Breakthrough ...18 May 2006 15:15:47

Hi there,
today was the hottest that I have been here. My arms look very red! I wont be called white person now ('Mazungu') I will be red person!!

Last night we got no sleep, I think the locals use any excuse to drink and the football bought them out for a beer or whatever..... what a roudy lot, hardly got any sleep, gave up with the earplugs, they just wont stay in, spend most of the night searching for them....... may need to use plasters over the ears!! NOT!

(sister on boda boda as example!)

This morning went by Boda Boda ('dubby' on bike) to the project, found they were a teacher down so stood in, this was the 6/7 year olds.... ended up playing frizzby and football with them, they seemed very pleased when I showed them I could do a handstand, I think the ice has been well and truely broken now. We even did head shoulders knees and toes, they knew it and were better than me, played Simon Says too which was fun.

Had the strange lunch of white potato/rice alternative and shredded Kale, nice.... Decided not to go and buy a bike today as the other girl is actually away for a week in Mombassa and wants to get a bike too, hers would be sat for a week chained to the rails, so will wait till she gets back, not sure I am up to being the 'white person alone on a bike and lost!!'

Tonight we are out as one of the girls moves on tomorrow. Should be fun, about 15 white girls on the town! Tomorrow I am off to Mount Kenya with some of the girls for the weekend, I am not climbing it as it is the rainy season and apparently makes the trip rather bad, we are visiting the Mount Kenya park and staying at a friends hostel there. Apparently the countryside is fab.

Next weekend I am off on another girlie trip to the Masai (not to be missed apparently) we will be staying in 'nice' tents.

Forget to mention yesterday afternoon was washing time at the project so went with Megan to an orphanage that they know run by a couple who have come over and settled from Australia. They cater for babies and toddlers, the only one here, others tend to have toddlers onwards.
I sat with a girl named Zippy who is 4 and suffering from TB and Aids, she was left to die in a cot in the hospital when her mother died of Aids, she had no medication as there was no-one to pay for it. Ivan and his wife took her in and she is now on the mend from the TB, when that clears they will be able to start her Aids treatment, which out here is a very hit and miss regime. She was so painfully thin that I was afraid to hold her, but by the time I left she was smiling and laughing. It is amazing what these children are managing to live with and how little they have. Will try to visit them again they have a total 19 babies and toddlers so will be off there whenever I can after my project.

Ok well must sign off as it took an age to read all your messages, just to let you know the bodaboda man who gave me a lift today was impressed that I could tell him to go faster and slower............. needless to say faster was whilst we were struggling up a hill!! he he.

Take care of yourselves, having a fab time, missing you all.

Susannah