Waiting for Papa

The challenge of eating a Joghurt!

Raiding the fridge

Mama, can I have one of the beers? And Nonna can you see my nuggeli? I need it less and less these days!

Ella Tili's Best 29th of June 2008

Little ladies on their sturdy feet!

Amani Beach

Here we are on the ferry on our way down to the Amani Beach Hotel 25km South of Dar es Salaam - it is always strange to sit with Mama in our big (but old) Landcruiser car and being surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people on foot taking the same ferry accross the harbour of Dar es Salaam! By the way in the background you can see the Twin Towers of the Bank of Tanzania, and Mama says this is about her work in good governance. They were more expensive than in down town New York or Tokyo a comparable square meter of business space would cost...! But then we left work behind...

... and had great food at Amani Beach Hotel. As you can see I now sit on a proper chair, operate fork and spoon (it is about hitting the plate, isn't it?) and most importantly: I was the only baby allowed for candle light dinner with my Mama, all the other ones had gone to bed! I was so proud! And everybody, even old men, tired mothers and young pilots from the table next to us came to me and said that I am a great girl!

This is after we had a swim in the sea...brrr it was cold, and Mama wanted to stay so long!

... and finally I had good sleeps everywhere in the Hotel but in our room, because they did NOT have a room for us! They had made a double booking and all we were offered was a matrass on the floor in the manager's house! Mama minded a lot, but I didn't! But it is maybe because she had to carry me, and I was carried all the time!

So when leaving I had a very serious word with the deputy manager, and he promised to reserve the best room at the lowest rate when we will come back for the long saba saba week end! I look forward to this, and certainly again for candle light dinner with the grown ups, as I do like style!

Table dancing

When Mama came home from work, these three ladies had great fun on and around the table, and I could hear them from the other side of the house already! Ella will miss this terribly! Lucy and Shida do a great job with her.

Length, not width!

Papa was asking the other day if I had put on weight in length or width! Here the proof, of course I have put it on in length! Mama had to cut off the feet, and what is left is now at the height of my knees! I am now almost 10kg heavy! And as you can also see my bare patch on the back of my head has almost gone! So this side of mine is now almost as beautiful as my front!

Papa or Mama's girl?

Not sure whom she resembles on this picture more, Mama or Papa, but Ella is about to send away the crow snatching her breakfast in White Sands Hotel this Sunday Morning! There is not much that escapes little Ella's attention, and then she knows on how to insist on things!

Ella's Best June 12th 2008

Teeth are coming

... and therefore I exercise on how to operate that brush!

Ella's sleeping positions

Knees up...

...half way off the mattrass...
...but best on Lucy's back!

Beautiful Ella

Maybe one day I am going to be a famous model!

In the middle of nowhere!

This tea shop is in the middle of nowhere in Central Tanzania, but the Maasai man abandonned his cattle to watch me, and the owner even wanted to hold me! I am getting used to this, but in the end I am still happy when Mama or Papa take me back! And with this I finish my travel reporting - I hope you enjoyed it!

I made it!

After a short briefing with Papa, and moral support of Castor, I made it!

Putting the lid back on Mama and Papa's beer bottles!

In these holidays we did a lot of hiking, me mostly strapped in front of Papa or Mama...


...and lots of discussing with people, above with Alais about his fellow Maasai people's life (he is going to buy the OLD lady!)

...here with Richard in Marangu about Banana production - these were real Banana forests we walked in!

...here with a guide in the Ngorongoro Reserve, we walked on an elephant path and we could see the footprints!

...and then made a break at the elephant cave, where all sorts of animals come to lick minerals! Luckily there was no elephant or buffalo in our way!

Much better than strapped in the front however is sitting on the shoulders of Papa, because I am a big girl now!

After the hiking, and before the sundowners I needed a bath!

And to avoid that Mama and Papa drunk too much beer, I learned to put the lid back on the beer bottles! I am really good at this now!

But with food I did not set any limits, because I liked it myself a lot! Mh, Pizza with goat cheese, olives and rosemary!