Month: December 2014


Mivumoni to Kikambala

Another day, another cute puppy for B!

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Lucy meanwhile is hard at work making breakfast.

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Baby Mike and his teddy.

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We visited the Franciscan sisters, and after tea and bread Sr Grace took us around to see their new fishpond.

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The pawpaws are abundant.

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Teamwork to pick a pawpaw – and yes, I caught it.

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On tour

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Pineapple

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Baby pineapple

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Freak pineapple with 5 heads!

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Bridget found a passion fruit.

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The two Mikes: grandfather and grandson

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Mwanamkuu also liked a teddy.

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Saying farewell to the family.

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At Kikambala we attended the New Year Mass, after which the youth burn a figure representing the old year, symbolising a new start in 2015.

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After Mass, before we headed into the house to toast the new year in Tusker (and sodas).

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Happy New Year!

Map of the Day

 

Mivumoni Exploration

 

After a good sleep, we were up surprisingly early, and Bridget loved all the animals around the place (the cattle get taken out after breakfast).

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One of several cats.

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The two puppies.

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Mike took us on a tour of the shamba.

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Blixa – used as a dye and for make up.

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The famous mivuma trees that give the village its name.

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I picked my first coconut (I was the only one tall enough to reach it)

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Bananas!

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Testing the pump at the new well near Lucy’s shamba; sadly it needs to be deepened as the water has dried up already.

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Bridget spotted someone’s bathroom as we walked to the spring where they still fetch water from.

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Butterfly.

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Ndunge and her son Mike and one of granny’s teddies.

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Bridget tastes her first madafu.

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Bridget is dressed properly by her sister Lucy.

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John gave the puppies a bath.

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Lucy took us on  walk round the village.

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The catholic church

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Bridget was loving the flowers as well as the animals.

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The secondary school where most of our young friends were educated.

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inside one of the classrooms – we hoped order would be restored before term starts next week.

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The staff room, with its inspirational mottos.

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More passion flowers.

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At Maggy’s Bridget found more friends.

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Leaving Maggy’s we met Mike and went for a Tusker, letting Lucy go home to help with the cooking. Another feast awaited us.

Map of the day

 

Off on another trip – with Bridget

Here we go again! Bridget and I slipped away from the Christmas celebrations at home and headed to Heathrow. Having found our meet-and-greet driver and handed over Meld’s car we entered the newly-refurbished Terminal 2, checked in, did some shopping, and headed to the gate. The flight to Addis was uneventful except for me turning white and unresponsive, to Bridget’s alarm, but I was OK soon afterwards.

Addis was OK – we were in the modern terminal – but our onwards flight was an hour late. Approaching Mombasa from over Shimba Hills it was very bumpy, but we landed safely, got through the ebola scans, queued for ever to get a visa, then found our driver.

Map of the flights

The car was waiting, and we drove into town, picked Maggy by the Cathedral, and joined the queue for the ferry. Two hours later we were on South Coast and had an easy (fast) drive to Mivumoni, with a short stop for shopping at Ukunda. Soon after dark we dropped Maggy at her home then got the car a bit stuck trying to turn round! (We hadn’t found the traction control button a this stage).

Minutes later we rolled into Lucy’s homestead to a warm welcome, and a feast.

Map of the drive

We didn’t really do justice to the feast, we were so tired after a night with little sleep, and were happy to slip into our beds, Bridget sharing a room with her Kenyan sister Lucy.