Habib, hotels, planes, changing room, sun, sand and a wedding

Am supposed to be doing work….oops…but I thought it was ages since I wrote anything on here last, but it seems that it was only at the beginning of the month…but that seems like such a long time ago now…

Since my last blog, I’ve been in Khartoum, Renk, Khartoum again, Khartoum Airport, the Hilton Hotel (unforeseen circumstances), Khartoum Airport again, Nairobi, Dar-es-Salam, Lazy Island, Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salam, Nairobi, Khartoum Airport (you’ve got to love it!), and Renk…I think you get the picture J

So, my friends from my church in Reading decided to get married on Lazy Island in Tanzania on 14th June 2007. Hannah’s (the bride) parents are missionaries in Dar-es-Salam, so it was the obvious location. I was actually invited the day I flew out to Sudan to start this job, so it seemed rude not to go, seeing I was so close. All the plans were made and I was due to fly out very early in the morning (like, 3:45am) of 13th June. Khartoum Airport don’t seem to like human-friendly flying times J Anyway, at about 3:00am we found out that our flight to Nairobi had been cancelled due to the habib (dust storm)…well, it just wasn’t landing in Khartoum but carrying on the Cairo. I was gutted. There was no way I was going to make the wedding. The next flight wouldn’t be until 24hrs time, and there would now be two loads of people to fly to Nairobi, and one plane…it seemed unlikely (even though we were told we’d be given priority). I told Kenya Airways I wanted to cancel my flight. But I happily went with them to the Khartoum Hilton Hotel, which is where they would put us up for the night. I was never going to get the opportunity to stay in a Hilton Hotel; let alone for free…I’d be crazy to turn down such an offer (that’s how I justified it to myself anyway)!

It was about 4am by the time we’d all checked in and got to bed. Texted Steve & Gill (Hannah’s parents in Tanzania), and told them I probably wouldn’t be coming. I decided I would phone the office the next morning and get them to book me on the bus to Renk on 14th June. I know, it’s confusing, the day of 13th June was just beginning…but it felt like a whole day had past.

My bed was the coolest! Big bed all to myself, lots of pillows and a lush duvet…ace! I was sure I’d sleep for hours…but I woke up at 9am. Malesh. But it meant I could phone Steve & Gill (we were allowed a free international phone call) and update them on what was happening. They told me to come anyway. The wedding was at 11am. The flight was scheduled to land in Dar-es-Salam at 8:25am on 14th June, so I should make it to the island on time. I wasn’t convinced, I said I’d let them know. I then phoned my mum, and she phoned me back (didn’t want to take advantage of KA generosity!)…she agreed that I should get the flight and try and make the wedding. I think her thoughts were more along the lines of hoping I’d meet a gorgeous guy out there…despite me telling her that I knew all the guests that were coming (no offence guys!).

Anyway, I’m rambling, and I’m sure this isn’t very exciting. To cut it all short, after breakfast I headed into town with a random AU guy I met, and wondered aimlessly really, but hey. Then to KA office to check on flights. We would be flying at 20:00 that night. Excellent! It meant a night sleeping in Nairobi airport, but it was fine. The next problem was that we were late leaving Nairobi airport, by over an hour…so when I should have been landing in Dar-es-Salam, we were taking off from Nairobi. I knew then I’d definitely missed the wedding. Gutted. And getting my visa at Dar-es-Salam Airport took ages too! I was beginning to wonder why God was so against me going to this wedding. Finally left Dar Airport in a taxi around 10:15…next step was getting changed into a dress and doing my hair & makeup in the taxi…from the Hilton to getting changed in a taxi…I know how to live the high life!!

By the way, Tanzania is beautiful!!!! So so green and long white sand beaches…I wondered why I’d never come here before.

So, getting the boat over to Lazy Island, the Bridal Party were just coming onto the beach for photos…highly embarrassing for me, as I got lots of cheers and photos taken…but it was fantastic to finally be there – amongst all my friends again. Worth all the sleep depravation, frustration and prayers! Lazy Island was truly beautiful, which complimented the beautiful couple wonderfully.

The rest of the day was brilliant…photos on the beach…reception…speeches…cutting the cake…swimming in the sea…singing songs around a log fire as the sun set, and eating more food J A truly beautiful and amazing day! Thank you to Steven & Gill for inviting me!!

The following day was spent on the beach, saying goodbye to Hannah & Charlie as they went off on their honeymoon, swimming (I lost count how many times I went in the water)…and ensuring Rosalind didn’t lose too much blood after cutting herself on some rocks (not nice). Then in the afternoon it was time to leave. The rest of the guys went back to Dar, while Ben & I went to Bagamona to visit the place where the slaves were taken off to the Arab Countries. A weird town in that there was a normal feel to it in one part, with the market and bus station, and then the eerie side to it at the beach, where the stocks where the slaves were kept still remained, and the old wooden boats were moored. The boats were amazing! Looked like something out of C.S. Lewis’, The Dawn Treader! Then it was a bus-trip back to Dar, and a long walk, then another bus ride. Long story, so ask Ben.

Then it was Zanzibar the next day for Ben, Rosalind, Chantel and myself…so up at 5:30am, and a ferry to Zanzibar. Ace! Got ourselves (well, Ben did), a random taxi-driver called Sherif who decided we would go to the East Coast for the night (Ros & Chantel were leaving the next day). I was dubious and wished I’d done some reading on Zanzibar. Putting my faith in a taxi-driver??? Never! But it was turned out amazingly…it was the most beautiful place I’ve ever been too! Long white-sand beaches and turquoise seas. Wow! I was in my element…we were all in that sea while we waited for lunch. It was wonderful. Basically, the rest of the day was spent eating lunch, swimming, drinking beer, swimming again…oh, and dancing at a random wedding we were taken to.

The evening was far more bizarre. Met a guy at the place we were staying who said he’d take us into town…it was only when we were in the car that I realised this was a bad idea. We didn’t know these guys and they ended up taking us to a random place where the only people there were the barmen, cooks, and a weird guy who sat in the corner. The guys tried to plough us with alcohol and I think they were slightly put-out when we stopped drinking after one pint. I think we were the most boring people they had taken out. I did feel bad. The food was good though! But I remained uneasy until we got back to our B&B place…we were in the middle of know-where, trusting two guys who we didn’t know. It all turned out ok though, and was an experience I suppose.

After breakfast the next say, we headed back to Stone Town. Ben & I booked ourselves in Jambo Hotel for the night, then we headed out to find somewhere for lunch before Ros & Chatel headed back to Dar. Poor Ben was then stuck with me for the next 24 hours. We visited the historical places, went to the museums, went swimming (yeah, that was my idea), went to the fish market, then at about 8pm, Ben decided he wanted to buy the traditional African game – wooden game with marbles (seeds). We had to get some poor guy out of bed, and re-open his shop up. Did feel bad. He was a lovely guy though and even gave me a beautiful necklace! Finally went back to the hotel and couldn’t work out how to play it anyway…then I did feel bad on the guy we got out of bed! J

Didn’t do much the next day. Ben spent lots of money on paintings and a walking stick and truncheon with a knife in it. He gave a performance on the old theatre there…hilarious. But then I suppose it’s one of those things when you had to be there… Then headed back to the beach to kill a bit of time. Ended up going swimming (of course!), which meant I then had to board the ferry soaking wet. Typical! J The ferry back was not quite as nice as the trip there…going against the current…bug waves and a few people being sick. Learnt that if you shut your eyes, then all is good.

Man, my holiday was practically over. Tuesday I flew back to Khartoum…having spent a couple of hours on the beach and sea at White Sands in Dar. Decided to book a tuktuk to the airport…another experience I won’t be forgetting in a while…a few near-death experiences…but hey, it was cheaper than a taxi! Yep, I’m still tight with money out here.

So yeah, Tuesday night I was back in the heat of Khartoum and Thursday I was back in Renk (having had a child who was sitting on my lap being sick on me on the bus). Oh dear, I’ve really fallen from my Hilton heights!!

Life in Renk is going on. Still trying to get slabs on household and school latrines (I never thought motivating people to dig would be so hard!). Need to finish off three water projects…and pilot sand filters, and hafir sand filters and pilot a new design for latrine linings – which will hopefully be cheaper than bricks and will mean we can do more latrines next year. And then the whole things starts again…planning for next year’s water points, latrines and sand filters…as well as managing (well, trying to!) Hygiene Promotion…oh dear. God is working a miracle here, because I couldn’t do it without Him!

Looking forward to my brother’s wedding in September…in the UK rather than anywhere tropical!