Mzungu! How are you??

I was not planning on blogging today but I just had one of the best days I've had in a long time and just have to share it!

Holly and Rebecca, our country directors, offered an invitation to go hiking with them this morning. I was a bit apprehensive. I thought it could be fun but I was still a bit tired from the jetlag and my chacos are not quite broken in yet, so I had a fear of blistering if I went. I figured nothing I could do at home or in town would be quite as fun as spending time with my new roomies and country directors, so I decided to go. Our amazing guard David came with us as well as Simple Freddie, our hysterical friend/ radio personality/ local celebrity. They both brought friends and 2 guides along for the trip, and off we went!

We started venturing towards Mt. Elgon, the large mountain just East of Mbale. We began walking through a village where the local people live, mostly mothers and children were there as we passed through. This was the first day that we really got the chance to see the people and their living conditions. These homes are mostly made of adobe or stucco walls with small wooden, or in rare cases, tin roofs. The children were SO adorable. All of them are dressed in mere ragged old shirts, no shoes and very few actually had pants or shorts. As we started walking through the village, it felt like we were celebrities walking into their town. Children would run from their homes screaming "Mzungu! Mzungu! How are you??" This greeting followed us for the remainder of the day. More and more children would scream from the matoke (banana) fields or from their porches and yell to us! Few would actually venture close enough to us on their own but if we came to them they would either shy away from us or become curious enough to see what we had to say/ give them. Most of the time we just wanted to take their picture. At one point early on in the hike, Holly and I hung in the back of the group just taking pictures and talking to the locals. I took a picture of these two darling little girls, I leaned over to show them the picture and they squealed out of excitement to see a photo of themselves. I'm sure they had never had that experience before and it reiterated to me just how impoverished this community was. But, I am also amazed at how happy they all were. These people who had almost nothing but the rags on their bodies and the few cooking utensils, were always smiling and happy to see us. All would smile at us and wave saying, "Mulembe!" meaning hello. It is so foreign to the lifestyle we live in the U.S. where we may know our neighbor but how often to we warmly greet them with a smile? It definitely made me think a bit more about how I conduct myself everyday.

After passing through the village, we began the treachery of the next 5 hours that would be our hike. It was the MOST gorgeous hike I've ever taken. Everything was so green and lush and absolutely beautiful. We were told that we would hike to the base of the waterfalls but I soon became aware that our guides were actually leading us away from the base of the waterfalls. Holly and I somehow ended up at the front of the pack with the guides leading the way saying, "Hurry up Mzungu, we must go faster! No taking breaks!" In the states, we are used to switchbacks. No such thing existed today. Most of our trek was vertical and straight up. We still encountered some pretty muddy patches that caused a few of us to go on all fours to hoist ourselves up. I suppose no real hike is complete unless you end up covered in mud by the end.

The top of the falls is along this very high ridge. I had no idea that this was our destination until we got closer and closer until I finally asked the guides WHERE we were going. They said, "Up there!" pointing to the top of the ridge. I became increasingly more skeptical as to whether our group could tackle such a feat. In order to do so, we had to traverse an unmarked path in the opposite direction of the falls for awhile and farther up and up until we reached a ladder. It was less of a ladder, and more of a LARGE pile of sticks that can been arranged so that we could climb to the top of this ridge. I totally felt like Indiana Jones at that moment hoisting myself up higher and higher. I was amazed that all of the strength it took me with all four limbs, some of the local people were carrying tens of kilos worth of matoke up and down this ladder only using their feet. I was shocked. We finally reached the top and the view was INCREDIBLE. You could see all of Mbale and were we had walked from our house all the way to the top of this mountain.

We were incredibly hot and sweaty from the trip, so we all decided to go for a dip. It was cold but wonderful! The local village children cam out to play with us and see what we all were doing. After a swim and a quick bite of lunch, we ventured onward back down the mountain. We walked through a different village this time and got the same reactions from the people-- the children screaming "Mzungu! How are you??" and the smiles and waves. It felt like a parade of white people coming through the city. I already love these people soo much!

I became best friends with a 16-year old boy named Yasin (Yah-SEEN) who had been one of our guides throughout the day. He and I talked the whole hike back home. He reminded me of a similar sassy little brother at home. The sassing included, "You need to go faster! You are too slow! Why do you fear?" I would say in response, "I'm not scared, just taking my time!" We were facing a slippery, muddy slope downwards off the mountain and one wrong step could have sent me sliding to my doom, so you can imagine my caution. He is so smart, telling me about many languages and Ugandan culture. He has been through so much, just having lost his mother and now living in a house of 15 with his grandmother. I was amazed at his story because he was so optimistic and happy, cracking jokes with us. He told me that he is going to teach me to dance and that we must play football together soon. We all stopped at this local farmer's home and he took us around offering us fresh passionfruit and avocados. SOO yummy. Yassin put a couple of avocados in my backpack and insisted on carrying it for me all the way home. We hit a massive rainstorm on the way through the last village becoming so soaked, it was like we had gone swimming in the falls again. After the rain subsided Yassin wanted to dry out my bandana for me. He was so cute and darling. He is 16 but seems much younger to me. I would guess that being malnourished has caused him to look about 11 or 12. He gave me a new name, "Nakhumitsa" meaning "I like you." He said that it will catch on with the whole city by the end of the summer. He already told me that he does not want me to leave, but good thing I still have 3 months before I go. 


I love these people SO much!!! And, the scenery only adds the magnificence of this country. There is still so much to be done and I am becoming more eager to start our work on Monday! We will attend the local LDS branch here in Mbale tomorrow-- I've heard that they are eager for us to arrive and become involved in their branch. There is still so much to be done. 


I took so many pictures today but can only add so many pictures due to our slow internet connection but I'll add my favorites: 

Walking through the first village. You can see the waterfall and the top of the ridge that we will eventually scale.

The two little girls that I showed their picture to. They absolutely squealed in excitement of seeing themselves on my viewing screen.

Taking a quick break from our high climb. Me and my favorite Simple Freddie. Brian and Ivan were our two guides. You can barely see Holly in the back.

The end of the trail as we got to the "ladder." You can barely see it in the distance in the crevice of the mountain.

At the top of the waterfall! I made it!

We all decided to jump in the water to cool down!

Sharing our lunch with a couple of ADORABLE children.

We had an AMAZING view of Mbale from the top of the mountain!

Another waterfall along our path down.

Sucking on some passion fruit at the local farmer's home.

My new best friend Yassine!