Heaven in a Mug

I'm in Nairobi now and very very cappy camper. I hadn't banked on the Nairobi traffic (havn't seen traffic lights in a while never mind roundabuots and all that jazz) so the bus didn't get in until after dark, not what you want. I was prepared though-battle ready if you like, planned just to dash into the nearest hostel type place to whereever i got dropped then move in the morning. BUT. This was a nice fancy bus that drops you wherever you want for no extra. one of the other girls was going to a place called Nairobi Backpackers which I'd heard good things about so I got out too. It's brilliant, hot chocolate and cheap camping with breakfast included-most other places tend to treat campers as parasites and merely set aside a corner for them. But here we're even allowed on the furniture-provided we've had our flea bath that is. Which I've done now too, well, showered anyway. Cold but better than nothing. The border crossing was a bit hectic. all of the other crossings I've made have been relatively sedate affairs but this is one of the busiest borders in East Africa especially now at the beginning of the high season. Got rid of the last of my Tanzanian shilling, now i have to ajust back to Kenya which is going to be weird. So I'm here and I'm settled and...they have The Lord of the Rings on DVD!!!!!!!!!! Only the first one but that's more than enough. I'm watching it now and getting butterflies and all that. It's been so long since I saw it (possibly as much as 9 months) so it's almost the same as seeing it for the first time, except I still remember all of the words and keep thinking they've misseda bit because I'm used to the extended version.
Anyway where was I. Ah yes. So we went inside and looked at the photos and letters-I'd bought a more rescent picture withj me too. poor guy it must be so confusing for him trying to keep up wih us all with our comings and goings. There seem to be different people in almost all of th pictures because lots where at uni when this last one was taken. I don't think a deffinative Great Heights photograph exists anywhere...
I gave Augustino some things that I'd bought in Arusha. Great Heights love getting his letters with his drawings on so I got him some pencils, crayons and paints as well as some books and paper. Then we had lunch which was lovely Kenyan food: rice, beans, potatoes, meat and spinach and hot milk. Man, I love hot milk! The rest of the choir had all joined us by this point so we had some more singing-and this time they made me dance too. After the children had finished it was the parents turn. Led by Augustino's mother they did some traditional songs and lot's of screeching as only African women can. I was made to dance again! And we planted some more trees. My contribution to the Karatu eco-system (and the beginings of another Great Heights forest?!) Said my goodbyes to the family, Augustino looks so much like his mother who is absolutely lovely and kept hugging me and shaking my hand. Got back into the taxi and took Augustino, Mary and Evelyn to see my house, well, my tent. Then it was time to say goodbye, hugs for Mary and Evelyn and a very dignified handshake from Augustino. I told you he was shy, but sooo adorable. Man, i'm talking about him as if he were a kitten instead of a child. I've put lots of the flowers from my wreath inside my chinese Bible (knew it'd come in handy at some point) so that hopefully they'll keep. Watched Ghana thrash USA (load of americans staying on the campsite made it an even funnier defeat) then bed. Quite an early night as I needed to be up early in the morning.
It was raining when I woke up but it was either pack up a wet tent or wait until tomorrow which I couldn't do as I'd already booked my ticket to Nairobi. But it all came together in the end, I hadn't thought I'd be camping again but I am and the weather's looking good so it ought to all dry out nicely.
Oh yeah, just before leaving Arusha this morning I bumped into Mary-or she bumped in to me. She'd tracked down my bus because she needed me to fill out a feedback form. It was quite embarassing actually, when she saw me yeaterday I was all smart (if I say so myself) in a nice skirt and clean shoes with my hair all neat and tidy. Now she sees me still wearing the same top but now teamed with my last pair of trousers which are vile and my equally dirty and disgusting trainers. Havn't seen a mirror all day but I dread to think what my hair looked like, I'd shoved it under a bandana just to be on the safe side. suffice it to say I looked a mess-well you can judge for yourselves soon enough, though I may just dig out the skirt for my homecoming-don't want my parents to be too ashamed of me. Although I have proper backpackers legs now-I wasn't looking where I was going and fell down a manhole, proper comedy moment for everybody else but I'm the one left with the quite considerable bruising. And a very impressive gash. Nice. Just when I'd got them all tanned and finally matching the colour of my arms. Oh well.
Tmorrow I'm off to explore the city and prehaps do a little shopping. A Wendy is a Wendy afterall.