Wherever I lay my cup, that's my home

On Tuesday we left the luxury of hot meals, cool pool and sparkling housekeeping at Safari Garden Hotel to find our own homes. After my nomadism this would be the first time I've had a room of my own since September. Perhaps more importantly I can stop living out of a suitcase! New mattresses and basic furniture are provided by VSO, leaving just personalisation to us, which takes a lot of pressure off someone unused to haggling.

I arrived in Kanifing around 4.30. After Ba Sarjo, the VSO driver, and I had huffed and puffed lifting my luggage, we greeted the other people in my compound; the landlord and his family who live above me, and the Ghanaian family at the back. Well, nearly greeted, my "malecum Salaam" actually became a garbled mixture of unfamiliar sounds. So much so I paced my house that evening practicing for ten minutes before bed. Still, Seikou and his family gave me a great welcome, especially as they are huge Man U fans. I'm already relying on them for company and tips, one of the kids ran to the shop to top up my phone credit for me, and we got the TV (VSO high luxury!) hooked up for the announcement of the new Pope. I've really landed on my feet.

Later another VSO who lives in the area popped in to give me a tour, finding bread, noodles and the crucial candles for the daily power cuts. I ate yoghurt and chakry for tea (chakry is like a coarse couse cous or breadcrumbs, the result is sweet, cool, tasty, in short, perfect) and went to bed by candlelight. I awoke to the call to prayer from the mosque, ready to walk down to the VSO office for language and induction sessions.

[written 13.3.13, but uploaded whenever I find a wifi spot!]