I'm back...

So. it's been about 2 years since I last updated this blog. The name, just another day in Africa still seems fitting. Although, I'm not in Africa, although driving through the streets with rundown motorcycles, brightly coloured taxi's/busses and building in the state somewhere between half-build and half-ruined, it seems like any place in Mozambiue or Sierra Leone, but in fact, it's Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Signs of the earthquack clearly visible everywhere, slums obviously growing, butthe geeneral chaos in hussle and bussle of an African City is going on here in the Caribbean!

More soon, but for now, the line of eager people waitng for the computer is growing longer and although not impatient, it is th right thing to get off now.

More to follow soon I hope.

Up and down...

To end of our trip to Kabala, we set of for a walk on Sunday morning to climb the "klipkoppie" that overlooks the town. Got a "guide" from the guesthouse - had know idea where to guide us to.

The "Guide" from the guest house had now idea where to guide us to.

Took us straight up a steep hill - slippery (How will we go down?), then just about half way up, 5 kiddies left there morning chore of cutting wood and jump all the way ahead - machete's and home-made axes in hand. The took one look at us and said we came the wrong way. This road is just for wood cutters - it ends in think grass, no way through - but they knew a shortcut. Having seen a few shortcuts before, we considered it and decided they knew more than our guide, so off we went, a bit to the left and more easy slope.

A short break to admire the view, trees and catch a breath, then all the way around to the right, over a homemade fence, through a little farm settlement (read 3 hut in the middle of nowhere surrounded by banana and paw-paw trees + few chickens) then on a little path through some grassy-bits, up a few rocks - and there we were - overlooking Kabala.

Great few, slight breeze, quiet - I love Africa!

Took some picture with my Weg magazine (just in case I want to send it in as a photo from an unusual location). Then sat with the boys - naming plants and animals ( penguins was new to them, so was rhino's, hippos and a few more - OK, they actually just new elephant, lion, leopard and bush pig, but who am I to judge). They enjoyed it so much - I left the book with them. Will sure be a hit at school - too bad they can't practice their reading.

Down hill was much smoother.

All and all a great weekend away! (and already seems ages ago!)

Road to Kabala

Set off from Aberdeen, Freetown at about 14:30 last Friday with a couple of friends to see what's happening "upline" - a term for the "in land" held over from the colonial days when a railway line actually still connected the dots in here. It was a bit of a last minute decision, but off we went... to Lunzar, Makeni and Kalaba

We combined pleasure with a bit of business. First stop, a Catholic Hospital in Lunzar, where a little patient of Sandra's was receiving treatment for Burkitt's Lymphoma. Little Mariama was not her active self (chemo had obviously kicked in), but she and the family was non thee less happy to see us. Her dad was more intrigued by the colouring book than she was. Good to know she's receiving good care there.


On to Makeni, quick stop at another hospital then to find a bed. The Hotel was full (apparently booked full because David Beckham arrived there the next day), but we were on a budget in any case. Friendly and helpful staff, bed not to bad, disco opposite the road very noisy, cheap (<$7 each), but...the bathroom could do with a bit of cleaning

North of Makeni saw a few "Camel Mountains"
Then hit the "Kabala Highway"
A bit of miscommunication (and no road signs) lead us around the town of Kabala, but delivered us at the door of a really nice guesthouse run by the friendly Mr Turay. Running water, single rooms, small living room, satellite TV (on one Guinea-channel) and electricity from 7pm to 12pm at only $10- a bargain.

Spent Saturday afternoon, browsing through the local market, took loads of photo's of kiddies yelling "snap me" and laughed as they watched themselves on the little LCD screens. Had supper of cous-cous and veggies with 3 Canadian girls from Care Canada and enjoyed a much quieter night at our guesthouse on the outskirts of town.

Got to see a bit more of nature, including the cotton trees in bloom and the fruit with a cotton-like substance.

Photo...

Got good news today,

A photo I took was published in today's Beeld (a Afrikaans News paper that my parents subscribe to).

I thought it might be a nice surprise for Ma and Pa, so a few weeks ago I sent in 3 pictures for the yearly photo competition.

One of these from Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada was chosen.

Unwelcome visitors

It's been a busy few weeks, getting back into work after the 2 week break over Christmas.


Lots of visitors have come and gone.
Usually - happy to see them, sad to see them go. Especially the two Timper girls (Maartje and Lieneke) who kept me busy during the break.


but...

2 snakes came to visit -

1st in the gazebo - broken broomstick later and a guard killed it.

2nd fell over the wall from a overhanging tree.

Frans took the picture - it got away!

A massive tree-trimming project was launched and I already feel much safer!


( Just don't know what Helen's gonna say when she sees the garden!)

A man in a boat

Nothing like a fresh coat of paint to start of the new year.

So, Sandra, Maartje and I set off to paint the clinic wall.

We decided on Noah's Arc, colourful and at least something the kids should k

now.

There was a few frowns as we were busy...

but (to the surprise of most people, it seems) the end product looks pretty nice, even if I say so myself.

Too bad, on Monday Sandra asked the kids at the clinic what the picture was about and no mom or child knew. Got as far as a man in a boat with animals. Seems like we might need to expand on our collection of Bible story DVD in the waiting room.

Some smaller things

On New Year's day a couple of us went up to the

Guma Valley dam - the waters supply for about 300 000 of the Freetown population.

We got a permit to spend the day there for a picnic and a hike. The hike was more a short stroll and photo session.



It was quite a change for me to look for small crawling and flying things to "snap".



Here's a few