My African Abode

I figured it’s probably about that time that I tell you all a little more about where it is I’m living these days.  Well, if that’s what you fancy, then this post is for you. Here’s a tour of the African domicile I currently call home.

A crappy picture of my house from the street.

 

Closer shot of my house with the caravan in front.

View of the caravan where Mandinho and Octavio sleep.

View of the front yard from the front of my house.

 Inside:

Walking in the house, this is a view of the living room/dining room.

Another angle of the living room/dining room.

My Room:

Looking into my room!

Forgot the word for this thing, but I have one.

Where the magic happens...

This is my room!  I’ve actually got a full size bed, which is pretty cool.  Not all volunteers do, but I guess I’m just special.  The white net-y looking thing you see in the picture is just that, a net. Every night I have to tuck it in under the mattress so as to protect myself from the mosquitos that fly around my room at night with the constant request to trade me some malaria in exchange for some of my blood.  I’ve politely declined a number of times, but just like the guys that try to sell you useless crap on the streets in Maputo, they are relentless.  As a result, I’ve decided to take certain measures in an attempt to prevent those little bastards from trying to force the trade without my consent, hence the mosquito net.

The other item I’d like to point out in my room is the xi-xi bucket (which actually isn’t pictured, but still important none the less).  I’ve mentioned in a few of my previous posts, but I don’t think its purpose has ever been explained.  I use this bucket to pee in during the night.  It prevents me from having to walk outside the house and battle insects, animals, and vagrants when I have to pee at 2am.  Sounds gross, but it’s actually incredibly practical.  I love this thing, and so long as I clean it out every morning (which I do; most of the time with bleach too!), there’s never a problem with smell.

Walking around the side of the house, this is the entrance to the kitchen with the casa de banho in the background.

The Infamous Casa de Banho.

 

I take showers here!

This is the room that I take showers in, but it’s not your ordinary “water falls from a spigot shower” that I’m taking.  No, this is Mozambique.  So, instead of just spinning some handles and waiting for the water to warm up, I warm up my water in an electric-kettle (or teapot over fire), pour it into the purple bucket shown in the picture, and then add some cold water from the spigot in our front yard (this gives me more water to work with too!).  Then, after saying hi to the humongous spider that sits in the corner and watches me bath, I use a small plastic mug and a bar of soap to bath myself.  Fun! 

The Inside of the Latrine

This, my friends, is called a latrine; and although it looks revolting, it’s not as miserable to use as you might think.  My typical latrine routine is as follows:  First, I make sure to step carefully as I walk down to the bathroom so as to avoid stepping on any 6-inch long millipedes that might be walking around (they are harmless, but still daunting).  Before entering, I flip the switch on the outside of the casa de banho to turn on the light.  I then enter and walk up to the chimney you see in the picture.  I grab onto the cover, rattle it a bit while it’s still covering the pit so that any roaches that are on it will fall off the bottom before I remove it.  After lifting the cover, I then blow into the hole to make the other roaches in the chimney move down (and not fly out and attack me while I pee or do other thing), do my business, put the top back on, and finally wash my hands in the bucket you see in the picture. Then I take a bath in hand-sanitizer.

 

Additionally, I’ve taken a video of the property, where I walk around and show the place off.  Because it’s such a big file though, I’m gonna have to wait to post it until I get to a place where I’m not paying for my internet by the megabyte.