bush. I reminded myself of how 'wonderful' it was to be so close to nature, as I sat on the toilet, with all but a mosquito net between me and the dark unknown..ohhhh..just bliss!
Hmmm...heartbeat quickens.  It is OK, I am so brave...and I know just to stay still if a four legged feline comes to me, and I try to dodge the hippo and duck from a buffalo....or is it the other way round..oh no!!
Anyhow- back to reality, I am just going to curl in my bed with my book and read for a little bit. Oh, but lions don't have 3D vision,so if I have the light on, will they be able to see me in the tent!!!Oh-forget the reading, time for sleep...I am suddenly SO EXHAUSTED!!!
Sleep...I turn over...low guttural sounds were heard!!! Actually isn't that what the owner said was a lion's low purr...like a frog in the throat cough.
No, of course not!
Sleep...I turn over...I hear it again!!!!!

Oh god-now I am scared. I know, I will stop breathing, then the feline won't see me move!!!
I'll also quietly send a text message to my friends to save my life!!Thank god for modern technology!

No response from my friends...!!
What do I do now?
Text my friends to reiterate that I AM GOING TO DIE! And to say goodbye!!

A few minutes pass...I am still amazingly alive...(I think that the lion is just watching me at this point).

Then...
Loud purring...my god, there is more than one of them...and... LAUGHTER!

My two GREAT friends came to 'rescue' me...but were slowed down as they were laughing, along with the guard, so hard. I, now couldn't get out of my bed with fear and they couldn't get in to 'rescue' me...I  locked myself in, to keep ALL nightly visitors out!

When all parties had calmed down, and the guard had gone back to tell his friends about the crazy muzungu woman (yes, that would be me!)and my brave friend had checked under my bed and in the bathroom sink -we worked out my bed had a creak in it - thus making 'lion' like sounds every time I turned!

Oh yes, how funny!

I am a very brave and adventurous woman...lets run through the national park tomorrow, I said...and so we did!

I can't wait to go back to Mhingo!!!

Where was that lion Robyn??

http://www.mihingolodge.com/

Back with a Bang!

The holidays are over!
I am back in Uganda to continue my African Adventures for a wee while longer.
As always, I found leaving bonnie Scotland hard. My holiday at home was jam packed with fun and laughter. Stories were shared and lots of wine was had. (I joke to my friend that one particular story 'fed' me round Scotland).Tears were also shed- but only good ones, filled with love.
Friends and family that I met up with all want to know if I am happy, if I enjoy Uganda and curiously ask ..what makes it so special???
Well...I have been back just over a week and I have already; caught up with friends over tea and vodka, manged 3 runs looking out to Lake Victoria, been on a staff bonding over-night(where we played in the sunshine and gossiped into the night), been forced to go to the gym, played tennis, planned numerous camping weekends and activities...and started teaching Y4.
I have no time NOT to enjoy Uganda!!
I was supposed to be playing frisbee today, but rain stopped play-I now have some time to sit still, reflect and breathe!

Rules of the Wild

One of the best things about travelling is talking to all the different people that you meet. Some folk you meet leave lasting memories and others just an awkward silence. It is important to know what subject areas you can and can't talk about when chatting with these near-strangers around the campfire..or table. My friends and I made a list of subjects deemed as inappropriate chat whilst travelling -I will call them 'Forbidden subjects':

• The 'BEST'- this could be best beaches, hostels, caves, game etc- travelling is not a game of trumps!
• Ex-boyfriends/girlfriends/partners-this just makes all the listeners feel rather uncomfortable-too much sharing for strangers!
• 'Africa' and 'Africans' - this is specifically on the Forbidden list for people travelling around Africa. Funnily enough 1.2 billion people don't easily fit into a collective noun.

And last but not least...

• Safaris! I hate to say it, but talking about safaris should not be allowed. We all know what a zebra looks like...it is black and white...or is it white and black.!!??Nonetheless, I have seen a lion on television and in the zoo-big deal!!?? (well...) 

So now we know what we can't talk about whilst travelling..what is left to discuss!? Well, plenty...everything else! Favourite subjects for my buddies and I whilst travelling (mostly with each other mind) were; the recent bombings in Uganda, the joys of shopping in a first world city (Nairobi), Karen Blixon, transportation, roads and BOOKS! The last is particularly interesting when all travelling buddies read the same book..which we did! This led to many discussions on whether Denys Fitch Hatton just used Karen Blixon or whether Karla in The Believers got off the train at the end of the novel .

We couldn't get over the excitement of shopping in Nairobi...
we could never get sick of this subject! I even found hummus and Dorset cereal!

Whether the people you meet travelling are strange or super nice, wonderful or weird, many stories arise from your short encounters!Like the owners of the villa we stayed at that brought us daily gifts from the garden and encouraged us to eat radishes. Or the fresh faced overlander (a unique species of creature) that when he found out we were just in Kenya to do a beach holiday, innocently inquired after which overland company that 'did that'!

Even though most people you meet whilst travelling are just passing through, they become part of your stories and you part of theirs.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I have just come back from a 'holiday' in Kenya. I use the word 'holiday', opposed to 'travelling' , or 'backpacking' for a number of reasons: although I was travelling around a little (not doing a 2 week stint in a hotel) and I had a backpack,  I was not 'backpacking' or on safari. Forget the actual translation of the Swahili word 'safari', most people think when you go to Kenya for a holiday, animals will at the top of your priorities. Not this 'holiday'- I was going to the coast to relax, so on 'holiday' I was.

I carried a backpack, when I couldn't find a man to carry it for me (!) but I can definitely say that my backpacking days are over...if they ever began! This is not to say that I 'roughed' it during my holiday. I did stay in a couple of hostels and guest houses but they were all very nice and for one week I stayed in a great self-catering villa. The villa came complete with all the usual necessities; a private pool, sun loungers, a BBQ, a coffee maker and  staff! As there were only 3 of us staying in the villa we did wonder what we would do with all the young men! Men that came in at least 3 times a day to do the dishes, light the braai and clean the coffee filter...they did occasionally miss patches when putting on my suncream though!!!

The bit of the 'holiday' that I had more difficulty coping with was the transport!!
Buses, boats, bodas, taxis, trains, tuk-tuks and mutatus!
At one stage my friend and I were very tempted to say, 'sod this' and jump on a plane out of Lamu, rather than face being in a rattle-cage of a bus for 20 hours...something that Jo and I also did in Mexico.(Actually the only reason why I didn't resort to flying whilst in Kenya was that there was no space on flights with such short notice!)

However, if I had not travelled on public transport I was have missed out on the opportunity to share lots of little anecdotes. If I had not got the bus from Mombasa to Nairobi I would have missed the travelling salesmen; they buy a ticket and dressed in the Sunday best proceed to 'sale' lotions and potions that cure all ailments and diseases. If I hadn't got the overnight iron-snake through Tsavo, I wouldn't have been able to experience the sit-down silver-service meal.. I commented how thoughtful it was that they stopped the train while we had our soup...we hadn't then realised that it was the first of a couple of unscheduled stops! This one was due to a train ahead de-railing, the next was because our compartment was on fire!

From now on all my 'holidays' will be to somewhere I can fly to or drive my own car to.

Please remind me!!

Oh, and for my holiday to Scotland...I'm leaving the backpack in Uganda and taking my dolly-trolley!