teaching, painting, bicycling, sunbathing

Hello!
Well, looks like I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. It's about time, I think. Last time I wrote I mentioned that I had gone to the Nile River to volunteer. And yes, I did. For two weeks I stayed on the Nile River painting and teaching. The first week I helped to paint one of the poor government owned primary schools. Normally the school walls are just bare cement, which is pretty un-inspiring to young minds. So, SoftPower comes in with volunteers (like myself) to spruce up the learning environment with color, designs, and teaching aids on the walls, both inside and outside. I got to work with other volunteers my age from Ireland, the UK, and Australia. We all stayed in the same hostel together and worked together so I was able to make some pretty good friends during my time here! The second week I spent in a pre-school, showing the teachers creative ways to use simple materials like paper and crayons as learning materials for the kids. From pre-school up through the university the main method of instruction is through "chalk and talk", which really only appeals to a very small number of students and makes the classroom a very dull place. So, I did some lessons with the kids that involved making their own number/fruit book and also they made some neat little paper necklaces. The teachers were so thankful. I hope that the little bit I did with them has given the teachers some insight on a variety of ways to get students learning.

Leaving Bujagali was bittersweet. I was ready to do something different but at the same time sad to leave fellow travelers with interests similar to mine.

For the last 7 days I have been on another short cycling trip again to the west of Uganda. I met 9 Germans and our tour guide Patrick in Kampala. The trip was very nice. We started in Fort Portal and went to Kichwamba (to an orphanage) for a few days. We slept there but did day trips to different neat places in the area. We hiked a mountain on Saturday and my legs are finally not sore anymore! Another day we saw a pretty cave/waterfall and the crater lakes in the area. Another day we rode 40 miles into Bundibugo and stayed overnight. The next day was HELL on 2 wheels. The 40 miles there was mostly downhill, into Semliki Valley. The return trip was consistently uphill, up the most rugged rocky skinny dirt roads in intense sun. This was the most intense day of bicycling I've ever done in my life. But I'm glad I did it. I feel strong, and healthy, even though I've gained some weight from eating greasy, but fresh, chapatis with peanut butter everyday in JInja.

This afternoon I am off to see another part of East Africa. I am headed to Kenya! I am going to bypass most of the country though and head straight to the coast for some sun, (not that I've been lacking any), beach, and fresh seafood! Yumm...I am taking a 12 hour bus ride from Kampala to Nairobi and then getting a 1 hour flight to Mombasa (used to be the capital of the British' East African Empire and the largest trading post on the coast.) I will spend my last week or so in Africa relaxing on the coast and drinking ghastly amounts of Passion Fruit Juice.

I will be home in less than two weeks and I will say that I have gotten homesick at times. I think the loneliness sets in when I am enjoying myself the most because the pleasure makes me wish I were sharing it with my friends and family, not just sucking it up all by myself in vain. So, as far as traveling so far away for an extensive period of time, I can say that I probably will not do it again alone. Though yesterday when I was riding in the back of a rickety old pickup truck with my bicycle and backpack I pinched myself several times to see if I was really riding through the Ugandan countryside with an old couple that was headed to town to return their empty coca-cola bottles. I have been here nearly 6 weeks and I am still in awe at the experiences I am having everyday. I will never forget that ride in the truck because it was then that I truly realized how amazing this life is!

Well, signing off for now to go buy my bus ticket to Kenya!