It’s Over ……… I think!

Finally it’s come to an end. After what seems for ever it’s stopped and we’re on our way to better times.

I am of course referring to the rains. Made so much longer and wetter by the El Niño effect.

The grass is turning yellower and the roads are getting dustier but I much prefer sun to rain.

Not that it has rained all the time but it has been a lot cloudier than we’ve been used to and a lot more unpredictable. So unpredictable that it’s  been almost two weeks after the last rainfall before I am confident enough to make the tentative proposition that it’s over….. I think!

My current view! (On a lazy Saturday Afternoon)

  
Lying on a blanket in the shade of the trees in our garden. It’s a hot afternoon and there’s no where better to be as I listen the multiple bird sounds and the gentle breeze blowing though the branches. 

  

Sunny Sunbird Sunday

 A Sunny Sunday afternoon in the garden with added Sunbirds.   
 
 
 
 
 


   

After The Rain

The rains are officially here – there is no doubt. This morning we had the most torrential downpour in Mwanza – beginning about 6am it continued unabated for many hours finally easing off at about 11am. In that time the drains quickly became blocked and the roads became rivers – it made for an interesting journey to work this morning as we bypassed abandoned vehicles and ploughed through rivers on our usual route.

At school the rain had caused a small landslide which had brought down a wall in the corner of the playing field – there was a lot of rain coming down.

Photos courtesy of a colleague.

Thankfully the afternoon brightened up to a sunny end to the day – returning home was a lot easier. The garden was alive with birdlife enjoying the evening rays.

Speckled Mousebird

Yellow-billed Black Kite in the sun

Northern Grey Headed Sparrow

Purple Grenadier

Spotted Morning Thrush

Eastern Grey Plantain Eater

Common Bulbul

Laughing Dove

Red-billed Firefinch

Pied Kingfishers

Female Red-billed Firefinch

Red-billed Firefinch

Pied Kingfishers

Spotted Morning Thrush

Northern Grey Headed Sparrow

Red-billed Firefinch

As is often the case here -even the wettest days has a lot of sunshine too!

Rainy Days on the Beach

The rainy season has definitely begun and although we’ve had some good weather we’ve had our fair share of showers too! 

 Our hired tent is sheltered under a tin roof and fitted with proper beds, we have a covered porch / verandah and the weather has remained warm. The kids’ tents are standard but come with bedding and are dry enough although one has transferred to a second tent under a thatched roof following some heavier rain yesterday. 

   
We have been to adjacent beach every day and swam most days. Yesterday we had a new experience having gone down to the beach, when a thunderstorm hit with torrential rain. We stayed in throughout watching the water bubble as the droplets bounced on the lake’s surface. It was dramatic enough in the skies above but calm on the sheltered waters of the bay. We watched the many Cichlids darting about amongst the rocks and waited for the storm to pass – we were no wetter in the water as we would have been be on land. 

    
    
   
The weather cleared to give sunny evening and a sunset viewed from one of the terraces here at Jakobsen’s Beach, where we had a BBQ. 

    
    
   
Some mornings have been very lazy as the rain has lingered from the crack of dawn to  mid-morning. Today Friday has been one such day and I write this beneath a small Banda just as the rain has subsided. 

Other mornings I have been up with the lark (as I do when camping) exploring the site and listening to the exotic bird calls eminating from the thickets and trying to grab a photo or two. Down on the beach dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies (in many colours) have danced about on the sand in the sun.  

    
   
We have ventured into Kigoma a couple of times to get provisions, but mainly (unusually for us here in Africa) we have stayed in one place and relaxed. Tomorrow we return on the long drive back to Mwanza. Reflecting back on the whole experience has been peaceful calm and very relaxing. I would certainly recommend Jakobsen’s Beach, if you’re ever in the vicinity. 

  
    
   

Eclipse

Many of you will have witnessed some sort of eclipse of the sun today. Sadly no such event occurred here in Tanzania where the sun remained bright and full, whilst baking down upon us. 

The moon was I assume somewhere up there in the blue, near to but not over the shining sun.

I have been lucky enough to witness a total eclipse back in 1999 whilst on holiday in Brittany. We made the long trip up to Cherbourg in Normandy to watch the eclipse together with many who had sailed across the sea from Britain, including my parents.

  



It was a cloudy day and the cloud was seemingly impenetrable but as totally approached the world got suddenly dark, as if it were night. The lights in the harbour came on and the seagulls screeched. Then in the dark the clouds parted, just enough to give us a fleeting glimpse (no photo). Totality lasted but a few minutes and then like someone switching on a light it grew bright (even though most of the sun was still covered).

That was my one and only total eclipse in almost 50 years on this planet. The next visible here in Tanzania will occur on September 1st 2016 (partial).  If I’m still here (as I hope to be) it’s a definite watch!

If you saw the eclipse I hope you enjoyed it. 🙂