Crater Lake Hike and Ndali Lodge

Today was our last day. We first went to the see the Crater Lakes on a hike. But what happened was that we were dropped off at the wrong starting point, walked an hour to the right starting point, and then finally walked two hours (up a small mountainous hill) to this remote trading post. Along the ways we saw Crater Lakes and little children shouting ‘muzungu’ and following us. It was very interesting to see how little contact with westerners these villages had. We then went to Ndali Lodge for a final Ugandan lunch. The hotel was very fancy and very scenic. It was basically built on a cliff. Our final activity was going to see Joshua, the Fort Portal Secondary headmaster. Joshua has a farm that has many different tropical fruits and we got to sample all of them and bring some back to the field station for dinner. We learned a large amount about the crops of Uganda, and how they are grown and eaten. For example, we learned how you chew sugar cane (no need for silverware!).

Fuel Stoves and Chimp Masks

I got to see my friend Bashir today. He is a student at Knyawara, and I just love him. He is the head boy there, and probably my favorite Ugandan. He helped Ms. Bator and I make our chimp masks and the three of us bonded. But I didn’t get to see him until the late afternoon. In the morning, we got to sleep late, until 9ish. Then we had breakfast, pineapple of course, and headed down the road to meet Beatrice’s sister, Margaret. She works with the Fuel Stove Project, and we went with her to help build a fuel efficient stove for a local family. It’s a really cool, really simple idea actually. The current stoves used by most families are just three piles of two bricks situated at each point of a triangle, and wood is placed in-between the three. It wastes a considerable amount of energy because the heat can escape in many different places; it’s basically just an open fire. The new stoves have a greater resemblance to bread ovens. They are like a box, with a hole where a door might be in a house, and a hole on top to let the heat transfer onto a pot or something. It’s hard to describe, but it makes much more sense than the current model. We were first shown how to construct one, and then we went into the kitchen area and started to build. I helped in applying the second layer of mud, which was used as cement to hold everything together. I got to throw mud at a pile of bricks, every young boys dream, and it actually helped complete something! The finished product was amazing, they have done comparative workshops using the old and new stove, and where the old stove has to use 10 kilos of wood, the new one only uses 4. There was also this adorable little girl walking around. She cannot have been more than 3 or 4 years old, but every time someone pulled a camera out, she started to pose like a seasoned model. It was hysterical. Once the stove was completed, we moved onto our next activity; visiting the clinic with Katya. She says that they only get like 10 patients a day, which must get pretty boring, but the set up of the clinic was nice. We had a nice packed lunch back at the field station, and then we finally got to go to Knyawara. I was so excited, it’s my favorite school. When we arrived, the mask club was waiting for us. Bashir and Steven quickly found Ms. Bator and I, and showed us to our masks. They had been pre-painted with black paint, and were ready to be varnished. They looked so cool with the varnish. At one point, this other boy came to sit with us, and he said that his name was Wilson. He and Bashir are best friends, which I thought was so sweet. They like to read together after school, and if Bashir has a football game, sometimes Wilson goes to watch because he does not play. I also found out that Steven was captain of the football team; he’s a good kid too. I really hope the three of them get to go to secondary school, they are all so smart. Steven and Wilson want to be doctors, which is great, but Bashir wishes to be a teacher when he grows up, how great is that? He is good at it too, he always helps the students around him, and when we were making the first part of the masks, he had Ms. Bator and I do most of it on our own so we could learn better. Making masks was really fun, and we had to leave too soon. After dinner we had a good game of presidents going in the dining hall and Dr. Maloney read everyone’s horoscopes. That was a good laugh. Today was a great day.

Mugusu Market and Fort Portal Rock Concert

This morning we went to a local market called Mugusu market. It was incredibly colorful and busy and filled with more people and animals and clothes and shoes and food than I’ve ever seen. It was a really fun atmosphere. One thing I didn’t like so much was that I kept passing chickens half of which were dead, the other half alive and I couldn’t predict ahead of time whether they would move at me or not. The people were so interesting. The teacher that came with us helped me bargain for a basket. The boys from Kasiisi, Steven and Edward, were so nice. They taught us to bargain in Rutooro. ‘Zingha' means 'how much,' and ‘No sera muno’ means 'too expensive.' Two very key phrases. Stephen carried the basket for me the rest of the time in the market. They were so nice.
After we went to lunch at the Rwenzori View Hotel. Katya told us it was pork and zucini. I’m not a fan of either so I wasn’t sure how good it’d be but I sat down with a semi open mind. They brought out pork. Then zucini. Then vegetables then potatoes then string beans then rice then a few more things I can’t even remember. It was all AMAZING. I even loved the ‘zucini explosion’ as we called it. I was so full after the meal and then they brought out desert. We had fresh fruit and home made ice cream. Once again amazing.
Then we headed of to a ‘rock concert’ at Fort Portal high school. I had no idea what to expect but I was pretty excited. We got there and I was in no way disappointed. There was music and dancing but not anything like what we saw at the primary schools. Joshua, the headmaster, is the best. He’s always smiling and joking and definitely always does things his own way. And the rock concert was proof of that. There was both a calypso and a bread and butter dance, two songs that are popular in Uganda. We were excited to hear them because we had heard them a couple days before and they had become two favorite Ugandan songs. The celebration was good because we were able to see what teen culture in like in Uganda. They even presented us with gifts individually. It was so nice of them I couldn’t believe it. I got a really cool straw bag. And of course they gave us even more food. It was very nice but I was ridiculously full. All the students were very friendly. I’d say over all, a great day.

Kigarama and St. Maria Goretti

Last night we had to decide whether to sleep in and go to Fort Portal all morning, or go with the teachers to Kigarama and help them teach their lessons before going to Fort Portal. We decided to go with the teachers, and I’m so happy about that decision. I went to the P1 class with Ms. Hunt and the kids are the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen. They were so excited but so polite and well-behaved. I held the book while Ms. Hunt read about buttons in Rutooro. After reading the book, we taught a Rutooro counting song about buttons that Ms. Hunt wrote. Hearing the kids sing that song was wonderful, but my favorite was when they sang a lullaby for us. After the singing, we helped the kids make button necklaces and then we got to pass out the dolls made the Weston community, which was my favorite part of the day. The kids were so happy, and they were smiling so much. Some of them started cradling their dolls and playing with them, and nothing in recent memory has made me so happy. After assisting the teachers, we left for Fort Portal. Since we knew most places we wanted to go, I got all of my important shopping done. I got presents for everyone I needed presents for, and some necklaces and a bag for myself. For lunch, we sat outside and ate our peanut butter sandwiches and ordered fries. We then left for St. Maria Goretti. I had expected it to be a little awkward, since we would be interrupting exams, but it was actually really fun. We all separated and went with different groups of students. I went with the S1 girls, and they asked me a lot about America, and they sang some of their favorite songs and tried to teach me the words and the dances. They also asked me to sing, but I just sang lullabies, so it was pretty easy. Then their entire class all showed me around the school. They wanted to show me their rats, which made me really nervous, but it turns out that they were just guinea pigs. They showed me how to play net ball and raced me around the field. After they showed me around it was time to leave.

Fort Portal and Kyebambe Secondary School

Today was a very good day. We slept in to rest after last week’s exhausting pace. The day was fairly strait forward after that. We first went in to see Fort Portal. A fairly large city, Capital of the Tooro Kingdom and other assorted uses. The main street is lined with shops selling CDS, clothes, and crafts. I planned on ordering a shirt and bought some fabric for that purpose. After about an hour or so, we went to Kyebambe Girls Secondary School. There we were greeted by the appreciative scholars, who we interacted with and then ate a lunch together. It is pleasing to see how much the students valued their education. It really made me re-evaluate how appreciative I am for free secondary school. We then went back to the field station for the rest of the day I am glad for the change from scheduled activities to more unexpected experiences

Mweya Safari

Today we had to wake up at five fifteen to drive to Mweya for our safari. Five fifteen is REALLY EARLY. I was planning on resting during the drive but I ended up talking to the headmaster from Kigarama. Even though I didn’t get to rest, I started to have more energy later in the morning. We drove across the equator and stopped to take pictures. When we got into Queen Elizabeth National Park we started to see a lot of animals, like warthogs, Uganda cobs, antelope and a lot of birds. After we drove through the park for a while, we pulled over at a lake where salt was mined. There, the teachers switched vans with us so that we had the one where the top lifted up so we could stand up and look out. I was standing next to Charles, the student from Rweetera, and as we were driving, he pointed out this bird with a bright blue head. He told me it was called a goose, and I have to say I was really jealous because this bird was so much cooler than the geese at home. When we got within sight of the lake that our boat would be going out on, he pointed out some elephants on the opposite shore, which I loved, since elephants were what I was really looking forward to seeing. After we got on the boat, Alice and I went up to the top of the boat so we could see everything better. As the boat was going, we saw hippos, water buffalos, crocodiles, and more elephants, really close up. I got some really good pictures of elephants. We passed a small fishing village and then came to the Congo border, where we turned around and went back to the dock. We went to lunch at the lodge, which was amazing. I had a salad and the best veggie stir-fry noodles ever. After lunch we ordered ice cream and fruit salad, and then got back into the vans to drive back to MUBFS. Like last night, I had a lot of energy in the evening. We had a fun night, but not as much fun as the dance party with all of the kids last night. After dinner we stayed in the dining hall and hung out with everyone for a while, then we said goodbye to Ian, Elizabeth and Dr. Wrangham since it’s their last night. They’ve all been really great during our trip. After that, we went up to our room and got ready for bed.

Chimp Trekking

This morning we picked up four students and one teacher from Rweteera and headed off for the chimp trek. We weren’t even sure if we were definitely going to see chimps. We got there and there was one in the fig tree at the parking lot! I’d say it was pretty insanely lucky. We then traveled about an hour into the forest looking for more chimpanzees. Along the way our guide taught us about the different trees and their uses. We were also able to speak with the students from Rweteera about their families, school life, and favorite things. Once we got into the forest our guide took us to see three chimpanzees that were high up in the trees. They were difficult to see without binoculars. At this point, we thought our chimp luck had run out. We saw more, however, on the walk back. We got to see a mother with a baby on her back. It was a very exciting thing and definitely a once in a life time chance. I’d say a very lucky day.
After the chimp trek we went to the eat lunch at Tinka’s house. Tinka was a man who had set up a traditional Ugandan lunch and tourists could come and learn about traditional Ugandan food. We sat on cushions on the ground in a circle. We started with amazing Ugandan lemon grass tea (so good we visited the botanical gardens in Fort Portal to buy some a couple days latter). Then all the food was put out there were probably about ten different dishes. We had actually already had all but one of them. It was still interesting to learn about it all, to know more about what we had been eating, and the correct way to eat it. The students that had come along seem to have a good time and we all did to.

Visiting the Scholars and Community Service

This morning, we went to three different secondary schools in the Fort Portal area. The first school we went to was St. Leo’s Secondary School for boys. It was cold when we got there, even by our New England standards. We meet with the scholars who had been sponsored by AFROKAPS/The Kasiisi Project. The boys were pretty quiet and reserved, and had very few questions for us. One boy, 12 year old Moses, was pretty vocal when it came to answering questions. Most of the questions that were asked, both by us and of us, were pretty simple; What classes do you take, what clubs are there at your school, when does your holiday start, etc… after we met with the boys, we headed out. Our next stop was at Nyakasura Secondary School. The ratio of boys to girls was 3:1. Nyakasura was my favorite secondary school. All the students, yes even the boys, wear kilts. At first I thought it was strange, but as I got used to it, I liked it more and more. They weren’t plaid kilts; they were khaki, so it’s not as weird as it sounds. We met with the scholars there as well, but they asked some much tougher questions. They asked about the university system in the United States, and about how they could apply or get financial help. We had some time for “interaction”, so I talked to some of the boys. They all laughed when I told them that I played football (soccer). I don’t know why, but it was a good conversation starter. All the kids there were super nice though, and they were all really happy to see us. After we interacted with the students there, we left and made our way to St. Maria Goretti, an all girls school near fort portal. We didn’t get to spend a lot of time there, because the girls were all in exams. We just took pictures with the scholars, and then talked briefly, but they had to get back to class. Right from there, we headed out of Fort Portal to Kasiisi to paint the blackboards. The smell was really strong. I’m not sure about the number, I think we painted 14 rooms, but we painted all the boards in the school. That night we went to the Kasenenea’s house for dinner. There were a lot of people there, including the Wrangham’s, and teachers from various schools associated with the Kasiisi Project. We went inside with Helena to watch some Ugandan music videos. My new favorite is bread and butter by Radio Weasel. It’s really catchy. The Ugandan hip-hop music is very similar to our hip-hop. Dinner was delicious, and I talked with some Ugandan teachers and we had a very interesting conversation with them about various cultural differences including relationships, and how people act in public. They even asked us to be on the radio to discuss our culture for the public to hear. It was a really good, but long day.

Conservation Day

The morning began with the kids from the five schools arriving at MUBFS. Then Helena, from a wildlife organization, came. We first learned about Chimpanzees and other great apes. We played games and built puzzles to compare the sizes of all the great apes with the Ugandan students. Then came the main event, a walk in the Kibale forest. We saw monkeys and spiders and learned about the different types of trees. While we had forest guides, we found that the Ugandan students were the best teachers about the animals and plants in the forest. When we got back we tested our new knowledge with more games. We played a game about chimps and resources and I added a part involving humans. When then had lunch and dropped the kids at school. Next went to Knaywara
The school known as Knaywara is near a dusty dirt road not far from the field station. It is a school built on a ridge overlooking a forest. That forest is Kibale National Park. The school itself is perhaps three or four small brick buildings, each itself built neatly, somewhat a strange reinterpretation of the American dream school, the redbrick schoolhouse. As the afternoon had grown late; we were preparing to begin after school activities. We first made a clay model for chimp masks. It was amazing to see the detail and time the kids put into each mask. They were very realistic and I was almost scared to help the kids they were so good. After that I caught sight of a scene of a simplistically wonderful feeling. There was the superintendent and my Principal teaching baseball. It was not baseball in the traditional sense; it was more like batting with base running, no teams, and no score’s, just fun. The kids caught on pretty fast. One kid, Bashir, even pitched. I also pitched. I am a good pitcher, but not amazing or even great. I played little league when I was six, but besides that, I am only a fan of the game. It amazing though how much fun we were having. The kids basically were pushing to get a turn at bat when we left.

Welcome Celebration

Today was the welcoming ceremony that the AFROKAPS organization had for the Weston visitors and the One Laptop program. I have to admit I had pretty high expectations for this ceremony. And they were passed by A LOT. When we arrived, there were more people than I think there are in our entire town. All of the schoolchildren, from the different AFROKAPS schools, in their different uniforms, were marching down the street singing, playing music, and greeting us. They all waved and said ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’. I said hello to a couple girls and started to march like them. They laughed a little bit. Another girl said “Hello friends!” which I loved. When we got to the school grounds there were even more people then I saw before. All the teachers welcomed us. I love that they welcome you not by shaking your hand but by hugging you. We went around to look at all the parts of the Kasiisi primary school and the different projects the Kasiisi Project had done. One of the Ugandan administrators named Joseph held my hand and welcomed me to Uganda. That’s another thing I love, that people hold hands and put their arms around each other a lot in Uganda and its not weird or awkward its just friendly. We got to see the work that had been done with the porridge project, in the library and much more. After we had seen most of the campus we went down to sit. There was a ton of singing and dancing and most of the schools made up new songs just for the occasion. At one point they started to pull us up one by one to go dance. We decided just to go and we danced with the kids. Dancing with them is more fun than I can possibly explain. They were all so excited when you went to dance with them and they all smiled so much. I was honestly smiling so much that my face hurt. We were also all individually presented with amazing gifts. They gave us each a beautiful bag and shawl, a cool bracelet that spelled Uganda in beads and a beaded key chain. I could not believe they were giving us all these amazing things. It was so nice of them and I couldn’t believe all they thought they put into everything. After lunch we met Happy, a girl who had written to our friend Julia. She was so nice and she was very good at English. She loved taking pictures and took quite a few of Mr. Parker and whatever else was around. She later showed me her classroom with a girl named Mary and introduced me to her mother. She was just as nice and happy and she told me to write to them. I can’t wait to write her and send her some of the pictures. It was over all one of the most amazing memorable days of my entire life. I can’t wait to go back to the schools and meet more of the students!

Arrival at MUBFS

When we were talking last night, we thought that we would basically just drive to the field station and spend the rest of the day getting settled in. We woke up really early and had some fruit and banana muffins for breakfast, and Kayla and I packed some banana muffins for later because we’re obsessed. When we got in the car we listened to music and slept and were pretty anti-social for a while because it was so early, but I spent most of the time looking out the window. We passed through some towns and villages, and some smaller clusters of houses. Everyone was really friendly and waved at us and the country is really beautiful. When we got to the field station we were greeted by some of the teachers who are all really nice and were very welcoming. We had lunch and then we walked to Knyawara Primary school, which is down the road from where we’re staying. We met some of the kids, and saw the chimpanzee masks they were making, which are really, really impressive. We played volleyball, and the kids from the school were really good. I wasn’t. On the way back, we walked with a few students from the school who were on their way home. They sang the alphabet and we all played catch. Back at the field station we rested for a while, then had dinner and sorted colored pencils into bags with one light and two dark colored pencils, so we can bring them to the schools. Now we’re all getting ready for bed, because tomorrow we have the big welcome ceremony at Kasiisi.
When we were talking last night, we thought that we would basically just drive to the field station and spend the rest of the day getting settled in. We woke up really early and had some fruit and banana muffins for breakfast, and Kayla and I packed some banana muffins for later because we’re obsessed. When we got in the car we listened to music and slept and were pretty anti-social for a while because it was so early, but I spent most of the time looking out the window. We passed through some towns and villages, and some smaller clusters of houses. Everyone was really friendly and waved at us and the country is really beautiful. When we got to the field station we were greeted by some of the teachers who are all really nice and were very welcoming. We had lunch and then we walked to Knyawara Primary school, which is down the road from where we’re staying. We met some of the kids, and saw the chimpanzee masks they were making, which are really, really impressive. We played volleyball, and the kids from the school were really good. I wasn’t. On the way back, we walked with a few students from the school who were on their way home. They sang the alphabet and we all played catch. Back at the field station we rested for a while, then had dinner and sorted colored pencils into bags with one light and two dark colored pencils, so we can bring them to the schools. Now we’re all getting ready for bed, because tomorrow we have the big welcome ceremony at Kasiisi.