What a Welcome

Well when they say Africans know how to party, there are not kidding!!! :o) As i said, we were up at 5.30 Tuesday morning for a Taxi, then Ferry, then Coach the Jeep ride.... all an experience!!! We got to Milingarno about 4pm and what a welcome, as we drove up a dirty track, kids appeared out of the crops that lined the track and started chasing the car... shouting with huge smiles on there faces the villagers were out in force to great us, lots of drums and singing as we got out of the jeep, lots of hugs and hand shaking and shouts of Onga , Hello in Kisambar the tribal language!!! We were officially welcomed by the village Chairman and asked to sign the visitors register, then it was back in the jeep for another half hour up very rough track to the next village Yamba . Well, if we thought the welcome at Milingarno was great it was nothing to the welcome at Yamba , the WHOLE village had come out to meet us and were just so pleased to have us there..... then is was a short bimble up a vertical rock climb for 1 hour 20 mins .... where we were greeted along the was by the villagers the children were running back and forth and grabbing my hand to drag me along fighting as i only have 2 hands.... but my gosh, it was rather emotional. a moment i will never forget. Yamba and Milingarno are one village, but as there are spread out over a mountain side they are split into 2, Yamba is where i have spent the past 10 day's doing the Teacher Training. It is a lovely place but i really don't know how the people live there to get anything up there you have to do the 1 trek up the side of the mountain and carry anything you need!! it has helped towards the fitness though!!! I have now been placed in Milingarno at the bottom of the mountain where it is very flat and very hot at least 32 Degs , and the car can get to the door of the mud hut so anything we buy can get home with no effort!!!! I start teaching on Monday and i am really looking forward to it a little nervous but really excited. I'll fill you in on how it goes next time, until then......