Well, we had been planning on going to Mnarini Club in Kilifi for lunch but, to be honest, we just can’t be bothered.Instead, we’re having an extremely lazy day, reading and relaxing. I think Agy’s drowning in pina colada tonight, he’s certainly trying to drink every last drop of Malibu. 31st July
Thought he’d have had a hangover but, typical, he wakes up like he’d never had a drop.Yippee – I’ve finished my report.Celebrate with a walk up to wishing rock and a swim.Agy’s celebrating a hard day at the boardwalk with a game of water polo, oh my it’s physical, I can hardly bear to watch.Mich and the tribe are coming to Turtle Bay for pizza tonight so that should be entertaining. 1st August
It’s the first day of August already, the time is going by so quickly.I’m taking the report up to Mwamba via the beach.It’s a lovely walk, about a km past Wishing Rock.The tide’s going out and weather good at the moment.Up at Mwamba now and the rain is lashing down, hope it stops before I’ve finished otherwise I’ll get a good soaking on the way back.Well, it’s cleared up and just leaving now.Agy’s on the phone and will be coming back from Mida Creek soon so I’ll pop by to see a friend a few doors down and catch a lift from him. Returned home to a bit of drama on the tennis court.One of those pesky monkeys has himself caught up in the net, would you believe.It’s taken a Kenya Wildlife Officer plus one of the gardeners armed with a catapult to ward off his protective family before the little imp is rescued.Managed to lose some weight at last, had another hair cut. 2nd August Back to school! We’re up at Silverstone this morning.They are closing for the August holiday and we’ve been invited to attend their closing ceremony and prize giving.They have decorated the room with fresh flowers and the parents are there to hear about progress of their little ones.
Siverstone academy
put your hands together
Following the speeches we are entertained by the children, it’s so moving and we softy women are in dire need of hankies.Get’s me every time.After the show, it’s prize-giving time and we and our fellow TurtleBay guests have been invited to hand out some of the prizes – quite a privilege.Finally we inspect progress on the new classroom, it’s coming along very nicely, thanks to various donations.The Australian family who came along with us have just provided the roof so the “Kangaroo Classroom” will soon be in operation.
singalong at silverstone
prize giving at silverstone
I am highly honoured, Agy has actually offered to let me loose on the van.In other words I’m going to drive the car on my own.Watamu drivers, stay in your homes, do not set out on the road this afternoon.We’re going to visit another school with Tsofa, Education Officer with A Rocha (poor Tsofa has no idea of what he’s letting himself in for).I pick him up outside the gates of TurtleBay, must say he’s rather subdued, think I would be too if I were my passenger.Fortunately the school is only about 5 km away so the ordeal shouldn’t last for too long.Ok, we’re here, no major crash along the way.This is GedePrimary School.It’s a government school which means that education is free so it has many pupils, 1418 to be precise and just 26 teachers.There are around 70 pupils in each class.The classrooms are extremely basic and many don’t even have desks.
tsofa and mercy
On top of that, a special unit has been created, through well wishers, to educate children with hearing impairment or cystic fibrosis, 86 students in total.Tsofa’s wife, Mercy, is just about to graduate as teacher to the deaf children.They do a remarkable job.The first student to greet me is young Charo Shida.Charo is deaf and he is known as the daddy of the unit.Following a chance meeting with him in his home, a wonderful person was moved to want to do something for the handicapped children in the area and the new addition to Gede Primary was born.This unit is shortly to receive status as a school in its own right which should make quite a difference
Meanwhile, back at base, Agy has not been idling around.When I return (with van in tact) I find him sitting down by the pool, almost incapable of speech he’s so shattered.Today was their first practice session for touch rugby.Can’t remember whether I told you but Ocean Sports and TurtleBay will be hosting a big beach touch rugby tournament at the end of August.Messrs Leonard, Guscott, Deglanville and co., don’t think you’ve much to worry about just yet but in a couple of weeks time be afraid, be very afraid.
3rd August
We’re preparing for a staff raffle tomorrow.Sue and Bob, regulars at TurtleBay, are kindly organising this for the second year in a row.It’s a wonderful opportunity to thank the guys who work here for all that they do for us.Sue and I are sitting on the beach, chatting and folding raffle tickets - it’s all rather pleasant.Caro from ASSETs is here for lunch in the pizza restaurant and Agy has joined us.He’s come back from Mida Creek armed with a letter.I open it and am delighted to see that Nuru has written to us.She lives right by the Creek and would love to see us so we will go to visit her next week.
Not sure what we’re letting ourselves in for this afternoon but we’ve been pestering some of the guys to take us to taste palm wine.It’s all arranged for 4 pm.We pick up our friend outside the front gate and he takes us to a little shack off one of the tracks in Timboni.There are quite a few men seated on logs under a palm-thatch roof (makuti) and we join them.The palm wine arrives in bottles and looks very milky.We are handed a little pot containing a straw but before being allowed to drink must sprinkle a few drops on the ground for the ancestors.Agy goes first.Silence.Now it’s my turn.Initially it tastes quite sour, followed by vague coconut then something like cabbage.Think it must be an acquired taste.To be honest this stuff can be quite lethal and have a narcotic effect.One of the boys we are talking to nods off in mid sentence.We spend a very pleasant couple of hours chatting but without indulging further.We can still taste it several hours later.
Glad we’re still sober because we’ve been invited to a surprise birthday party at Bustani this evening.As soon as we arrive the music is fantastic, mainly African, and the atmosphere great.The birthday boy arrives about an hour later and he has a grin on his face like a Cheshire cat.We dance the night away until about 1.30 and decide we must leave now as we’re back to school in the morning and if we’re late it could mean detention.
