I woke up still pretty tired. I had the annoying should I, shouldn't I dilemma of a midnight toilet run. At home the issues are having to get out of a nice comfy bed and possibly risking waking the other people of the household. Here I had Mosquitos, scorpions and snakes to contend with on my trip to the hole in the ground.
Breakfast today was rice and pasta which I have no problem with whatsoever. I did have a problem with the hot breeze however and life here when the tribes are quiet is centred around food preparation and dealing with the heat.
There was still no word from the chief of police as to when the vehicle was going to Lodwar. I didn't mind spending the weekend here but I knew the longer I'm here in no mans land, the longer my parents will undoubtedly be worrying. I was having an unbelievable experience that no holiday or backpacker could relate to and everyday I was learning more about Kenyan life and not your average Kenyan life, probably life in one of the toughest places to live in the world.
Isaac wasn't wrong when he said to me if you can survive here, you can survive anywhere. They were obviously used to the heat and so their sleeping patterns were much more efficient than mine. It wasn't just the heat though, getting used to the food is a challenge in its itself and with the supply they have, if you're choosy, you'll probably die.
I had a nap in some shade to conserve energy and then had lunch of chicken and ugali. After lunch we chatted a bit but the heat really does kick in along with tiredness so another nap was in order before we got a lot of tribal visitors.
The Ethiopian tribe are called Desonites and they are a very uneducated race. They believe Kenyan land to be rightfully theirs and so they walk their animals miles into Kenya to feed on the grass. In the past the Kenyans have tried to stop this but that only led to conflict so nowadays the Kenyans allow it and have had to section their tribe (Turkana's) to the mountains.
As the sun sets on each day the Desonites stop past the police station on their way back to Ethiopia to demand water. This is not a guaranteed privilege but the Desonites do not take rejection with a smile. The Kenyan police try their hardest to keep the peace and provide the Desonites with everything they can, however as I've mentioned, water supplies are running low and not every Desonite can be fed.
It really is amazing what the police do and the way they go about doing it. It is a real shame that the two tribes can not work together but no education and some quite horrendous morals means that violence can break out at anytime in the blink of an eye.
I got a little more involved with making dinner today as my body is adjusting to the conditions. As the fish was being fried, I helped make the ugali. I was basically acting as the cement mixer but lasted a pitiful 5 minutes mixing as I became too sweaty to hold the spoon!
The wind had picked up so we moved the cooking into a room. Imagine cooking a BBQ in a sauna whilst wearing shorts and t-shirt. It's fair to say that this white man almost turned into a puddle. At home I'm the first to get the top off when the temperature hits double figures and here I was in certain late 30 degrees, possibly 40 in the buildings. Not only did I still have a t shirt and shorts on but I've got a mop on my head and a fox's tail around my face, I was wetter than an otter's pocket.
Dinner was good (no extra salt was necessary), I rarely have fish and even more rarely is it still looking at me when I'm picking away at its neck. My favourite times of the day are the cool mornings and cool dinner times but unfortunately they last an hour each. Dinner is timed to catch the last bit of sunlight before darkness takes over at 7 and the Mosquitos rule the roost.
It is such a shame to be in such a beautiful place in the world but be surrounded by literally life threatening dangers. My ankles can't wait to leave as they have swollen into the size of elephants feet due to the bites and the heat combined. Other parts of me however are going to hold this place and the people very dear.
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