It has been four months now since I left Wellington and for most of that period I've felt truly privileged at getting the chance to discover, observe, listen and learn all about life in East Africa. My mind has been like a sponge trying to soak up the many sights and sounds, but I'm noticing at this point it is taking me longer & longer to process thoughts or impressions. Maybe I've reached the saturation point - the brain is simply TOO full with info and needs re-booting ;-)? Happy coincidence then that I came down with the mother of all head colds several days ago, reducing me to a sniffling, coughing mess stuck in my hotel bed: plenty of time for reflection. Some aspects of the trials & tribulations of long-term budget travel are becoming clear: our mood drops when 
the search for a functioning ATM machine takes up most of a day (on several occasions lack of available cash has resulted in no dinner), buses stop our journey without any explanation, when taps/showers have no running water, toilets fail to flush at the most inconvenient times, mosquito nets contain giant holes and every guest house we stay in for weeks on end is magically situated next to either a mosque, church, Hindu temple or deafening generator. For me the quality of our accommodation (and sleep) seems to directly affect my level of contentment, but we've found out the hard way that often you don't get value for money here. A yearning for some simple home comforts has subsequently kicked in, but as with any travel, the good far outweighs the bad :-). It's a case of treating yourself to a few small delights once in a while, realise that you have it FAR FAR better than most local people here, and get back on the road.
the search for a functioning ATM machine takes up most of a day (on several occasions lack of available cash has resulted in no dinner), buses stop our journey without any explanation, when taps/showers have no running water, toilets fail to flush at the most inconvenient times, mosquito nets contain giant holes and every guest house we stay in for weeks on end is magically situated next to either a mosque, church, Hindu temple or deafening generator. For me the quality of our accommodation (and sleep) seems to directly affect my level of contentment, but we've found out the hard way that often you don't get value for money here. A yearning for some simple home comforts has subsequently kicked in, but as with any travel, the good far outweighs the bad :-). It's a case of treating yourself to a few small delights once in a while, realise that you have it FAR FAR better than most local people here, and get back on the road.
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