Friday 8 July 2016

Back out back

Do you know where this is? The clue is in
the distance, and it is red in colour.
Answers in the comments, please.
Well. Here we are, and the days are cool. Yes. A maximum of 24º and a minimum of 17º. That's a warm English summer, without rain. There's been no rain here for nearly three months, and it shows. The leaves that might be green are covered in dust, and following a vehicle on the roads is like being in a fog. There are shades of brown, brownish yellow, brownish green, brownish brown.
We stayed overnight at the small school at the back of the station, after an evening of Chinese food at the New Dodoma Hotel, which is the old Dodoma Hotel of German Imperial times, renovated and really quite full of character.
We met a family of Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu on the walk to the hotel. They were pleasing and gracious in their behaviour, and flew a short distance in to the hedgerow of bougainvillea to escape our feet. Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu have brilliant lavender-turquoise breasts, which is a source of happiness for some, and brilliant red cheeks. Their backs are brown, and they are smaller than sparrows and not as fat as bluetits. Comments on the content of this paragraph will probably have to be endured.
The journey here, with around 56kg of luggage including a printer, network routers, a laptop donated, and an iPad donated, medical equipment, herbal medicines, books, DVD's and a bunch of other things, was pleasing, although approximately £15 for two coffees and two buns in Dubai was a bit of a shock to the system.
The socks appeal.
This time we brought a musical instrument and here is a picture of Hugh, sitting on the porch, pretending to play it while he grapples with the camera remote control. This is to prove to those who have little faith, that he knows which end of a guitar is which. The guitar in question is rather petite, like Hugh, and travelled very well in its special box. We have brought two sets of strings just in case, as the weather will be warmer by far in a month or two. This is the coldest time of the year.
The village is still full of shapes and angles and things to photograph, and perhaps this time there will be more people involved, as the laws on digital rights aren't as rigorously prosecuted as they are in the UK. A workman felt that I was photographing him and demanded money, and that's how far digital rights go.
We would like to invite all of you to visit, please. There is plenty of room, you will need some anti malaria drugs and an air fare. Beer is available on most days.
We arrived back for the opening of the school last Sunday. We weren't told that both Wednesday and Thursday were public holidays, which explained why so few students had returned to school.
Thank you cousin Sarah for your contributions: ever so valuable here. Kate, for this outstanding camera, the Tollesbury parish for the solar lighting, the people who bought things and been moved by some of the stories, the 68 year old man who gave Hugh this exceptionally pleasing guitar (it's called a Washburn Rover), and those for whom Africa may still be an adventure.

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