Garibaldis, gingernuts and shortbread

There have been no bats, snakes, monkeys or any other unwelcome visitors this week. We’ve even had power for the last few days. On top of that, I bought a new internet modem for the laptop which will hopefully give us better access and freedom to mail whenever or wherever we want. Things are looking up!
Of course there are the usual frustrations but mostly they have become so predictable and commonplace that they hardly warrant a mention. One of the best ones today was at the Kinyara Sugar Works management club. The club is in the middle of I don’t know how many thousand hectares of sugar but the restaurant couldn’t serve tea because they’d run out of sugar! It also seemed quite alien to them that we could drink tea without sugar but after a bit of persuasion we got it. I didn’t dare complain about the dried milk powder. The only solution was to stick to the beer. At least it was a great day out. The weather was glorious with beautiful blue skies; we enjoyed lots of good company, good food and, of course, a pool to play around in. It didn’t really matter that the bread buns were full of ants and that the person bringing the burgers and salad arrived three hours late.
Someone mentioned the snow in the UK which at the moment feels like a million miles away. The rainy season has just about finished and it’s really hotting up now. December, Jan and Feb will be particularly hot. I returned last night from a couple of days in Kampala; a first attempt at Christmas shopping (and quite unsuccessful at that!). Unless, that is, I purchase some of the second-hand european clothes that line the streets and that we’ve all donated in the first place! There are some real bargains to be had! Things other than clothing are fake and not worth buying; they last no time at all. That’s true of most household items which are also relatively expensive. Fortunately the hotel vehicle uses diesel as there is a major petrol shortage at the moment, not just in Masindi, but nationwide. By the way, if Helene and Kristen are reading this I hope you have managed to get out of Queen Elizabeth National Park and back to Nairobi; it’s a long way on a bike!
Christmas has come early to Masindi. Lots of thanks to our lovely friends who have sent parcels recently. I could hardly contain myself when we received three on the same day and we have been enjoying Garibaldis, Gingernuts and Shortbread. We loved all the other goodies too.
I spoke too soon when I said we haven’t had any unwelcome visitors - I can hear Chris in the other room doing his dressing gown and plastic tub routine with a bat!