Monday, October 29, 2007

One Banana, two banana...

I got into Uganda on saturday, the 27th and have been here in bujugali falls since then . So far, its been amazing. the country the absolutley beautiful. The campsite is right alongside the nile, and ican see a beautiful little playspot from my tent in the am, and hear the water at nite. I had my first day at the clinic,doing boring things like data entry, but i got to meet the staff, some nurses, another volunteer, annie, the program coordinater, esther the cook dr dan and an american student named shannon here with Foundation for sustainable development. I get to go on my first followup today, going to rural villages with translators and village aids and questionaire to assess how the mozzie nets are being used, holding up, etc. Itlooks like my days are paddle in the afternoon, volunteer in the am. Jessie the founder of SPH isnt here yet, she will be here in three weeks or so, but her mantra is to paddle as much as possible due to a dam project that will erradicate this section of the nile river in the next two years. (such a shame)

SO ididnt realize until i got here that i am staying at a rafting company, complete with everything that entails, including rafting videos (carnage!) bars, and loudmusic. i may end up moving to another site nearby which is quieter, we will see. my first nite here there was a full moon party at another rafting company, which meant that allt he drunk custies, and the guides, me and Annie, (my boss) jumped into one of the rafting trucks to head down to adrift on dirt roads, holding on the frame work as the truck bounced along, with people conducting so that one half of thebus was singing one banana two banana three banana four banana, while the other half is going nah nah nah nah... i was pressed up against a few locals singing at the top of their lungs, a toursit who kept trying for in the jungle, on a bumpy, amazing welcome to uganda busride. i didnt last very long at the party before i took a boda (mototaxi) home to bed. In short, i think im gonna like it here...