We need to talk about water.. the item most of us Malungus/Muzungus/Makiwes/Franchese yes us whites take for granted. In most African villages there is a borehore or well from which the people draw water. Sometimes it's a dammed mountain stream. You /could live 2, 3, 5 kms from the village and someone has to collect the water everyday. This is a burden mostly left to the women. When I drive early in the morning or late afternoon I see women or kids carrying water in various containers from the supply point. Young kids 8-9 carrying 10kgs of water home in the morning before school..if they are going to school..
How many of us could carry 10 kgs for 2 to 3 k's. But that's life in Africa,it is hard, very hard.
So here we have this guy with 4-500 litres on board. I stopped him and asked him where he was going.. He said he had a business selling water. Happy to have a photo taken.
And he was on his way. For those who can't carry and can afford it, there is a supplier.
Check out the happy face..look around you..do we smile like that. I could name a few who are miserable cause they lost $500 on the market. ( a years income to many in Africa)
and yet we still we live like kings.. because we were born white and in a 1st world country.
Mosquitoes are the No 1 killer in Africa, but of the mammals, hippos are the biggest killer
But why ..Hippos feel safe in water. They leave at dusk to graze, and return at dawn to the river. This is the time when villagers are collecting water.. If anyone happens to be between the water and the hippo, it will run over them to get to safety.
So we move on and hopefully we think.
Had a quick run into Nairobi. Lots of vendors on the road.. some very colourful.
A basket vendor selling these beautifully coloured baskets.. I couldn't help myself from checking it out . Imagine dyeing the fibre (from the sisal farms we saw earlier) these lovely colours.
To my dismay these are made from packing tape. Nylon Packing tape ..Yes the packing tape used in shipping .. we have a limited choice of colours in Australia but here there are all colours. Disappointing!
I get to Nairobi ..I need advice about selling my car in east Africa. I have an interested party in Uganda ..but what are the rules and regulations? I checked the net before I left ..vague .. So lets go and talk to Toyota. Found them and while they gave the car a 20000k service (A$200) I chatted to a sales guy who told me I had no chance.. Maybe talk to a used car guy.. and he gave the number of an Englishman who knew the ropes. I phoned him..
Lovely straight guy who told me ..no way, it won't happen!. Well lets develop a plan B
They washed the car and, even after all the abuse I had given the Toyota, gave it a clean bill of health.
Corruption - a big topic here in Kenya. The papers are full of it.
Found a room in an apartment in Nairobi, The bloody traffic was the worst I had experienced.
Walked to a pub, had a beer or two and a meal then bed. But at the apartment there were 2 missionaries from Zim doing Gods work here..had a chat and bed .Sudanese Visa tomorrow.
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