No black Friday shopping but on Sunday we were invited to a PC workshop in Gulu on permagardening. We took a bus to Karuma Falls and waited for a bus that goes to Gulu. 1 ½ hours later we find out that there is no bus to Gulu on Sunday. So we had to hassle with the mattatoo divers (Toyota van taxi's they pack 14 people into) The taxi owners and most Ugandans think if you are white you are rich and will pay whatever they ask. They tend to ask outrageous amounts. A typical ride to Gulu is 12000UGS they asked 80000. So you haggle and hassle and it is so annoying. And the sun is hot but in the time you sit on the side of the road in this small town/village you see a lot and I have enclosed pictures of what we saw from the bus and while sitting. When we did secure a mattatoo for reasonable, they put in a few extra people. So we had 19 in a toyota van meant to hold 14 for a 1 ½ hour ride. No one complains, but me, I refuse to be “squished” as they call it and it is squished for sure so our seat row had only 3 in it not 4 but we had a navy locker under our feet instead.
After the hot ride and the hours in the hot sun waiting for the hot ride we got to Gulu and they had hot water and showers. Haven't had that since swearing in. It was divine. Next day up and out to the Vocational school where they are gardening to grow their own for the students and maybe sell the extra. See more pics. You know the lovely machines we have back on the farm. Well here, we had tool and strong backs and lots of space. We were to bring our counterparts with so we learn together and take the knowledge back to our organizations and implement in into the villages for use. Ultimate goal was educating and working together for the greater feeding of the malnourished through dissemination of the knowledge. I was there with Tom and his counterpart. We started with grass on the land the kind I planted to grow at the farm. You clear the grass with the ebo and then you dig down a foot and turn the earth in a 10 meter by 3 meter area. 9 teams doing this with 2 foot walkways between. Next you start at one end and now dig down 3 feet to the red clay and bring that soil up and mix with the top soil you dug the first time and make sure you ebo does not attack your leg... Some of the counterparts grew up in the village and could “dig” as gardening is called here, all day and put us whites to shame. So we took turns digging and after each digging we are tested to make sure there is no goofing off... Next you rake and smooth out the clumps and level and pack down the walk ways. Then you plant seeds 2 to a hole. The holes are thumb to index finger spread apart in rows down the turned soil with 5 one row 4 the next for spacing and then cover. Only problems was I choose carrots so that spacing doesn't work but for demo purposes that is what we had to do. Next you go get old grass chop it up with a panga (macahette) and lightly cover the seed bed and water lightly. Now you go onto digging a compost pit and learning how to compost, next was a keyhole or basket garden for next to you house and at the end it is how to irrigate. All very labor intense with tests, evals, group teaching activities, and finally an action plan.
Day one it rained in the afternoon, so, too wet to dig. They let us shop in Gulu for 2 hours and next day we were to make it up by coming earlier and staying later. Which we did... We should have worked in the rain... Peace Corp worked us hard and taught us well through the hands on blister building work. When we got to the hotel no power or hot water... Food was good, bed was better, and next day out by 7:30 and into the garden before it gets really hot. We dug and dug and dug. Not me because you have to straddle the dirt pile so you don't pack it down and keep digging as you jump ahead. I couldn't straddle. My bruises wouldn't allow, so I had a small shovel and broke up clods of dirt and did the measuring for the carrots. Pretty soon the Ugandans are all digging like crazy people and the whites are taking turns but supervising more and it is getting hotter. We met new volunteers, more Ugandans from our area, had great conversation and learned as we went. We all slept well and still didn't have power, hot water or continuous water by night 3. Day 4 when we were getting ready to leave the power was on and Tom found a espresso maker at the hotel and cooked up some espresso for all the PCV men. You would have thought he had hosted Thanksgiving. You gotta love it.
Peace Corp gave us a ride back to Karuma and then the wait and hassle of the mattatoo. 2 hours later we got in a taxi only to have him load us all in, and go get lunch while we waited for petro. Karuma has no station. ½ hour later they strap the rest of the jerry can with fuel to the back window of the taxi and off we go. You always want to look at the drivers eyes and see if he has been chewing KAT it is a stimulant that is like speed and that is what people on it do. Speed, for about a month and then they are addicted and don't do anything because it has effected there mental ability and they are a mess. The Sundanese and Somalis have used it in their culture without many ill effects but it is new to Ugandans and the Ugandans deteriorate from it's use. This guy was a good driver. Since there really aren't any traffic laws here or many lines on the road or in some places tarmac left on the road it is the survival of the biggest. We came upon a crash of 2 lorrys and a new pickup just over a bridge. All 3 cabs were pretty smashed and the loads were waiting for another truck to come pick up. Fortunately for us, the bodies were not still there. Reminders everywhere of who holds your life in His hands...
When Tom and I were walking into the compound Tom said “You know it feels good to be back here, like we are coming home”. We both slept all night and today it is the count down to Christmas, World AIDS day (with parades and singing and speeches) and wash day.
After our month plus here we are content. At least today. Tomorrow we are having guest for supper, I got some more dishes... So the adventure is continuing. I enclosed pictures of the sights from the bus as we went to Karuma so you can see some of N Africa but the battery was dead when we came on the elephants, sorry, they hang out at the Nile... I guess you will have to come see for yourself. One of the best Safari's is 3 hours from here and takes 2 days and you will see all things but the gorilla's.
That trip will cost you 500US and the hike is 3 hours and you still may not see the things. Plus it is a 14-22 hour bus ride. Go to the zoo if you need too see them Katie. It is only 300US in Rwanda... Gotta go eat and then decide what the afternoon will hold. Love you all, the sun is shining and the dry season hasn't started yet so temps are still bearable. Mango's are just ripening and are wonderful...Wish you were here to share them with. Marc
Permagardening
what happens when a bus comes to town
One of the River Niles
How things are secured for travel.
landscape from bus
