Water and noise!!!

Blog Entry1st April, 2008

Well is it now Tuesday, and we still have no water – but it turns out that it isn’t the area that is out, it is our place and that of our landlord, who lives next door. It seems that the water has been cut off!! – The bill was paid (so they say) but late and the water company are having a purge on late payers or non payers, and so they cut the supply fairly quickly and are not too speedy in reconnecting. Seems Samaritans are having the same problem – I understand that Moshye is quite a bit in arrears and he is down at the water company office on a daily basis at the moment trying to persuade them not to cut his supply off – either that or he will be tapping Donald for some more money today!

Meanwhile, our landlord didn’t tell us about the water, nor supply us with any in the drums which we have around (seems that every household has lots of these 10 litre drums around – a necessary piece of equipment for every home here). However, whenever our wonderful Violet comes, she seems to be able to fill all our drums, and containers with water, so we have been managingoHHoH
- even did some washing today. It had been piling up as just had to do some of it. Fun doing a washing machine load by hand when you have to boil the water to get it hot, and shlep (a nice Yiddish word) the water from drums into a bowl in the sink – however, we can then use that water to flush the loo’s – so its all good stuff, moving water around the place.

So hopefully we will be reconnected today, and actually we have been away and out a bit so it really isn’t too bad.

Talking of which, must tell you about Donald’s birthday weekend surprise. Jen and Joey had arranged to take us to Wag Hill (I thought it was an Island on the Lake but isn’t.) Wag Hill is a resort/lodge on a peninsular which juts into Lake Victoria. You can get there by road, but most go there by boat. So on Saturday, we met up with J&J and had a brunch with them, and then went to the lakeside to meet up with Bill and Robyn – he is a Rhodesian and has been here in Mwanza for some 20 years, and she (Robyn) is an Aussie who has been here some 5 years. They married last year. He used to be in the mining business and now has a security business here. He bought some land a good few years ago and has by hand and by his design now developed it into a wonderful secret hideout. It has four bungalows, a big lodge central area a bar and a swimming pool. It is on quite a hill and each bungalow has the most amazing views. They take you and are part of the party – the rates are all inclusive, and that means anything you want. The bar is open for you to use freely and it is well stocked. The food was lovely, prepared by Robyn before we left. You arrive by boat and so feel it is an island feel. The bird life there was just amazing. Our bungalow was called Fish Eagle Nest view – so thought we would see the fish eagles nest, but alas no (tho did see lots of fish eagles) however, the Sacred Ibis’s nest was next door to the fish eagle and boy do they have a call/cry. At 6.30 they started, and it felt like they were in the room with us, never mind next door – soooo loud!

We had a really wonderful weekend (24hrs) there. Sat by the lake watching the boys fish for tilapia, fished for Nile Perch on the way over and back, sat by a campfire watching the sun go down over the lake, swam and had a walk over the land which is next for development. Think they want to build their own home there eventually – it is a perfect retreat, a wonderful place. Hopefully I will get some photo’s up for you to see.

So back home on Sunday and off to work again on Monday morning. This is our last week with our placements, tho Donald may do a couple of days with Moshye next week too. Donald walked into town yesterday to meet me for lunch, and he went to the bank on the way. Got done over (robbed not beaten) by a couple of lads who had obviously been trailing him for a bit. He has a backpack which he uses, and each time he stopped, these guys loosened the zip of the back pack a bit, until they felt that they could get their hands in to pull out his money bag. They’d seen him use it at the tailors where he had been trying on wedding suits with Joey. However, he felt the tug and zapped around with his elbow out, knocked one of the guys quite hard and they both ran off. He yelled and he said that all of a sudden about half a dozen guys started to give chase – two minutes later, someone comes back to him, with his money bag, and an apology. He asked if Donald wanted to deal with the boys, but he declined. Luckily, nothing was in the bag, as he had his wallet elsewhere, and so there was nothing taken, but not a nice feeling. However, everyone in the street who saw what went on was most apologetic to Donald, and were obviously angry that these guys give Tanzania a bad name. But all ok and nothing taken – phew!

So the noise – There is, as I have already mentioned a few time, a constant cacophony of sound here. If not animals, then people walking, talking, cars tooting, etc etc. There is also the music – which is everywhere. Car radios blaring out, Dala Dala’s music pouring out of windows. The guys who walk the streets selling their wares from hand carts also have load speakers which carry the music advertising the fact that they are around. They could be selling, ice cream, music, or anything else. When at a bar or restaurant there is always music playing and competing is the TV which is left on quite loud regardless of the fact that probably no one is watching it or interested in it. This morning, I was woken by music blaring out from lord knows where. I think it may have been from a school bus which was going along the road collecting kids – it was 7 am, and it seemed to hang around for ages. It was better than the bus tooting for the kids I have to say, but it was so loud!

Tonight we are going for a meal with Jen & Joey at the Priests. The initial plans were that they were going to be married by him in Moshi. However the church in Moshi wouldn’t allow him to do the ceremony at all, and it also wouldn’t allow them to marry outside the church – J & J wanted to have the ceremony in the hotel. However, when they were on plan a - they had to have some pre marriage lessons/counselling/chats with him, and they carried on with these even when the plans changed. The wedding is now happening in three stages. Stage one is the formal legal bit which is being carried out in a registry office (just immediate family - parents and siblings - there for that), then on the Thursday, the Registrar will come to the hotel and be present when they exchange their vows, and that is what they will recognise as their wedding day. Then on the Saturday the Chagga celebration will be held. Anyway, back to the priest - they obviously got on quite well with him, tho Jenny nearly bolted at the first session – and he has asked us all for dinner tonight, so that should be fun.

OK – It is now 8.30 and I really need to get myself together – so I will sign off and be back with you again soon.

Lots of love
J

PS – the wedding dress is, as I type, on its way back here from India !!! En shalla!!!