Pre-Egypt Work @ Site

WORLD AIDS DAY

World Aids Day, observed this year on Thursday, December 1, is dedicated to the purpose of raising awareness on the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). To promote HIV/AIDS awareness in Kachumbala, I led a joint Family Planning-STD prevention session with my women's group. I had previously asked the women - and the two men representing their wives - to bring their respective partners to the session, in attempt to generate much-needed dialogue and discussion on the topic.

Nine men showed up to the session. It was the best thing that could have happened!

A family planning discussion soon turned into a heated debate over the legitimacy of the current gender roles in Uganda, a taboo subject matter seldom discussed. I was particularly glad to see several of the women, who are typically fairly reserved in the group, strongly argue for and defend their rights. As an outside observer, it was also interesting to listen to some of the back-and-forth dialogue - from what I could understand in Ateso - between the women and their husbands.

Not only is it my hope that World Aids Day further promoted awareness on HIV/AIDS prevention in Kachumbala, but also that the group's women and men can begin to openly discuss taboo issues such as the current gender roles/hierarchy in Uganda.

RAINCATCHER'S VISIT TO KACHUMBALA

This past weekend, Martha (Raincatcher's Project Coordinator of Africa) and Dennis visited the Mission to assess the potential suitability for rainwater harvesting. I gave them a brief tour of the village, introduced them to the headmasters at Kongunga Primary School and Kongunga Secondary School, and took lots of pictures of the Mission's buildings/roofs (the schools, the Catholic Church, the Parish House, the Dispensary). Although it has not yet been determined nor finalized, it is looking like both the primary and secondary school, the Catholic Church, and the Parish House will each recieve their own rainwater harvesting tank (fundraised and materials/labor supplied locally by Raincatcher), and the Dispensary will have their malfunctioning rainwater tank fully repaired. This would greatly benefit the community because it 1) Provides additional water sources from which community members can fetch their water, 2) Eases the daily strain on the lone borehole, a result of it being largely overused, and 3) Significantly reduces the amount of rainwater that is wasted everyday during the wet season.

On behalf of my village, the school headmasters, the Mission priests, and everybody else from Kachumbala, I look forward to my continued partnership with Raincatcher over the next year. Huge thanks to Raincatcher for the 10 additional Sawyer water filters and the Doritos (an awesome reminder of home)!

"LIBRARIES FOR LIFE - PEACE CORPS UGANDA" UPDATE

Within the past week, "More than Pages - Uganda," another library project in Uganda on the Books for Africa donation page, expressed interest in merging with "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda."

Assuming both projects combine their efforts, how does this affect everything moving forward?

For starters, the $ that "More than Pages - Uganda" fundraised will essentially be transferred over to "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda." Thus, we will have reached our target goal! Not only will this expedite the shipment and arrival of the books from the U.S. to Kampala (than initially expected), but it also enables me to now primarily focus on the pre-establishment tasks of the library, for instance training the soon-to-be-appointed librarian in library management; fundraising enough $ to buy heavy-duty steel windows, bookshelves, and chairs locally (the secondary school is contributing the tables); and preparing the designated library room for the books' arrival.

Within the next month, I plan to further develop the project design/action plan, and clarify a number of logistical issues with the headmaster and librarian:

* When (days/hours) will the library be open?
* What are the librarian's designated tasks?
* What rules will students be expected to adhere to inside the library?
* What will the physical design of the library look like? For example, where will the nonfiction books be shelved? How many bookshelves (length? width? height?) are able to fit alongside the room's back wall? How many tables will be available for student use inside the library? Where will the librarian's desk be located?
* How will all the library's books be cataloged?
* What will be the policy for students/teachers checking out and returning books? Will there be an associated cost?
* What will be the fine for lost or damaged books?
* How will all funds collected from library fines be safeguarded?
* How will all the books inside the library be safeguarded?
* What is the most effective way to open and introduce the library to the general student body? To teach students how to reference information, and use books for research?
* When/how often will teachers be allowed to utilize the library for their classes?
* What is the most effective way to go about starting an afterschool reading club?
* Who will monitor, both in the short-term and in the long-term, that the library is achieving its intended objectives?
* How will the library remain sustainable for the long-term?
* How will the community outside the school (if applicable) be involved in the project?

Thanks again for all your contributions and donations! This project wouldn't have been possible otherwise.

Wishing everybody a Happy Hanukah, Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

A Final Plea

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, what better way to make a meaningful impact in the lives of Ugandan children than to contribute to the "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda" project.

Partnering with Books for Africa (BfA), the project aims to build libraries in selected schools throughout Uganda. By supplying schools with textbooks, workbooks, novels, reference books, school supplies, and other resources, we (two other Peace Corps volunteers, children's author Jean Ready, and myself) hope to encourage a culture of reading that is fun yet educational. Books spark intellectual curiosity, encourage kids to think critically and creatively, and put a powerful face to words.

Unfortunately, the majority of schools in Uganda - including the schools participating in this project - have a very limited supply (if any) of books. Many of my students have never before opened a textbook or novel, or learned how to use a book's index or table of contents.

This is where we need your help. In order to have the donated books, supplied by BfA, shipped to Kampala, Uganda, we need to clear the books from port by first paying the shipping charges (approximately $14,000) and port/clearance charges (approximately $2,000), in addition to the costs needed to rent out space to sort through the books, and to deliver the books via truck to the beneficiary schools.

If you find yourself in position to donate to "Libraries for Life - Peace Corps Uganda", please visit Books for Africa's donation page (https://www.booksforafrica.org/donate/to-project.html), scroll down to the Uganda subheading, and click on the said project link.

Any sum that you are able to contribute is greatly appreciated, and will go a long way to building new libraries, with about 4,000 books in each, in selected schools around Uganda!

It Was Only A Matter of Time

Today, I was traveling from Mbale to Kampala for my upcoming midservice medical checkup. Proud of myself for waking up at 5:00AM, I managed to catch the 7:30AM Elgon Flyer bus. I secured a seat in the back, hoping to slyly hide the vacant seat directly next to me.

For those who are unfamiliar with Ugandan transportation, it is rare, almost unheard of, to secure a seat on a bus, car taxi, or matatu without at least one person sitting next to/on top of you. For example, it is the norm to be jammed five people on a seat intended to sit two people. Because bus companies understandably want to maximize their profit on any given journey by filling up every available seat, customer satisfaction/comfort is essentially disregarded. No sweat, right?

Waiting quietly in the back for the bus to leave for Kampala, I thought I had outsmarted the bus conducter. One minute before departure, I was sadly mistaken. "You sit next to the muzunugu," I hear from the conducter, directed at a woman with a baby (not more than a few months old) in-hand. I immediately curse my luck. Sitting next to a presumably crying baby is not how I want to spend the next four hours of my day.

To my surprise, the baby was remarkably well-behaved and cryless, so much that I managed to fall asleep. All was going fine until, two hours later after passing Jinja town, I am suddenly awoken to "Bllaahhhhh." Initially confused by the sound, I wake up to my shirt and pants covered in vomit. It takes me 2-3 seconds to actually realize what just happened. With the mother profusely apologizing "I am sorry" and hundreds of eyes staring at me, wondering from where the nauseating smell and sound originated, I embarrassingly begin to clean/wash my shirt with my water. The conducter then comes over to ask if I am doing okay. Outwardly, I say, "I am fine." Inwardly, I am passing much of the blame on him.

The irony of it all? The mother and her baby proceed to get off the bus in Lugazi town (not in Kampala), not even 20 minutes after my shower of baby vomit. A prime example of bad timing at its finest.

The morals of the story? In Uganda, to expect the unexpected. To embrace everything, even the gross things, as they come because they may never come again stateside. And to perhaps sleep in and catch the 8:30AM Elgon Flyer bus to Kampala instead.

It was bound to happen. It was only a matter of time.

The World Map Project at Kongunga Primary School

Thanks to the students and teachers of Kongunga Primary School for their hard work and dedication on this project. Next up: the World Map Project at Kongunga Secondary School!

Midservice

My apologies for my several week absence from updating the blog.

Two weeks ago was my midservice conference in Masaka, with all 44 volunteers from my training group. It was great to reconnect with my fellow PCV's, some of whom I haven't seen since IST back in January. A training group's midservice conference signifies the halfway point in their two years of service. The purpose of the conference is to share successes, challenges, and frustrations; pool resources; and to develop a new workplan and monthly project goals.

Midservice is also the time to really do soul-searching and begin to question what is next for me? What the heck do I want to do after service? What options are available? Do I want to extend my service in-country or in another country? Do I want to consider a Peace Corps Response assignment that has more defined project objectives, and is more tailored to one's skills, interests, and experiences? Do I return stateside, and try my luck in the uninspiring job market? I've already decided not to extend in Uganda because my work situation is anything but ideal; also, I want to see something new. More likely than not, I will return stateside following post-COS travel unless I find a Peace Corps Response assignment that is an ideal fit.

The most reflective part of the conference for me was when we were all frankly asked Why are you still here? What is keeping you from leaving early and going back to the U.S.? My answer is a combination of:
- The full support I have recieved from family and friends back home
- The great relationships I have formed with people in my village
- Several of my projects that are now on the upswing
- My stubborness/self-pride and refusal to quit anything I start
- My satisfaction at being able to communicate in the local dialect
- My loving, biting, tick-carrying dog
- The realization that Uganda really has become a second home for me

We also had a Halloween party (I was too lazy to make a costume) and trivia night, as well as superlatives which were given out to everybody. My superlative, predictably, was "Most likely to get mango flies, nairobi eye, and have his computer stolen all in the same week." Yes, these all did happen to me. No, these all didn't happen within a week.

Despite some nasty reactions (nausea, diahrrea, fever) we all had to the flu shots Peace Corps was mandated to give us (three days of diahrrea, no sweat), midservice was incredibly fulfilling, and motivated me to continue on in my second year of service.

You Know You're A Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda When...

* Reading a good book or watching goats graze is considered a “productive day.”
* You stare at foreign tourists as much as the local people do.
* You have to tell people to arrive for a 10:00AM meeting at 9:00AM for the meeting to start on time.
* You yourself begin to not keep time.
* You are awoken to the sounds of crowing roosters, crying goats, barking dogs, singing from morning mass, or children knocking on your door every morning.
* You want to strangle, maybe literally, the crowing roosters or crying goats every morning.
* Pooping in a bucket may be your only option at night.
* People regularly try to cheat you by charging you double or triple the price for any good or service.
* A taxi ride that should take 30 minutes to arrive at your destination actually takes 3 hours.
* Riding on a road full of potholes feels like just another ride on any given day.
* Walking down the street, children shout "muzungu” at you, but when you walk towards them, they run away either laughing or screaming in terror.
* Bucket bathing actually feels like a normal thing to do in the morning.
* Buying a soda for 1,500 UGX, or roughly $.60, is considered a luxury.
* You're using public transport; if your lap is empty, there is always room for more people.
* Coco Finger, Bebe Cool, Radio & Weasel, and Juliana are part of your everyday playlist.
* Rice, beans, and pringles are part of your everyday diet.
* Spiders are no longer your enemy, but rather your ally in the constant fight against bugs (mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, mango flies, Nairobi ants).
* 4 hours is considered to be a long work day.
* You distinguish between your Peace Corps family, your American family, and your Ugandan homestay family.
* 100+ pairs of eyeballs are staring at you at all times.
* You can’t order salad at any restaurant because the water may not be clean.
* Every song in a dance club sounds exactly the same.
* You have to sit in a specific way at a specific place in your house if you want to get internet.
* You have to ask the waitress 5 times to bring you the bill.
* You repeatedly have to air dry your clothes due to the sudden, afternoon rain showers.
* Your electronics die because of the constant dimming and “on-and-off” fluctuation in power.
* You see firsthand the damaging effects of how foreign aid perpetuates dependency, often goes into the wrong hands, and does not eliminate long-term need.
* You see firsthand the innocence, youthfulness, and enthusiasm of children despite the difficult circumstances in which they are often living.
* Yes, your neighbor really does have 18 children.
* 9 out of every 10 times, when you ask a child how he/she is doing, he/she will respond with, “I am fine.”
* The school you teach at is challenged daily with teacher absenteeism, student absenteeism, ineffective teaching, lack of student interest in learning, and a major lack of resources.
* You are often awoken to the sounds of buzzing mosquitoes hungry for your blood flying right outside your mosquito net.
* You enjoy the rare but surprisingly large selection of western food in Kampala.
* The combination of No running water + A flushing toilet + Laziness begins to really irritate your sense of smell after some time.
* You actually look forward to the completely random but vivid dreams that result from your malarial medication.
* Your headlamp becomes your best friend at site.
* President Obama, religion, and European premier league football are everyday conversation topics.
* Waiting typically takes up half your day.
* You learn to laugh at yourself and at the little things in life.
* You’ve made babies cry on multiple occasions because of the color of your skin exterior.
* MTN’s network reception as your phone carrier is not, in actuality, “Everywhere You Go.”
* You grow to really, really like Mexican soaps.
* You grow to really, really like Indian food.
* You feel incredibly fortunate to be living in “the Pearl of Africa” for two years.

Two New Projects and an Update

The World Map Project

The World Map Project is an initiative created by Peace Corps volunteer Barbara Jo White (Dominican Republic, 1987-1989). Simply put, the project involves drawing and painting a map of the world on any flat surface (e.g. the wall of a school building) using the Grid Method (transferring information from pre-gridded map sheets onto the flat surface) or the Projection Method (using an overhead projector and a single world map transparency). In addition to a number of fantastic Peace Corps Uganda World Map Projects that have recently been completed, I plan to do one at Kongunga Primary School using the Projection Method in the next couple of weeks.

Why the World Map Project?
* It's relatively easy and simple for anybody to complete.
* It teaches students about geography and the world around them.
* It can be drawn and painted anywhere (school walls, classrooms, community buildings, libraries, etc).
* It instills pride, accomplishment, and teamwork.

To read more about the initiative, visit:
http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/R0088_worldmapproject.pdf
http://www.theworldmapproject.com/

Women's Group

Yesterday was the first meeting of the Women's Group I am continuing at the Mission; the group, of not more than 20 women, was initially started by a previous volunteer (not Peace Corps) and co-led by Betty. The purpose of the group is to discuss health-related issues; issues of gender, diversity, and self-respect; and any other issues that the members, perhaps, don't feel comfortable sharing with their husbands or families. I hope to empower the women in the group by providing them with a safe place to talk about issues that concern their everyday livelihoods. The group will meet every Tuesday at 2:00PM.

Update on the Composition Writing Assignment...

Written about in a previous post, I am primarily teaching composition writing in my Senior 3 English class this term. Each week, my students have been responding to composition writing topics in their journals; in turn, Atim Christine (my teaching counterpart) and I have been giving weekly feedback/constructive criticism/suggestions for areas of improvement. To be honest, while some students' writing has noticeably improved from week to week, I anticipate this to be a slow and gradual process. For many of my students, for instance, this is the first time they are being asked to use critical thinking, write with description, include an introduction and conclusion in their writing, and explain more than just listing points with, "Because of the following reasons..." If I can teach them to move past their natural inclination to just list without describing "why?" or "how?" and write more freely, openly, and sincerely, the assignment won't be all for naught. Only time will tell...

A New Cat at the Mission?

A few days ago, a baby kitten randomly wandered into the grounds of the Mission. It couldn't have been more than a few weeks old. We have no idea who the kitten belongs to (or if he/she will retrieve it) or where it came from, but rumor has it that it may be the pet of a shopowner in town. Naturally, with a new pet at the Mission to garner our affection, this perked the interest and attention, and perhaps a little jealously, of Fugoso. The two have already had a few run-ins, much to the excitement and amusement of the neighborhood kids.

The Concept of Waiting

If there's one thing that I have not yet rightfully adjusted to or embraced in Uganda, it's the act of waiting. Waiting for things to happen. Waiting for people to show up to meetings. Waiting for students to show up to class. Waiting for food to be delivered. Waiting for the internet to work. Waiting for the power to return. Waiting for matatus (van taxis) to leave the taxi park. Waiting for promises to be kept. Waiting for lines at the ATM to move. Believe me, I've tried waiting, and I've been forced to wait. But it's simply not in my DNA. I'm a go-getter. I like getting things done. I selfishly like the satisfaction of a job well done. If I just wait or sit around, I personally feel like I'm being unproductive. Therefore, living in a host culture in which waiting is common, if not the norm, has deeply challenged my "get it done" mentality. Waiting is a habit I may never embrace nor understand while in Uganda, but I still have to accept it, because indeed, it's the way of life here.

British/Uganglish-American English Translations

You know that you've been living in Uganda a while when you naturally start asking your neighbor "Are you picking me?" or claiming to a friend "Ah, you are deceiving me" as part of your everyday vocabulary. The following are either British sayings spoken in Uganda or Ugandan adaptations of British English that I have repeatedly heard since arriving in-country. Some sayings are widely spoken throughout Uganda; others are uniquely spoken primarily in my village.

BRITISH ENGLISH/UGANGLISH:
(a) Sweets
(b) Chips
(c) Crisps
(d) Biscuits
(e) Torch
(f) Rubbish
(g) Football
(h) Trousers
(i) Videos
(j) "Are you picking me?"
(k) "Extend"
(l) "Why do you fear talking to me?"
(m) "You are deceiving"
(n) "I will ring her"
(o) "You look fat"
(p) "You've been lost"
(q) "I am fair"
(r) "Mind the dog"

AMERICAN ENGLISH:
(a) Candy
(b) French fries
(c) Chips
(d) Cookies
(e) Light
(f) Trash
(g) Soccer
(h) Pants
(i) Movies/TV shows
(j) "Are you understanding me?
(k) "Move over"
(l) "Why are you afraid to talk to me?"
(m) "You are lying"
(n) "I will call her"
(o) "You look healthy/strong"
(p) "You've been gone/away"
(q) "I am okay"
(r) "Avoid/be aware of the dog"

Travel Fever

What are the benefits of roughing it for two years of service as a Peace Corps volunteer in a developing country?

1. The opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of others.
2. The opportunity for cultural exchange and understanding.
3. The opportunity to learn and become fluent in another language.
4. The opportunity for introspection, soul searching, and to truly learn about oneself.
5. The tangible benefits of deferred student loans, readjustment allowance (about $7,400), accrued vacation days during service (2 vacation days per month of service), and medical, dental, and health insurance.
6. The opportunity to travel after service.

This post concerns the last of the six. Yes, I know it's still relatively early into my service. Without a doubt, I'm going to miss waking up to the sounds of dog barks, goat cries, knocking children pleading for candy, and singing from morning mass every morning, greeting every person that I walk past with "yoga noi," being the only muzungu in my village, getting asked at least five times a day for money, and maintaining a much healthier diet than I do in the States. I'm going to miss the utterly ridiculous but comical stereotypes Ugandans maintain about Americans, the quirks of Ugandan culture that I still have yet to understand, and the opportunity to speak a language other than my native dialect "reasonably" well. But admittedly, one year into my Peace Corps service at site, I'm already salivating over the opportunity and options available to me for post-COS (completion of service) travel.

Those who know me best know my passion for traveling. For me, planning a trip and the anticipation of the trip are as fun as the trip itself. I love the challenge of immersing in another culture. I love the challenge of having to converse with locals in a language that I don't understand. I love venturing into the unknown. I love touring bustling cities, beautiful landscapes, iconic landmarks, historical monuments, and world heritage sites. For me, as confirmed on my trip last month to Zambia and Kenya, traveling is one of my biggest passions.

Even better, at each training group's COS conference, Peace Corps offers volunteers a cash in-lieu option in place of a plane ticket home (a refund of the value of the plane ticket). Peace Corps also gives volunteers 1/3 of their readjustment allowance, about $2,000, two weeks before they leave their country of service. So I could possibly have about $4,000+ that I can use for travel after service.

I've very briefly started planning my post-COS trip. It looks something like this:

Uganda to Egypt (Cairo, the Nile River, Luxor)
Egypt to Israel (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea)
Israel to Turkey (Istanbul)
Turkey to India (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra)
India to Thailand (Bangkok)
Thailand to Cambodia (Siem Reap/Angkor)
Cambodia to U.S.A.

This itenerary is very much in the planning stages, and likely to be altered. Any travel ideas or feedback are welcome and certainly appreciated.

A Repaired Borehole and Filtered Water for All

It has been a busy couple of weeks since returning from Kenya and bidding farewell to my parents.

My first order of business was trying to get the borehole adjacent to the health clinic repaired so that people in the village wouldn't have to carry dirty water long distances (2km each way to and from the well, the only water source in the immediate area) anymore. When I first arrived at site, I was informed that both a district health team from Bukedea and a mechanic from Kampala previously tried to fix the borehole, but they were unsuccessful in their attempts. The borehole was therefore presumed "dead," and left untouched.

Flashback to August 3, the afternoon before I flew out of Uganda to meet my parents in Johannesburg. Upon arrival at the hotel in Entebbe, I met Jack Rose and Martha McBride, as well as Dennis, from Raincatcher and Water 4 Everyone. The team traveled from the U.S. to Uganda, dedicated to the sole purpose of bringing clean and safe drinking water to all, to distribute and train community members how to use Sawyer water filters. After demonstrating to me firsthand the brilliance of the filter - within seconds, it purified dirty, brown water crystal clear - Jack and Martha gave me a filter to bring back to the health clinic and to the people of Kachumbala.

It then occurred to me that if I could get the borehole fixed, people could literally fetch a cup or jerry can of borehole water, and walk, not even 50 feet, to the clinic to filter it.

Fast forward to August 18, when I arrived back at site. After a week of repeated calls and "when can you come?" texts, I finally was able to get a certified mechanic from Bukedea to come with his team to assess the repairs needed to fix the borehole. It turned out that one cracked pipe was the only problem. One cracked pipe that caused a primary water source for hundreds of people to malfunction for 10+ months.

8 hours later? A repaired borehole that was fully funded (90,000 UGX, $35-$40) by the community.

This past Friday, Dennis from Raincatcher and I held a training session on how to use the Sawyer water filter, cleaning water straight from the newly-repaired borehole. The highlight for me was at the end of the training, when one person commented, "I have never seen water so clear before." One filter was given to the health clinic, another to Kongunga Secondary School (the school I teach at), two others to training attendees from villages within the Kachumbala subcounty, as well as a Nike soccer ball to my S3 English class.

Thanks to Jack, Martha, Dennis, and everybody else at Raincatcher for bringing clean water to Kachumbala!

One Lucky Muzungu

The title says it all.

For the past 2 1/2 weeks, I was fortunate enough to go on the trip of a lifetime with my parents, having been reunited for the first time in over a year. We saw one of the world's coolest and most impressive natural wonders. We rode on elephants. We flew in a hot air balloon. We witnessed several thousand wildebeests and zebra cross the Mara River. We saw "the Big 5" and many other animals. We saw lions feast on their wildebeest prey. Twice. It was everything I expected and more.

TRIP'S HIGHLIGHTS:
1. Riding on the 4,500 pound elephant, Sondela.
2. Crossing the crust of Victoria Falls, "the smoke that thunders," by foot, inching within feet of the 300 ft. drop below.
3. Observing a lion-buffalo standoff in the Masai Mara.
4. Witnessing thousands of stampeding wildebeests and zebra cross the Mara River, in the path of hungry crocodiles.
5. Seeing "the Big 5," multiple times, and an abundance of other animals - some that I never knew existed - in the Masai Mara.
6. Flying in a hot air balloon over the Masai Mara.
7. Looking out on and admiring the massiveness of Mt. Kilamanjaro, Africa's tallest point.

TRIP'S HIGH:
1. Spending two incredible weeks with my parents.

TRIP'S LOWS:
1. My "passport is lost" scare and other travel issues at Wilson Airport in Nairobi.
2. A visit to a local village in one of the parks that I (I cannot speak on behalf of my parents) found to be overpriced, uncomfortable, and unauthentic.
3. The dust at Amboseli National Park.
4. Mom and Dad getting sick midway through the trip.
5. Nearly missing my flight from Nairobi back to Entebbe.

TRIP'S 1ST and 2ND INSTANCES OF REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK:
1. Having not been out of the country this past year, I was simply excited just to be in transit. Needless to say, boarding the aircraft at Entebbe Airport heading to Johannesburg, for the first time, was a huge culture shock, and felt "new," different, and unfamiliar.
2. Even more unfamiliar were the endless options presented to me at Johannesburg Airport: all the restaurants at the food court (I ate Subway); all the Duty Free shops, bookstores, newstands, and forex bureaus; and all the amenities (flushing toilets, sufficient supply of toilet paper, hot water) of a modern bathroom.

TRIP'S GRAPHIC NATURE MOMENT:
1. It's one thing to read about or watch on TV lions attack and feast on their prey; it's another thing to watch it live. We weren't fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough, depending on your take) to witness a kill, but twice we watched families of lions graphically eat their dead, wildebeest prey. At first, I was awestruck, simply because I was unprepared for it. Yet I couldn't avert my eyes from watching them feast. It's certainly not something one would see everyday.

TRIP'S PICTURES:

Below are some of my pictures of the trip. The rest are posted on facebook.

Victoria Falls and Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia



























The Samburu National Reserve, Kenya





















The Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya



















































Amboseli National Park, Kenya