The only muzungu in the village

The past days since volunteers left have felt really strange. The first and second day I didn't really notice as I was home in bed sick. Not the first clue what was wrong with me but I had body aches, fever, headache, upset stomach and nausea. For the first day I couldn't move as I my energy was completely zapped. After about 10 hours of lying around and drifting in and out of sleep I finally decided to go see a doctor. All my test came back clear and the doctor advised I'd either picked up a bug or eaten something dodgy. He prescribed some medicine and that night I slept solidly for 12-13 hours, the next day was much the same, lying on my couch although I did manage to eat something. 

By Saturday I was feeling much better and the 2 youngest sons of my host family arrived to stay with us. They're both really lovely and also speaking English really well so was glad I was on the mend in time for their arrival. 

It has been really weird being the only remaining foreigner in the village. I'm getting much more attention than usual and can't help but keep looking out for my volunteers. I'm sure I'll settle again though, probably just in time for the next bunch to arrive!

Today I travelled with my host mum and host brother to do the family visits. We visited both granny's again and it felt good to be able to communicate more this time as my Swahili and Kihaya are coming along now. We also visited to the home where my host mummy grew up and she was able to pay her respects at her fathers grave. I swear I have met and greater more than 50 family members today. My host mummy has 25 younger siblings and reckon I've not even met a quarter of them yet, then you have to consider their wife's, husbands, children and in laws! Biiiig family.

The highlight of the day by far was being in a really remote village with very simple traditional houses then being taken to a relatives in the same village whose house looked like the Barbie mansion! Baby pink, chandlers, flat screen tvs, gated entrance:

The road from Kamachumu is closed again so to pass to anywhere from here requires top gear-esque off roading (which I am growing to despise!) funny story tonight though as some of my friends came to Kamachumu to visit for the day and just received this text about their taxi ride home:

 Wow that was an interesting journey home!!! We had to get out and push and of course I fell in the mud!! 

Tomorrow I need start on the reports for this cycle, should keep me busy for a fare few days...... Pole mimi (feeling sorry for myself!)