Just to let you know

My mobile number has changed again because the Kenyan network doesn't work in Tanzania. My new number is +255787892309 incase you want to get in touch. I'm working on a scheme to enable people to send stuff to me, not a scheme really you just send it to the main Post Office and they'll keep it for me, but that means I have to have enough of a plan to determine what post offices I'll be passing in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted on that one. Leaving Zanzibar tomorrow, boo hoo. Had some nice prawn curry. OK Dad, you were right all along, it is indeed lovely stuff.
Can somebody please tell me when Tom Kelly's birthday is because I don't know, just that it's some time in June.
Loving you all and missing you but wouldn't swap this for anything.

Meaning to my life

Or my name anyway. As Mike likes to point out, yes I'm very aware that my name wasn't a name until JM Barrie wrote Peter Pan but when spelt with an i (as most people here do anyway, I've given up correcting them) it means a person who goes in Kikuyu which is one of Kenyas tribal languages. in anouther, Luo I think but ccan't remember it means your song. So my name means music and travelling, which I think suits me at least for now. So thank you for al the reminders Mike but actually my name has a lot of meaning-I like to think that somehow my parents knew all of this when they chose it for me. Though I'm pretty sure that they didn't.

Let's start at the very beginning

It's a very good place to start. So I'm in Zanzibar. I never even intended to come here but hey ho. Remember David, the motorbike guy? Well he's one of those people that knows everybody-handy but makes even the shortest walk take forever with all the stopping to talk. Well amongst all these people is a dhow captain (small wooden cargo ship availaible with or without moto, white bulging sail optional) who was leaving for Zanzibar next morning so a rapid change of plans occured and here I am. Had I taken the established and more conventional route it would have mean a very slow, expensive and thoughrougly souless ferry from Dar Es Salaam. Instead I borded I wooden motorboat at 6am and spent the 4 hour journey sat on a bag of charcoal and being rained on. Much more interesting anyway. David also knows everybody in Zanzibar so we've got discounted rooms too. And Zanzibar Town has a Barclays so everythings coming up rather rosy. Last night we went to the big gardens by the old fort and had lobster (very cultured and hote cuisiney-note my fantastic franglaise tom-though not really as served with ketchup and chips!) and prawns which I'm really starting to like. Stone Town the main city is amazing with its mix of Arabic, Indian and European cultures and architectures. I never planned to come here but I'm so glad I did, it's truley amazing. Today we're just going to walk aroung town and take it all in, do some window shopping and possibly some actual shopping too. And inevitable meet up with a ton more people. I can't change my plans anymore because I don't really have one, I'm making it all up as I go along now. Still want to go to Lushoto, where surprise surprise David's family live. His father is the pastor of an anglican church but used to be the boss of the guy who served us our fish last night. The worldbelieve it or not is actually really really tiny. So maybe I'll go there from here next week the resume what's left of my pseudoplan. On a bus the other day I met an American volunteer who lives in southern Tanzania, I have her number and she's said to give her a call if I'm passing through on my way to Malawi and she'll take me to her village and show me around. Yes I'm being cautious, yes I'm listening to the voices in my head (sometimes it's my concience though more often than not it's just telling me to burn stuff) but I'm also having a great time meeting new people and having fun on a beautiful island so it's all good. Need to go get my passport stamped because I'm not officially here yet, it's not a separate country to Tanzania but it stil has customs and immigration.
And on the motorbile topic mum you can't judge because you used to have one. Though I'm guessing yours had working headlights and mirrors and things like that. David's does../well now anyway, it's being done whilst we're here. I know we'll separate eventually, he has a job and home to go to, I have a whole wide world to see. But he's good company and it's all very fun.

computer playing up

randomly stopped me mid sentance and went crazy so I'll post in two parts today. Tonight I'm going to Pangani on David's recommendation. It's the beach just south of here. From there back to Tanga to go to Lushoto as was the origonal plan. Then who knows. The world (or at least Tanzania) is very much my oyster. Incase you were wondering I have money now. Though Tanzanian money is called shilling the same as Kenyan but is worth a lot less so I keep thinking everything is really expensive when I'm charged 2000 for a bus ride that in Kenya would only cost 50. Numbers so not my strong point. I changed some US$ which ought to be enough to get me to Dar Es Salaam where I ought to be able to draw some out. Think I'll need to draw out a lot extra just incase I have the same problem again. Don't worry though, I'll keep it safe. So far the only things I've lost are my hoody (still morning the loss, thik it's floating around on a matatu in Kenya still) and a lot of my inhibitions. And I'm having to ajust to the language too. It's still swahili but totally different (like american english which is NOT english) and they hardly speak any english like the Kenyans did. Waaa. Any way, the beach beckons once again. Later guys and gals.
Congrats Chris and Co on baptizm. Hope EP goes really well.

Told You So

Change of plan, again. Am now in Tanzania. Arrived in Tanga yesterday. Border crossing was slightly crazy but then what can one expect. I feel like a proper backpacker now, my passports all stamped and covered in stickers. No computers at the beach so allow me to back track a little. I left Mombassa on Thursday and went to a place called Tiwi. Spent Easter weekend chilling (well burning actually but pardon then turn of phrase) in the sun and swimming in the oceaN WHICH IS WARM AND CLEAR AND THERE ARE NO SHARKS BECAUSE THE CORAL REEF NEAR THE SHORE KEEPS THEM (just realised caps lock on, cant be bothered retyping though) away which is always good. My neighbours at the campsite where two famillies, one were white kenyans (yes such a thing does exist) the others were Australian (which really did my accent a whole lot of good mate).The dad of the Kenyans is origonally Irish and spent most of the weekend practising archery on innocent cardboard boxes. Very random. Easter Sunday was a brilliant day, the mum took pity on me and gave me a lesson on how to light a proper campfire-my trial and error method possibly not the best. So for me Easter meal I had spagetti and a fish that I boght and cooked-almost by myself. The two famillies left on Monday morning and donated me some left overs, noodles, potatoes, plastic dishes and a pinapple. Hoorah, am being ,ooked after well. Left Tiwi on Tuesday by a somewhat convoluted route. I could have gone back to Mombassa and got a bus straight to Tanga, but I'd have been doubling bsack on myself which is rather pointless. So instead I took two taxis, two matatus, a tuktuk (kind of like a quad bike with a roof, seats 3 comfortable, this one had four a baby and a guy in the boot. Welcome to Africa) and a dalladalla( Tanzanian minibus). Much more fun my way. And one of the taxis forgot to chrge me, he didn't ask so I didn't offer.
Got to Tanga, dumped bags and went in search of a cash machine. No such thing here-well actually there are three but none take my card. At the beginning of my hunt I bumped into a guy called David who works at the tourist information office, he directed me to the ATMs. At the end of my hunt I bumped into him again and told him I'd had no luck. Taking pity on me (this seems to be becoming a theme, do I really look that lost and desperate?) we ended up in a bar watching Milan v Barcelona and drinking Kilimanjaro beer. Don't you just love how this stuff happens. Met up again today and went on his motorbike (I can already hear my parents taking that deep breath and preparing to give me a good telling off

Change of Plan

This is most likely the first post of many eith the same title. I love the ocean here but you can't swim in it which I reeeeeeeeally want to. There's a campsite on the beach 20km soult which is actually really cheap (Mombasa is an expensive city hence I can't spend too long here). I'm going to head there on Thursday instead. I'll stay there over Easter then head to Tanzania on Monday or Tuesday. That'll be a long day of travelling before I get to where I'm going. Then I'll stay there a week or so then off to Dar Es Salaam. See, I love just being able to change my mind like that and not having to please anybody except myself. It's great.
Oh and Sarah, I tried to finf a returant that served shark but couldn't, only pizzas and curries. There's a huge sea food market in Dar Es Salaam though so I will find some eventually, even if I have to catch it myself.

conversation I'm sick of having

seem to have this conversation everywhere I go:
Them:Do you have this in your place (poining to a plant)
Me: I don't know
Them: This Napier Grass
Me:I don't know
Them: Oh you don't have it
Me:I don't know
Them:what do you feed cows?
Me: I don't know
Them: You don't have cows?
Me: No
Them: We feed this grass to cows.
Me: Okay.
Them: But there are no cows in your place.
Me: There are cows, I personally do not have any.
Them: So you do have napier grass.
Me: I don't know.
Them: But then what do you feed to the cows?
Me: I don't know, I don't feed cows.
Them: You don't have this grass?
Me: I don't know.
Them: This is Napier Grass.
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

Running on empty

Have had absolutely no sleep-overnight bus to Mombassa and was sat next to a rather ample sized lady who seemed to think that her legroom wasn't enough and so used up all of mine as well. But lets rewind a little.
I was meant to come to Mombassa straight after the end of the conference (which by the way was amazing) but in typical Wendy fashion changed plans at the last minute. Ended up in a place called Keroka staying with some of the other girls/women (I am so bad at telling peoples ages) from the conference. Is a small village and a small but very lively church. Was a good weekend then left on Monday. The bus broke down in Nairobi where we were stuck for 4 hours-very bored. Got here at 9, found my way to the guest house (thank God for guide books with street maps) had a shower and am now sat in cafe deciding what to eat. Have seen the tusks-the Mombasa landmark-and am off to find Fort Jesus this afternoon. I'm getting quite good at all of this business, at least I like to think that I am. I'm planning on leaving Mombassa on Thursday morning, though as with all my plans that's not set in stone and probably will change. From here I'm going to Tanga which is my first stop in Tanzania. Hoorah
On the bus last night I was almost nodding off when I sensed the bus slowing down, opened my eyes and there was a giraffe stood in the middle of the highway. The road cuts across one of the national parks-technically it actually forms the border between two different parks, but try telling the enimals that.

Text Message Number 1

I recieved this text from wendy yesterday evening:

"You dare complain if[not sure whether this is right or not...] the ep kibbutz, just let of [me] introduce you to my neighbour the pit latrine. Fun fun fun."

-Susie

Fed Up

But let me explain before you all jump to negative conclusions. The English language is something to which one must never apply logic. If you are given food then you have been fed, with me so far. So it followslogically (therefore it must be wrong) that if you are given food enough to fill you up then you must be fed up. It's obvious really when you think about it. In the same logical way tha if fanta is fantastic then cola must-logically-be colastic.
Bear in mind I've pretty much just eaten bread the last week (man shall not live by bread alone but woman is not a good cook so one cancels out the other). This week I've had ugali (think really lumpy porridge mixed with wallpaper paste but less taste), rice, meat stew and cabbage all in one day, twice in a row so I am most deffinately full up.
Conference is going well and the schedule is truley African. People here don't seem to understand the concept of punctuality (though I'm not one to talk). For instance if the service is supposed to start at four the pastor will usually arrive sometime before 5 with the praise and worship team coming in drips and drabs in betweend. Conference was supposed to start officially at 8.30 on Sunday-didn't get going until 4...on Monday. Oh well 'twas all fun and lovely in a strsnge sort of way.
For the first time in weeks, months even I'm not the only white person in church, two of the visiting preachers are from South Africa, nice to see them but do they have to talk so much to me, nowI'm starting to sound like a drunk German. Not good.
Anyway should be going. Can someone like Susie or Sarah do me a favour please. E-mail me to tell me if the finance forms are out yet for uni and if so when they need to be in by. I tried to sort all this out before Ileft but nobody seemed to know. Just need rto see if I can do it when I get back or if I get to ass the rather complicated buck. Oh the joys of having a father who understands money-well better than I do anyway.
May not be able to blog again for a while-it's a trek from the conference venue and I leave on Saturdayevening. Will keep someone posted somehow though. Fancy an ice cream.
Oh by the way-I finally rode a boda-boda (a taxi which is basically a bike with a cushion strapped to the rear mud gaurd). Wasn't as bad as I expected-now where's that ice cream. Ah there you are, hello my friend.