24 1 16 Arrow-root breakfast, St Francis church and feeding the Nile Crocodiles

Cecilia got up early to scrub and boil arrowroot. Which was an interesting African breakfast a bit like boiled potato but much more solid texture. We finished of with some cereal and toast. Then off to St Frances Anglican church. This was a new building just opened they still had the old church building in the compound which was tiny compared to the massive very traditional looking building they have built, it would hold several thousand people. The service had a good mixture of traditional and African hymns this service was in English but there was a youth service and a service in Swahili that morning as well as an  8 o'clock Common prayer book communion for the ex-pats.
We then went to the Karen Blixen coffee house to have Coffee and very good Kenyan beef burgers. Baroness Karen von Blixen- Finecke was the author of out of Africa she was on very good terms with her Kikuyu tenants and workers who the colonists called squatters even though they actual owned the land before it was enclosed and taken over by the ranches and her book is a very colourful picture of colonial life and she is well liked and remembered by the Kenyans.
We then went to the crocodile sanctuary where Sunday afternoon is when they are fed. We were taken around by a very knowledgeable young man who explained   all though was to know about Crocodiles and tortoises. The Nile crocodile is very well placed in it's ecological niche and a group of them can tackle anything within striking distance of their teeth. He also took us around the estate and explained a lot about the native plants and trees that were in the area.
Then home to a wonderful avocado salad and green smoothie which Cecilia had prepared.

 The crocodile has a fixed tongue and a very flexible palate to swallow large chunks whole.

The gaping mouth allows cooling from the mucus membranes they do not sweat.

 Mary holding a baby crocodile.

"can I have made into a handbag please"

 The crocodiles feed in groups holding and twisting the food betwen them to tear it into chunks

Mary holding a small Leopard tortoise you can tell how old they are by counting the ridges on the largest section on their shell.

Mimosa pudica or sensitive plant this plant actually collapses before your eyes when you stroke it 

folding it's leaves. It is used as a defence from herbivors and works by cells suddenly loosing turgor by a rapid outfall of water and salts through their cell membranes. 

Organic market, Kibera Slum and New Stanley Hotel

We woke up to sunny skies and pleasant warmth. After a breakfast of toast and cereals including weetabix.
We started off going to the local organic farmers who work as a little co-operative selling organically grown food. There were many stalls selling lots of organic veg and fruit of all sorts and descriptions including an apple custard and a white sweet potato which was delicious fried.
Then we drove to  the city centre via the Kibera slum. This was a bit of a shock we had heard about it but encountering the sheer size and smell of it was a real revelation. Today we were being taken on a tour of central Nairobi so after a brief cup of tea and a bun we set off for the centre of Nairobi , which Simon and Cecilia wished to show us. On the way we took a road through the middle of the biggest slum in Africa.
There are approximately 2.5 million slum dwellers in about 200 settlements in Nairobi representing 60% of the Nairobi population and occupying just 6% of the land. Kibera houses about 250,000 of these people. Kibera is the biggest slum in Africa and one of the biggest in the world.

The original settlers were the Nubian people from the Kenyan/Sudanese border – they now occupy about 15% of Kibera, are mostly Muslim and are also mostly shack owners. The other shack owners are mostly Kikuyu (the majority tribe in Nairobi) – although in most cases they do not live there but are absentee landlords. The majority of the tenants are Luo, Luhya and some Kamba – these people are from the west of Kenya. There are many tensions in Kibera, particularly tribal tensions between the Luo & Kikuyu, but also between landlord and tenant and those with and without jobs.

Francis told us that the government is trying to improve the conditions putting in public toilets Public baths and health clinics and police posts as well as improving electricity supply and putting in security lighting at night. Also some of the slum is being demolished and replaced by fairly rudimentary high rise apartments.

However their are still the open sewers which leak onto the streets and piles of rotting rubbish everywhere. The houses are just shacks are just mud built shored up by bits of rusting corrugated sheeting. The streets are lined with  tiny shops making and selling everything you can think of, there is a massive fleet of little matatus the little minibuses which pick up and drop of passengers barely stopping, also bizarrely a camel trotting down one of the roads .

So we drove out of the slum and around the corner we went past the French ambassadors residence and massive expensive residences. We drove into Nairobi stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the park and the centre of Nairobi.   

The centre was a busy bustle with large markets and skyscrapers.We saw the building where Dawn Stanley's father worked. We dropped into the cool and calm of the New Stanley Hotel for a drink which is an old style colonial hotel. One of the last places Princess Elizabeth visited before she was announced Queen at the Tree Tops safari park.

Then home to resurrect the water filter which Simon had just got back from Cecilia's mother which after a little clean and grease was working perfectly. 

 A picture of a child in the slum

View of Nairobi from the public park

So today was a day of real contrasts. We saw the very rich and the very poor. The poverty in the slum is something that all of us in the rich.world really need to be doing something about.

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21 1 16Hello Nairobi 22 1 16 Karura Forest

21 1 16 Good flight into Nairobi, Arrived in a very busy and bustling city. The first thing that stands out is the traffic. Stationary traffic provides a perfect captured audience for any sort of business operation selling papers fruit and all sorts. The next is the massive amount of new building all over, gated communities, shopping malls and office accommodation. There is a massive amount of new infrastructure going in.
We were met at the airport by Simon and Cecilia and there driver Francis. We weaved our way to the apartments where they live in the same compound as her sister and mother so the flat was soon invaded by little nephews and their friends. Being a walled compound with guards at the gate all the children are free to wander outside and in and out of the houses.
In the evening we experienced a power-cut so  dinner, a chicken freshly slaughtered was cooked on the gas by torch and candlelight. We were very glad to sink into bed and  recover from our long flight.

22 1 16

Today we went to Karura Forest.

This is an amazing forest of native trees on the edge of Nairobi. Good way-marked walks What struck us at first were the multitude of brightly coloured butterflies all colours very bright the emerald ones were particularly striking like jewels flitting over the forest floor. We walked along a path to a waterfall which was very spectacular and along the side of the river there was an abundance of jewelled butterflies, lacewings and dragon flies. We also visited some caves where the Mau-Mau hid out, partly hidden by a massive manikara discolor tree.
We then had a tea and chips,  
 

The intrepid explorers at the waterfall

Walking on the road in forest

Massive tree at mouth of the cave

The forestry department had put these useful labels on the trees along the trail

Francis added extra information as to which ones were good for medicine or cleaning your teeth  

Reflections on 2015

We approach the shortest night, advent purple turns to Christmas gold and red.
God has been very good to us over the last year.
We have taken part in a passion play Mary and I both playing disciples, and have recently finished performances in a nativity on the streets. We have enjoyed our 4 lovely grandchildren with the arrival of Daniel in June, with frequent visits to both St Leonard s on sea and Huntingdon.
We have enjoyed holidays in Crete, Jersey and Church Stretton.
Been on the bicycle a lot with lovely to Cherburg peninsular in July.

21 11 14 a strange way to spend a birthday

Woke up from a very good nights sleep feeling much refreshed from the previous day and a half's journey. I was reminded by a big stack of cards that it was my birthday, thank you  all who sent them particularly from the one with the amafranga in, which bought four of us a lovely lunch. At breakfast more cards and lovely presents.  Breakfast consisted of beautiful fruit the most juicy pineapple and african fruit salad dumped over a weetabix .

Rob and Jan and the Griffiths had various meetings concerning the water filter trial project. We dropped in to the "lawyers of hope" office which is now situated at Solace Guest house to drop off a letter and someone gave us a little presentation of their work. Basically they a Christian group of lawers who provide their services free for the poor and young people, Rwandan lawyers cost over £500 to hire which is beyond the means of all but the priveledged few. They also educated local leaders to report to them episodes where young people were abused or taken advantage of; also they work in the prisons with ofenders to stop young people re-offending.

We then walked over to the main Gisosi genocide memorial site, situated on side of one of the hills over from the one where the guest house is situated. We walked up past many government offices then through a more commercial section with many little shop workshops where they manufactured for example coils for motors with great reels of copper wire seen through the door. The site is set in beautiful garden and is very peaceful. It consists of large mass graves and an educational exhibition and museum. It remains a very painful place to visit but we were able to take a large part of the day walking around the exhibits and reflecting on that very recent past. Looking over to the hill on which the rising commercial tall buildings going up it becomes more difficult to imagine a city total consumed by carnage and filled with mutilated bodies.

So how is it that this beautiful peaceloving people turned into killers? Why did Cain murder Abel?

The process probably started back in colonial days before there were many tribes living in relative easy co-existence then the colonist categorised them into two ethnic groups and gave them identity cards. So they were labeled. Slowly, percieved inequalities and injustice led to escalating violence.

I have been reading a book by Miroslav Volf on the origins of Genocide called Exclusion or Embrace.

How do you kill your brother? It is not easy but if your brother becomes the other, the outsider, excluded from your presence it is easy to denegrate him and rename him. Once he becomes a “cockroach” he is easily stamped out. We have a choice either we exclude the other, the enemy or we embrace him. Embrace is typified in the Christian bible by the story of the prodigal son, the command to love your enemy; basically it is the message of the cross.

On our way home to the guest house we visited an art project, it was a riot of jubilant colour, full of very joyful young artists expressing themselves in very vibrant African colours and themes but in very new and creative ways.  It made a wonderful counterpoint to see these young Rwandans expressing just the joy of being alive.

 The new arena at the memorial

 A peace statue

 An old volkswagon they were painting at the art centre

 It was wonderful to see the bright african colours painted and woven into modern retelling of traditional African art this artist shows a wonderful optimism for the future of the country.

We arrived back to a much needed rest and reflection. Yet another little incident before our evening meal I had briefly gone out to buy a packet of Rwandan teabags (the best in the world) when I came across a little orphan chap on the pavement begging he was someone called Oscar we had met on a previous visit as usual he was hungry he lives with his grandma has one eye but even he goes to school. So he went off happily with a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to feed his mum.

Finally a lovely beef stew as my birthday meal , plus a wonderful cake which Jean Marie our cook just rustled up at the end of our meal. 

     

We are back

It was great to be greeted by Jonathan Rob and Jan as we walked out of the airport into a grey and drizzily but very warm Kigali. The flight had gone well but was very tiring. Rather than just go to bed we decided to get a trip into town and see the changes in the centre, and of course for Jan her very first taste of Africa
Jonathan is now an old hand and took us to his favourite haunt the Bourbon coffee shop. Then we needed to go to MTN to sort out our Rwandan SIMS, a bank to change money and a little walk around town.
The centre is changing very rapidly into a very modern city with high rise buildings rising up almost weekly it seems. However still all the bustle and busyness of an African city. Back to the Umugano hotel for a sandwich and a little snooze. We then met up with Pastor Anastase to give him one of the computers we had brought out. It was for one of the orphans he looks after who is going on a computer course. Then our friend Teddy came to see us looking as incredibly frail and old as ever, it is a shock to be reminded she is younger than us! It was wonderful to have old old cook Jean Marie back at peace having fled back to Kigali from the Ebola epidemic where his last job had taken him. so we had the first of many very large and delicious African meals.(not casava beans and rice which the majority live on.)
  

                                                      Kigali city centre waiting for taxi

12 12 14 A look back at our wonderful Ruby wedding year.

We have arrived back in a cold and dark England which seems to be doing Christmas so I suppose we have to join in the fray! The lack of commercialism in rural Africa makes a welcome break from our bustling commercialism. However, long dark nights wrapped up in a warm house are good times to reflect on the previous year. A place for slow reflection is welcome  at this time of year, as the year draws to a close and the light dims; we can again contemplate the miracle of a wonderful event that took place over 2000 years ago, the coming into our dark dying year of the King of light and new birth.

Winter solstice

The darkest and the coldest time

Is also the best time

O Christmas Christ

The radiance around the moon

Is not as fair

As the radiance

Around your head

O Holy One

The majesty of the winter sea

is not as glorious as your majesty.

At the departing times

The coldest times

of our lives;

At the times of excitement

and the times of expectance.

At the times of intersection

when hard choices

have to be made.

Be with us

Prince of peace.

Kate Mcllhagga 

So what has happened this year? Well, we have all got a year older, which is fun for the younger members of the family, with lots of lovely family birthdays, William is now one, Gemma 2 11/12  Joseph a tall 7 and what a surprise on my birthday! 21st November saw Mary and me becoming great aunts and uncles for the first time, with the arrival of young Toby at a large 5lbs 14oz for someone who should have arrived well after Christmas. 

Last Christmas was a very exciting time with a family gathering at Vivienne and Ian's house for the beautiful wedding of Holly and Tim followed by a wonderful family Christmas.

 Our Dave, Charlie, Pete  and Claire

 Yes we did get up for breakfast the next morning!

February saw us back in Rwanda helping Rob and Jan with the Aquafilter project which involved field testing 1000 filters, a mamoth task to set up.

 Our friend Mary Ogalo from Kenya came to investigate setting up training

for young girls in self esteem and life planning

In the house of our friend Jonas with his parents, Rob had managed to organise

 a new wheel chair for his father with the help of a specialist charity.

April saw us visiting the wonderful Viking exhibition at the British Museum  together with the wonderful Anglo Saxon treasures always on display.

 imagine making this with no means of magnification

.

 The iconic Sutton Hoo helmet

Easter saw us visiting some of our beautiful national trust houses for the onset of spring flowers a joyful reminder of Easter an empty tomb and new life spring up all around.

The Snowdrop

by Walter de la Mare

Now — now, as low I stooped, thought I,
I will see what this snowdrop is;
So shall I put much argument by,
And solve a lifetime's mysteries.

A northern wind had frozen the grass;
Its blades were hoar with crystal rime,
Aglint like light-dissecting glass
At beam of morning prime.

From hidden bulb the flower reared up
Its angled, slender, cold, dark stem,
Whence dangled an inverted cup
For tri-leaved diadem.

Beneath these ice-pure sepals lay
A triplet of green-pencilled snow,
Which in the chill-aired gloom of day
Stirred softly to and fro.

Mind fixed, but else made vacant, I,
Lost to my body, called my soul
To don that frail solemnity,
Its inmost self my goal.

And though in vain — no mortal mind
Across that threshold yet hath fared! —
In this collusion I divined
Some consciousness we shared.

Strange roads — while suns, a myriad, set —
Had led us through infinity;
And where they crossed, there then had met
Not two of us, but three.

 Sheffield park

Now — now, as low I stooped, thought I,
I will see what this snowdropis;
So shall I put much argument by,
And solve a lifetime's mysteries.

A northern wind had frozen the grass;
Its blades were hoar with crystal rime,
Aglint like light-dissecting glass
At beam of morning prime.

From hidden bulb the flower reared up
Its angled, slender, cold, dark stem,
Whence dangled an inverted cup
For tri-leaved diadem.

Beneath these ice-pure sepals lay
A triplet of green-pencilled snow,
Which in the chill-aired gloom of day
Stirred softly to and fro.

Mind fixed, but else made vacant, I,
Lost to my body, called my soul
To don that frail solemnity,
Its inmost self my goal.

And though in vain — no mortal mind
Across that threshold yet hath fared! —
In this collusion I divined
Some consciousness we shared.

Strange roads — while suns, a myriad, set —
Had led us through infinity;
And where they crossed, there then had met
Not two of us, but three.

- See more at: http://www.poetrynook.com/poem/snowdrop-3#sthash.jxXpaol8.dpuf

 Wakehurst place

 Three crosses and an empty tomb

Eleven faithful disciples not sure about the Easter chicks!

April also saw our annual expedition to Exmoor beautiful in the Spring.

Mary somewhere on Exmoor.

Exmoor was a wonderful training ground for our annual Amos trust cycling trip which I partook with David and a friend. It started in Bridlington, went over a few bumps in the middle and landed us via Malham and York in Bridlington where we met the rest of our family had a  few wet days at the seaside.

 Joan, Dave and myself arriving in Bridlington to be greeted by Joseph.

 Malham was actually getting excited about the arrival of the Tour de France, not Dave and myself.

So not content with sunny Bridlington June found us in San Quirico D'Orcia followed by Cinque Terre on the Italian coast, our first proper visit to Italy since before our wedding and the start of our Ruby wedding anniversary in July.

 Medieval town square in San Quirico

   One of our holiday highlights was listening to Gregorian chant 

by the monks of this perfect Romanesque monastry

July I was off to Normandy with the Southover cycling trip visiting some of our favourite haunts just over the channel from Newhaven

The last meal has to be fancy dress

13th July saw sixty of our friends and family gathered for a wonderful celebratory meal for our Ruby wedding, followed by a concert by Mary's gospel choir.

A wonderful meal

 Mary with cousin John and brother Paul

Cutting the cake, beautifully iced by our dear friend Hilary Ferns.

August saw us camping in Asburnham at the very inspiring Icthus bible camp, then off to Jersey to visit Mary's brother Paul.

A leisurely meal in Jersey

August ended with a lovely trip with our grandson Joseph to see an open air version of Peter Pan

 

Peter Pan

September and we were off to Bodiam castle to see David complete his first triathelon

 Entering the moat

Congratulations and a medal!

October saw us in London for a wonderful joint birthday treat a visit to 

Shakespeare's Globe for the comedy of errors

September also found Mary singing with the Lewes Sings Gospel choir inthe Royal Albert Hall, having earlier won the BBC lewes gospel singers of the year. We watched a wonderful performance of the choir and joined in singing well known songs and hymns of especial note were the amzing sound we made singing the Hallelujah Chorus and Zadok the priest.  

 Performing on stage

 The group arrives outside the Albert Hall

November and December see us back in Rwanda which I have extensively blogged about below so here we are almost Christmas time for a rest and look forward to what we have in store in the coming year!