The people you meet on the street in the village are so
friendly. They always greet and embrace us. Many of the old ladies seem to live
in slippers, the old-fashioned velvet ones. Some of the old people also have a
mouth full of gold teeth. The men love their meat but it’s very expensive for
them here. Our driver says he’s not full if he has a meal with no meat! It’s
definitely man’s country here.
We arranged for the team to have a ride on the back of a
local horse and cart. In broken English we managed to explain to the driver to
take them to the end of the road and back. However, something got lost in
translation and before we knew it they were merrily heading out of the village
with no way of being understood. In a desperate moment our trusty driver jumped
on his motorbike and heading in search of them, bringing them home in one piece
and finding the whole thing a hilarious adventure!
I love the rustic feel to the local houses in the village.
Today we had our meals with our translator and her family. It was such a
privilege to see everyday life unfolding and her mother pickling the cucumbers
for the winter months. Much of the summer produce is bottled as a pickle for
the winter months where it can reach -20°C.
Alcoholism is such a problem here and the corner shops
double up as bars as bottles of homebrew is poured out under the counter. The men
then sit outside before staggering home through the village. As there is no
street lights it can be a bit hairy driving down the main street when they’re
wandering.
