On our travels.....

Have contemplated a red cross parcel of batteries after reading of your power issues!
As ever sounds fascinating. Not sure we could cope sleeping with goats and cows though Anne's been calling me an 'old goat' for years.
Sam & Gavin moving to their new house end of July so there's a lot happening here.
24th/25th seems ok at the moment. When you've time send me an Email with more travel details and we'll sort something out. Would be good to see you before you go back.
Good luck with the electricity. Be careful.
Love ... Rod & Anne x

  Rod & Anne Jul 6, 2011 9:37 PM

This will probably feel like your longest week ever. I remember the feeling in Malawi how long the nights felt - 12 hours of darkness with no electricity is a long time to fill and cannot be done with sleep alone. I used to have a ritual of sending text messages then reading by torch light. I would often waken up in the middle of the night then read again for a while and wonder if I was waking up everybody by winding up my torch (Note Rod batteries quickly run out and can be difficult to get). I made winding up my torchesbpart of my daily exercise routine. Like you everybody seemed to be up at 5 in the morning. It must be more frustrating having electricity then having it cut off all the time. You won't be able to plan anything. Never mind the next two weeks will fly in after your visit to the chagga village. You should put your photos of their houses on facebook and tell everybody this is where you are staying. Do they get their electricity from a generator? Are they farmers or goat and cattle herders? They are probably thinking look at these stupid people living in the town without electricity. Did you get any offers of marriage from Chagga men? It would be interesting to find out how many goats you are worth. The Kenyan, Francis who works with me in Rothesay had to pay a dowry of 50 goats for his wife Mary - in installments of course.
I don't want to make you feel bad but we spent yesterday on Kisilano Beach which is just across the bridge from where we are downtown. We loved our trip to Victoria. It is more like a big town than a city, very laid back and certainly a place I could live. The sea plane took us right into the harbour in the centre of town. The flight and the views were fantastic and we were sorry we weren't flying back again. However the sail back was just as enjoyable. It was a large car ferry with 5 car decks and 3 passenger decks but managed to load up in 10 minutes. But the gulf is a maze of islands and the ferry had zigzag it's way through channels that weren't much bigger than the ferry itself while avoiding the dozen or so other ferries travelling between the various islands.
We are planning to get the cable car up Grouse Mountain today, the snow peaked mountain directly opposite in North Vancouver. Hope to see some bears.
You will be able look back on your experience in awe. Keep the blogs going. Let us know how you got on with the group from Glasgow going up the mountain. It would be interesting to get a before and after - how they were before going up and how they felt afterwards.

  Gerry and Kate Jul 7, 2011 2:21 AM

Finally figured out there was more than one page to this blog. I am now fully up to date and will not seem so vague when I'm speaking to you on Skype. I had hoped you would meet a nice Australian but I suppose an African goat herder shouldn't be ruled out.
Will have the food requested organised for your arrival home. Take care and no more walking home when it's getting dark.
Auntie Mo xx

  Maureen Harrison Jul 7, 2011 4:31 AM

Phew, i'm glad you are posting now. Sounds like your having quite an experience so i look forward to seeing the photos. Same same here. Going to Stab tonight after work for a drink for Charlene's bday and trying to wrap up things at work (got 2 weeks left).

Megan xx

  Megan Jul 7, 2011 3:34 PM