Christmas is a time for giving, and nowhere have we felt this more than on Lupita. On
Christmas day we dressed Chris as Father Christmas and took 3 hampers of goodies to the few people that were on the Island for Christmas for one reason or another:
our askaris,
the 6 fundis from Arusha or Dar es Salaam who were not able to go home for Christmas
and a third box to the old fisherman, his wife and 2 sons who have always lived on the Island and have been allowed to stay on.
Their eyes lit up and the smiles grew as we unpacked cans of beer, juice, biscuits, chocolates, popcorn, fresh vegetables (compliments of our very own veggie garden), sugar and salt. We also had some chickens sent over from the mainland for their dinner. We wanted to make sure that EVERYONE on Lupita would have a feast.
Chris and I cooked a huge turkey in a metal box surrounded by coals and enjoyed our dinner on our patio watching the lights of the fishing boats and hundreds of stars. The evening was so beautiful that we pulled our bed onto the patio so that we could lie in bed and enjoy the gorgeous sky. It was a perfect day.
Four days later, the old fisherman's wife from Lupita arrived at our gate with 12 small fish and one of their own chickens to thank us for our Christmas gift. We were so touched. This humble family have only a couple of chickens of their own and here they were giving us one of their most prized posessions. The old man's wife appologised to us saying that they had wanted to repay our kindness earlier but that today was the first time since Christmas day that her husband had been able to catch some fish that were large enough to give to us. It is a Christmas gift that we will never forget. 
Chris as Father Christmas on Christmas day.
For the next 12 days, we will count 
down the twelve days before Christmas and celebrate each day with pictures of the twelve most important things in our lives. Each one has a special part in our hearts and has its own story. The first day of Christmas belongs to our oldest pet, Asterix. We found Asterix walking down a dirt road in Arusha 6 years ago. He was no more than a few weeks old and his mother was no-where to be seen. We were worried that he would be driven over by a passing vehicle so I picked him up and we took him home with us. And so he became a member of our family.We were still camping at the time, so Asterix used to sleep in our old 109 landrover, Mr C, in a plastic bowl. He was as good as gold.When we picked him up he was covered in ticks, flees and mange so we were forced to bath him every other day. To this day he still does not like his monthly baths. Luckily, he loves to swim in the lake so now when it is time for us to bath the dogs, Chris and I change into our costumes and take the dogs down to the lake. Nowdays bath time is fun, fun, fun.Asterix is one of the few dogs that we have met who actually SMILE. To know him is to love him. He has the most wonderful, laid back nature. If he was a human, he would have the most friends.
Asterix has grown to love the lake and especially the trips on our boat. When we lived on the mainland Chris and I would go accross to the Island every day by boat. Asterix and Madonna would often accompany us on these trips. Even today, when we go down to the dock with the dogs, they both hop into the boat just in case we are going on a trip (they wouldn't want to be left behind). Here Asterix is looking out over the side of the boat at the nearby island. When on the boat he loves to see where we are going.
The second day of Christmas is for our German Shephard, Madonna. In contrast to Asterix, Madonna is highly strung and very excitable. Life is definetly the best thing that has ever happened to her! People say that German Shephards are one people dogs. This is especially true of Madonna. Although she loves me and would die for me, Chris is the love of her life. She goes everywhere with him, following him on site, keeping him company as he checks on the progress of the buildings.
Today reminds us of our family and friends all over the world. Thank you for your continued love and support. We hope that you will all be able to come and see this beautiful place for yourselves.
One such friend is Howard. We met Howard in Arusha 6 years ago and have been firm friends ever since. Howard is Chris' backgammon partner and together they have turned this game into a contact sport. They often stay up into the wee hours of the morning playing backgammon and drinking whiskey. Here Howard and Chris are playing yet another game of backgammon in our tent (when we were still living on the mainland).
Chris' sister, Amelia, and her husband, Eric, were the first guests to stay with us on Lupita Island. As they live in South Africa it was quite a journey for them to come and visit us. First they flew to Nairobi, then to Arusha and finally to Sumbawanga, where Chris drove to meet them. The last leg of their trip was a 4-hour drive from Sumbawanga to Kipili on a bad, dirt road followed by a 20-minute boat ride to the Island. After all that travelling they certainly deserved some relaxation, and Lupita is the perfect place to do just that.
Us with the Lupita Island Scrabble Champion! Amelia loves to play Scrabble, so every day included at least a couple of games of Scrabble. At the end of their stay, Amelia was declared the winner after a lengthy Scrabble tournament with Chris.
What a small, small world it is! Imagine Chris' surprise when he drove past our friends, Hassan and Karen, on the dusty, dirt road from Sumbawanga one Saturday afternoon. Karen and Hassan had been on safari to the Katavi National Park and were on their way back to Arusha. Katavi is a four hour trip by vehicle from Kipili and is a very remote, untouched National Park, well worth a visit (or two). If Chris had been half an hour earlier or later on his trip back to the Island, he would have missed them.
Hassan's chef, Kasi (which means "work" in Swahili), was with them. He taught us how to cook pizzas in a metal suitcase with hot coals on the lid and around the sides. Thank you for leaving your metal suitcase for us so that we can cook our own pizzas. We will think of you when we use it to cook our turkey on Christmas day. Now that you know where we are we hope to see you again. KARIBU SANA (which means "you are very welcome" in Swahili).
The Youds' joined us for 2 nights on the Island. They had driven all the way from a mine site near Lake Victoria so that they could see where we were and what we were up to. What great friends you are! It was such fun having you to stay. Thank you so much for making such an enormous effort to come and see us with your clan. We hope that your new life in Papau New Guinea is everything that you want it to be.
And of course, The Lithgows. Who could ask for nicer bosses! From left to right is Lauren, Belinda, Daniel and Tom.
The sixth day of Christmas 
belongs to Lupita Island. As you can see from this satelite photograph, the Island is very close to the mainland of Tanzania, approximately 3.8km from the Kipili Village. We lived in a tent on the mainland, just outside the Kipili Village for several months while the manager's house was being built. Every day we would go by boat to the Island (a 20-minute ride) so that Chris could monitor the progress of the building.
Lupita is linked to a larger island called Uwile, by a narrow sandbar, which disappears at some times of the year when the level of the water in the lake rises.
Our house looks onto Fisherman's Island and next to this is Karenge Island. We plan to build one of 2 airstrips on Karenge Island, with the second airstrip being built on the mainland, just outside the Kipili Village. This will ensure that airplanes are able to land and take off here at any time of the year.
A close up view of Lupita Island. The Island itself is shaped like an upside down pudding rising out of the lake. It is covered in trees and has plenty of lovely big rocks everywhere which will be incorporated into the designs of the various rooms and other structures.
The water here is crystal clear with a visability of over 35m. Lake Tanganyika has more species of siclids than any other body of water in the world, and these brightly coloured fish love to feed off the rocks around Lupita. The island is a snorkeller's paradise!
Lupita Island from the east side.
This is the side that is closest to the mainland and is where we currently dock our boats.
This
really is a unique Island. There are no wild animals (apart from 1 male baboon who we have nicknamed, Bartholomew, and our resident otters), and no mosquitos (so there is no threat of malaria).
At night when the rest of the workers return to Kipili, the only noise on the Island is the lapping of the waves on the shoreline and the occasional owl or nightjar.
There is no pollution here so during the rainy season, when the dust has settled, we can quite clearly see the valleys and mountains of the DRC on the other side of the lake. If you look to the right hand side of this picture you will see the DRC.
The skies are beautiful and clear at night making the stars seem so close that we almost feel as though we can touch them. And on the nights when the moon is full I sometimes wake up thinking that we have left one of the lights on. Yes, Lupita Island really is very, very special and we try to make the most of every day that we are here.
Today we are reminded 
of the gorgeous sunrises that we get from the east side of Lupita. The pictures speak for theselves. Three times a week Chris and I run up and down the hill with the dogs as exercise. This is our view. How could we not get up early for this?
Of course the eigth day of Christmas belongs to the glorious sunsets that we are treated to on Lupita. Some evenings the sky is a wash of orange, dusty pink and brilliant blue.
Christmas day we dressed Chris as Father Christmas and took 3 hampers of goodies to the few people that were on the Island for Christmas for one reason or another:
