Week two in Uganda, and I have seem and experienced more than i thought I would in the entire trip!
This place is amazing and I am in love! Before you get too worried I am talking about the kids, not some african man I am planning to marry... they are the most beautiful things in the world, and am seriously considering taking a few home with me... ok maybe not, but am coming to the decision that kids are actually wonderful, beautiful and fantastic for hugging!
The people we are staying with have been looking after us so well. it feels a lot safer than brazil even though the poverty is on a different level. We have finished building, and would like to say that I am a master builder, but unfortunately, I am not sure that the style they taught us here would cut it in Oz.. I can mix mortar, lay bricks, do corners and even cut mud bricks with a trowel. Think that will help get me a job?
We go to visit our sponsor children tomorrow, 7 hours drive to get there, and then we stay over night to go to their villiage on tuesday. I think that I am actually going to be able to see where he lives and where he goes to school and everything, which will be great. We went to a market to get some things yesterday, and teh whole processs of bargining and getting the best price was the most interesting thing ever. I am not sure how many white people they get in this place, but my thought is not many. They even offered to marry me! Could have something to do with my passport.. but details details..
Haven't got the camera cords with me, so no photos this time, but you'll be glad to know that there are some people in these ones, mostly cute little african people, but people all the same.
Hope you're all well, catch you in a week or two. Sarah
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Monday, June 11, 2007
AFRICA!
I am going to Africa tomorrow!! Can you believe it?? Maybe you can actually. Maybe this is what happens, you book a trip, and then the time passes and you go. Maybe that is exactly what I should have been expecting, but somehow, I on the other hand, can't believe it is happening.
This is like a dream holiday. There is nothing that I am not doing, no place that I wanted to see (on this trip anyway) that I am not going to see. I honestly walked into the travel agency and gave the man my dream list, and he put together the most complex itinerary I've ever seen. I am going to cross the equator 4 times! 4!
Em asked me the other day what the first thing I wanted to do in London was... first I was thinking about going into Piccadilly, but really, what is a place? To be honest, the first thing I want to do is find all the amazing people I did life with, I want to find them and hug them, and then drink a lot of coffee while we catch up on what has happened over the past 12 months. Not just in London though, that's the awesome thing. I am so excited to be able to go and see all the people that have made such a difference in my life. Brazil, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, London, Sweden. How small is this world getting!
It's only really been over the past couple of days that I have started thinking about the fact that I am actually leaving as well as going, if that makes sense. Sydney has been an amazing place to live, and there is so much that I have learnt, so many amazing people I have met, I have been able to work in a great job with some awesome people. It's been awesome.
We have been asked to bring our own condiments to the project in Uganda, so I must away to Coles to get me some vegimite. :-)
I am going to be in Africa for the next 6 weeks, and am not sure how much access I am going to have to the net. I am definately planning on taking a LOT of photos, which I should be able to upload as I go, failing that, I will be sure to post them when I get to London.
Take care of yourselves, be safe, look after each other, that's the key.
xxo!
This is like a dream holiday. There is nothing that I am not doing, no place that I wanted to see (on this trip anyway) that I am not going to see. I honestly walked into the travel agency and gave the man my dream list, and he put together the most complex itinerary I've ever seen. I am going to cross the equator 4 times! 4!
Em asked me the other day what the first thing I wanted to do in London was... first I was thinking about going into Piccadilly, but really, what is a place? To be honest, the first thing I want to do is find all the amazing people I did life with, I want to find them and hug them, and then drink a lot of coffee while we catch up on what has happened over the past 12 months. Not just in London though, that's the awesome thing. I am so excited to be able to go and see all the people that have made such a difference in my life. Brazil, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, London, Sweden. How small is this world getting!
It's only really been over the past couple of days that I have started thinking about the fact that I am actually leaving as well as going, if that makes sense. Sydney has been an amazing place to live, and there is so much that I have learnt, so many amazing people I have met, I have been able to work in a great job with some awesome people. It's been awesome.
We have been asked to bring our own condiments to the project in Uganda, so I must away to Coles to get me some vegimite. :-)
I am going to be in Africa for the next 6 weeks, and am not sure how much access I am going to have to the net. I am definately planning on taking a LOT of photos, which I should be able to upload as I go, failing that, I will be sure to post them when I get to London.
Take care of yourselves, be safe, look after each other, that's the key.
xxo!
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Adventures Galore
I have been thinking lately that I have been doing a lot oframbling, and not so much Adventure telling, and to be honest, there hasn't been that many adventures worthy of telling. That was all until Emma and I decided to take a little road trip to Brisbane in the beast we call Clemmy.
She's a good car, always has been, but I've got to say that 2 years living outsides mum's place and 6 months living at the beach in Maroubra haven't done her any favours. As we learnt in the Easter Distributor Disaster the petrol gauge does not work these days, and unfortunately the list of things that are not working is getting longer. So when Emma and I got in the car after work on Friday to start the journey there was a bit of a Clemmy Orientation Speech that went on. Emelie has had it, as have Kim and Shelley, and to their credit no one has ever complained that there is no internal light, the headlights are broken, the water spray things for the windscreen don't work so you have to wind down the window (if you can) and pour water from a bottle in an effort to keep this blog short I will stop.. but you get the idea.
Anyway, I digress, back to the adventure. Emma and I left George Street just after 4 and drove straight into the biggest traffic jam ever, got to love Sydney on a Friday night, after all that was negotiated we hit the open road. We opted for the two-hours-on-two-hours-off road trip method, which I think works quite well, but am definitely open to discussion, but seriously, how else are you going to tackle a 12 hour drive in 16 hours?
Anyway, all was going well until about 1.30, we found ourselves in the terrible position of being low, like LOW on gas and stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no petrol stations open and no idea when we were going to find the next one. I prayed. A lot. When we were about 30km over what my tank usually gives me we came across a shop that was open, it was about 2am by this stage. The lovely man informed us that we were 38km away from the nearest open garage there was no way that Clemmy was even going to make it down the road, let alone into the next town.
We met a kind local, who offered that we go to his place and grab some of his fuel, he said he had some spare in the garage. He said that we shouldn't worry, that there was no one at the house, he assured us that he was totally safe... kind as the offer was, we took the other other alternative available, we parked outside the bowser and waiting for help to come. It did, at about 6am. I was never a girl scout, and brownies was always more about the food than it was survival tactics, but I was still prepared. I had a sleeping bag, warm socks and a warm cup of tea.. what more could a girl need (aside from fuel that is :-)
Anyway, the photos are below.. well, they will be when blogger decides to behave... it was a great trip and defiantly one that I will remember. We finally got into Brisbane at about 8.30am and was home with my mum eating toast by 9.30. The rest of the weekend was more amazing that I can possibly tell you, and there were more miracles and more lovely-ness that I can possibly begin to explain. I love my family, they are the best in the world.
She's a good car, always has been, but I've got to say that 2 years living outsides mum's place and 6 months living at the beach in Maroubra haven't done her any favours. As we learnt in the Easter Distributor Disaster the petrol gauge does not work these days, and unfortunately the list of things that are not working is getting longer. So when Emma and I got in the car after work on Friday to start the journey there was a bit of a Clemmy Orientation Speech that went on. Emelie has had it, as have Kim and Shelley, and to their credit no one has ever complained that there is no internal light, the headlights are broken, the water spray things for the windscreen don't work so you have to wind down the window (if you can) and pour water from a bottle in an effort to keep this blog short I will stop.. but you get the idea.
Anyway, I digress, back to the adventure. Emma and I left George Street just after 4 and drove straight into the biggest traffic jam ever, got to love Sydney on a Friday night, after all that was negotiated we hit the open road. We opted for the two-hours-on-two-hours-off road trip method, which I think works quite well, but am definitely open to discussion, but seriously, how else are you going to tackle a 12 hour drive in 16 hours?
Anyway, all was going well until about 1.30, we found ourselves in the terrible position of being low, like LOW on gas and stuck in the middle of nowhere, with no petrol stations open and no idea when we were going to find the next one. I prayed. A lot. When we were about 30km over what my tank usually gives me we came across a shop that was open, it was about 2am by this stage. The lovely man informed us that we were 38km away from the nearest open garage there was no way that Clemmy was even going to make it down the road, let alone into the next town.
We met a kind local, who offered that we go to his place and grab some of his fuel, he said he had some spare in the garage. He said that we shouldn't worry, that there was no one at the house, he assured us that he was totally safe... kind as the offer was, we took the other other alternative available, we parked outside the bowser and waiting for help to come. It did, at about 6am. I was never a girl scout, and brownies was always more about the food than it was survival tactics, but I was still prepared. I had a sleeping bag, warm socks and a warm cup of tea.. what more could a girl need (aside from fuel that is :-)
Anyway, the photos are below.. well, they will be when blogger decides to behave... it was a great trip and defiantly one that I will remember. We finally got into Brisbane at about 8.30am and was home with my mum eating toast by 9.30. The rest of the weekend was more amazing that I can possibly tell you, and there were more miracles and more lovely-ness that I can possibly begin to explain. I love my family, they are the best in the world.
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