Day 12 and 13: Money Talks and More Beauty

Monday I got an understanding of how no matter what cultural differences there may be…money speaks the same language and changes things. So when we got to this guesthouse we came to an agreement that we would be paying 25,000 shillings per day (a little more than $6 each per day) to stay here these 3 months. Now me and the other fellow are sharing a room so we asked if they could bring another bed into the room for us. They said ‘no problem’…but apparently it was. So they said their boss said bc we needed an extra bed they needed to raise the price to 30,000 per day. Despite the fact that we already agreed to 25, 000 per day. So that would be about $45 extra for each of us each month. Now I know it doesn’t seem like a lot but in Uganda that could be someone’s weekly salary and for 2 broke grad students who are volunteering in Africa that is not chump change! So to make a long story short we decided we didn’t want to pay that amount and we were also afraid that they might try to bring up another reason to increase the price down the line if we agreed to pay more this time. Many people here think just because we are from America that we are rich. If I transferred all my money from the US and chose to live here I would be well off, but I do have to go back to DC where I am far from rich and don’t have a job yet and need to get one…. FAST! So to make a long story short we told the guys that run the house we are students and we really can’t pay extra and they talked to the owner and he says that we can just keep paying the 25,000. Also the guys told the owner that they like us and we have been good guests here. So that possible stress of having to move and find another place has been avoided. I’m glad (and truly hope) that our housing is finally finalized bc I honestly didn’t feel like having to go through the whole process of finding another place and having to resettle and have a new routine. So…. whew!

Yesterday was a public holiday (Hero’s Day) so we had the day off again. We along with the other students from the British Columbia and TASO staff went to Sipi Falls and Kapchorwo (a town outside of Mbale) to take in the sights there.

The Crew of British Columbia Students, TASO staff and I

Again, I am so blown away at the natural beauty I am so privileged to witness here. It’s incredible to see what God has created and has been for the most part undisturbed by man. I swear the pictures don’t even do it justice. The vibrant sight of the trees and birds, the sounds of the waterfall, the clean and pure smell of the air…..I just can’t capture all that in a photo. It is so beautiful in person and truly peaceful to be in the midst of it all. I wish I could magically teleport to these places whenever I felt stressed or sad about anything. Random….I know. But it is really that amazing. All in all a pretty peaceful day. Also I’m pretty sure I’m going to Jinja to go white water rafting on the Nile river this weekend….so that should be fun and more pictures to come!

The Beauty of Sipi Falls is not even fully captured in this pic!

This man made bridge was sturdy yet rickety at the same time and kinda reminded me of that bridge in Indiana Jones (the old one)

I wish I could teleport here whenever I’m stressed!! Uganda is SO beautiful!