Our main form of transport here in Busia (when not hanging out of the back of a diesel truck) is bicycle.
We even have little bells on them so we can give notice when passing. On the right. Because they drive on the left here. Good fun to get used to 🙂
When we ride around, with the wind in our hair, the kids laugh at us and point, yelling, “Mzungu! Mzungu! How are you???” Mzungu literally means “European”, but its kind of the slang word for whitey. It’s not the cultural norm for girls to ride bikes here, so I feel pretty B.A. most days. All I need is a leather jacket and a bandana.
Oh wait, I have a bandana. Check. Leather jacket in Ugandan heat may not be the best idea.
We don’t keep food in the house. There’s no fridge and there’s no cupboard. Before meals we go to the market and barter our way to dinner. Some common purchases include flatbread (soooo good), eggs, tomatoes, eggplant, bananas and mangoes. Breakfast is leftovers.
We buy bottled water, which is more expensive than food. We’re still trying to figure out how to get more water without going broke. I think we’ve got a plan that involves driving 4 hours to Kampala and loading a rented truck with enough water to flood Lake Victoria. It’s hot here. Have I mentioned that?
The thunderstorms are beautiful and powerful. The whole sky goes black and the wind sweeps across the fields. If you’re unlucky enough to be trapped outside, you will come back looking like a drowned rat.
We’re moving into our plantation house this afternoon…pictures to come. It’s beautiful and we have 2 gardens where we’ll grow corn, greens, tomatoes, etc. Very exciting.
Love you all,
Jess
