I Really Must Start ...

... to get ready for my Kenyan trip. I leave on Wednesday, and I haven't sorted, packed or even given it any thought - I don't even know where my passport is!

I have my clothes to pack - that shouldn't take more than two minutes. I mean, just how many clothes do you need in a country where daytime temperatures hover around 25°C and at night never drop below 15°C.

I have the technical stuff to pack:

• Laptop
• Handycam & DVDs
• Backup camcorder & tapes
• Digital camera & memory cards
• Back-up digital camera & memory card
• Rechargeable batteries and charger
• Tripod
• Card reader
• Video tapes for the kids
• Mobile phones

Then there are the clothes that have been donated for the Twiga children. These are stored in boxes, all jumbled up. Probably the easiest way to sort them into age groups.

We have been given loads of toys and games as well. Some are obviously too big to take, even with an allowance of two bags at 23kg each.

So I have set tomorrow (oh, that's just over an hour away) to sorting all this out, finding two bags or suitcases (and my passport), and packing everything - more or less.

I still have some time available on Monday; Tuesday is a bit cluttered, and I leave on Wednesday. If I haven't got everything by then, it will be too bad!

Meandering of the Mind

The date for my next trip to Kisii is fixed - I have bought the ticket (the cheapest available, so I cannot change it without penalties) and I leave these shores on 11 November.

Despite preferring Kenya Airways (marginally), i am going with Virgin as their fare was £101 cheaper at the time of booking. Still, the one thing that I didn't like when I used them last has changed, that is the return flight. It used to leave JKIA at 09:15, but it has now been put back to12:50, which is better for me as I have to get back from Kisii to Nairobi.

I want to get the hut on the plot somewhere close to habitable. It needs a good clean-up as  two rooms are used for storage of ... stuff. The stuff needs to be sorted and that which is beyond use, disposed of or recycled.

The biggest problem is the windows. They are metal frames but they are not glazed. And I would guess that glazing them would be expensive.

But why do they need to be glazed? Purely to keep the mosquitoes out. Rain never gets in due to the overhang of the roof.

So, there I was, lying in bed, thinking about how to glaze the windows for as little money as possible. And then it came to me. Cling film. I have seen it used as a cheap alternative to double glazing, so how about wrapping it around the frames of the open windows? Not too strong, but mosquito-proof, I am sure.

We'll see.

I am going to have to apply myself to packing very soon. I don't need a lot for myself in an area where the daytime temperature is always around 26°C and never drops below 17°C at night.

But I will be carrying  two video cameras, a digital camera, laptop and if I can, some external PC speakers.

Also, I have been given a lot of children's clothes (and some of the Twiga kids sorely need clothes) and toys. I would love to be able to take all the toys, but I fear that I would exceed my baggage allowance (2 x 23kg), so I will be doing a lot of juggling before I go. Decisions, decisions!

I need to get to the post office very soon. They offer a very good exchange rate, and although I can usually get a better rate in Kenya, I don't like arriving without any currency. Changing money at the airport is not a good idea, and I will be going directly to Kisii, so will not be able to visit one of the banks in Nairobi centre.

Oh well, I think that's covered everything, except travel insurance and malaria pills - that's £100 blown before I even start!

Generous People Will Make It Christmas At Twiga

Since the beginning of 2008, I have been collecting old cell phones for sale in Kenya. Last year, this effort raised enough to buy all our kids a new pair of leather schools shoes!

I have continued to collect cell phones, but they are becoming rarer. So I put out a plea for toys and games, as we approach Christmas - and my departure for Kenya.

Orphaned kids in Kenya don't do Christmas. They go to church, but other than that, Christmas Day is just another day to survive.

Anyway, I just want to say a big thank you to Sophie, 10 years old, who lives in Newbury. She has given up her complete collection of Barbie dolls, 15 of them! Her little brothers gave 4 or 5 cars and a few other bits and bobs.

Anne, also from Newbury, gave us a load of cuddly toys, and some games, such as chess, draughts and card games and a junior Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Mia, a South African, also from Newbury gave us some games and some seed for our vegetable plot.

Our kids at Twiga are going to have one very good Christmas, even if it will be a little early - I will be back in the UK for the day.

But we still need money to feed them (and to build the much needed children's home), so if anyone is feeling generous, or wants to do some fund-raising, please feel free. Donations can be made with the PayPal button in the right margin.