Total Pageviews

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Juba sunset

It's a lovely evening here at Acacia Village. Has been hot today but now cloudy and some rain in the distance. Sunset looks stunning. Off for a nice dinner with DH, it's our anniversary on Monday but he has to travel for a couple of days and leave me alone so I think we will have to celebrate over the weekend.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Exercise

Picture the scene - 6.15 am, barely light, not another soul around apart from dear husband (DH). I'm dressed in a t-shirt, shorts and trainers jogging around a tennis court! Ok, a bit weird I know but we need the exercise. We lead such a sedentary existence here, everything I do is done sitting down, well I suppose I could knit standing up but that's a bit odd don't you think? I write letters, send emails, do cross stitch and eat food. Have to do more swimming perhaps but these last few days have been rainy and cool so only brave people in the pool.
Had a nice walk outside of the lodge this morning with DH, along the road behind the compound. Said hello to a few people, mostly kids wanting to practice their English.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Water and walls.

Big storms through the night, I guess not many people slept through it (thats the trouble with tin roofs!) as it was the main topic of conversation at breakfast. Lots of standing water everywhere, birds come down for a drink, it's lovely to see. Been cooler and dull all day, now it's raining and windy. It's quite a nice change to feel chilly here!
I have been out looking at more houses last few days. Went out late yesterday afternoon with one agent in a car with no a/c on very dusty, bumpy roads. Boy was I glad to have a dip in the pool when I got back just before dinner time. We went out to an area called Jebel (means hill in Arabic) which is actually built at the base of some very interesting rock formations just on the edge of town. There were lots of local houses and shacks then these compounds with high walls and razor wire, it was surreal. The houses I was looking at were inside these high walls (a type of bubble again). I think I would have enjoyed living there but only if I could walk outside the walls and chat to the other people living there and sit with them and play with their children. I don't want to stay inside the walls.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Tensions

I feel as though I am living in a bubble again! I felt like this in Damascus when all the trouble was going on in other towns in Syria but life went on as normal where I was. Here in Acacia Village on the outskirts of Juba surrounded by greenery, entertained by birds and other wildlife, I am far removed from the troubles of this country. The fighting in the north has created tension even in Juba city. When I was in town on Friday there were demonstrations, buses full of people waving flags and banners and chanting slogans. But then the driver brought me back here and all was calm and peaceful.
Those of you who pray, please pray for peace between Sudan and South Sudan. People here know war, it would be easy for then to slip back into it after such a short interlude of peace. Pray that the two countries will talk to each other again and work something out about the oil on paper rather than with weapons.
Thank you.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Thunder storm

We have thunder and lightening here and lots of wind. No rain yet but it won't be long. I have always loved a good storm and Africa does them so well. Problem is lots of people have housing prone to leaking and flooding.
I can hear the sound of people playing tennis on the court behind my room, here comes the rain so they will have to make a dash for cover!

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Happy after Easter!

Hope you all had good Easter celebrations. I decided not to go to church on Easter day as I am not yet acclimatised and have always found African church services very hot and long. They are usually lively and loud and full of praise and joy so I did feel I was missing out a bit too. I tried to watch a service on the Internet but the signal wasn't good enough. So I just spent some time alone with the Lord and meditated on the word of God. My mum enjoyed a lovely sunrise service at the seaside with her church family back at home.
Today is Monday 9th its a public holiday here too but I am told all the shops will be open so we plan to go shopping in town and have the driver take us around a bit. We have arranged to stay at this lovely village/lodge for a month while we sort out long term accommodation so I think we will be quite comfortable. There are no cooking facilities but the food is very nice in the on site restaurant.
Here is a photo of dear husband on the verandah of our 'cottage', and a few of the compound.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Rainy season

We have moved out of the city hotel for the long weekend to a rather nice hotel/lodge complex just outside of town. It is run by an Englishman and i must say it is very nice here. Have a look at their web site, acacia village.com . They have a pool, manicured gardens, and a variety of wildlife including a tiny dik dik (antelope).
We had some lovely rain yesterday evening, thunder and lightening too. After a pleasant afternoon by the pool (in the shade of course) we enjoyed a barbeque dinner in the restaurant on site with friends. Wine and tea on their verandah followed and then dear husband and I sat outside our room in the cool evening air and listened to the rain and the sounds of the African night.What a hard life!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Boy it's hot!

First day in Juba. Not a bad nights sleep, first time I have slept in a container though! Yes I do mean a container, like the ones that go on the ships! It's ok really. Got a bedroom, bathroom, air conditioner even got windows. I will try to attach a photo when I figure out how to do that.
Breakfast at the Paradise Hotel was pleasant, fruit, cereal, eggs done as you like them (except I couldn't speak the same language as the cook so I just got a fried egg on a plate!) . They even toasted my own bread for me (I am gluten free and brought my bread all the way from England).
Managed to obtain some local currency, visit a supermarket and check out some accommodation as well as having the obligatory safety briefing so all in all a busy day.It has just started to rain! Real African rain, I love it.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Not there yet.

A cool morning in Nairobi, Kenya, bit overcast. It's great to be back in Africa, even without the sunshine. Ok, so my first morning in Kenya was spent in a shopping mall but those of you who know me will not be surprised at that. Sitting here in a coffee shop outside the mall, I can see the beautiful flame trees full of weaver bird nests. There are hibiscus bushes all around in shades of red and pink and the ubiquitous bougainvillea.
I hope to have an hour by the pool later, probably not in it as it seems a bit cool for swimming. Poor husband is off having meetings so not sure what time he will finish.
We fly to Juba tomorrow afternoon. I have already seen a photo of our hotel there, it's a shipping container made into a room! In fact it's a whole hotel of containers, side by side and on top of each other. Check it out on trip advisor - the Paradise Hotel, Juba. Not sure what else awaits us in Juba, apart from 40 degrees heat and reasonable high humidity. I brought lots of things to keep me occupied, knitting, cross stitch and a German language book. Dear husband is working for a German company so I thought it would be nice to learn a few words to greet his colleagues.
I will write more from Juba.