mmmmmh...mussels!

Yesterday we ran out of canned food, and as our next trip to Mthatha is probably still far off we had to go collect mussels if we didn't want to eat plain rice tonight. These days it's low tide all the time and so the mussel collecting won't be such a problem as it was last time, when we got soaked from head to feet and a big wave almost swept me off the rocks. Besides, it was nice and cloudy and therefore not too hot, so off we went ... down to secret beach and scrambling up the rocks. The mussels grow here in millions and billions! I must actually take my camera next time, it's really quite a sight. In higher regions you find the small ones, and if you want big ones, you need to venture down the rocks to the surface of the water. Only problem is, the waves come splashing in constantly ... and the mussels hold on to the rocks quite stubbornly. So we cling to the rocks, one foot in the water, one hand ripping mussels off, and of course we get wet anyway. This time we collected two shopping bags half full of mussels, which is quite a lot. Then we have to carry them aaaaall the way back up to the hilltop ... and then, you need to steam these things so that they open, and then you crack them open and scratch the fleshy part out, and that stuff you can fry in the end to get it nice and tasty. But scratching all the fleshy parts out takes a hell lot of time ... so if any backpacker decides to have mussels for dinner, make sure you start collecting them around midday, or your dinner might happen after midnight ... At least now I know why mussels are so expensive: not because they are rare, but because to harvest and prepare them just takes too much time! But hey, time we've got plenty here, actually we make a point of having time, and anyway, a tasty mussel dinner is reward enough for all the bother. ;-)

Fetching Poles

Today we will learn how to get poles. It's a quite easy receipe: pack about 10 kids into the landrover, drive to the forest, cut the poles down and drag them back to your place. No kidding. In the Mpame Forest they have plantations for poles, and you just go there and say which ones and how many you want, pay for them (we pay R 1.70 for a 6m gumtree pole) and go cut them down in the section that they tell you. The kids are useful, apparently they like doing that work, cause often we don't even have to ask them if they want to help – they just jump into the landrover by themselves. (Maybe they just want a ride in the landrover and don't know that we're off to the forestry and will make them work ...) Anyway there are some kids that really are very helpful: little Dedisa (don't know if the name is really spelled like that) never misses a chance to be around us, and Sandile is also a very reliable and important helper. So off into the forest they all go, with saws and machetes (don't worry, they know how to handle that stuff), and cut the trees and chop off all the branches. Then we drag them to the landrover, stuff them all in, tie the bundle to the side of the car and drag the whole thing back – with the kids sitting on the pile of poles inside the landrover. I hate the drive back, the landrover creaks and the noise of the poles being dragged over the stoney street drives me mad. I'm always glad when we finally reach our hilltop. There, we unload all the poles and immediately strip the bark off. Like that, they don't only look nicer but also don't get eaten by borabeetles. So that's it ... and with these poles, we built the boma and the new kitchen space and half of our treehouse. Right now we're out of poles again, so we have to fetch more but we're blocked because the landrovers tires are flat – well one was flat, so we put the spare tire on, and now that one's flat too – a kid was playing with it and let all the air out. Arrrgh. Now try to find a pump in this village ... it's impossible. Looks like we'll have to stuff the extra tire into my poor beetle and drive to Mpame to find someone with a pump ... wish us luck!

Mousehunt

Yes, very funny. It may be rather easy to hunt down a mouse in a clean house with sharp angles and thick walls and doors that close. But in a all open treehouse? No way. That naughty little thing sitts in our kitchen cupboard at night and happily eats away at my plastic containers full of flour. Did you know that mice like flour? I didn't, but really, it attacks the container with flour. The lid is completely ruined already. Our kitten is too small to catch mice yet, and we are ... too big. And there are too many holes through which it can escape. Last night I put a bucket in the cupboard and some oats and flour into it and thought, if the mouse falls in there, it can't get out any more. Well – I thought wrong. These are Transkei mice and they are fitter than anything! Bloody thing just jumped right out of that bucket again. During the day we hear them rattling in our wall. The walls of the treehouse consist of three layers: palm leaves on the outside, tent fabric in the middle and thatching on the inside. The mice obviously live under the palm leaves, on the outside. First we thought it might be the snake but no, I can hear feet trippling around, and gnawing noises. Ever seen a snake tripple and gnaw? Me neither. ;-) Anyway, so now we either have to get rat poison, which I don't fancy, or ... anyone got an idea? How to catch a mouse in a forest? Good ideas and tips are welcome!