Knoydart

On Friday night the gang gathered in Mallaig. Views across to Skye:

And to Rum:

Next day took the boat across to Knoydart:

Er long way to go yet Jamie:

Ladhar Beinn in the background:

Back down to Inverie Bay with Rum in the distance:

From Summit of Meall Buidhe (942m) looking West:

Steep descent:

Summit of Luinne Bheinn (939m) ahead:

Jamie above Loch Hourn:

Hail on Sunday:

Evening skies over Inverie Bay:

Celebratory meal in the Old Forge Pub:

View from near the top of Meall Buidhe

Beinn Mheadhoin

A great weekend forecast so set off on Friday evening and camped at Derry Lodge. Gorgeous evening. Watched some black grouse lecking. Shadow man was there too:

Very cold at night - ice formed in my water bottle!

Here I am after Derry Cairngorm with Loch Etchachan below:

Slightly earlier in the walk with Cairn Toul in the background to the left and Ben Macdui in the middle:

One of the many ptarmigan pairing up for the season:

Looking down into Loch Etchachan from the slopes of Beinn Mheadhoin:

Tors on the summit of Beinn Mheadhoin (1182m):

Boots on bridge over the Derry Burn:

Looking back up Glen Derry to the summit of Beinn Mheadhoin:

Aith to Voe

The Shetland coastal route continues with this 6 hour walk:

Rather sad abandoned house still full of possessions:

View towards Vementry

Sorley at Grobsness Haa

Old bridge

Shadowman!

Voe house

Bangladesh One

Impossible to do full justice to the experience of being there - those of you who have been to that part of the world will remember the noises, colour, smells and press of humanity. Wonderful, generous and educated people.
Along with another teacher I was a guest of the government girls' and boys' schools in Bogra. As well as spending time in those schools we accompanied the girls' school on a relief trip to a flood affected area about 25km away taking pencils, books etc to the children. A humbling experience. here too people were very welcoming, generous and curious about the world. We were asked about the referendum and told how lucky we were to be part of the UK!
Everyone wanted to speak English to us, know where we were from and to hear how we liked Bangladesh.
A mainly muslim country but with a female prime minister and a female opposition leader. The value placed on education is enormous - pressure to pass exams but also a sense that without it life cannot get better.
Here is a small selection of my pictures:

Girl guides on the bus out to the flooded village

With the girls' school janitor

Rickshaw

colourful truck

Loaded truck

Buying fresh fruit

Riding in a tuk tuk

Inside the boys' school

Girls line up for assembly

Dancer from the girls' school

Another dancer

Villagers come out to meet us

Shaquille shows us the water pump

Flood devastation in the high school

Inside the village secondary school

Freshly pressed uniforms

Handing out school equipment

Temporary post flood housing

Flooded primary and secondary schools

Shaquille and friends by the Jumana river

Mother and child

Cloth shop

How true

Having spent a day in the flood affected village I hope to organise some fund raising here to help them rebuild and re-equip the school. We all know there is poverty in the world but having a personal connection really brings home how lucky we all here.

Malaga Day Six - Jueves

Today the sun was out and the temperatures soared. We were in class most of the day. In the morning we discussed the Picasso painting Guernica. The artist was born here but left at a young age.  I went to the Picasso gallery yesterday to see some of his works. Had a chance to wander at lunchtime:

Some colourful washing:

And then I came across a mural of the very painting we had discussed this morning:

Tonight we have another meal out and some traditional flamenco entertainment. Not sure the obligatory red flower will stay in my hair...