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Saturday, February 11, 2012

First week in Mwadui

My Internet problems seem have halted or disappeared altogether, praise God! Finally I can share this beautiful new setting with my readers. Thanks to everyone who continues to visit and comment on my posts. I hope to reciprocate very soon!

Our garden is completely enclosed with reeds and barbed wire on top of that. We have two dogs who hang around the askari who look after our property day and night. They (the dogs, not the askari) are VERY interested in our cats who glare at them from  behind the strongly- guarded and  -gauzed windows.

We also have two hens and a rooster walking around the garden. Yesterday while picking lemons from a tree behind our house, I passed a small room. As I looked inside I saw two hens sitting in nesting boxes. So soon there will be more chickens!
This very handsome fellow was rearing his head up (hence the blur) ...

...to tell me he is the king of the heap, the cock of the walk!

 I've managed to capture a few of the birds in our garden. Top: Blue-capped Cordonbleu (males); bottom left: male African Paradise Flycatcher; bottom right Ruppels Starling

As I mentioned earlier this week, before I fell of Planet Earth, I had to buy vegetables and supplies for the Guest House. A driver, Andrew took me to nearby Shinyonga, 30kms from Mwadui.
Entering Shinyonga. The freestanding building on the right, with a satellite dish on the roof, is the bank: my first stop in town
The fresh market is a back street and behind a line of shops opening up onto the sidewalk
Note the plasticware, mattresses and material being displayed outside the shops. I bought two foam pillows for TZS20000/US$12   
I didn't take photos of the vegetable stalls/vedors but hope to be able to do so next week. It was very similar to the souqs we used to visit in Khartoum. A market is is called a soko in Swahili!
Jambo Supermarket was one of two supermarkets that I shopped at on my first trip to Shinyonga

In Kenya, I only once saw a lady riding a bicycle. Here in Tanzania it's a common sight: a lady pedalling along the road wearing a long skirt, often with a baby tied to her back

We popped over the the social club on Wednesday evening;  Grant wanted to introduce me to the mine's general manager . Not only did I meet this friendly man who lives outside Bloemfontein (the city near our home in SA), but he also told me there were TWO more woman in town. As he told me this, one lady arrived and he introduced her to me. I will take a walk to her house some time next week and she has promised to introduce me to the other lady. Whoo-hoo. Life is looking up in Mwadui!

Once again, I didn't take my camera along but ironically the general manager said to Grant that he recognized us from somewhere; it turned out he'd seen us in a magazine! He has read all my articles in the outdoor adventure magazine!

Have a great weekend.

Blessings

Jo

10 comments:

  1. You sure lead an adventurous life!

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  2. izinKuku isiZulu. Nothing nicer than the eggs of those feral chickens.

    Glad you're back online again.

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  3. May be a while before the cats are let into the garden with all those other critters around.

    Great bird shots. I especially like the colorful contrast of that flycatcher.

    Shinyonga looks like a rather bustling place and that soko looks pretty uptown.

    So glad there are other ladies at the mine site. Probably some new activities to get involved in, as well as birding.

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  4. HI Jo, I am so happy for you. You seem to adapt so easily to a new life... I'm not sure I could do that. Glad you are meeting people --especially some women--so that you can have some special friends... You will do just fine there. I'm proud of you.

    Great set of photos... Love the birds!!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  5. You seem to be settling in quite well in your new home, Jo! My husband was in the military, so we traveled a lot and I loved it! Have to admit that is one thing I miss about being retired and living alone -- well, except for Sam Schnauzer! But with blogs like yours I get to travel all over the world again and I love it! I'm excited for you and look forward to learning more about your new world!! Have a beautiful weekend!

    Sylvia

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  6. I love those Blue capped Cordonbleu birds; very pretty! I can see that you and the roosters will be getting up very early together. I remember hearing them at very early, early hours in Kenya and I know you are an early riser ;-)

    It's so cool how that man has read your articles and recognized you and Grant. That is really neat!

    I hope the dogs and cats do learn to get along in time.

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  7. I see you take your new life in efficient hands ! What a complicated town name "Mwadui"! The rooster is a real macho !! I hope he doesn't "sing" at 4 am !

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  8. Hi Jo, thanks for sharing more of your new home and your shopping trip. Cool looking rooster! And I love the colorful backyard birds. The Blue-Capped and the Flycatcher are gorgeous birds. I would be loving this new backyard. I am glad you will have some friends nearby. I enjoyed this post and your photos. Have a great weekend!

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  9. Hi Jo. You certainly have an adventurous life. Two more women in the village, Wow. LOL . The street with shops looks interesting, good you can buy all you need. LOve that proud rooster.
    Hve a great weekend

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  10. That is so cool that the General Manager recognized you from your magazine photos and articles! Small world.

    Your new location seems a bit dryer, not so lush and green as was where you were in Kenya.

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Thank you for visiting my blog and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate your feedback. Jo