2008-08-30T00:05:00.000-07:00

Sweet sweet Home :)

...of lizards, rats, small neighborhood children, sometimes myself

life in The Hut, getting use to the hammock ... sort of ...

Project #1

Before and after shots...

and hopefully after!!!!

Settled in Lukodi

2008-08-22T23:47:00.000-07:00

it would be easier to name those that are not beautiful then to go listing those that ARE!

after spending four years in the Midwest i never thought that i could ever appreciate flat lands...maybe because there are trees here, as well as a few hill ;)

therefore beauty comes not only from the girls (who are all just gorgeous!), the children who's cuteness is too much to handle (even though diapers are still i thing of the future), but the land, the animals (most;), the rain clouds, the morning, evening, and night sky...

Crossing borders

2008-08-21T02:19:00.001-07:00

8/10/08
Safely in Uganda…;) being my first experience busing and crossingborders alone, I guess I should be thankful for a pretty uneventfultime ;)
I took the night bus from Nairobi to Kampala that was suppose to beabout 14 hrs, not bad especially when a good chunk of that is duringsleeping hours ;) the trip started off well only taking off 2 hrsbehind schedule. As Josh and I waited I greatly appreciated hisencouraging words and advice, such as to make SURE to keep my waterwith me at all times! His words were enforced as I was placed nextto a very "friendly" Kenyan man who was not afraid of letting my knowat all times of the night and early morning when we were passingthrough the "best parts of Kenyan"… which were NOT visible bymoonlight, even if there was some! ;)
Actually acquiring sleep became just a "dream" as two hrs into thetrip we lost a back tire that wasn't tended to until we drove fornearly a km! however this provided the only hour of peace for the tripas my dashing seat mate set off to help fix the wheel;)
The next concern, crossing the border again proved to be manageable,as the skills acquired from my time at USP in Mukono and crossing intoRwanda reminded me to loose every manor my mother taught me; I think Ieven surprised myself at the ruthless, rude, scowling person Ibecame…but in the end was very glad I did, as I was the only muzunguon the bus, therefore the only one needed to secure a visa and standin the ridiculous line…and was able to hop back on the bus just beforewe made our entrance into Uganda. Though once I was in I wascomforted with the fact that I'm sure my seat mate would not have letthem leave with out me ;)
Surprisingly we were only stopped 3 times by the police, and foroffences I didn't think were even that huge. For example, if I werethe Kenyan / Ugandan forces I'd fine for driving on the wrong side ofthe road (clearing blowing through do NOT enter signs) rather thenspeeding through a fire line (I think that was the issue, actually notsure).
17hrs later we were going through Mukono, it was hard not to leap outthe window, how I've missed that place. When we arrived at the bus"station", I had already asked the majority of the passengers if theyknew Hotel Mantras, on Gaba Rd, NO one knew, I ended up with about 26different sets of directions and most ended with, "of course I'm notsure, tis it couldn't be there, yhiii, you just find the Bota bota man(drunk man on weak motor bike who was not about to carry myself and 3sacs to an unknown location – I've seen a bota bust going up hillcarrying a large woman).
My angel came in the form of a very pretty (honestly) Uganda girl wholooked 19 at best but claimed to have nieces older then me (which Isuppose is possible). Found out earlier that we have a connection toa school near Boston and started talking. After getting off the busand trying to decide which bota bota man actually appeared to be soberenough to locate a non-existent hotel on Gaba, my friend approach meand offered to help. Of course, before a word could be uttered, upwent the heaviest bag in her arms, and my hand in the other set forthe taxi park (I place I've deeply missed;) Imagine a football fieldor two full of WV buses as densely packed as possible, or course wewent straight to the back. Again, before realizing, i was in the veryback of the Matatu (bus) and my "friend" and bags were in the veryfront. If I lots those bags I would have been upset and embarrass atmy stupidity then actually loosing the bags ;)
Finally we found the hotel…again after another long discussion in theMatatu, and my friend brought me all the way and didn't leave until mybags were in my room.
I BATHED  and then spent way too much on fresh fruit and probably mylast salad for the next 6 months, now anxiously waiting for thecurrent stomach quakes to erupt and resolve before tomorrows journeyto Gulu.
Attached should be a photo of what I had been eating for the previous24 hrs…that and I combo of chips (French fries), supa white loafbread, and chai (hot milk, masala tea spice, and SUGAR, the diet of mythree very wonderful, yet very much bachelor hosts made that cabbagesalad one of the best I can remember experiencing in, ha, little overa week.

bless the rains down in africa

Settled in Lukodi

Crossing borders