5/12

After a mad, mad drive, of over six hours, on the famous (infamous I wonder...?) Nairobi to Mombasa highway (A109) including two attempts to drive through the Tsavo Park, which apparently you can sometimes get away with....especially if you're a reservist Police Officer.., and a "short-cut" along a very rough & rural back-road, at speeds which one might associate with a normal road, almost, we have now arrived at the house in Kilifi. I am so very glad that I have my camera with me, as my initial reaction is that I am so waaay out of my depth again. Thhis place is absolutely bl**dy brilliant, and like something out of one of the American soaps, good grief I feel more than a little parochial, as well I might....

However it is 23.15 and still over 30°!! Far too hot for Yorkshire based types who have, until this trip, been used to wearing umpteen layers, against the UK weather, I promise you. But the ceiling fan is helping somewhat.

I have so much to write, but haven't got my head around much of it yet, so here's a list of clues:

Crayfish, dam, Crested Cranes, Giant Kingfisher.

Old England, the generation & ideas gap.

The anti-mosquito sprays removing the printed labels from various items, including biros.

Tsavo Game Park: Access denied, at gun-point.

The reservist Police. AKA "Romeos". David is an Inspector apparently...

Guns, and their wearers....

Whites & their staff, a far too huge a topic to even attempt here.

Ringing home, and the problems & enormous cost of doing so....the utterly unhelpful operators....

The f**ing stunning country between Limuru/Tigoni & Nairobi, and ditto, moreso, between Nairobi & Mombasa/Kilifi.

The sh*t that is the overall impression of Nairobi. (And latterly also Mombasa) but also the quite reasonable contemporary buildings....

The history of the (Narrow guage) railway, especially with regard to some of the absolutely bizarre and beautiful (if isolated) mosques built alongside it, by & for the predominantly Indian workers who actually built it.

The apalling state of the nation's "premier" highway, & it's funding by other African governments, seeing as it is the main route into the heartlands...

The not-so coincidentqal geographical spread of AIDS along the settlements that attend the highway, and others....You'll have to work that one out for yourselves though.

The poor.

Charcoal, & life at the very edge.

Weight limits and p*ss-poor civil engineering. Huge ruts in the North-bound carriageway caused by same.

The beauty of Air-con.

The mental breakdown I had last night while reflecting on my life, with beers, tears & Anthea.

My own hang-ups & madness & how to deal with them.

My "home" relationship, Xmas, home, dogs, hunting, life, age, missed opportunities, and so on, and so on.

I know I haven't even started on the house yet, but I will quickly mention the fabulous pool, which needless to say I have already had a proper splash about in. Simply wonderful.






I must also add that, up to present I haven't really been in a Malaria area yet, and so this has been my first time under a Mozzie" net, which is a little funny, but extremely sensible naturally.

Neither have I mentioned the abandonment of the Lariam, and my sunbsequent changeover to Paludrine, which doesn't seem to have any dire side-effects, so far..touch wood.

Beach near Kilifi....the water was like getting into a hot bath at home...unreal....