Saturday, February 25, 2006

Supporters, readers, spectrum and stars.

1. The crowd that gathered to watch us having our windscreen replaced -- a seller of tools, a lady collecting for a charity and various windscreen mending groupies.

2. Finding a bookshop that sold cheap Penguin classics -- I got Andersen’s Fairy Tales and Moonfleet. I’ve also seen Wind in the Willows knocking about and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim.

By the end of the trip many of us had read Wind in the Willows, encouraged by Rob’s enthusiastic quotings of Mr Toad’s boastful song and perhaps also by Arusha Alex; Rob and I were groaning ‘The horror, the horror’ to signal our fellowship in Heart of Darkness; and Iris and I were disagreeing about the merits of Moonfleet. Wayne had also read some of Andersen while he was having malaria. It’s probably not the most reassuring fever reading, as a recurring theme is talking kitchen utensils.

3. The windscreen mending meant we really had to cane it down the dirt road to the houseboat on Lake Kariba. Stine spotted a strange cloud rainbow -- we spent half an hour squatting on the floor trying to get a better look at it while Wayne raced the truck along the road. I thought it was a sundog, but looking at Atmospheric Optics it might have been iridescent clouds.

4. Watching the stars from the houseboat -- I’ve seen the Southern Cross for the first time.
Ilongwe to Sinasongwe, Lake Kariba, Zambia

Book treasure, worn and speaker.

1. Finding treasure in the Oxfam bookshop. I only popped in to look for a card. 2. Bettany doesn't wear makeup out and about, but noneth...