Ok, be jealous...

 

 

So, we arrived to the “Hairy Lemon” this morning after an hour-long drive with my personal favorite driver, John, through some new villages we had never seen.  It was really interesting to feel a new vibe…a very laid-back feeling the farther we got from Jinja.  I have gone out to the villages numerous times before, but always in between the major towns of Jinja, Iganga, and Kampala.  This was a smaller road and you could sense the remoteness they had and the way their lives were slower than what we are used to.  I know this is a very unscientific statement, but that is what this blog is for….the personal perspective of things.  You know, this is my 4^th trip here, but it is amazing how much there is to learn and discover here.  New information and experiences about the culture are always revealing themselves in deeper and deeper ways.

Arriving here at the Hairy Lemon was unique and just set the tone for relaxation immediately.  John pulled up to a small area leading down to the water, he took an iron rod and banged on a tire rim hanging from a tree, and within a few minutes a man appeared in a wooden boat to take us back across.  Lori is pictured above as we crossed the river to the island.  We are here now and the pace has dropped dramatically!!  We are right on the Nile River and most of the other guests are kayakers.  It is like being at the beach, with the constant sound of rushing water.  In a word, BEAUTIFUL. And PEACEFUL.  This will definitely be a place of respite.  Once we learned to lock our door, which took us no less than 20minutes, we went for lunch and I took a nap.  Now, Lori is listening to her ipod and the only thing on our schedule is dinner at 7.  I’ll check in eventually, but no promises.   

Don't be jealous...

Because Lori tends to work everyday without taking off, I have been charged by the home office to take her on a vacation. So, we are visiting a place called the “Hairy Lemon” for a long weekend. Yes, that is correct, the “Hairy Lemon”. We had both heard of this place, (which must be reached by wooden boat because it is an island) and are anxious to check it out. A little research online revealed that the name comes from a pub in Ireland, where the owners are from. Although I will be doing some work and trying to get things done before I leave in 2 weeks, Lori will be not allowed. For her, it will be all about reading novels, listening to music, and playing cards.

Pictures, taxi park, and Makere University

Pretty soon, I will be able to post without issue, but today is my first attempt at uploading pictures from the slow-net computer lab. So, they may be small....bear with me.

The first is of one of the cool displays in the Amsterdam airport, where I had a 3 hour layover before continuing into Entebbe. I have never seen so many seed packets in one place....shelf after shelf of them...which I suppose makes alot of sense in Amsterdam, but it still took me by surprise. I resisted the urge to buy them, mostly because of my desire to save money for ugandan jewelry and fabric, but also because I know my HUGE lack of a green thumb.

The next picture is of the DREADED "old taxi park" here in Kampala. This was taken last night as Judy, Georgette, and I ran errands through town with my friend Peter. I asked him to take us to see it, but was sure to add that I only wanted to look down on it from above. I only enter this heinous place when absolutely necessary!! ha!! that sounded dramatic, but really after squeezing through the vans you see there (called Matatus. They are the public transportation system here..more on that later), which are inches apart and all moving in different directions, you either are so thankful to be alive that you never want to go again, or you simply stare and marvel at the shear brilliance of how it works....to me there is no rhyme or reason, but to them, it is organized and somewhat efficient. Oh, and a side note for those of you who are judging me and saying how I am not saavy or cool for my feelings on the taxi park, I saw an old lady hit by a Matatu in the taxi park last year....not cool!

So, I did brave actually entering the park with Peter this morning. He is in the last picture you see here. We visited Makere University, where he recently finished his degree in English literature. It is a HUGE campus, and VERY fascinating! I especially liked the art department, where there were many final projects on display and tons of sculpture around the grounds. The library and bookstore were cool too. Mostly, it was just great to get a picture of where Peter has spent the past 3 years, and what his life was like there...it is a HUGE accomplishment for him to have completed his course work!