We all ate and were satisfied

I spent my first day in Uganda, I woke up to a cool fan blowing on my face, the air was humid but cool, I lay there willing myself awake and wanting to drift back into a serene sleep.   I had to force myself up on the heels of my hands looking out past the billowing mosquito net, the light was coming in past the curtain and the birds were squawking their good mornings, I asked Brooke what that scratching noise was at the door, “it’s the crazy birds” she replied, but to me it sounded like a little monkey was wanting to come in. I told her as much and her only response was a half exasperated “I want a monkey”.  First conversation of the day and I’m off to a good start.

We prepared half of our things for our long ride to Jinja, before we went to breakfast in the lobby, French toast and a cheese omelet, local fruit, mango juice, tea, coffee, and a few guests.  Our driver had arrived to pick us up, early, he had left that morning at 5am, he brought with him, Stella the Canaan center secretary and Liti, the little girl that Brooke is in Love with and has a special relationship with.  It was beautiful to see Liti holding on to Brooke tightly, eating breakfast on her lap, and telling her that she missed her.  We all ate and were satisfied, then got our bags fully together so we could begin the journey to Jinja,

           

            3 hour rough car ride and today I realized why God sent me to Sicily before coming here…the traffic.

 My friend, Dany had driven me a couple of times through Syracuse, a skilled driver, but made me very frightened, I offered him all of the money in my wallet on one occasion to drive slower, he didn’t care.  The honking, making their own lanes, tailgating, it was quite an experience Sicily!

Africa was a close second, not quite so fast, not quite so close, but more people in the streets.  We drove forty-five minutes through open lanes, watching the passing shops, colored brightly with all of their merchandise out on display, and a shop keep usually texting on their phone near said merchandise, there were all kinds of beautiful colors on the dresses of the women, boda drivers weaving past dips in the road, people carrying any and everything on their heads, roadside conversations, mothers toting children.  Beyond them was a beautiful hillside, with lush greenery plumed all along, pink and blue and green painted houses nestled into the bush. 

We came into Kampala, the capital city, well the outskirts at least, there were so many people out; walking running, selling, riding, buying, talking, arguing, laughing, washing cars, peddling.  Traffic was much tighter and there were more pedestrians vying to cross the road, more street peddlers, and more shops.  It was crazy and uncomfortable, and interesting and new.  We passed the busy city, to open road and very few people.  The land was beautiful, the same banyan trees grow here as in Hawaii, the same bush, the same banana bunches hang, the same pineapples.  We drove past lake Victoria as the midday sun gleamed across the still waters. 

We arrived to Canaan children’s center, where there were 70 children, running to the car, Brooke warned me that they would be excited to see us.  Vivian had my hand before I stepped out of the car, the moment that the door opened, little Vivian was looking up at me with big beautiful eyes, long curly eyelashes, a bald head and yellow eyes that told of her malaria, she had on a fancy girls dress like the ones I wore as a child, that was filthy from playing in the dirt outside her dorm, her smile was radiant, she said, “hello, what is your name” to which I replied “Rachael” she smiled and repeated it back to me very politely, she told me her name, she was well mannered and personable.  They are used to having visitors, every month from an organization called Visiting Orphans (click here to check them out), groups of 25-30 people come to visit; orphanages, baby houses and children’s prisons in Uganda, Canaan’s is one of the places they come.  Visitors play with the children, help teach, put together crafts and other things for them.  All that is really expected of them is to show the children love, holding them, telling them they are lovely, strong, good, showing them that they are worthy of time and effort and affection. 

The young guys living at the center helped us bring our luggage to the room, We sat with the children most of the morning, I took a nap after lunch, then we took a boda to town, to a café called the “source”.  A Boda Boda is a motorcycle driver who is much more economical than a taxi.  They have an extended seat and you sit behind them, our trip to town was fifteen minutes and cost 8000 shillings each, a little less than 4 American dollars.  Brooke and I had never taken a boda before so we were both a little hesitant, but we got on behind our perspective drivers and held on for dear life, through streets so full and potholed we had to ride on the dirt beside the pavement, over a huge bridge/dam that connects Lake Victoria and the Nile River with picturesque cranes flying low over the water, at the bottom of a small green canyon that the river has made in Uganda. 

It has been interesting things are not working out at all the way that we planned them, Kari and Jason were supposed to be here, we were supposed to be staying in a nice hotel near town, the internet was supposed to be working in town today instead it is me and Brooke, in a room that we have lovingly named the bat room, because we were woken up our first night by a bat in our window.  Taking bodas to town where the power is out and having a blast! I’m learning so much, and I’ve only been here three days, looking forward to the Segners arriving and beginning the next part of our journey.

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Love

Rachael