1.4 Dad's Blog Post no.5
He's got a toilet that flushes in the house! I had thought that he went to a spot, like the locals, in the bushes. I was quite relieved that we had this luxury.
They've also got a cooker that runs off a large gas container and a freezer that is cooled by a small gas flame working on a heat exchanger (I think!). Unfortunately it's not very effective so it's usually like a fridge rather than a freezer.
There's a shower too – just cold water, but it's so warm here that's hardly a problem.
The 'running water' comes from a tank that draws water from a well. Each week one of the jobs is to run a diesel motor, to power a generator that generates electricity for a pump which pumps the water into a tank some 10 feet off the ground. This then supplies the toilet and the taps in the sinks. When it first comes out of the ground, as you'd expect, it's BROWN. Obviously it needs filtering before you can drink it!
Jonny and Arne's house has a small solar panel that provides electricity to power up to five small fluorescent lights. Luxury, since most people in the village rely on candles!
A neighbouring house – until recently also used by short-termers – also has some solar panels, and these charge up a couple of car-type batteries, which is enough to provide electricity for lights, or a laptop, or battery charger for a phone etc. Quite a luxury….. At the school, for example, the lack of electricity means that the cooks have to prepare meals for ~300 kids with wood fires: you should see the kitchen!
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