Jet Lag

An all too familiar feeling. Wide awake in the middle of the night after having slept all day on planes. The unconsciousness brought about by Tylenol PM is both a blessing and a curse.
So, from under my misquito net, my mind races instead of resting as it tries to process where my body is: Africa - continent #3 for me. It's even easier to play "spot the Americans" here than in Europe ;) The people are really funny and friendly though, and they love to share with you about their country.
Uganda is known as "The Pearl of Africa" Though I've only seen the country by night so far, the view of the moon (enlarged due to proximity to the equator) over Lake Victoria has already convinced me that this title is well-deserved.
Though we spent little time in Uganda so far, it hasn't been without excitement! As we waited in line for swine flu inspection, the sliding doors gave us a preview of our enemy: misquitos the size of your big toe. And literally EVERYWHERE. These oversized pests are merciless. The mere sight of them led to panic about when to take our next malaria treatment.
Once we arrived at our "hotel" for the night (really guest rooms in the univeristy dorm), it was time for dinner! Ugandan vegan food is so great! (And much less scary than the alternatives: goat meat or fish [which we suspected came straight from Lake Victoria]).
Our rooms for the night had hot, running water - pretty unbelievable and the last time we'll have that experience for awhile! But... We also had an unexpected little guest. We didn't have time to name him - we had murder on the mind. This little surprise in our sink had the longest legs I've ever seen on a spider! After a tag-team effort, Liz and I successfully drowned/smashed with a hanger/threw away our extra roomie.
And now I find myself under the misquoto net, listening to some African man sing outside our door and getting ready for another day of travelling. Exchanging money and buying basics in Kampala, then it's a 7 hour overcrowded van drive to Southwest Uganda (and the less comfortable accomodations that await us there). Until the next time I have internet...
XOXO,
Ann