Resolutions and Masquerades...

01 Jan. There is a New Year festival held in Opobo each year but as New Years Day fell on a Sunday it was postphoned a day this year (which was expected by everyone except us!) So we made a good start to the year and went on a walk through the rainforest on Jan 1st (this was never a resolution you understand so there was no question of continuing this healthy living...) We started with a boat ride landing in 2 foot of mud (!), visited a school that our vsos are involved in building, had a 2 hour trek through some beautiful rainforest and finished with a 20 min (eternal) canoe ride back - not my favroite bit!
The Masquerade festival went ahead on the 2nd (and might still be going!) Groups gather in wonderfully colourful costumes and move around town playing music and dancing. If you encounter them you must pay a small fee for safe passage! King Jaja V of Opobo was kind enough to greet (and feed!) us. A great day...

(Pics: Masquerades and my knobbly knees on our walk)