Flashing Colour

A few weeks ago I showed you our indoor fountain:

which has served us faithfully since 2006.  Recently the pump started to complain, drowning out the musical water sounds with pump-groans.  Rather than waiting for it to expire entirely, we retired it and then set about trying to replace the pump. 

It is very difficult to find practical items here.  Once there were fountain pumps at one of the 'plant souqs', but when they were sold out - about 18 months ago - the stock was never replenished.  Typically a new business brings in a container load of stock and everyone is excited by the choice, and then it dwindles, gets covered in dust, shop worn and disappears: never to be seen again. 

The other complication is there is no adequate 'yellow pages' type of directory, either in hard or soft copy.  And there are no street addresses, even if you find a likely business.

I had the bright idea of looking up aquaria because I had a vague memory that keeping tropical fish was a popular hobby amongst the locals (as well as keeping cheetas and jaguars and other unsuitable pets which escape occasionally).  We found 10 suppliers listed in an online directory - but none of them gave a street address, only a PO box number, as is usual.  I decided I would go through and phone them in turn, hoping someone would speak enough English to give directions.  Eventually I found one who not only had pumps in stock, but could also give me directions.

It took us over an hour, with several phone calls enroute, to find them but we were rewarded with success.  While Marius was busy dealing with the technical side of things and actually purchasing the pump, I was mesmerised by the displays:

Our world is veiled in khaki-coloured dust, washing out all colour and definition.  I was quite uplifted by these beautiful fish, putting aside any considerations of the morals of keeping fish in boxes.

The pump is replaced and is burbling away happily.


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The Landscape

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the local shopping centre to buy a few groceries (this endeavour will be the subject of a future complaint ... ) and I took my camera with me specifically for you.  I wanted to show a little of the environment so that you wouldn't think I was making it all up.

This is the outside of our compound.  I am not allowed to photograph the security entrance, complete with chicanes, iron gates, vehicle blockers, security cameras and guards.  In spite of this high presence of supervision, we have had problems with theft and burglary.

Note the veritable forest ...


I am not going to belabour the point. 

We try to time our journeys to avoid the traffic.  Partly because Marius does not like traffic, and partly because it is dangerous.  We have one of the highest road fatality rates in the world.  I took this picture through the front windscreen, on the way to the shops. It is not typical because there is no traffic and not much rubbish.  Note the brightly coloured houses (there is a law regulating colour choice to various shades of beige) and the beautiful front lawns.

I don't know how they got away with the red gate - it is probably undercoat.  The trees are hidden away behind walls, covered in dust.   The coloured shrub past the gate is bougainvillea, which is a hardy vine that seems to survive the heat.


When we moved in to our house the yard consisted of rough grass and a couple of spindly bush/tree things.  In order to compensate for the moon-like landscape outside, we dreamt of a hortus inclusus within.  Now I understand the Biblical focus of paradise as an enclosed garden.   We constructed a fountain (this is what happens with two engineers) to create a bubbling backdrop of sound, which is drowned out by the groan of air-conditioners, sadly; and planted bougainvilleas, jasmine, oleanders, hibiscus, ornamental grasses, papyrus and our arbus incognitus the 'tryffid tree'.

It is not quite Gardener's World, but it is a haven away from the rubble.  In the early morning, I sit at the table and write, drink tea and commune with the cats.   In another month or less, it will be too hot and too humid to sit outside at all.


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