Sensory Experiences of Kibeti

Sounds

• The dawn song of the Black Crowned Tchagra.
• The crow, bleat, grunt and low of truly free range animals.
• The constant thump, thump of women pounding manioc.
• The singing, always someone singing – women around an evening fire, the chant of children's games, a man's lone voice in the dead of night, accompanied by a slow drum.

Smells

• Regular whiffs of sour manioc, freshly dug, drying or cooking.
• Familiar bushfire – the scour and clearing before planting a field.
• River water – reedy and slightly fishy.
• Farm animal dung.

Sights

• Huge rolling green hills, fading into a haze of a permanent smokey sky.
• Two identical flat red discs hanging on opposite horizons, one a setting sun, the other a rising full moon.
• The detail and pattern of colourful wax print cloth and braided or twisted hair.
• Food tinged orange by palm oil.

Tastes

• A diet of spinach, spinach and more – same but different – spinach accompanied by rice, alternating with sweet potatoes.
• The pleasurable malty golden liquid of our closely guarded ration of COLD Primus beer (rock on solar power!).

Sensations

• Perpetual greeting and shaking of rough dry hands.
• Constantly dirty feet – black from black dust.
• Sore bums from hard seats.
• The delightful feeling of sun crisp clean clothes and a just washed body (for an initial brief ten minutes.)