Hidden Treasure

There isn’t anything too exciting for me to report this week, yet I feel compelled to drop a quick update.

One rumor is true: there is indeed a pool in Gulu. I was initially weary of getting my hopes up, but after journeying out to Lacor Hospital, on the outskirts of town, and finding a nice little hole filled with water, I was pleased. Concerns for the condition of the water were far from my mind (giarida, schmiardia), and the same went for my other wazungu counterparts. The only weary soul was little Arthur, the son of a friend’s colleague, who accompanied us – but that might have been due to the novelty of leaving his mom to hang out with wazungu adults for an afternoon at a hospital pool. He was careful to follow my lead, applying my mzungu sunscreen to protect his African skin from the harsh sun.

It’s been another week of traveling to camps, researching, meeting people, and keeping on the move. This has been one of those weeks where I catch myself staring at the sky, my surroundings, and really letting it sink in where I have been living. I am in Gulu, Uganda for crying out loud! How in the world did I ever end up here? Ugandans have been gracious hosts. Another bonus to the experience of living in Africa are the people you meet from other regions (many European), going through the same experiences as you. There is an instant bond of common understanding, it seems.

This week will be packed with interviews and hopefully a trip to Kampala since I can catch a ride with some friends. I find the need to leave Gulu every few weeks to at least get a decent shower and meal.