Day 96: Tiwai Island – Kambama

It stays hot and stuffy. At 7 a.m. we set off for the morning walk, again with Mamadou, who was our guide yesterday afternoon. The mood is a little different, the walk is nice, red-collared monkeys are only in the distance again.

After breakfast and some waiting, the boat takes us back to the campsite. A white-collared monkey on the shore! You become frugal.

Not only Ian and Catherine are there but also Almut and Simon – how nice!

And: Today is the day of the football match! So, despite being tired, we move the car, set up the solar, wash a few clothes, showering, have something to eat and off we go at around 4 p.m. to the neighboring village, about 8 km away. A few people from the town ride with Ian, Catherine with us in the jump seat (how good that we have that!) and last but not least Mamadou squeezes into the passenger seat next to Brigitte.

Being a guest at the match is fun, unfortunately “our” team loses. We skip the New Year's party that follows and drive back. The four others have booked a night hike. We'll skip that and have a quiet evening.

One more thing: On the first evening, the man who organizes water and everything for the campsite sat down directly with us. When we tell him that unfortunately we don't have enough food (vegetables) to invite him, he moves away a bit. He doesn't leave until we go to bed too. In the morning he is back at his place. We learn: He is our security. And he takes great care. He also skips the party to be back at the place for us, carries water, sweeps away leaves, makes sure there is firewood (which Ian doesn't use until later), scares away children when they get too much.

And anyway, the children. They grasp things by touching them. The table or the car is petted. the advertising lettering on the chair is traced with fingers, the camping chair of Catherine and Ian with plug connections is mentally measured. They watch everything very closely. And they usually get very close to you. You have to learn to deal with that. And actually it's far too hot for this physical closeness. What unused potential, what resources lie dormant here and are rarely exploited.