Thursday, June 5, 2008
Uganda Day 2
Day 2 in Uganda was surprising! We drove 2 hours into the village in the Jungle and drove our bus on a road that was not a road. I cannot believe that the bus made it down the road. We then had to get off the bus because the weight could tip it over. We then walked up the path towards a church we were putting a roof on. We were then met with a parade of people from the village. They were singing and waving branches from trees and they were very LOUD! I first thought that they were really glad to see us or we were lunch. I don’t mean have lunch with us, but we were the lunch. It turns out they were glad to see us.
Over the last 10 years they have built this very basic church, but it has never had a roof. Today we built about ¾’s of the roof. It took ten years but we are almost done with it. We also helped with the pastor’s house next door. On Sundays the pastor has to come to this church from 12 miles away. There are no cars for these folks.
This was hard hard work. All the people rallied around and there were about 100 people working on these projects. We are returning tomorrow to finish the project. The kids just tear your heart out and are amazing. They are very shy and when you make eye contact with them they smile real big at you. I gave kid the hat I was wearing and he followed me everywhere for the rest of the day. It’s hard to talk with them as they do not speak English, but everyone seems to eventually understand.
I am sooooooo glad I brought Pop Tarts because that’s what I eat for breakfast and I have no lunch (by choice). I don't do packed lunches. EWWWWWE
They kind of encourage you to litter here. When you are done with the bottled water, you can throw it out the window and people will run to get the plastic bottle as they use them over again. Uganda is going green.
I am sooooooooooooooooo tired. Sleep is hard to get with all the animals at night making noise. I might have to kill something.
Over the last 10 years they have built this very basic church, but it has never had a roof. Today we built about ¾’s of the roof. It took ten years but we are almost done with it. We also helped with the pastor’s house next door. On Sundays the pastor has to come to this church from 12 miles away. There are no cars for these folks.
This was hard hard work. All the people rallied around and there were about 100 people working on these projects. We are returning tomorrow to finish the project. The kids just tear your heart out and are amazing. They are very shy and when you make eye contact with them they smile real big at you. I gave kid the hat I was wearing and he followed me everywhere for the rest of the day. It’s hard to talk with them as they do not speak English, but everyone seems to eventually understand.
I am sooooooo glad I brought Pop Tarts because that’s what I eat for breakfast and I have no lunch (by choice). I don't do packed lunches. EWWWWWE
They kind of encourage you to litter here. When you are done with the bottled water, you can throw it out the window and people will run to get the plastic bottle as they use them over again. Uganda is going green.
I am sooooooooooooooooo tired. Sleep is hard to get with all the animals at night making noise. I might have to kill something.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Uganda Day 1
Finally! We made it to Africa! The flight finally left on time. We flew all night from 11:30pm until 7:30am. My lost luggage is still lost and the lost & found luggage in Uganda is 2 people with a .99 cent spiral notebook. Needless to say they have no trace of my lost bag. Customs was very difficult. THERE WAS NONE. You could have walked through the airport with a nuclear weapon and they would not have stopped you. However the police are dressed like army guys with AK-47’s everywhere in the country. The also do not like their picture taken and will take you camera away from you and not return it.
We were picked up and driven about an hour from the airport and we literally dropped our bags off and hit the ground running. We got back in the bus and drove about an hour into the jungle. We helped a widow who has taken in 17 orphans with no house. We were helping her build her house as she has no house. We relocated heavy bricks from about 100 yards away to the building site. AHHHHH this was hard work. What the? The bricks were used to build the house and 2 men were helping with this project. They needed water for the mortar for the house so we needed to walk to get water. They use these yellow jugs everywhere and when filled they are heavy. We walked ½ mile in one direction to a spring that had murky dirty water and filled up about 10 of these jugs and then had to walk bag with these very very heavy jugs of water. This is their drinking water to. YUCK! This was unbelievable that this woman has 17 orphans almost all because both parents had aids and died. We worked for a few hours making some pretty good progress and then an entire school of young kids came down from the school and sang for us while we worked.
I knew before I went that we would be getting into the jungle and seeing these people who have rarely seen white people. They were so happy to see us. There were 3 boys who wanted me to go to their home which was a hut and meet their mom and their 9 rabbits. I walked over to the hut and they went inside and pulled 3 rabbits out by their ears.
The entire day was very overwhelming as these people just wanted us to be there. The house will be completed by the group within the next few weeks. The material was paid for by the group as well. The woman who’s home it will be cried every time we did something for her. When we were done I could not resist I said “Move that Ox”. We are very tired as most of us have not slept since Sunday really.
This country is very poor and I know I knew about it before I left but being here and seeing it first had, it’s all hard to really believe that it’s real.
The house we are staying is very nice with the exception of the shower. THERE IS NO HOT WATER! Oh well no hot water and the woman we helped has no house and she has no water!
Tomorrow we are helping build a church for the next few days. I told them I wanted to be the Sidney Portier in the “Raisin of Uganda” and lay the last brick on the steeple. They are down with that. They have made me in charge of security at the house (I’m serious). Tomorrow it’s a 2 hour drive into the jungle. I have only seen 3 goats, 9 rabbits, and 2 dogs so far.
They know who Flava Flav is here.
We were picked up and driven about an hour from the airport and we literally dropped our bags off and hit the ground running. We got back in the bus and drove about an hour into the jungle. We helped a widow who has taken in 17 orphans with no house. We were helping her build her house as she has no house. We relocated heavy bricks from about 100 yards away to the building site. AHHHHH this was hard work. What the? The bricks were used to build the house and 2 men were helping with this project. They needed water for the mortar for the house so we needed to walk to get water. They use these yellow jugs everywhere and when filled they are heavy. We walked ½ mile in one direction to a spring that had murky dirty water and filled up about 10 of these jugs and then had to walk bag with these very very heavy jugs of water. This is their drinking water to. YUCK! This was unbelievable that this woman has 17 orphans almost all because both parents had aids and died. We worked for a few hours making some pretty good progress and then an entire school of young kids came down from the school and sang for us while we worked.
I knew before I went that we would be getting into the jungle and seeing these people who have rarely seen white people. They were so happy to see us. There were 3 boys who wanted me to go to their home which was a hut and meet their mom and their 9 rabbits. I walked over to the hut and they went inside and pulled 3 rabbits out by their ears.
The entire day was very overwhelming as these people just wanted us to be there. The house will be completed by the group within the next few weeks. The material was paid for by the group as well. The woman who’s home it will be cried every time we did something for her. When we were done I could not resist I said “Move that Ox”. We are very tired as most of us have not slept since Sunday really.
This country is very poor and I know I knew about it before I left but being here and seeing it first had, it’s all hard to really believe that it’s real.
The house we are staying is very nice with the exception of the shower. THERE IS NO HOT WATER! Oh well no hot water and the woman we helped has no house and she has no water!
Tomorrow we are helping build a church for the next few days. I told them I wanted to be the Sidney Portier in the “Raisin of Uganda” and lay the last brick on the steeple. They are down with that. They have made me in charge of security at the house (I’m serious). Tomorrow it’s a 2 hour drive into the jungle. I have only seen 3 goats, 9 rabbits, and 2 dogs so far.
They know who Flava Flav is here.
London in a Day
London in a day was kind of wet. We got into London and went downtown on the subway. We saw Big Ben and Westminster Abby and then it was time to get back to the airport. It was raining and kind of miserable London was very very expensive. We then finally left town and got on a plane to Uganda. It was even on time! Mind The Gap! They did not even know the show the Bachelor. I mean the last Bachelor was from LONDON ENGLAND. Posh Spice and David Beckem, whatever!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Day 1 in New York
We awoke from a nightmare and were very hungry. We got vouchers from the airline for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We could use them at the airport which is 30 miles away or even at the hotel restaurant. Dressed and freshly showered we set out for a great breakfast at the restaurant. Hmmmmmm sign on the restaurant door CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY. Seriously you could not even make this up. I must of pissed off a Buda in another life. We then took a bus into New York City and went to 42nd & Broadway. I always wanted to see Times Square and today was the day. I will tell you that it is crazy! The street vendors, weirdos, pierced people, nut jobs, and everyone else, it was fun. We decided to try and see a Broadway play. We walked outside of the theater where Young Frankenstein was playing and we were there at the right time. It was of course silly expensive money and was not going to pay that for a day I planned to be helping in Africa. Then a woman came up to me and said if you were looking for tickets I have 2 extra tickets as my friends could not make it. I asked her how much and she said $40. SOLD. Our luck was turning. We saw the musical and it was great! After that we bussed it back to our hotel which was just blocks from Shea Stadium. We went to the game and paid $8 for tickets and went to a game a t Shea Stadium between the Mets and Dodgers. This is Shea Stadiums last year before they tear it down so it was kind of cool that we got to be at a game there. This was fun good day.
Tomorrow is another day and another flight. Will we make it? Will it be on time? What will my new suitcase look like? Will my other bag be found or is it on vacation somewhere else? I will keep you posted.
Tomorrow is another day and another flight. Will we make it? Will it be on time? What will my new suitcase look like? Will my other bag be found or is it on vacation somewhere else? I will keep you posted.
I love New York
Well it went from bad to horrible. The plane we were taking to Brussels had engine trouble and had to be towed away. This took 2 hours just to get the tow truck to tow it away. I guess they called AAA and they were busy. By the time they got a new plane it was 3 hours late to Brussels which would cause us to miss out flight to Africa. They gave us a choice. We could stay in New York until Monday night and they would pay for the hotel and food or we could go to Brussels and they would pay for one night. We chose New York. They then took our baggage off the flight and we then went to baggage. They lost one of my bags. They were so understanding and helpful................... NO THEY WERE NOT. This all took another 2 hours and still no bag. I then gave up and we went to the shuttle to take us to the Holiday Inn.
It was now midnight and upon arrival to the Holiday Inn there was a line of people getting rooms out the door! The manager came and met our van and told him to take us back to the airport as they had no more rooms. Back at the airport there was now a crowd of people who also were returned to the airport due to no hotel rooms. The American Airlines worked as slow as their baggage claim service on this problem. Finally at 2am they found a hotel across town at La Guardia airport. Off in a van with another man who was homeless too. Upon arrival at the Clarion I bolted for the van and was first in line. It was a good thing because he only had one room left and turned the other homeless guy back to the airport. We finally got a room at 3am.
We walked down the hallway for what seemed like an hour and finally checked into the last room and think we crossed the border into New Jersey. This was a great hotel......if you want to be raped, murdered, robbed, or bumped from a flight for 2 days.
The final straw was I then realized my other suitcase had been split open and now would be staying in New York. I have to buy another suitcase. A perfect ending to the evening or I should say morning. We are now going to London instead of Brussels. We will be there for 10 hours on a layover. That's what they say but it might be days.
It was now midnight and upon arrival to the Holiday Inn there was a line of people getting rooms out the door! The manager came and met our van and told him to take us back to the airport as they had no more rooms. Back at the airport there was now a crowd of people who also were returned to the airport due to no hotel rooms. The American Airlines worked as slow as their baggage claim service on this problem. Finally at 2am they found a hotel across town at La Guardia airport. Off in a van with another man who was homeless too. Upon arrival at the Clarion I bolted for the van and was first in line. It was a good thing because he only had one room left and turned the other homeless guy back to the airport. We finally got a room at 3am.
We walked down the hallway for what seemed like an hour and finally checked into the last room and think we crossed the border into New Jersey. This was a great hotel......if you want to be raped, murdered, robbed, or bumped from a flight for 2 days.
The final straw was I then realized my other suitcase had been split open and now would be staying in New York. I have to buy another suitcase. A perfect ending to the evening or I should say morning. We are now going to London instead of Brussels. We will be there for 10 hours on a layover. That's what they say but it might be days.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
