"There and back again" By Abigail Banham

 Snatching up our few essentials and tossing them into a bag Kim, Bakita and I began the the ten mile journey down into Chukdum this last weekend. Chukudum, though rather a small village, is the metropolitan of Didinga, as you walk wide eyed you'll hear the loud music bursting from solar powered stereos, the high roaring engines of a few vehicles and a few people talking on cell phones. You will see sodas in bottles, random soaps in shops and maybe even a flashlight with Obama's face on it all imported from Uganda. One has the feeling of saying "Baby, we're in the city!"


Our aim for this journey was simple drink a coke and visit friends.We were successful on both fronts.

 Hiking down to Chukudum.

Bakita (a former student) and her sister Evelynn were our hosts and what magnificent hosts they were! Upon arrival we where offered a cool place to sit, chapati (flat bread), rice and beans and chai (tea) . They even rolled out a mat if we felt like sleeping. We felt like (poorly dressed) royalty.

Evelynn making chai.

Chukudum, located in the low lands, is hotter than Brad Pitt (I know there is a better way of explaining that but for some reason it was the fist thing that came to mind). Yet the hot afternoon brought on a lovely evening warmth that spurred on song after song under the bright African stars.When it was finally time to sleep Bakita and Evelynn insited that we sleep on their bed (a mud platform) while they sleep on the floor.  Have you ever felt so blessed by someones hospitality?

Kim and I were planning on leaving early the next morning avoiding the scorching sun but alas our plans were thwarted, being held as Chukudum prisoners as our friends prepared for us one final feast of cow meat (a very special treat.)

I tried my "Take my finger off" trick.

Well, at least one little guy fell for it. He's all like, "What?!"

 After filling ourselves with the large portions given to us, suggestions to "Just force it" were offered but our cultural sensitivity has it's limits, it's called "I am going to vomit."  After the feast was finished Evellynn and Bakita waddled with us to the head of the mountains and we said our "See you later'." We managed to leave during the hottest part of the day at around one pm. 

Kim, Evellyn, Bakita and myself.

 The stream on the way, filtering water.

Meeting up with some friends on the path we began the ten mile straight up assent to Nagishot. It was long...It was hot...It was really hot, it was so hot in fact that when stopping at a stream I joined everyone in stripping off nearly all my clothes and bathed in the stream (Don't judge, it was hot, everyone was doing it and we hid behind a banana tree) 

Finally we reached home just in time to take a nice cold bath and eat something before the sun went down.


Anyway, I better get off and do something useful, just thought I share a bit about last weekend. It was simply wonderful and amazing!