So I'm sat again in this little internet cafe,this time there is a tape playing describing the way a lion lives. Very strange.
Since I last wrote I've been thrown further into Ugandan life, and loving it more and more every day as I gradually learn about the slow way people live here.
On the 18th we hopped on bodas (small motorcycles) to Lake Bunyonyi, which is stunning place, with hundreds of islands, apparently its 900m deep, making it the second deepest lake in Africa, but I'm not sure how true this is, you really can't believe everything you read or hear here. and the landscape would suggest otherwise. So we stayed for 3 nights right on the lake side, in a little hut attached to the school there.
I'm finding it hard to think what to write here,as I'm still feeling overwhelmed by eveything, so I'm just going to write somelittle bits from my diary, and hoipefully you will get an idea of what it's like here.
20/01/13 LAKE BUNYONYI
There's a jetty here, with the sun shinig on it, there's a breeze in the trees and the water is lapping on the shore. The locals all have large canoes carved from tree trunks, the little children row them up and down the lake. Yesterday, right in front of us, one boy tried to take down another canoe with 4 boys sat in it by crashing in to the side of them. There was a lot fo shouting and laughing, before they headed off again in opposit directions. The children here really know how to have fun. When Sam and I took a canoe over top the otherside of the lake to climb the hill there, a group of young children soon sniffed out the muzungus and followed us up. One girl, of about 4 was carrying her young sister of about 1 on her back, I was shocked at just how strong there little bodies are. I was sweating and out of breath, and she seemed unphased.
21/01/13 LAKE BUNYONYI
Been here 3 nights now, everything seems to have slowed down somehow, although the last few days have gone pretty fast, I feel like I've been here a long time. On our first morning we got up at 7am to watch the sun rising. It was so overcast you couldn't actually see the sun, but somehow it still managed to be the most beautiful 7am I've ever seen.
Lake Bonyonyi is filled with crayfish, no other fish, but thousnads of crayfish. Yesterday we saw a man pull up to the jetty we were sat on, in his big canoe, and procceed to untie and haul 4 large wicker nets/crates full of crayfish, without even slightly rocking the boat.
There seems to be always either music or drums playing constantly from the villages around our little section of the lake. There is always the sound of voices and laughter,carried on the breeze across the lake.
Thank you for everyone's comments on my last blog. Joe Wilkinson, you are a comic genius. I was sat laughing out loud to myself. However, don't expect my writing to get any better, I'm not planning on checking through what I write, I'll leave that up to youy! I don't feel like I'm doing this blog justice, so I'm going to stop.Although since Bonyonyi I have been to Kisoro, and nearby Lake Mutunda, both are spectacular. I will write again soon, and upload some photos, not surprisingly I have already built up a rather large collection! Might not get on again until I get to Kampala, which will be the middle of next week. I'm off to the Ssese islands with Sam (a PT volunteer who's been here since September and knows the ropes) tomorrow for a few nights. Calum is off to climb mt Elgon with 2 other volunteers.
VEEEEEEEERy nearly lost all of that just now, when the power cut out and everything turned off.. but somehow it restored my session,. thank goodness,I think I might've cried!
Hope you're all well, thinking of you as I'm sat here in the sun, as you're shivering in -5'C, hope you get some snow!
Friday, 25 January 2013
Thursday, 17 January 2013
OVERWHELMED
HELLO EVERYONE!
THIS IS THE FIRST CHANCE IV'E HAD TO GET ON THE INTERNET. I AM HAVING THE MOST UNBELIEVAVLE TIME, UGANDA IS INCREDIBLE, I'M HAVING TO WRITE IN CAPITALS JUST TO TRY TO CONVEY HOW EXCITED I AM, AS WORDS ALONE REALLY ARE NOT ENOUGH!
I FEEL AS THOUGH I'VE BEEN LIFTED OUT OF MY LIFE INTO A WHOLE, NEW WORLD. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. CALUM AND I HAD A PRETTY DRAINING JOURNEY, STOPPING IN ADDIS ABABA BETWEEN 3 AND 7 ENGLISH TIME, BUT THE SUN WAS RISING BEAUTIFULLY AS WE WERE LANDING, IT TRUELY WAS SPECTACULAR. THEN CONTINUED TO KAMPALA, I WAS SHOCKED, FLYING OVER UGNADA, AT HOW INCREDIBLEY LUSH AND GREEN EVERYTHING IS. IN KAMPALA JOHN MET US AND TOOK US BACK TO HIS HOUSE. BUT ACTUALLY I STAYED IN THE GUEST HOUSE ACROSS THE ROAD, WHICH WAS RIDICULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL, WITH A 4 POSTER BED, AND THE WORLDS BIGGEST MOSQUOITO NET SURROUNDING IT. A FEW OF THE GUYS WHO'VE BEEN HERE SINCE SEPTEMBER WERE AROUND IN KAMPALA, AND CAME OVER TO MEET US. WE WENT FOR A WANDER TO GET BEER. ON THE WAY BACK, CALUM LITERALLY DISAPPEARED WHEN HE FELL DOWN A 6 FOOT... I KID YOU NOT, IT WAS A 6 FOOT HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HE WAS TOO BUSY WATCHING OUT FOR THE BODA BODAS SPEEDING TOWARDS US. MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF A GROUP OF UGANDANS WHO WE'D AQUIRED. IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING I'D SEEN IN A LONG TIME. IT STILL MAKES ME LAUGH JUST WRITING ABOUT IT (SURPRISINGLY HE WAS UNHARMED)
THE NEXT DAY WINNIE TOOK US INTO TOWN, WE CAUGHT OUR FIRST "TAXI". KAMPALA IS INCREDIBLE,. IT'S THE BUSSIEST, NOISIEST, MOST CROWDED, HOTTEST, DUSTIEST, SMELLIEST CITY I'VE EVER BEEN TO. BUT THE PEOPLE MOVE SLOWLY, NO ONE IS IN A HURRY, EVERYONE, WELL MOST PEOPLE, HAVE TIME FOR YOU. THE POLAR OPPOSITE TO CITIES IN THE UK. DEFINITLEY MORE DIFFICULT BEING A GIRL THOUGH, THE FUNNIEST WAS SOMEONE ASKED ME TO "TALK ABOUT LOVE".
THERE'S SO MUCH MORE I COULD WRITE ABOUT KAMAPALA, BUT I HAVE OBNLY 6 MINUTES LEFT IN THIS LITTLE INTERNET SHOP, WHO IS PLAYING ABBA, AS THE OWNERS, AND FRIENDS, SING ALONG.
I'M NOW DOWN IN KABALE (I KNOW I YOU SAID I SHOULDN'T TRAVEL STRAIGHT AWAY MUM) BUT WE'RE WITH A GUY WHO'S PROJECT IS DOWN HERE. WE'VE JUST GOT BACK FROM VISITING HIS LITTLE VILLAGE, WHICH WAS VERY EYE OPENING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL DOWN HERE, LIKE, STUNNING, LOOK IT UP! WE BOUGHT 9 PASSION FRUIT FOR 25P BEFORE, THERE'S FRUIT DRIPPING FROM THE TREES.
REALLY HAVE TO GO NOW\
LOVE TO EVERYONE
LOVE YOU MUM, DAD, JEN, LOU, LIZ AND JACK\
THANKS FOR READING! LEAVE ME A COMMENT IF YOU HAVE TIME, SO I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT
XXXXX
THIS IS THE FIRST CHANCE IV'E HAD TO GET ON THE INTERNET. I AM HAVING THE MOST UNBELIEVAVLE TIME, UGANDA IS INCREDIBLE, I'M HAVING TO WRITE IN CAPITALS JUST TO TRY TO CONVEY HOW EXCITED I AM, AS WORDS ALONE REALLY ARE NOT ENOUGH!
I FEEL AS THOUGH I'VE BEEN LIFTED OUT OF MY LIFE INTO A WHOLE, NEW WORLD. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START. CALUM AND I HAD A PRETTY DRAINING JOURNEY, STOPPING IN ADDIS ABABA BETWEEN 3 AND 7 ENGLISH TIME, BUT THE SUN WAS RISING BEAUTIFULLY AS WE WERE LANDING, IT TRUELY WAS SPECTACULAR. THEN CONTINUED TO KAMPALA, I WAS SHOCKED, FLYING OVER UGNADA, AT HOW INCREDIBLEY LUSH AND GREEN EVERYTHING IS. IN KAMPALA JOHN MET US AND TOOK US BACK TO HIS HOUSE. BUT ACTUALLY I STAYED IN THE GUEST HOUSE ACROSS THE ROAD, WHICH WAS RIDICULOUSLY BEAUTIFUL, WITH A 4 POSTER BED, AND THE WORLDS BIGGEST MOSQUOITO NET SURROUNDING IT. A FEW OF THE GUYS WHO'VE BEEN HERE SINCE SEPTEMBER WERE AROUND IN KAMPALA, AND CAME OVER TO MEET US. WE WENT FOR A WANDER TO GET BEER. ON THE WAY BACK, CALUM LITERALLY DISAPPEARED WHEN HE FELL DOWN A 6 FOOT... I KID YOU NOT, IT WAS A 6 FOOT HOLE IN THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, HE WAS TOO BUSY WATCHING OUT FOR THE BODA BODAS SPEEDING TOWARDS US. MUCH TO THE AMUSEMENT OF A GROUP OF UGANDANS WHO WE'D AQUIRED. IT WAS THE FUNNIEST THING I'D SEEN IN A LONG TIME. IT STILL MAKES ME LAUGH JUST WRITING ABOUT IT (SURPRISINGLY HE WAS UNHARMED)
THE NEXT DAY WINNIE TOOK US INTO TOWN, WE CAUGHT OUR FIRST "TAXI". KAMPALA IS INCREDIBLE,. IT'S THE BUSSIEST, NOISIEST, MOST CROWDED, HOTTEST, DUSTIEST, SMELLIEST CITY I'VE EVER BEEN TO. BUT THE PEOPLE MOVE SLOWLY, NO ONE IS IN A HURRY, EVERYONE, WELL MOST PEOPLE, HAVE TIME FOR YOU. THE POLAR OPPOSITE TO CITIES IN THE UK. DEFINITLEY MORE DIFFICULT BEING A GIRL THOUGH, THE FUNNIEST WAS SOMEONE ASKED ME TO "TALK ABOUT LOVE".
THERE'S SO MUCH MORE I COULD WRITE ABOUT KAMAPALA, BUT I HAVE OBNLY 6 MINUTES LEFT IN THIS LITTLE INTERNET SHOP, WHO IS PLAYING ABBA, AS THE OWNERS, AND FRIENDS, SING ALONG.
I'M NOW DOWN IN KABALE (I KNOW I YOU SAID I SHOULDN'T TRAVEL STRAIGHT AWAY MUM) BUT WE'RE WITH A GUY WHO'S PROJECT IS DOWN HERE. WE'VE JUST GOT BACK FROM VISITING HIS LITTLE VILLAGE, WHICH WAS VERY EYE OPENING. IT'S BEAUTIFUL DOWN HERE, LIKE, STUNNING, LOOK IT UP! WE BOUGHT 9 PASSION FRUIT FOR 25P BEFORE, THERE'S FRUIT DRIPPING FROM THE TREES.
REALLY HAVE TO GO NOW\
LOVE TO EVERYONE
LOVE YOU MUM, DAD, JEN, LOU, LIZ AND JACK\
THANKS FOR READING! LEAVE ME A COMMENT IF YOU HAVE TIME, SO I KNOW YOU'VE SEEN IT
XXXXX
Friday, 11 January 2013
3 more sleeps!
It's getting so close now!
My room currently looks like someone with extreme OCD has come for a stay, and arranged my things into little piles, covering my floor. Really, I have no idea how it's all meant to fit into 2 rucksacks! I've sacrificed one of my pieces of luggage to make room for a guitar, which I've had fun trying to work out what is involved in checking it one, after explaining the whole situation to a man on the phone, about how I was going to be flying on Monday, and wanted to check I could take a guitar, what were the size restrictions, did I need to check it in as special luggage etc etc, he was silent for a moment, then said.. 'So you would like to cancel your reservation?' bahhhhhh!
I've learnt about more little creatures living in Uganda than I'd care to know about! from worms that burrow into your skin, and inhabit your blood stream, to jiggers who crawl out of the dust and live happily underneath your toenails. there's some more information on these little fella me lads here if you'd like to make yourself feel slightly ill.. http://www.jigger-ahadi.org/jiggers.html.
However, this hasn't dampened my mood. The excitement has been mounting since other fellow volunteers have been setting off around the world, starting with the Malaysians yesterday. Also, finding out that Calum's coming to Kiwangala too, so there'll be 4 of us there, with 2 guitars and Also, helping to get me extremely excited for Africa was seeing The Lion King in Manchester. I was in floods in the opening scene, STUNNING show.Thank you to the perfect timing of the London show's tour!
Thanks to Holly for my lucky marble, and for everyone who came over last week before heading back to uni. Thanks to Sam for his sticky toffee puddings.. (deservedly added ). I'd like to thank all of family for being so lovely and excited for me, helping me pack, and bearing with me as I rant on about my immanent adventure. Thank you to Jenny for sorting my wardrobe with me, to Louis for stocking up my laptop with a multitude of films, to Liz for the loan of her beautiful silk sleeping bag, to Dad for being as excited as I am, and introducing me to Project Trust in the first place, and to my mum, for endless shopping trips, immunisation runs and cups of tea to try to calm me down in my moments of panic! You're all making it harder for me to leave you, but thank you.
So, next time I write on here, I'll be on the other side of the world, in a warmer, greener, noisier place.
My room currently looks like someone with extreme OCD has come for a stay, and arranged my things into little piles, covering my floor. Really, I have no idea how it's all meant to fit into 2 rucksacks! I've sacrificed one of my pieces of luggage to make room for a guitar, which I've had fun trying to work out what is involved in checking it one, after explaining the whole situation to a man on the phone, about how I was going to be flying on Monday, and wanted to check I could take a guitar, what were the size restrictions, did I need to check it in as special luggage etc etc, he was silent for a moment, then said.. 'So you would like to cancel your reservation?' bahhhhhh!
I've learnt about more little creatures living in Uganda than I'd care to know about! from worms that burrow into your skin, and inhabit your blood stream, to jiggers who crawl out of the dust and live happily underneath your toenails. there's some more information on these little fella me lads here if you'd like to make yourself feel slightly ill.. http://www.jigger-ahadi.org/jiggers.html.
However, this hasn't dampened my mood. The excitement has been mounting since other fellow volunteers have been setting off around the world, starting with the Malaysians yesterday. Also, finding out that Calum's coming to Kiwangala too, so there'll be 4 of us there, with 2 guitars and Also, helping to get me extremely excited for Africa was seeing The Lion King in Manchester. I was in floods in the opening scene, STUNNING show.Thank you to the perfect timing of the London show's tour!
Thanks to Holly for my lucky marble, and for everyone who came over last week before heading back to uni. Thanks to Sam for his sticky toffee puddings.. (deservedly added ). I'd like to thank all of family for being so lovely and excited for me, helping me pack, and bearing with me as I rant on about my immanent adventure. Thank you to Jenny for sorting my wardrobe with me, to Louis for stocking up my laptop with a multitude of films, to Liz for the loan of her beautiful silk sleeping bag, to Dad for being as excited as I am, and introducing me to Project Trust in the first place, and to my mum, for endless shopping trips, immunisation runs and cups of tea to try to calm me down in my moments of panic! You're all making it harder for me to leave you, but thank you.
So, next time I write on here, I'll be on the other side of the world, in a warmer, greener, noisier place.
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