Back in Canada

I'm back, I'm back! I am glad to be home yet sad to be away from Africa. I had an amazing time there, it was an experience that exceeded my expectations and I can't wait to be back (although my career, finance and child-bearing calculators say that I probably won't be able to return for another decade... damn!)

It was difficult to enjoy Europe fully coming from the absolutely beautiful African savannah, but I did bask in the immaculate glory of the David at the Galleria Accademia in Florence... oh how I will be forever in awe of his glorious chiselled body (mostly his behind). Venice was beautiful though a day there was enough, and ancient Rome was amazing to see. I also got to to return to Leon de Bruxelles in Paris so I was dang happy and I always said when I returned I would shell out the 9 euros to go up to the Eiffel tower, and this time I did indeed with Mike. Perhaps our most fun moment in Europe though was when we went to the Tuschinski theatre in Amsterdam to watch the Da Vinci Code. It was so nice to rest our feet from walking everywhere and participate in a North American pasttime! We loved the movie, all you Da Vinci code critics are just unappreciative of fine entertainment and in retrospect, after we had already left Paris we wished we had visited St. Sulpice and found that rose line marker when we were at the Louvre! Oh well, next time... I always find reasons for myself to go back to Paris. And since I succesffuly threw a coin into the Trevi Fountain I gues I'll have to return to Rome too. However, the #1 destination in my heart will always be Africa... I really want to explore other lodges at the Masai Marai such as the Kicheche Camp where you can do walking safaris!! And hell I might just get married there one day too. (I apologize for all the links, I've been away from blogspot for so long, I had to get it out of my system.)

So I have so many pictures of my time in Africa that I propose the following: I will post about a dozen pictures on different aspects of the trip (trust me, it's hard to decide between 2 GB worth!). The first set will be pictures of the clinic, the second a look at life in Western Kenya and the third will feature amazing safari photos!!! I may throw in Europe pics too but they're really not that great compared to the glimpses of Africa - you'll see what I mean. I'll do this over a couple of days... enjoy!!

Oh and from my travels I've decided that orange is definitely the new pink.

Photo Gallery 1 - Matangwe Health Clinic

The road to the clinic

The Matangwe Health Clinic

John the security guard

The May volunteer crew with Stephen, the clinical officer and
Julia, the administrative assistant
(who's eating a meal we cooked for the clinic staff!)

Mother and child at the Well Baby Wednesday clinic

One of my fave pics - this cute kid is really not pleased
to be on the scale at all!

He does however want to take a peek at Julie's reading

Getting ready to immunize...

Some days I'm not quite sure we knew what we were doing...

A cute little boy tossing a ball with me at the clinic

The day I fell in the mud while biking to the clinic I had to put on a pink
dress the clinic leant me... then Graham and I work on our first malaria test! (And trying hard not to crack up at my demise)

Nothing like a cool Tusker after a long day's work...