It is 9:00am and we have been in Uganda for exactly one week. Today is the third national holiday (National Women’s Day) and Friday with be the fourth. Three of the holidays are election related, either voting days or post-election celebrations, so the trend won’t continue - or so we are told. Except for regularly scheduled holidays like today, no one really knows when an election day or celebration day may occur, often learning of it on the day before. But I digress.
We planned an off day to sleep late (or as late as our neighbors would allow), bathe (an interesting experience for the uninitiated), do our laundry (also an experience), and practice with the motorcycles. Connie is an experienced rider but I got my license only last week and have never driven on a road.
The Forest Service guys started breaking firewood around 7:30am and soon the smell of wood smoke flowed through our window along with their laughter and banter. After breakfast we heated water for our baths. Connie got first turn with two plastic basins of hot water. There is a cubicle for bathing with a drain in one corner of the concrete floor. You wash with water from one basin and rinse with the other. I follow using her left-over rinse to wash with and bringing new rinse water. Then I use what’s left to shave and I feel like a new man.
The Education Center is locked and our bikes are inside so I waited for Robert and/or Lawrence and the key. We have to get one! As it turns out, so do they. Pauly locked up last night and the keys are inside. It’s a good thing there were no groups of students scheduled for today. They seem to have a plan to get in but it may take a while. Lawrence is gone so he may be getting a locksmith or more likely a hacksaw.
As I began this entry, it started raining and increased until it is pouring as it can only in the tropics. Forget about laundry! Forget about motorcycles! Forget about taking inventory! Forget about shopping! Welcome to Uganda!
