Now back in Nairobi after a week in Watamu.
While I was there I met Tony and Judy who organise projects for The Paper Chase Trust (www.thepaperchasetrust.org)and arranged with Tony to visit two of the clinics they have given financial aid to. This is a picture of me with Dr. Katana.

The conditions in his clinic before the interventions of the trust were appalling.
There was often no electricity and he was performing minor surgery and delivering babies with a torch in his mouth. There was no clean water and many rooms had no ceilings. He’s the only doctor I’ve met who knows how much it costs to tile a floor. There are no administrative fees for the charity in the UK and every penny goes to improving conditions and medical care. Check out the website.

Got a lift from a guy called Nigel to Voi. This meant taking a short cut on a dirt road through hills and forest to avoid Mombasa – very much off the tourist map. He is a builder and has a house overlooking Tsavo East National Park. A big storm blew up ten minutes after we arrived and after the rain the lightening went on for hours.

The next day a storm came
over in the morning and I watched a herd of about twenty elephants streaming over the rise and racing to lower ground, all ages and sizes led by a powerful Matriarch.

On a similar theme, went to the David Sheldrick elephant sanctuary today.
Pictures say more than I can.

Watamu Beach is known for its marine reserve and turtle rescue centre, as well as having some rather expensive hotels.

There were no turtles to be seen when I went to Turtle Watch, but I have had lunch by the beach and taken a boat to the coral reef.

On Sunday I went for a 5 hour walk in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest with a local guide and saw, amongst other things, Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew, Fischer’s Turaco and Trumpeter Hornbill.

Due to contacts, I’ve also been to Jua rescue centre for young girls who have been sexually assaulted and are pregnant. It is run by a Dutch woman. They take the girls in, the babies are delivered at the adjoining clinic and they stay for a year, with a further year of follow-up.

I visited Happy House Orphanage, an inspirational home and school run by a couple from Blackpool and tomorrow I’m going to see the work of The Paper chase Trust that provides medical advice, education and much needed funding for clinics.

Very hot and humid here and the electricity is off for some time nearly every day.

Should be back in Nairobi next week.

Spent two days with Lydia and Brett in their idyllic home in Karen, Nairobi.

Took the night train from Nairobi to Mombasa – only three hours late on arrival. Shared a second class berth with Lara, a young German girl volunteering to teach English to children in the slums of Nairobi.
As we were leaving the station a young woman from the train asked where we were going. It turned out that she was going to Watamu beach with her two friends and asked if I wanted to share a taxi with them, which I did.
She comes from Sweden and works as a project manager for migrants – that is the kind of people who turned up in my office as asylum seekers, so we had experiences to share.
Now sitting in “Savannahs”, a lovely B&B and bakery run by a welsh couple. Yes, I realise I haven’t met many Kenyans yet, but I learning a lot.
And this place is lovely.

Breakfast at The Purdey, eating mango and muesli and watching the weaver birds. Moving to the neighbouring hostel today.