Meet the Boyfriend
Katie arrived in Uganda on Monday
night the 16 of July and we brought her back to the hostel. Dylan,
the new friend in her life, was still making his way from Kenya. He
ran into a problem at the border when he was asked to pay for a visa
into Uganda. When he refused, because Americans are not required to
do this it took longer then the bus wanted to wait and they left
without him. He then had to take a boda to catch up to the bus.
This set him back. But, he arrived just after she got settled. We
met him and I had a shirt made for him to match Toms so we could
silently say we accept him, and he feels like family to us Kate.
Dylan knew of this and was a great sport and went along with it. So,
he walks in with a matching shirt on to surprise her.
( After making
some fatal mistakes when meeting Heather, that took some time to
repair, I wanted to not repeat those mistakes. This was advice well
taken from an Al Anon friend)After the happy meeting of us all it was
12AM the power was on so the hot water heater was on and showers were
had by all. Then into the bunk beds that all rolled to the center
and lights out till 5 when we got back in a car for a ride to Kampala
to meet the bus that takes the mail out to the villages. We were
heading S for supposedly 6 hours but the roads were being worked on
so that added 2 extra hours... Kabale was our destination. The UN at
this time is transporting refugees from Congo (about 45 minutes W of
Kabale) to Kampala for re-settlement in refugee camps while the war
in Congo tears up the country. The fighting is interior but people
are fleeing into Uganda to get out of the way of the bullets. (Sorry I don't have a picture)
In Kabale we were met by a man with
polio at birth who was very disabled and used a hand pedal bike. He
makes banana fiber elephants that were suppose to cost 2-3000UGX
(10-15 cents) He was bargaining with me and he was set on
10,000shillings each. He wouldn't bargain, he was firm, crossed his
arms, and wouldn't talk unless I paid. We have now drawn a crowd to
see if the dumb white woman would pay and KT is busy taking pics.
Dylan is getting 1st impressions with Tom as they laugh
their heads off, and I am paying the $4 each for the elephants
because my grandchildren are worth it. It was fun, but that American
piece of me that is taken advantage of, always rankles at this so I
think of it as a donation. I really think I was donating to his
drinking fund but hoping it was to feed his family. We had lunch and
went up to the resort. It was like being back in the Boundary Waters. It
sits on a hill that overlooks a man made lake that is a rain and
water filled in crater. There are small islands and the
transportation on it is in small dugout canoes. It is in the
mountains and very cool.
We had rented 2 tents, 1 for girls 1 for
boys that had beds in them. They had power sometimes so we even had
hot showers if we timed it right. If not, well you know, what's
another day? With all the traveling we had all done, Us, 18 hours on
a bus, KT, 23 hours on a plane and 9 on a bus, Dylan, 23 on a bus, we
just sat and rested.
We took a canoe ride to the islands of the
lake. There is a Punishment Island with one tree on.It is very small. If a woman
was found to be pregnant and not married they took her there and tied
her to the tree to die. If a man from another tribe had no money to
pay a bride price he could row out at night and rescue her and she
would be his wife. Bride price is how much $ a father gets for his
daughter when given in marriage. The cows, goats, chickens, honey,
grain, etc goes to the family and if the husband wants to send the
woman back after marriage the family has to agree to take her back
and refund the bride price. Sometimes the family refuses to take the
girl back and she is cast out with no one to care for her. And her
children are the husbands. See how well women are treated? So this
is punishment island.
Did I tell you the wind comes up on the lake
and there are some waves that start to get big for our little keeless
log canoe.
Dylan and Tom were paddling in the front and our guide in
back so it was great for a bit. They, of course don't have
lifejackets, because the guide can swim. Don't know how that helps
the rest of us if the waves capsize the craft. The lake is over a
mile deep so it is cold water. We didn't take on much water.
Thankfully! We
enjoyed a 3 hour lunch, 2 of the hours were waiting for them to kill
the chicken for one of the dishes, but our guide was most informative
about Musevoni and his policy's. He was telling us all the women in
the village love him because he made it illegal for a man to beat his
wife. Now, if he does, he goes to jail! IMAGINE! the uproar from men,
who don't really think this is such a good idea....We asked what if a
woman smacks a man? Teto, the guide, looked at us unbelieving that a
woman would ever consider that. He said it wouldn't happen unless
she was drunk and then the man would be drunk too so that would be
okay...Culture
We met some kids from the University of
Bistol in England that were all in the same society (frat or
sorority) that were spending their summer break finishing a health
clinic on an island for the villagers
. Their pic is included. They
were painting a ceiling where the plaster kept falling off. There is
a man from Slovakia who has set up a NGO to help the village by
getting Slovenia to send medical help and British to send construction help. It is called EDRISA. It seemed to me to be one
of the better NGO's I have seen where help was actually given to the
people intended for. Most resources here take a detour to many
pockets that miss the intended people.
Next day was hikes and swim and 3 hour
lunch this time to catch the crayfish. It gave us much time to talk
and sit and read and take in the incredible beauty of the area. I
felt like I got to go home for a bit just by being there. I just
missed all of you while I imagined.
We did a photo shoot by the
Silver back Gorilla who live on the border with Rwanda and cost 500US
to hike in to see. We skipped that part, preferring the statue.
Notice the clothes? Yes, we wore the same clothes all week. Tom did
laundry one day and Kate brought more outfits because she hasn't
experienced hand washing yet, but we are learning to travel very
light.
The bus ride back to Kampala again was long. There are not
snack shops to stop at and at the bus stops people bring you sticks
of roasted meat (Don't know what kind or how long they have been
roasted) ears of corn (now in season, but is cow corn and my teeth
can't bite it) and water & pop said to be cold because they
sprinkle water on it before you get there. So the food selection is
not good. I wish they could figure out mango and pineapple spears and
popcorn would sell better to the MUNDUS. Kampala brought us supper
and Dylan went on to Juba in Sudan N of Uganda, we went S to Entebee
for the night to say goodbye to Kate Sunday as she was to head for
Rwanda. Sunday KT missed the flight because of a traffic jam at the
airport and long line and not leaving enough time to get there. So,
she got re-booked for Monday and we headed to Kampala as I had a root
canal appointment the next morning. We had a wonderful week with
these 2 and now have had a crazy week at school again. The education
system is so haphazard and the students are the last ones thought
about. I can't comment on this as I am a volunteer but some days I
just don't get it. Maybe in the states everything is so connected
with $ that if you don't show up you don't get paid or if you don't
supply teachers or supplies you don't pay tuition, but it is different
here. Anyway, Kate found her flight the next day but they wanted her
to pay $200US for her overweight bags. Seems when you take an
international flight you are allowed 100# of luggage but since she
was re-booked this is no longer an international from America. So
luggage limits are 23kilos. She cried and got it deferred. Good
work Kate. Seems Dylan got to Sudan and ran out of $. Not a good
idea as there really isn't anyway to get $ to Sudan. I think he said
he found someone to make him a loan because they liked the political party
hat he had on. I will be writing of my hospital experience since
back next but for now I say TIA, and thank you JESUS for travel
mercies. When you visit you will understand...Marc
