Day 2 - Settling in

After a great night’s sleep I woke up bright and early before the alarm for church which started at 7.30am, although most other days it will be at 6.40am.  Now that’s not a bad start to a new challenge.  The mossi net was still tucked around the bed so I’m guessing I wasn’t too restless during the night.

Breakfast was some bread and peanut butter, washed down with bottled water and topped off with an anti-malarial tablet.  I’ll eventually get the cooker working, but at the moment there is no switch for the grill, both rings come on as soon as the power is switched on, and the oven seems to be home to my little friend, the lizard. 

 Went to the local market with Wendy, Kathleen and Tsunami Lund.  The girls were keen to show me the sights and I was able to buy a covered juice jug and some very brightly coloured material, which I will either have made into a dress or will use as table coverings.  I’ll ponder on that for a few days.  It was interesting to see the offerings on the stalls – everything from live chickens to just a few tomatoes to bags of charcoal.  Oh – and the furniture.  Three piece suites being put together with rough wooded frames and covered in foam and material.  Seemed like there were hundreds of suites for sale!!!  The thing none of the pictures conveys is the smell.  Hard to describe the combination of aromas – dried fish, dust, spices, dust, chickens and people, and dust.  I don’t think my feet have ever been so dirty – or blessed, as Wendy said!  And, of course, soaking and cleaning them later was a challenge in itself given the intermittent water supply, which never seems to get warm let alone hot.  If my dear wee Gran was right then I’ll come back with beautiful skin – she was a great fan of cold water ablutions at 4.30 am, and I’m just about on track there!!

And… wait for it…saw my first snake, and was even brave enough to take a picture of it!!!!!!!  So glad it was at a good distance, especially as Jenny and Wendy think it’s of the poisonous type.  EEEKKK!!!  Just a bit different to hiding or running out of the living room when they come on the telly at home.  And you know those ‘Beware of the Dog’ signs we see on folks gates etc.?  On my leisurely walk along the side of the dam with Wendy and the girls the sign read ‘Beware of Crocodiles’.  Yup. Good idea!!