Season's Greetings!

We don't do Christmas at school here. The word isn't mentioned. With two days to go before our winter holidays I have not had the glitter out once and the red tissue paper is still in the packet..bah bloody humbug!

(I remember Santa visiting every year at school here before...! Not sure what happened to that...but that is by the by.)

Anyhow, not to let the season pass completely unnoticed, tomorrow we are getting our hands sticky and making chocolate snowballs (I am linking it in with Forces and Friction...tenuous link much!).

It will be a mad dash for the airport on Thursday...I'll be literally running for that plane. Before that I have mulled wine at the embassy, a whole lot of chutney making to do and my three hour long run to fit in after work...

but...I can almost taste the holidays!!!

On other news...today I sold my Surf in Nairobi. Bitter sweet. I had wonderful pipe dreams of taking it on a massive safari this summer and then ditching it in a lake somewhere (for insurance purposes only of course!). I am still dreaming of Africa, I'll just need a new car the next time I go!

 

 

Ahhhh-such a good looking car.

 

PS- I'm off to Amsterdam for some good times with a great friend, then home to Scotland.  A bit different to last Christmas in Ethiopia. This is my first Christmas in 5 years that I won't be in Africa. Snoooooowww!!

The road-trip returns

The road changed from smoky highways as we left Nairobi, to red dust and blue skies of Tsavo, to the sandy tracks and palm trees by the coast and back again. Over potholes, passing eles and impala and slow moving lorries. 'Never a dull moment', is putting it mildly.

We began our journey home yesterday and continued as the sun set and the banket of stars covered us, we drove over 900km and are now back in Nairobi planning next adventures and future escapes.

As the headlights caught the dusty striped bottoms of more zebra and our tired-drunk conversation in the cars turned to hysteria, we were waved on through our tenth police stop and drove through the city limits- that was last night/this morning. Now my mind is restless but my eyes are tired. I can't face doing much today and am glad that a wee injury gives me an excuse to rest for the day. I look forward to sorting my photos and telling my tales.

Notes from Nairobi-finding the perfect safari car

Most of the newbies at the 'w' place have now got wheels. It takes a while to sift through the cars on the boards at the Sarit centre. But fingers crossed, we have got cars that will last. Cars are really expensive here, more so than Uganda,but they are full of 'character'.

For example, (I haven't told this to my parents yet)-my Surf can only turn left. I didn't realise this when I took it for a test drive, (I also didn't realise it had no handbrake...!I think I was too excited about my built in cool box!) - so when we discussed going on a road trip to Watamu, everyone laughed in the staff room, apparently the drive there will not be a problem, but I would find it hard to come back!

My friend just bought his first car, a 1984 Range Rover that was a gap-student's project. It ha no windscreen wipers (it has rained ALOT in Nairobi recently...) so you may spot him leaning outside with his boxer shorts in hand ...he is designing a new contraption which involves a spring and some string! The dashboard is a Discovery's so doesn't fit the car; you have to open the door to wind down the windows etc. It also has no locks-at all, not even a place for them to be fitted. My friend loves it (as he is a born-again *KC..)...but the group decided that his 'Simba' wouldn't be so good for our road trip tomorrow.
 
(PS- my steering is getting fixed so that I can make my return journey!)


*Kenyan Cowboy

Hunting for cars in Nairobi

The car hunting malarkey continues. There are LOTS of cars available; some perfect for the city (small and easy to maneuver in busy car parks), others perfect for safari and road trips to the likes of the Abadares and the coast...and for nudging your way into busy roads and driving over pot(man)holes! But as I am not in the position to buy two-it is tricky finding one for  both jobs.

A car that doesn’t need its shocks replaced, or one that the owner still has its log book is quite tricky to find – but one with a sunroof is near impossible. 

So...a sunroof is not essential-but it is so good for safaris. Today, when I began talking to yet another car buyer/seller, I actually was agreeing when she said I could just cut the canvas roof of the jeep to create a sunroof!! (I must have been tried!)

Thankfully I have made friends with a teacher that lives in my neighbourhood- as the taxi bill is racking up as it is nearly $9 for a journey to school. Maybe the cut-out sunroof is not such a bad idea???

Car for Sale!

I have decided to sell my car. It has been a great safari car, (brilliant having a sunroof for game drives!)but it is time to start looking for a buyer. I'm not looking for a quick sale...yet, so I will start slowly and put the word out...starting here.

Gorgonzola (quite strong and beastly, like the cheese) has taken me to the very north of the country, to Kidepo National Park, as well as Bwindi in the south and lots of places in between. She is part of all my safari adventures so it will be hard to say goodbye.

Gorgonzola has had work done on her recently; including new shocks on the back, new back break disks this month and a new water pump. She is regularly serviced (all details have been kept) by a reliable and trustworthy mechanic. She is also fully insured until October.

If your interested get in touch with me and I'll give you more details.

Plan B

Car all packed, i-pod at the ready, happy campers seated and belted -ROAD TRIP! Two minutes down the road and my pride and joy, the prada of Kampala, decided to die on me, dang and blast! I had only just picked it up from the garage yesterday after a routine service and had paid the equivalent of $150 for men in overalls to tickle its tummy. What could it be? Well, many hours later in a garage eating sandwiches in a 'dead' mice infested slum, myself nor the mechanic were any the wiser of its problems!

Our camping trip to Lake Albert would have to be rescheduled;other smaller cars couldn't possibly fit in my 4 pairs of essential footwear! 

There was nothing for it but to have a boozy lunch (after a good old scrub!) at a 'beach' bar and re-think the long weekend plans. It only took one sip of a mojito for the words "Ndali Lodge" to slip out. We had originally planned to stay at this lodge for one night, at the end of our camping trip, but...aren't we worth it!! I don't think I had finished speaking when my friends quickly agreed, Plan B sounded like a fabulous idea!

Another morning, another car..and less bags and shoes...and we were on the road again! Destination Ndali Lodge. http://www.ndalilodge.com/

Once we drove through the slums of Bukoto and past the 30km of roadworks and potholes (which need a posting all of themselves!), our shoulders started to relax and we sighed a sigh of contentment -we were finally out of Kampala!

Fort Portal and the crater lakes around them is one of my favourite areas of Uganda, if not my top spot; its luscious farming areas and tea plantations, all overlooked by the towering Rwenzori Mountains. On the agenda for the weekend...not very much at all! Bliss!

Yoga Zen

Wednesday is my hump-day. By Wednesday I have lost patience with my class, I have started to raise my voice and usually forget to smile! Thankfully, I have yoga on a Wednesday evening, this somehow transforms me into a better person...for 2 hours or so…and I am left refreshed to finish the week smiling…it usually lasts till Friday night when it is time to open the wine!

I choose to battle against potholes (craters better explain their size!) and traffic every Wednesday, making my way across the other end of town, but after each session I am thankful I made the journey! My yoga class is amazing; the teachers are very special and the space is beautiful…on a hill over-looking the city. We yogis are made to work hard and we sweat buckets, but as soon as the words, ‘aannd, prepare for Shavasana’ are said- my body (which is usual still shaking from hard-work) happily takes on the ‘corpse pose’ and I make a contented sigh! Our reward for making it through the week, traffic, yoga session; is a little rest with eye cushions on…where I either fall asleep or start dreaming about my dinner…!On a very good day we get a foot massage!

This Wednesday was no different. My friends and I left the class counting our blessings. We were happily munching on our delicious post-yoga workout meal…yummy Indian food and discussing our new book club novel, ‘Shantaram’, when…"ops I left my wallet in my big beast of a 4x4 locked car. Oh no, I can’t find it! Oh phew, I’ve got it. Oh no-the wallet is absolutely empty and my phone is missing!” And then the realisation of what had happened! Dang and blast!

Ah-the thieving buggers ruined my Wednesday night zen! My class were more upset than me when I arrived in school on Thursday…!