Shella Beach

I say!

This is one of my favourite snaps of Mrs M, taken at Shella Beach, Lamu Island, off the Kenyan coast. What a lovely beach, and virtually deserted. There was a rumour at the time that a lion had swam the channel over to the island, but even on a normal day the beach has few visitors. The area is good for windsurfing, though in the afternoon the wind rises quite a bit. After a swim, one enjoys a sundowner at nearby Peponi's.



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What is Mrs M holding in her hand?

I say!

This is my second posting of the evening. Please do also peruse the first.

Here is a quiz.

What is the blue thing that Mrs M holding in her hand, in the snap below? You should be able to click on the image to enlarge it.



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Constant Gardener

I say!

Blogger seems to have misplaced my profile picture. Until I can find it again, the statue of my second born's namesake will need to suffice.

Of different matters - Mrs M and myself were fortunate enough to view the film 'Constant Gardener' the other evening. I shall not say exactly how, but let us say that it helps to have friends in high and commissioned places.

And my goodness! What an excellent film it is, indeed! The exact intricacies of the plot are absolutely too fast moving and beyond me, but this did not adversely affect my enjoyment of the wonderful screenplay, the impressive acting of Ralf Fiennes and my dear Rachel Weisz, the creative direction, and the wholly outstanding scene setting. The film catches the bustling mood of Kibera and Nairobi, the vibrant life of Africa, the heart-warming scenery, the corruption one sometimes experiences, and much more. I do not agree with those others who have said that it imposes a dark canvas on which to tarnish the country of Kenya.

I cannot recommend the film enough.

Parts of the film are set around Lake Turkana, and it very much brought to mind the times Mrs M and myself have spent in that locale. Why - I believe I may even have recognised some of the 'extras'!

The first snap below shows a typical El Molo house, with three villagers, on the shores of Lake Turkana.



Now, as I expect you were about to point out, although the producer of the film has funded a school development for the El Molo at Loiyangalani, most of the local people featured in the film were Turkana, rather than El Molo.

Below is a snap of a Turkana lady. I was the first white man she had seen in the flesh. I was also intrigued by her, in turn. To her, I suspect I cut a ridiculous figure - with my various clothes, hat, shoes, camera and so on. Her decorations are purposeful. They explain much about whether she is married, how many children she has, whether her uncle has passed on or not, and so on.



At the El Molo encampment, here is a snap of Mrs M and her new acquaintance.



Finally, three Rendille lads. It is they who are amongst those who spend some of their time in the Loiyangalani Internet cafe, and who are so amused by the writings of my dear HotBoy.



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Where's Mrs M? (2)

I say!

Jolly good fun all this Mrs M-spotting. Better than trainspotting, and here's another example. Can you spot Mrs M in the snap below, taken in the Djemaa El Fnaa, Marrakesh?



If your answer was "Twenty-third from the left, thirty-second row up" then you are, of course correct. Ha ha. Here's a close-up taken from the ground. In this one, Mrs M is much easier to spot.



Below is Mrs M on a donkey, somewhere in eastern Morocco.



For once, Mrs M watches, whilst others do the rough work to repair our transportation!



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Where's Mrs M?

I say!

Do you remember the 'Where's Wally' books? I believe that in some countries they may have been known as 'Where's Waldo?'.

Menzies IV and Henry Morton used to love looking for Wally, when they were younger.

Well, here's a variation on the theme, which I thought of when it became clear that Mrs M was hard to locate in some of my snaps (e.g. the one taken at the Ku Chawe). Can you spot Mrs M in the snap below? Doviko found her straight away. Its possible her lighter complexion gives her away a tad.



These snaps were taken at Omdurman, close to Khartoum. You may remember that Omdurman was the location of a battle between the Mahdists and the British forces, lead by Kitchener, on the 2nd September, 1898. Incidentally, amongst the British was a young Sir Winston Churchill. The battle sealed the fate of the Mahdiya. The Mahdist Army, approximately 52,000 strong, suffered losses of 20,000 dead, 22,000 wounded, and some 5,000 were taken prisoner. In contrast, the Kitchener's Anglo-Egyptian Army, some 23,000 strong, suffered losses of 48 dead, and 382 wounded. Quite a rout, and one which showed the superiority of modern firepower!

Each Friday, members of the Tariqa religious order assemble at his mosque (shown in the background, two snaps below) in Omdurman, and perform the zikra and Dervish Dancing.

I say! It is something not to miss! You can see a Dervish dancer in the snap below. Several followers begin by walking round in a circle (shown in the bottom snap), and then a dancer, or sometimes two or three, will break out and twirl around, for all he is worth. Quite a crowd gathers, and the ceremony continues for some time, until it starts to get dark. When it is over, one catches a 'box' (communal taxi) back to one's residence.

In case you are wondering, I think that Mrs M can only be seen in the top snap. But I may be wrong.






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Sudan

I say!

In response to Mr Robmcj's recent post, I am posting a few snaps taken in the Sudan, the last time Mrs M and myself were both there.

The first one shows Mrs M in typical pose - striding out for the top of a jebel, over in Kassala, near the Eritrean border.



The next one shows the view from the summit, looking towards northern Eritrea.



The third snap shows the jebel in question from Kassala town. Quite an impressive piece of geology.



The following snap shows Mrs M purchasing some cloth from a local shop. With this cloth, she created a turban for me, so that I fitted in better with the locals.



The next one shows Kassala market. Lovely fruit!



The final snap shows the Kassala equivalent of Marks & Spencers.


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Selection of bars

I say!

I would hate to give the impression that I spend an inordinate amount of my leisure time frequenting drinking establishments, but occasionally one does feel the need to imbibe.

Here is a selection of some more bars in which I have enjoyed the occasional Green, Castle or Tusker (depending on the location).

The first bar is surely managed by a marketing genious. The 'Super Modern' at Mangochi. The town has no mains electricity, but when the generator at the 'Super Modern' clicks in, the action begins.



Menzies IV ordering (I presume) water at the bar of the Gabs Sun, under the watchful eyes of two guards.



Henry Morton, Mrs M and Menzies IV at Odballs' bar, deep in the Okavango Delta.



Leopard Rock Hotel, Eastern Highlands, Zimbabwe. The original hotel was mortared during the war, and subsequently rebuilt into this delightful establishment.



The incomparable Vic Falls Hotel, run by Meikles.



A rather poor snap of the Sudan Club, Khartoum. Went 'dry' in the early 80s, but saw a lot of action before that. Rumours still circulate that there is a hidden 'stash' of gin somewhere in the basement.



Our dear beloved Ku Chawe on the plateau. Burnt down and rebuilt, and just about viewable from the front garden at Kalimbuka. Mrs M 'hiding' far right.



Myself, enjoying a Green at a bottlestore in Dedza.



Not only have they perfected the G&T, but they also serve some of the best food in Kenya - Peponi Hotel, Shella Beach, Lamu Island.



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