If I were to describe Uganda in one word it would probably be tropical.
I don't think they get enough rain here for it to be considered an actual rain forest but it looks a lot like one.
Here in the village I have been listening to sounds thoroughly convinced I am hearing monkeys when in actuality I am hearing birds which are large and dark and sport a colored beak. The children call them the guava eaters. The bird book while I am not positive I think indicated they are Ross's Turaco or a close relative. They are quite obnoxious sounding. I have now seen 3 monkeys. The kids and the staff tell me that I am wrong in hoping to see more monkeys in the village because they are pests and eat the plantations.
The older boys and girls here live in dormitories and they have plantations. That is their word for garden. Tonight we had radishes from the boys plantation with our supper. They were a bit overgrown and hot but okay overall. They grow ground nuts, sugar cane, maize and an assortment of peas, beans and greens from what I can tell and pineapple which is growing it's second crop of fruit. The soil here is very deep red in color and seems to grow things well.
I have seen two types of bananas growing. Some that look more like ours and many of the small ones that look much like that baby bananas you see in groceries at home. They are a little citrusy and not as sweet as the dole bananas most common in the states and are maybe 4 inches long and chubby.
There are many colorful and plain butterflies here. I see wasps and bees around and there are large colonies of ants some of which the girls say are friendly and some I gather quite vicious and apt to take actual bites out of your flesh. I have resolved to avoid all ants.
Saw a tree frog in the grass walking on Saturday. He was green and white and small in size. I asked if they have poisonous frogs here and Mama Grace said no but she went on to indicate you will get a rash from touching them or having the touch you. So I would say mildly toxic.
Yesterday on the way to church we saw a large group of Maribou storks. I am imagining their are some lovely storks somewhere but these are large and ugly. Church and the ride here from the airport are the only times we have been outside the rafiki village. The traffic is daunting but I have seen worse. There are a lot of agricultural animals around but here most are closely tended or staked. I did see three or four cows on a paved portion of median near a round about yesterday which cause me to wonder a bit. They certainly weren't eating and we were pretty deep into Kampala.
The contrast of poverty and wealth is strong here. You see shacks and huts along the road and beautiful homes up on the hills. That seems typical of African nations which I have seen. There are poor and those well to do and little in between.
I gather from some other shortterm people here that the true poverty is further out in "the bush" I am not feeling sad to not see that. Near this village the people have structured small buildings with neither water or electricity. They are very poor by American standards but they have shelter, clothing and probably some food to eat, though it is probably very basic.
I realize that I am blessed in many more ways than I usually notice.
I don't think they get enough rain here for it to be considered an actual rain forest but it looks a lot like one.
Here in the village I have been listening to sounds thoroughly convinced I am hearing monkeys when in actuality I am hearing birds which are large and dark and sport a colored beak. The children call them the guava eaters. The bird book while I am not positive I think indicated they are Ross's Turaco or a close relative. They are quite obnoxious sounding. I have now seen 3 monkeys. The kids and the staff tell me that I am wrong in hoping to see more monkeys in the village because they are pests and eat the plantations.
The older boys and girls here live in dormitories and they have plantations. That is their word for garden. Tonight we had radishes from the boys plantation with our supper. They were a bit overgrown and hot but okay overall. They grow ground nuts, sugar cane, maize and an assortment of peas, beans and greens from what I can tell and pineapple which is growing it's second crop of fruit. The soil here is very deep red in color and seems to grow things well.
I have seen two types of bananas growing. Some that look more like ours and many of the small ones that look much like that baby bananas you see in groceries at home. They are a little citrusy and not as sweet as the dole bananas most common in the states and are maybe 4 inches long and chubby.
There are many colorful and plain butterflies here. I see wasps and bees around and there are large colonies of ants some of which the girls say are friendly and some I gather quite vicious and apt to take actual bites out of your flesh. I have resolved to avoid all ants.
Saw a tree frog in the grass walking on Saturday. He was green and white and small in size. I asked if they have poisonous frogs here and Mama Grace said no but she went on to indicate you will get a rash from touching them or having the touch you. So I would say mildly toxic.
Yesterday on the way to church we saw a large group of Maribou storks. I am imagining their are some lovely storks somewhere but these are large and ugly. Church and the ride here from the airport are the only times we have been outside the rafiki village. The traffic is daunting but I have seen worse. There are a lot of agricultural animals around but here most are closely tended or staked. I did see three or four cows on a paved portion of median near a round about yesterday which cause me to wonder a bit. They certainly weren't eating and we were pretty deep into Kampala.
The contrast of poverty and wealth is strong here. You see shacks and huts along the road and beautiful homes up on the hills. That seems typical of African nations which I have seen. There are poor and those well to do and little in between.
I gather from some other shortterm people here that the true poverty is further out in "the bush" I am not feeling sad to not see that. Near this village the people have structured small buildings with neither water or electricity. They are very poor by American standards but they have shelter, clothing and probably some food to eat, though it is probably very basic.
I realize that I am blessed in many more ways than I usually notice.
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