The Cocks Crow in Suji

Those of you who are of a certain vintage and lived in the Irish countryside will remember when the cock crew each morning and it was a sign of bay break.  In Suji the cock near our house started at 4.30 a.m. and he sent all the cocks in the village into a cacophony of sound which reverberated around the hills.   Our cock seemed to be the leader or was that just because he was nearest to us?   Ah… it was a great sound on mornings one, two, three and four and brought back memories of our childhoods;  bright sunny mornings, sunshine filled days, the beach, the football match and not a cloud in the sky -  what year/decade was that? 

Morning five 4.30 a.m.,  grumbling noises from the occupants of the house  “ Does that cock ever shut up”?   Mornings after that - death to the cock by many means! “He might be tough in the pot though”!   Rahema has chicken for dinner – maybe it’s one of the cocks!

Aisling and I  take turns filming with Peadar’s camera when he is busy building.   I am sure there will be cocks crowing on every piece of footage.  It will be interesting editing all of that.  Each of us had our new digital cameras also and the cockerels abound on every video.

What about the calf (or was she a cow) at the back of the extension we were building?  This was not a happy cow!  She bellowed all day, every day and is heard on every video so again more editing for Peadar!  The cows and calves are tied up, in an open sided shed which has a thatched roof, all the time.  The owners give them grass, banana leaves and any other bits of available food. They are tied in because they would eat the vegetable in the gardens otherwise.  The people are mostly self sufficient so everybody has a garden.   When you think of a cow in Suji you must forget “Friesian” – these are small black cows about the size of a weanling in Ireland.  The owner of a cow is considered reasonably well off as first of all he could afford to buy a heifer calf, when she grows he will have milk and another calf to sell or keep for breeding.

Here is a look at the gardens I spoke about which also gives you an idea of how beautiful Suji is.  This is the perfect place to do some hill walking but one’s expectations of hot showers, must be forgotten about.  The water supply can be intermittent to say the best about it.  Some houses have a good supply most days but of course it is a cold supply so back to the old days of boiling if you want a hot bath.   The track up the mountain is one hour’s drive off the main Dar es Salaam /Arusha  highway.  Initially one travels through sisal fields.  Sisal was one of the main exports from Tanzania in former times but this market appears to have declined somewhat. As one climbs the mountain the track becomes steep but the scenery is breath-taking.   Then one arrives in Suji and the villages, forest and wonderful walks await you.

Here also the wonderful people who are so welcoming and who want to talk, laugh and sing with you.   The food is all grown locally and without the use of insecticides.  

I wish I could be in Suji for a year!  I hope Jim, Aaron, Aine, Aisling and Belinda enjoy every moment of their year in Suji Malindi Secondary School.