Finishing touches....

Hiya!


Time has been flying & I am sorry it has been soooo long since my last update! I've been REALLY busy sorting out the final finishing touches at Hill Wheeler School, ready for the official opening that was celebrated this afternoon!


So, since the last blog, Aaron has arrived here in Kenya! A convoy of myself, Moses, Keegan & Loice (& some of my luggage) went to collect him early last Saturday morning. His flight landed at around 9.30am, so we were up early - even though the airport is only half an hour away, with the morning traffic it takes about an hour. It was great to see him after so long but wierd as well as I've hardly spoken in normal English for so long!! I now talk like I'm constantly trying to get people to understand me...v.slow, simple, emphasising certain words - oh it's crazy! So, it's been really nice to chill out & chat with him without lots of repeating. The taxi dropped me & Aaron to the hotel where we are staying for the last two weeks & then carried on to Mtwapa village to drop Loice & Moses to their homes.


The hotel I booked is amazing & I managed to get a good deal on it. It's traditional & so lovely inside...& it's probably only about 50 metres from our room window to the Indian Ocean. The view is breath-taking. It's crazy because all these luxurious hotels are a stone's throw from real poverty in the surrounding villages & the guests are none the wiser. They don't venture out of the hotels...& we've been getting funny looks every time we throw on our rucksacks & leave the complex for the day. The staff talk to us more than the other guests - ask us what we're up to etc. & they are so surprised when I tell them we're going to Mtwapa. It's a good base as it only takes about 5-10mins to get to Mtwapa village on a matatu which costs us 20pence each. Sometimes we get a motorbike ('piki piki' in Swahili) but the roads aren't the safest so a matatu I'd say is marginally safer! We're only on a B&B basis (most are all inclusive or maybe a handful are Half Board) so we grab some lunch locally & have been trying a few of the restaurants in the evening. We've ate in the hotel a couple nights which has been nice but our favourite placing is a floating restaurant on the creek called 'The Moorings'. It's one of the most beautiful places I have experienced... You walk out along a small jetty with ropes to hold on either side of you, to step onto the floating decking, which has a circular bar in the middle & about 20 tables for dining. Also there is an old-fashioned wooden boat that you step onto which has smaller more cosier tables & loungers where you can just gaze out at the water & the landscape. In the evenings when the water is still, the moonlight is only helped with a scattering of candles on each table & you are bobbing so very very gently - it is really a memorable experience.


The day Aaron arrived was rather hectic as I was so excited for him to see the village. We caught up v.briefly at the hotel & then we were off for the day! First I took him to the school (Hill Wheeler) where I had done all the work & we spoke about what the finishing touches were. We then just walked around the village so he could see the kinds of conditions the locals lived in. Saturday is a good day to do this as everyone is in church for pretty much the whole day so the villages are quiet & it is easy to walk around without being noticed! We then headed to Moses home where Aaron met Emily & Shakeel & we all ate lunch together. I knew Emily would have prepared something for us & it was soooo delicious! They piled Aaron's plate so high & he managed it all! I am so used to waiting once the food is placed before me, to wash my hands & then we pray, so when I saw Aaron go to jump in straight away, it reminded me of my first meal with them...

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Unfortunately that's all I have time to write for now as we are meeting with some friends for drinks in the village & we also need to get dinner from somewhere. I have a free day tomorrow so will complete the blog then & also post some pictures of the celebrations we had earlier today.


x x x x x x x x x x x x x LOVE TO EVERYONE x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

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Part of trip: Kenya, Mtwapa village

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