DAY 7

The day started off with a mini lie in and another lovely buffet breakfast (diet needed on return!) The good news is that I seem to be back to normal health wise today... although I seem to have developed acne! Oh dear oh dear!

We did some lounging about by the pool and visited the local Maasai women who had come up to the camp to sell their goods. I got fleeced of course because I'm a raving shopaholic. It was good to know that the money spent was going direct to the person who had made/sourced it locally. I met Petri too, the local blacksmith who was doing a good line in spears... for your every day lion taming needs. Petri also had a guitar made from a wooden box with metal strings (I guess that's all a guitar is really). We filmed him and later played it back to him on my mac, which he found very entertaining...I think he fancies himself as a movie star!

After more lounging and a bit more movie editing we had lunch and then found some shade to work some more. It was such beautiful weather here today, but because the camp is fenced in for safety you can end up feeling a little trapped. The tourists are loaded and able to safari most days of their visit, but we have started feeling a bit hemmed in. I'm not sure how Gerry lived here for three months although she would at least leave the confines of the camp each day to go down to the Sekenani school to teach. I know that the friends she made amongst the staff here (and they are a wonderful bunch of people) must have kept her sane too. Earlier in the day I had spoken to Tira, the cultural manager about the possibility of going on safari again. He was really positive. I mentioned to him about the possibility of bringing young people from the UK to work alongside kids from the school and he seemed to think this would be a good idea.

What a beast

It's been a bit of a funny day today. The hoped for safari didn't come off which was a shame, especially as Tira tried hard to find us. But we were up at the look out point working in the shade. It turned out we had a special show from the storks up there...ugly critters really and not the beloved elephants that we so want to see. Perhaps I am destined to return to see my ele friends some other time. Well, the storks were entertaining in their way.

The Maasai dancers

a lovely evening

Full moon in the Boma

Tonight was special, as like most Saturday nights here the evening meal was an outdoor affair in the boma (formerly spelled incorrectly...oops). The fire was lit and clay pots hung over white hot charcoals and a huge buffet was laid on for all the guests. Many Maasai were dressed in their normal Maasai garb, the full moon was out and the local Maasai dancers (all men of course) were putting on a show. This was some relief from the guy with the casio keyboard singing ' My Bonny lies over the ocean' to the completely wrong rhythm! Hilarious! Anyway it was a lovely end to a wonderful week and we feel ready now to face the rest of the trip. Gerry has heroically spent most of the day trying to fix up our transport back to Nairobi. We are attempting to cadge a lift in taxi's returning to the city with guests so as not to have to pay...all very cheeky. The staff are helping us, and we may have to travel separately. Bit scary! Especially as I now have no money! An English fiver may not do the trick.