The past few months have been focused on thatching at the lodge site. We have had to buy LOTS more grass, and this has been coming in at a steady rate. All the guys have spent their days walking up and down the hill carrying huge bundles of grass on their heads and packing them neatly, ready to be used by the thatchers. I feel so sorry for them as they repeat the monotonous work day in and day out. As you can see from the photos below, the common area is starting to take shape.

From left to right are the kitchen, bar and laundry storerooms, the bar and lounge area, the gamesroom and the office, shop & dispensary. This photograph has been taken from the back of the buildings as they all look onto the lake which is in front of them. 

The back of the dining area can be seen on the left of this picture, with a walkway to the kitchen and the roof of the kitchen.

The thatching for the double story lounge and bar area is finally finished and now all that remains is for the wooden floor of the top area to be completed. 

More strong winds leave their mark

Last Sunday we returned from Sumbawanga to find that strong winds had sunken one of the two large boats that transport all the fundis and building materials over to the island each day. What a sad sight. On Monday morning everyone helped to haul the heavy boat out of the water and after a few repairs, she was back in business ferrying everyone back and forth to Lupita. 

Bart and a vervet monkey

Bartholomew (or Bart, as he is affectionately called), is really becoming one of the family. Of late he has taken to sitting in the garden in the mornings with our dogs or surveying his island from the top of our chicken house. He still shows absolutely no agression towards our animals or us (which is a great relief). This afternoon I returned to the house to find a vervet monkey in our garden, no doubt trying to eat our newly planted vegetables. I wonder if this will be a new friend for Bart?