Mountains and Stuff

So today I climbed the big hill outside of Mbale. I did this with 4 Americans from the group I met in Kampala last weekend. This was a good time. Let me start with yesterday though, I feel that is a better place to start.

Yesterday was Thursday, my least busy day of the week, and Julius Okelany calls and tells me that I should come to Nabumali where he and that team is doing a mission. They are doing door to door evangelism and then a crusade. I decided to go, but it was difficult to get out of the compound because the students are finishing their exams and the 2nd year students were leaving. So I finally got out of here and made it there in time for part of the crusade. So Julius sees me arrive and comes over and greets me and says that he wants me to come up front and greet everyone and say something. I said that I didn't need to speak and that he was going to do a great job without me. Then he tried to get Grace (an American) to do it and she also declined. Roughly 3 minutes later as I was talking to some people he says, "and here is my friend David who wants to share something with you all."

I really didn't know I had anything to share... so I had to come up with something quickly... That was fun. Thanks for that one Julius.

Then I came back home. Today he calls me again and says that they are all coming to town and I should meet them there. He then lets me know when they get to town, and again it takes me a while to get out of the compound because I am also saying goodbye to all of the students. I finally reach town and meet up with them and find out that they are planning on going to climb the hill/mountain/rock... thing...

So Julius and I rush to the school, I change clothes and eat quickly since Mary had already prepared my lunch. We then went to Nabumali Center, about 30 minutes from Mbale Town. We get there and I then... have to eat lunch again. It was okay, I got to serve myself so I could actually take a small amount. We then hung out there for a while, and finally left for the hill at about 4:30 ish.

Meanwhile I met one of the missions team from Kamapala whose name is Ivan. He is a pretty cool cat (with a little bit of this, and a little bit of that)(that outburst will only amuse those persons from SW Iowa, who participated in, or know the song/dance thing from 4H Junior camp). I was talking to him and found he was from Amuria district, and that is when I showed him my Ateso skills. He was then in shock and awe. That was fun.

Then we went to the hill, and started climbing. Since we were near to it the climb was a steep one. It was very tiring, we had a local guide who lived on the top so his pace was FAST. So we nearly were running up this ginormous hill. There were waterfalls, and cliffs and what have you. It was very pretty. I took many pictures. When we were nearing the top it got a bit sketchy. We got to a place where the only way up was ladders (or rock climbing, since we had no rope we took the ladder). The first ladder was about 20ish feet and was made of metal. We asked and found that it was installed in the 1960s. This didn't really make me feel better, but when two old ladies climbed the ladder, one with a bunch of something on her head.... I couldn't let her out do me. So I went up.

Ivan would ask how I was doing (most of the time in Ateso) and he would respond that he was not doing well. "Teso land" is very flat and he was not a fan of the hill.

The next two ladders were made of wood. They were both more secure and more nerve wracking all at the same time. I did enjoy it when I made it to the top though. The view was awesome, and it was just fun to see. The whole climb, up and down, the children were running along beside us like it was flat. We decided that going to and from school that way would make you pretty used to it.

The way back down was harder. My legs had worked hard enough going up that they were confused working the other direction going back down. All the rocks were much slipperier going down than up. I was a bit nervous more than once.

We made it down safe and sound. We then got back to Nabumali, and I stayed there a few minutes and then reached the school, where Mary was waiting for me.

She was not happy to see how dirty my jeans were though. She wanted to know if I'd been fighting... she was only kidding but it was still funny.

Emma had prepared my supper, which was my second chicken. I no longer have animals in Uganda, but they were tasty. On a related subject, when I eat rice with my hands I almost always wind up with some in my sinuses which is precisely where I do not like my rice to be.

Bed time, I leave for Soroti early in the morning.

Love you, I think... I guess I don't really know who you are... anybody could read this... but since your creepin on me and showing at least a passing interest in my adventures... sure I will love you...