Uganda- U got it -- By Sarah and Grandpa Z

Uganda, “U got it”--written jointly by Sarah and Grandpa Z
August 12-13

Left home in usual flurry of confusion and disorganization. Two fairly flawless overnight flights (Chicago-Frankfort & Frank.-Addis Ababa) brought us to E. Africa concluding with a short flight to Kampala, Uganda. At that point the journey deteriorated a bit. Sarah was not there to meet us, (slight email discrepancy), our bags did not arrive (somehow, misrouted to Johannesburg), and the final “blow”, my phone was dead, therefore Sarah's phone number was unavailable. However a helpful young man assisted me in finding power to charge phone, and after “paperwork” for missing bags had been completed, we called Sarah and eventually got “on track” to first night's lodging and food.

Speaking of food, Ugandans love starch! The complexity of complex carbs doesn't phase them. For the last six meals we have had rice, potatoes, yams, cassava, millet, and other 'roots'. Usually accompanied by a little meat, soup and or broth, plus cooked and raw cabbage (oh yes, occasional tomatoes). The conclusion of each meal with fresh sweet pineapple, however, usually prompts a feeling of forgiveness for the earlier part.

Saturday we made the 300 Km trek to Kazo (Sarah's home for the past 2 years) The Toyota van was more comfortable than the Ugandan roads!! Before even reaching the bathroom, we were scurried off to a local farm. John, a rather amazing man, and his wife Ester, greeted us with a little too abundant of a Ugandan lunch. We soon learned that everything had either bones or seeds-- other than the boiled intestines, Sarah's favorite. A vicarious entrepreneur, John narrated his story (in English) about how he began as an uneducated brick layer to become the present owner of his own contracting company and hardware shop, as well as the proprietor of a large and progressive (by Ugandan standards) farm. For the first time, we saw how pineapples, papaya, bananas, coffee, and cassava, grew. We learned that the banana tree sacrifices it's life for one stalk of bananas. Don't worry-- it will grow back in a year. We also saw the home of a family whose ethnic group lives on milk, and their ten year old child that had never eaten solid food (anemia anyone?).
John's coffee, pine tree and sorghum pursuits were definitely ambitious, but in a country with 18% percent inflation, he had the most stable form of investment available (speaking of the inflation, no wonder banks here can pay 14% interest-- heck you can make money by taking out a 10% interest loan!). He also has several long horned local cattle, with a few fresian (holstein) heifers. He is currently updating his breed for better milk production. The most impressive thing was the equipment-- hand held hoes and a machete. There was no power, running water, or motorized vehicle. John does have a motorcycle with which to bring milk into town every morning-- before going to his hardware shop.
That night we also lived without running water or power. At least we weren't so poor we didn't have a pot to pee in-- but Sarah no longer has a bathing bucket.