21/01/10

Oooh, well now. Today Leila and I went to site because it was the last day of excavations. They had gone down loads in the extended area, but then we went down even further. We basically did a lot of me & Leila trowelling for a bit, and then Chris, Matt or Abel hacking at the solid stuff with a jembe, and then we’d swap again. Fairly dull day until the end really. We came down on the exciting layer, just as we had to close the site cos it was getting too late. It was full of bone, and Matt took a charcoal sample to date so he can see if it’s exciting enough to go back and hack out the rest of it.
So then we covered it, which was difficult as it was no longer a trench, it was just sort of an open void. But we did the best we could, I don’t think the covering will last though. But yeah, it was very dusty work. And then we had the blessing, which Emmanuel took some photos of with Matt’s camera so I’ll try and get them off him at some point. So the mzee and a couple of other fairly old guys were there, and one of their wives, and a 10 litre jerry can of beer. It was millet beer brewed locally by the guy who lived next to the school or something. Anyway, the mzee took some branches and chanted some stuff while we sat with our hands out and he kinda slapped the branches (just small leafy things really) onto our outstretched palms, and then onto our heads, and the other guys chimed in for the odd word. No idea what he was saying, but it had something to do with asking the ancestors to bless us or something. All the while the others were drinking much beer. And then one of the other guys came up to chant some stuff. And then Emmanuel came over to translate that we were welcome for bringing knowledge, and they hoped we would remember them and stuff. It was all quite lovely at the end. Then we drank some pombe. Well, I had a couple of sips because it still tasted like beer, although not as bad a s some. Because it was made of finger millet it was browny and cloudy, and it also tasted faintly lemony. It would have been quite nice if it weren’t for that distinct beer taste. We drank it out of small calabashes though, which was cool. Except for the mzee, who was pouring it into a water bottle and must have had about 5 in the short time we were there.

Anyway, that was about it today. We were quite late back so everyone else was late for dinner. Emmanuel and I ended up eating by ourselves for a while. Which was a bit awkward as I think he finds it hard to talk to me. Which isn’t unusual. I find it hard to make small talk generally, when it’s someone as random as Emmanuel it’s even harder.

Ah, early night for me I think. Utterly shattered today. Tomorrow I have a busy day of museum meeting and then getting a bus to Eldoret. And then Matt is picking me up at about 9am on Saturday morning! Yikes that’s early! Should mean we get back to Nairobi in fairly good time though. So no update tomorrow. Then over the weekend I have many many things to do. Including making a couple of calls. Mum, I shall call you either Saturday or Sunday!
I’m quite looking forward to Eldoret now. My first solo journey, and it’s not even that solo really. I’ll just be catching the matatu on my own, and then meeting Sarah as soon as I get there. We haven’t booked anywhere to stay but we have names of a few places and it should be easy enough to find somewhere once we get there. Excellent. Right, bed soon. Although I have a late start tomorrow. Breakfast isn’t until 8am. Woop! Lie in!

Night all
x