Day: November 20, 2016


Quiet Days in Majaoni

At last Sharifu and John installed the new water pump

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The well is some 39m deep (at last that’s the length of rope we had to get to lower the pump into place) so it’s pretty scary to see Sharifu working with no means of support other than his feet wedged across the walls.

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Francisca with her aunt Sidi

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John, Tina and I went to Joe’s regular haunt, Kendas, for a late night drink (I’ve only ever been there late, with Joe).

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John and his dad Samuel at their shop.

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Joe’s brother Martin and his wife Selina, in their new house in Majaoni.

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We made a Sunday afternoon outing to North Coast at Kikambala, a regular haunt when Joe was based there, as an early celebration of Francisca’s birthday. While some of us swam, Dorine took photos of the babies… Francisca

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Little Aidan

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The swimmers.

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On Monday Beatrice and I grabbed some lunch at a little Swahili place in Bamburi – great value and quick service, and some interesting decor (egg trays on ceiling and walls!).

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We then drive to Coast General Hospital to visit Beatrice’s brother. Relatives sit around outside waiting to see their loved ones. It seemed much less chaotic than Kilifi (and given the weather, sitting around outside in the shade is far preferable to being trapped indoors)

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Ben was working as a boda boda rider and had an accident at the Bamburi junction (an “overlapping matatu” hit him and broke his leg). Apart from the pain, the financial impacts are severe (hospital fees, drugs, loss of income, damage to brand new bike…). This is also why I only use boda boda off the highway where there are no matatus to be hit by.

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