Mal d'Afric

 Photo of a photo, Lake Nakuru c.1986. 

How many of us get around to culling and printing out our heaps of digital photos? How many of us haul out old photo albums and spend an hour wandering through memories? I know that I took less photos with film and print due to expense, but now I have reams of digital photos which never see the light of... screen...

Last night I  watched 'Out of Africa' for the n'th time. Say what you like about its content, skewed storyline, Colonialism, portrayal of the Kikuyu, the fabulousness of Meryl Streep; the scenery still sells it for me. The Ngong Hills, Menengai Crater, flamingoes on Lake Elementaita, the Escarpment, vleis, fever trees, sunsets, wide skies, Kirinyaga. It is different now, it should be, development and improved living for the people is good, right, desirable. Kenya had always the potential to be a wonderful place and I am looking backward to a love that was, not is.

And I loved Kenya back in the day, the land, the people, the differences, the similarities. I found it difficult living there but when the stars aligned it made my heart sing.