The Warm Heart of Africa

I just found this video on the internet. I think the accent is South African, and it seems to be aimed at azungu tourists, but there are many familiar sights on it, which I enjoyed seeing again! Must get my bawo board out ... However, unless I missed them, I didn't see any sign of Zomba, Blantyre or Lilongwe ... Only lakeside tourist resorts and the national parks ... and no mention of the chips at Liwonde!

Our anniversary!

Well, what a lovely day - and I don't just mean the weather, which has been glorious (at least until the walk back from the tube just now, when it has started raining).

We started off a bit later than I had hoped, but arrived at Camden Lock Market around 1.30pm or so, and found some Caribbean food for lunch - goat curry, jerk chicken, peas and rice, plantain, spinach. Very filling and tasty. Then we wandered briefly around the market, and I bought a few chocolates, since apparently the 6th anniversary is "candy and iron" - I bought a couple of cola flavoured balls, which I suppose is candy, but I haven't managed to find anything iron so far! Maybe later ....

We then walked along the canal in order to cross under the road and tried to get on a canal boat. Unfortunately the canal boats at that side only do tour cruises, not trips to the zoo, so we had to go back to the market side where we found the waterbus. Soon we were on our way!

It was great to arrive in the zoo grounds by boat. We stepped out, and very soon we were in the Africa section, and what a feast of animals we saw there, after being welcomed by the meerkats.

First up was the red river hog. Very pig like, and very big. Quite cute, and red, and stripey. We then wandered on to see the African Hunting Dogs, which looked very much like hyenas. They were golden, black and white and very speckled. Next in line were the warthogs, which reminded me of the family of warthogs I saw in Liwonde in Malawi.




The animals then began to get bigger. Hiding behind a tree we could see some white and black stripy legs, but they didn't look like they belonged to a zebra - in fact, it was an okapi, a strange looking horse like creature. Next door were the zebras, which looked all smooth and well toned, and were mostly enjoying a rest in the sun. Then were the most mentioned animals (or so it seemed to us) - the giraffes. They were both sitting down enjoying the sunshine as well, their long necks making them look proud and elegant. Unfortunately we couldn't see the tapir, since she was having a snooze in the shade.


We then went to visit the Biome, which had a sloth, a couple of giant rat but quite cute like creatures called "agouti", marmosets, some birds and other interesting creatures in a rainforest environment. It was fun watching them, especially when the two agoutis started chasing each other round in circles right beneath us! The sloth is well named indeed - he never moved the whole time we were there.




The next stop was downstairs to the Nightzone. This is where all the animals that move around at night are. Some great animals there. But my favourites, by far, were the bats. At first they all looked spooky enough, hanging upside down like mini Draculas, sleeping. Then one opened up his leathery wings to stretch, and then to flap around. That was quite a spectacle, his plasticy black claws still gripping the branch that he was dangling from. But then he began to pull himself up, with what would be his hands and arms. He held onto the wire mesh along the ceiling of the habitat, and then clambered along the way that any climber would if having to grip the underside of a rock and move forward to safety. He climbed right along to another bat at the edge, and they proceeded to have a conversation, of sorts. Later he hauled himself back, flung out his arms and leathery black cape, then drew his arms - and cape - back tightly around his body. Just like a miniature vampire! No wonder people have been inspired to think of them as blood sucking strange little people for so long!

Eventually we went back out into the daylight, and decided to go and see the big cats. More tomorrow! Goodnight!

The Globe Theatre

What a lovely crisp, fresh, cold, blue sky day. We've been to the Globe Theatre on the South Bank today. It's amazing! We spent hours there ... there is an excellent display about Shakespeare's London, and the Romans, but the highlight of the visit must have been going into the Globe itself. It's amazing the way that the theatre has been built recently but in a completely authentic style, down to the thatched roof. The only disappointment was that we didn't get a chance to go on the stage! Also had lovely parsnip and thyme soup at the cafe there. Well worth the entrance fee (£9 for adults, £7.50 for students and over 60s). There are still aspects I didn't get to see.

Have spent a lovely evening back home catching up with the news from Malawi, and looking at old photos and sketches

The Last King of Scotland

We've been to see this fim about Idi Amin. A big film about a big man. One of those films where at the end of it, the audience sits in silence. At least for a few seconds, before some start getting up. But still, everyone left in silence.

My husband and I discussed it a lot as we did the shopping. What was interesting was our different perceptions - I am probably writing a completely different reflection than if I had written without talking about it with him. He grew up hearing about Idi Amin, hearing about the myths, the stories ... his experience of presidential stateliness, mystique and magic was completely different from mine. I remember the first time I heard about Idi Amin, a friend of mine was talking about his visit with the Queen, when after a meal, he said "I am completely fed up!" (or words to that effect). I can't quite remember the phrase, but the way my friend spoke, and the tone of voice and the words she used, were comical, and, having seen and heard footage of Amin since, were quite authentic. Since then, I have learnt about Amin throwing the Asians out of Uganda, and many of the myths that surround him, but I haven't known much, really. So some of what I saw tonight, I saw for the first time, but for my husband, he had seen, heard and experienced much in the film, therefore had different expectations.

I found it a big film, like I said, with many things to think about. I was constantly thinking about things as I watched it, interpreting what I was seeing, trying to consider how some of the things must have looked like from other points of view, trying to decide how I felt about certain characters and why they acted as they did. I don't really want to go into details, thus spoiling the film for others, but there were many shocking scenes - as well as many funny ones. But I think for H, the funny scenes weren't funny enough, nor the dreadful scenes dreadful enough. Literally, full of dread. In one scene there was a sense of foreboding - but since this was when Amin was wooing the Western press, I'm not sure if it was charming enough ... And when the Asians were suddenly turfed out, I thought "What Asians? We've hardly seen any in the film," and realised that there was an omission there.

I do think that this was a good film, definitely about the Scottish doctor rather than Uganda, though. And I have to say that I didn't particularly like the doctor. Although I think that means the actor played him well. One anachronism though - I'm sure a Scotsman wouldn't have made a joke about liking his food (was it in relation to human flesh? I don't remember) being deep fried. I'm sure that was more a nineties thing ... Fried maybe, but deep fried?

Anyway, it's really late, and I'm getting up in seven and a half hours and I'm still really tired, so I think I'll leave now. May reflect more on the film tomorrow, having slept on it. Hope I don't dream of it though!

And why did he call himself the Last King of Scotland?