All Packed Up And Ready To Go

South Africa here I come, then home in a week. It can't come soon enough. I've been looking forward to my trip home for such a long time. My luggage is overweight mainly due to all the rough stones that I collect here, unfortunately there are no precious stones in my collection. Arrangements have been made for my chickens and cat. I'm desperate for the cold wind, ice and rain. The rainy season has started here, about a month late, so its a bit cooler when the rain falls and for a while after that. However its still too hot for me and the humidity is a killer. I've woken up a few times with my bedroom floor flooded, especially under the bed. It took a while to find where the water was coming from because the rain had stopped by the time I found the flood. It was coming in the window. None of the window frames fit properly so there are gaps where the water gets in. Its not everyone that has a water bed in Africa. When there is heavy rain fall it can flood the holes that snakes live in. We had a huge green mamba in the garden which my neighbour was chasing and trying to kill. I kept out of the way.

I spent another week doing the Children in the Wilderness holiday. There were no pythons in the rooms this year only scorpions, huge ones. There was also an assortment of the biggest, hairiest spiders that I have ever seen. Getting there was an interesting trip. I got a mini bus to the nearest town then a bike taxi for the last 15 kilometers, its a good job these African lads are strong. When we got to the river the guy had to carry the bike over and I had to wade through this fast flowing, muddy water up to my knees wondering what was lurking in it. The kids had a ball on camp. Some visitors flew into the safari park in a private plane, a small Cessna, so we did a trip to the airstrip to let the kids see a plane. I remembered when I was a kid how excited I got when I saw a plane. In the west we forget that more than half of the worlds population has never seen a plane. The kids loved it. However I'm glad I wasn't the next passenger after the kids had played with the wing flaps and propellers and put their dirty fingers all over the windows. The animals were as entertaining as before. Watching the monkey's play outside the chalets was a real treat, the baboons were not so attractive. Its quite strange going to sleep listening to the various animals outside your chalet and not being worried about the elephants and hyenas in close proximity. The chalets only have a 2 foot stone wall, the rest is constructed from plastic mosquito netting so there is not much to keep the animals out.

I know my husbandry skills, or lack of them, have let me down here but my confusion has increased. I've had another chick hatch but I've not had a cockerel for about 3 months. Maybe my chickens are having visitors I don't know about. We cooked one of the chicken last night and had a Christmas meal before we all go off on holiday. I had all the Christmas decorations that people sent me up, coloured lights and a decorated baobab tree. We never got as far as the pudding so I'm taking it to work later today.

We have recently had a few deaths from cholera in Malawi and the fear is that we will have an epidemic like Zimbabwe. VSO phoned to tell us not to shake hands with anyone and remind us to boil all our water. It may have been more helpful had they ordered the vaccine a few weeks ago, there is none in the country at present. I continue to be greedy with malaria and have just finished treatment for my 6th episode, the last 3 within 4 months. I'm a bit fed up with it but just think how bad it is for local people who don't have the rapid access to diagnosis and treatment that I have. At least local people have some immunity by the time they are adults but so many people die from it especially children. Someone died behind my house this morning. He was working in his garden when he was attacked by bees, they covered him completely and nobody could do anything. I spoke to his brother who told me that dying this way was a miracle. He did not appear to be upset. Maybe it is some cultural belief that this is some sort of special death. I only hope he is dead and not in shock because they bury them pretty quick here, within 4 hours of death if they are a Muslim, no one needs to be certified dead or have a post mortem. No one morns if someone is killed by lightening, which happens surprisingly frequently here, because it is believed that God had taken the spirit but it will be sent back. I would prefer happier miracles but his brother was happy enough!

I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone over the next few weeks. No one is allowed to give me any stress or I may have a relapse of malaria, so if I play golf I have to win. I have to get new clubs when I'm home because someone stole my clubs from the garden hut. Little did the theives know not only were the women's clubs but they had been cut down for me. So if someone tries to sell clubs for a shorty you'll know where they came from.

If I don't see you before have a great Christmas and New Year. I can almost taste that south African wine already.