....a place of vulnerability and discovery

19

...

Welcome to the 20th year of your life Miss Mackenzie. 

And my o my it was the most eventful birthday i've ever had. Africa was a wonderful time for me, proper precious.

I just want to tell you quickly about one special day...

27th Feb 2011

The waking up at '5.30am' part, wasn't all that much of an issue for me, i was one of those kids, who got overly excited on special occasions, and rolled on up to my parents room, with wide eyes before sunrise. By 6.20 we were buying bread from the gentle faced  baker who always gave us an extra baguette, which Hannah felt strongly was a fundamental quality that she would like her future husband to possess.

Even when the door is held together by a bit of rope, and the engine is started from under the bonnet, you still hope that maybe, this bus will carry us safely 4 hours down dust tracks to the Capital city. With a soundtrack of constant clunking, Mim was praying that if it only worked in one gear ..it would be a slow one, whilst Rosie and Cerys seamed to be oblivious to any faulty engineering, and Han was being virtually sat on by (i'm sure a very safe,) knife carrying man in green.

A few 'Sprites' later and 5 are in the back of the pick up truck, surrounded by luggage and the rest are crammed into the cab, we're on our way. The Open back, gives you a great blast of terra-cotta sand, which after 2 hours, sets to give you a lovely glow. Was very funny to look at. 

Almost at destination when the tyre blows, this is a distinctive sound for those who are privileged enough to experience such a thing. I however, mentally related the sound to gun shots, and 'Got Down' at great speed. The tyre was wrecked!

By 3ish we had arrived, after being over taken by the bus which had let us down so greatly at 6.30am this morning. Next on the agenda swimming, this was fun, in a game of wrestling, my bikini top got pulled in the 'wrong' direction, and i became a real African Women, for that split second.

All garlanded in our traditional African outfits, us girlies headed off to a swish french restaurant, which was beautiful and chilled, carpeted with sand, and roofed with fabric, and i got serenaded to by a group of very enthusiastic waiters 'bonne aniversaire' It was amazing. A good start to my 20th year...