Jinja Town

Familiarizing myself with this new town, my home for the next 5 months, has been like making a new friend. Timidly I began scampering on the sidewalk, hugging the shade, dodging boda bodas (motorbikes), bicycles, goats and chickens.I have finally learned, after a few close encounters, to look first right and then left when crossing the street here - as traffic drives on the opposite side here compared to the States. Jinja (even the name is fun to say, like jumanji or juju) is a slow moving town - traffic is mostly caused by the hundreds of bicycle taxis here. I prefer taking a bicycle over a motorcycle, not only is it cheaper (.25 cents as opposed to .50) but safer, and environmentally friendly too!

The town sits on Lake Victoria, right where the massive lake transforms into the longest river in the world. Everything here is bathed in red dust - the streets, buildings, money, goats and trees are all tinted sunset copper.

In just two weeks, this town has become home-like. I know where to buy my vegetables in the market - that I can buy 4 eggplants for 400 shillings (20 cents), and the most delicious pineapples I have ever had for only 50 cents. The vegetables here are luxuriously cheap and tasty. I can find Okra, passion fruit, peppers, cucumbers, cilantro, fresh eggs, ginger, garlic, onions, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, plantains - and much much more to discover! The meat section of the market is less appetizing - most of the meat is exposed to hoards of carnivorous flies. When entering the meat section you are exposed to offensive putrid smell as well as a plethora of unidentifiable animal innards - which wiggle like jello in the hot sun. If I want to cook chicken I have to buy it a line and either slaughter it myself or pay someone to butcher it. I nearly accomplished this the other day, but as I held the bird - and it clucked warmly in my hands - I couldn't bare to sentence it. So, alas no chicken for us. We do however live next to a hotel that serves Thai food as well as delicious steak! Fore very cheap.

The people here are unbelievable friendly. Most town-dwellers speak English, and I am trying to stutter a few words of Luganda for adventures to surrounding villages. Glenn bough a bycycle this week, as he peddles me to the market - people yell "Muzungu Boda", roughly translating to "white man bicycle taxi!"

We are also the proud parents of a 5-week old puppy, brought to us by the electrician, Richard. The puppy, named Milo, was plagues with fleas and worms when he arrived - but he is now de-flead, de-wormed, gaining weight and very happy.


I am working now with The AIDS Support Organization in Jinja. Tomorrow I am going out into the field to do testing. I will write more soon - but now I am off to make dinner...