Our home in Ruhiira

Due in part to today being the first day of Ramadan (and therefore a Uganda public holiday), I'm stuck in Mbarara tonight - BUT - that means internet access, and a whole lot more pictures for y'all!

Here are some around our house in Ruhiira (we are very lucky, and very thankful - despite some tounge-in-cheek comments below!):


581-our bedroom, notice teh mosquito nets (insecticide impregnated)... it's very fun watching the bugs die when they land on the nets!

573-our living room. (and yes there are mice.)

583-our "shower". really, we just use one of the jugs of water, and some buckets.

580-our jugs of water. brought to us from mbarara (20miles away) by the UNDP drivers. most (well, all) other people in the village have to walk down the
steep hill to the newly protected (clean) spring-fed stream, and then walk back UP the hill with the water jugs. we are protected from doing this by the staff
that bring us this water.

355-our latrine. this is basically an outhouse. there is a hole in the floor, and that is where you go, no seat, no nothing. also, a spider crawled out of the roll of toilet paper the last time i went in there. i guess i should just be thankful there IS toilet paper. (for the brave, ask meg about her solution to this problem) but seriously, we are very lucky to have this latrine, because many locals (men
AND women) just use "the bush" outside.

504-the obligatory "view outside our backdoor" - pretty amazing, huh?

503-the Ruhiira central tree nursery, as seen from our house (this is the same one we visited on the first day)

515-the patchwork fields across the valley from us - mostly women and children work in the fields. the last week or so they have been preparing (weeding and
tilling) fields for planting. everything is by hand.

511-men on a banana truck, preparing to go to market, driving along the road next to our house. we see probably 20-30 of these a day, or more.

522-one of our dinners that sarah (that cooks, cleans, and does just about everything for us) has made - it feels extravagant to us (fresh avacados, bananas,
rice, and peanut sauce) - but normal hospitality for guests here... i don't think it would be possible for us to live "as a normal ugandan" even if we wanted to
- because someone is always trying to give us a ride or do things for us.

574-our kitchen, all the cooking is done from a propane stove

551-our clothes hanging outside... it was a humbling experience to do them by hand

555-another meal by sarah - literally the best pineapple i've ever had.

562-some of our neighbor kids. they are very curious.

561-here's one now, being curious...

898-the local catholic church (only lay ministers, no priest, no eucharist)

901-inside of the church... i tried to upload a video of the women playing the tradional drum music, but blogger didn't like that idea! (so you'll just have to imagine!)

903-meg and loucky, on the way home from church

912-some neighbor kids, enjoying a sunday afternoon

915-meg drying her clothes (i bet she doesn't even know i took this picture...!)