The Departure of family

29^th Dec – Mum, Jules and Jonty left on the 9pm flight on today of all days. It was my birthday and I turned 23. That’s always seemed like a fairly adult number and to be honest I don’t feel very adult. I need to shave more often but that’s about it. Anyway, after their departure I managed to salvage my birthday by going out with some friends I’d made. It ended up being a fairly spiffing evening. Keeping in mind Arusha is quite a Western place, so there was a fair number of other white people there. Quite an odd bunch all in all. Not sure where I fitted in with them. There were the tourists, there were the orphanage workers, aid workers and safari tour operators. Needless to say I had my fill after that one night. However things are never that simple because offcourse it was New Years eve not long after and off course I felt obliged to go out. I wasn’t going to but then I met a pretty mad dutch guy who gently persuaded me that it was for the best that we go out and get smashed. I decided his argument was sound. 3am rolls in and its time for me to go and get a bit of sleep. My bus back to Kigoma leaves at 5:30am. In the end I manage an hour of sleep then pack my stuff and crawl to the bus station. Bags on bus – check. Self on bus – check. Forgotten anything – No. Good. Sleep. The next two days rolls away in a bit of a blur and before I know it im back in Kigoma and ready to go back to camp. After Arusha, the thought of Camp could not be more surreal. In a good way.