Access At Last

Made it to Mosambique Island, which is quite surprising having filled the car up with parafin which they call petrol here. It made for an interesting morning and we drew lots for who started the car first. The road into Mosambique was very poor, lots of sliding on mud, avoiding pot holes and having to go off road to avoid broken down vehicles.We had to have an unscheduled stop on the way to Nampula and had to stay in the local whore house which was the best accommodation available. The smell of the toilets brought tears to our eyes.

We had difficulty getting accommodation on Mosambique island and had to book into the 4 star hotel which costs all of £18 per night. So I continue to struggle. The island is not very busy it just has limited accommodation. We were swimming in the Indian Ocean by 6 am and collecting beads and glass from ship wrecks. We have booked Christmas dinner tonight in a lovely resturant and then we will join in the local festivities.

The 2 weeks on safari with the children was good but no one told me that pythons could get into the bedrooms. It was the room ajoining mine thankfully. I think the therapy is still working as I went to see it without any problems. I watched the crocodiles every morning on the opposite bank of the river, I got a shock when I saw one on my side of the river about 10 feet from my door and I watched the elephants and hippos playing in the river in the afternoons as well as going on 6 game drives where we saw many different animals. I also looked after the kids and staff and they have asked me to do it again next year. The other thing I did not expect was that instead of the lovely food that the centre is known for they made local dishes specially for the children which were not to my taste. We also had to eat without cutlery African style. So it was nsima everyday and other unappetising dishes. We broke down in the bush when we were escorting the children home. We had to wait sometime for help and the guide that was with us was dressed in drag to amuse the children. It was quite bizzaire to be stuck in the bush with a guy in a dress and wig surrounded by dangerous animals.

My other unexpected excitement was when lightening got very close to my house and it filled with red then my mosquito net light up like a Christmas tree. The net continued to glow for a long time after the near strike, other people´s light bulbs blew up and the principal´s DVD player blew up. It was during the storm that the telephone lines came down and were subsequently stolen. So life continues to be full of surprises.

Most VSOs go away for Christmas so we have already celebrated with friends in Malosa and Matawali before everyone headed for their holiday destinations. We will head off to Pemba then on to some of the more remote islands in a couple of days and continue our Mosambique experience.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and happy New Year. Keep in touch and thanks for all the lovely cards and parcels.

Merry Christmas

Internet access is non-existent at the moment. (JB is posting this blog entry for me). All telephone lines to the College were brought down during a recent thunderstorm. Some enterprising people took advantage of the availability of copper wire lying on the ground, so it may be some time before I can post a full update on my recent activities. Thanks to all for your support this year. Hope you have a good Christmas, and best wishes for the New Year.