The Middle of the Middle

Today I find myself halfway through my visit in Kenya and also halfway through this three week journey!

This day has felt a bit long but this is definitely self-inflicted and I can't blame anyone except myself .... well I can also blame my "partner in crime". I had a tentative arrangement to meet my friend, Kizzie, for drinks after work but he had to go out of town so he wasn't available early in the evening. He sent me a text message asking if I would be willing to meet him fairly late when he got back to Mombasa. Of course I said yes! Kizzie and I go way back and it is always good to spend time with him catching up on what he has been up to. He picked me up at the hotel at around 10pm and we went to a small hotel called Moffat Apartments, located in the affluent Nyali residential area, that has a garden restaurant. It was lovely to sit outside and enjoy the warm evening and the good company. In the end it was only the two of us there and I think the restaurant staff were trying to get rid of us by turning up the music really loud. We did call it a night after some time and Kizzie took me back to my hotel. Only then did I look at the time and it was half past midnight! There was no way I could go to sleep immediately with a belly full of Tuskers beer so I read until one thirty. My internal alarm clock went off promptly at 05:30 so only four hours sleep!

Anyway I dragged myself out of bed and really loathed the cold shower. The cold showers do seem to be getting worse each morning - I wonder if I am accumulating a hatred of them. At this stage I am longing to move on to the Comoros because the hotel I am staying in for the first night had hot water last year and I can't wait to have a shower without shivering.

Everyone was at work bright and early but half an hour into the day the Internet connection disappeared. It took the IT technicians an hour and a half to sort out the problem. These down times are frustrating but they are part of using an online database in East Africa. As soon as possible the work recommenced and a fair bit was done before lunch. The afternoon has been very productive despite the air conditioning packing up and the room turning into a sauna.
Collins and Nina
Stephen and Rashid
Our lunch today!

I have taken a few minutes from work to put this blog together because the group has elected to work until 19:00 this evening. I have agreed to this on condition the men will walk me home since it will be dark by then. It has been very entertaining being with this group. They laugh easily and continually joke around while at the same time paying really close attention to the information they are entering in the database. I have learnt so much from them about the Kenyan fisheries as well and the challenges that they face in their work and research.

To close today I give you two photos of the view from the KMFRI building looking across to the island of Mombasa.
Looking out towards the sea
Looking across to the island

Okay, back to work! Have a good evening.

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