Categories: uncategorized
Date: 29 March 2004 09:51:10
The car continues to be interesting. On Saturday the gardener washed it - he specifically offered so I didn't like to refuse! But after the washing, it wouldn't start and needed pushing. I was pottering round town doing shopping after that and I was petrified it would need pushing again. At least it's quite light so it's easy to push-start.
Bought some boring groceries - though at least one can be sure most things have travelled very few miles, most of the vegetables from local farms and the milk shop is opposite the plantation, you can see the cows from the shop! After dropping the groceries at home went round to the house of some friends I've known since working with one of them in Tanzania, nearly 10 years ago.
Arrived at the house to be told they were “at their farm”. News to me, since I didn't know they had a farm, but headed out to see some other friends whose new house seemed to be in that direction anyway. They were on their way back and I turned round and followed them home - after all, they were expecting me. Spent the afternoon watching James Bond and looking at the plans for their new house which is what the “farm” is for - probably better termed a “plot”. It looks superb - on the Indian Ocean, gorgeous open-plan living with a verandah, balconies etc. The other friends' new house is on an adjoining plot. Hmm, somewhere for holidays I think!
Sunday lounged around in the morning at home and in the afternoon at a beach hotel about half an hour away, with two female friends from the Unit. There were some typical British guys on holiday at the hotel - all sunburn and tattoos - and we spent a while dissecting men, and, after we worked out they were squaddies, army men in particular. Some of them seemed to be learning to scuba dive in the hotel pool, but in some cases with more success at sinking than at coming back up. I'm not quite sure what the British army is doing in Kenya but anyway... there's an RAF area at Nairobi airport too.
Frustrated later by not managing to talk to The Bloke‘ on the phone - either he rings and he hears ringing but I don't, or I answer and then we get cut off. It hasn't been too bad during the week, so I expect everyone and their brother is trying to call home on Sunday. I told him he'll have to come out here next time. Text messages are great.