Kampala, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda

August 24, 2011

Well, we are off again. I guess it is time to get back on the road. Plus, we are going on a special

adventure in two days. A very special adventure. We are going trekking to spend one hour with a family of mountain gorillas. Can get a WOO HOO?!??!!!! Between Brad and I, Liam caved and decided that a few days at the Virunga Lodge near the Parc National des Volcans in northern Rwanda would be a relaxing way to enjoy a cultural experience as part of his job!

We had breakfast with Brad and Angie, returned to their house because we forgot our coffee mugs and then began the journey out of Kampala. What a nightmare. At one point on a two-lane road, I think there were four lanes of cars and ten rows of people. It was so tight we accidently bumped into a bicycle and a boda boda. But, they think jumping in front of a moving car is a good idea. Navigating through cities without street signs is interesting. However, we made it out of town after fighting traffic and people for two hours.

On the road again, we stopped in Mpaimbare, Uganda. This is the location where the Buganda King drums are made. There were several stalls along the way and we acquired two drums to begin our collection. Shopping for drums is an interesting experience. There a ton of different types of leather used and they all sound so different. Imagine, two mzungus hanging out on the side of the road beating drums with absolutely no rhythm. I bet it was a sight to see. If only we weren’t both tone deaf and musically untalented. Maybe drum lessons for Christmas?

A short way down the road we crossed the equator again. This time, there was a fantastic tourist trap with two rings. They also do the water experiment to show you how water drains on either side of and on the equator. Being cheap, we didn’t pay the small fee for the water experiment because we are smarter than we look and already knew how it worked. We did, however, pull our typical slightly touristy-slighty tacky selves into the ring for a few pictures straddling the equator. Hey, it’s not everyday you can stand on the equator in “winter.”

Back on the road, and we started to see Ankole cattle everywhere. They are beautiful and my husband tolerated my requests for more pictures. I cannot believe how large their horns are. But, when a herd of them began walking towards the car, I started thinking their horns may be a little dangerous as I watched them nudge each other. And away we went.

Driving through western Uganda is a lot like driving through South Dakota. Lots of rolling hills and generally not a whole lot of anything in any direction. As we drove, we were starting to wonder if we were going to be able to cross the border because no one seemed to know when the border opened and closed.

Arrived at the border. Crossed without a lot of difficulty and started driving only to realize that in Rwanda you drive on the right side of the road. Welcome to the only Francophone East African country. Rwanda is beautiful. It’s the land of a thousand hills. And I have no doubt there might be a few more than a thousand hills. Tea and coffee were growing all around us in the valleys and up the hillsides. Little children ran along side our car waving and screaming mzungus.

A little after dark, we reached Kigali. The city was immaculate. There was no trash to be seen, houses were clean and well constructed, and everyone was well dressed and clean. Quite a difference from Tanzania.

We stayed at the newly renovated Hotel des Mille Collines AKA Hotel Rwanda. If you haven’t seen the movie, take a peak – it’s pretty intersting. The hotel was beautiful and the rooms were quite comfortable. We ate at the poolside bar and I enjoyed more wet food. Seriously, loving pepper gravy. This time it came with capers. I must say though, it was sobering to walk through the halls of hotel and think about all the people who were waiting to be saved from the massacre happening around them in Kigali. I can only imagine the fear that consumed them.

Headed off to bed so we could get up quasi-early and head to Virunga Lodge and the gorillas.

Kampala, Uganda

August 18-23, 2011

We weren’t planning on staying that long, but we were having so much fun with the Nicholsons! First day in Kampala and I learned how dangerous boda bodas can be. Boda bodas are motorcycles that people use as taxis. Now, they have zero rules to follow and refuse to drive safely. It’s also rare that you see a driver or passenger with a helmet. As we were turning into the parking lot to pick up their munchkins from the bus, a boda boda drove into the side of the car as he was trying to pass us. Now, I’m not sure how he missed a giant blue Prado but this is Africa.

During our trip, Angie introduced us to Banana Boat, a great Ugandan handicraft store. http://www.bananaboat.co.ug/home.php We bought several of the baskets, a mask (for the mask wall), and a few other knick knacks. Also, just in case you ever need it, there is a great bookstore, Aristoc, in Garden Center on the third level. We were able to find travel books and maps to prevent us from getting lost in the future. At least that’s my theory.

Had breakfast on Sunday at 1000 Cups. A great little coffee shop in downtown Kampala filled with knick knacks. I bought a painting of a woman carrying a package and Liam acquired a few spears. Checked off spears on the weaponry souvenirs. I wonder when spear throwing practice will begin? I should have thought about that before I tried to convince him to buy the bigger spear. Liam pointed out a guy wearing a Mississippi State polo. I didn’t get a chance to go ask him where he was from because when we were done eating he was long gone. Man, Mississippians are everywhere.

We went to the Kasubi tombs. (Here’s the link about them http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1022/) The four kings who are buried there are the last four kings of the Buganda tribe. Sadly, someone maliciously burned down the original tomb that had been there for over a hundred years last year. It was a beautiful thatched hut. They are in the process of rebuilding the tomb. In the room where we were told the history of the tribe, the walls were covered in bark cloth paintings. Bark cloth is made from a fig tree. They peel the bark off of the tree and beat it with a hammer until it is smooth. Then, the pieces of cloth are sewn together to make fabric. This fabric is used for traditional clothing

(though not as much now since they have access to brilliant fabrics) and paintings. We bought a painting of an elephant. Here’s more information about bark cloth - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhznFtHhkBo

We also went to the Ugandan museum. When we arrived, there was no one there. Thus, we had our own private tour guide who walked around with Lila, Aiden (Brad and Angie’s munchkins aka Tater and Bean), Liam, and I and explained all of the exhibits. There was a large section of history, information on the Olympics, transportation, development, weapons, toys, etc. They also had a section on Ankole cattle. I’m a little bit excited to see them as we drive across Uganda into Rwanda. I want to get some pictures of those horns. They had the traditional drums and xylophone of the Buganda tribe in the museum

and we played a little bit. I fell in love with the sound of one of the gigantic bass drums and am now on a hunt to buy one for our house. It might become our new alarm when you are a guest at our house!!!!

Aiden and Lila are hysterical. They had Liam and I in stitches with the random things that they said. Gotta love brilliant babies with a sense of humor. Seriously, they kill me.

We ate at quite a few yummy restaurants. Liam spent some time at the embassy learning about what his future jobs will entail. Kampala offers a lot for Liam professionally and I think he would really enjoy working there.

We also discovered that all of our household goods, unaccompanied baggage and consumables are in Dar and should be at our house within a week to ten days of us returning back to Tanzania! WOO HOO! We will have more than four plates and our stoneware to start baking! Cause this girl is ready for a batch of brownies.

Did I mention the Red Pepper? Red Pepper is Kampala’s trashy tabloid paper. It’s not something I would typically read. But, once you start reading, the crazy phrases make you giggle and before you know it – you are laughing hysterical at the absurdity. Here’s a perfect example: “Kimbugwe Nakaweesl, the outspoken woman activist has finally answered the mind-boggling question about the type and size of her panty.” Really that’s news worthy. “As you’ve always read in these pages, celebrity couple, Patriq Kanyomozi and Rahmah Mbabazi will begin the journey to legalize their

bonking sprees on September 18 with an introduction ceremony.” The verbage is priceless. And at just under a dollar – this news rag is literally worth every penny.

The owner of the house the Nicholsons live in was having the road repaved. Angie said let's grab our cameras and take pictures of the guys mixing the ashpalt on the side of the road. I had never seen it mixed over an open flame - but the guys were putting a road together. I got some great shots of the guys hamming it up for the camera! And of a jackfruit that was nearby.

Sadly, our time in Kampala came and went to quickly! I have no doubt we will be back soon to visit the Nicholsons! There is a lot more of Uganda I would like to visit!

Kisumu, Kenya to Kampala, Uganda

August 17, 2011

Ate breakfast and back on the road. We have another border to cross and something tells me it is not going to be as easy as it was yesterday.

After yesterday's issue with unreliable maps, we stopped at a bookstore and picked up the Kenyan travel map complete with coordinates so we can link up with handheld GPSes x 2. Nothing like a few toys to help out. Between Google Earth and handhelds, we are going places. Now we just need satellite Internet so when Google Earth is wrong we can figure out where the hell we are.

Driving through lush farmland in Kenya is relaxing. Liam would probably say otherwise because of the crazy drivers. But, I enjoyed it. Liam likes to drive and I like to scream “STOP. Need picture.” It works for us. At least in my opinion. He would say he is just the superior driver. Well, ask him about the Ugandan police telling him to slow down and not pass four cars down a steep incline and around a corner. Let’s just say, my “slow down quit driving like a crazy person” was 100% justified when the cop looked at me and said “Hello Mama. I’m just going to have a little talk here with my friend about his driving.” I giggled. Liam gave me a dirty look.

Make it to the Kenyan-Uganda border in one piece. We are hopefully never ever going to get to a border after 8am in the future. What an ass pain. There were 10-15 people screaming at us and guiding us through all of the parked trucks. The easy part was getting our passports stamped. Then, we had to deal with customs and paperwork for the car. Apparently, the guys on the border we crossed yesterday forgot to give us a piece of paper so we could get out of Kenya without having to drive all the way back to get the stupid piece of paper. Well, we had a copy of the title that is currently MIA at our embassy. Paperwork in hand, we head to the Ugandan border. With our little guides in tow. Immigration stamps were easy. Liam had to deal with our new rafikis. They gave us a quote for Ugandan insurance for $150 for 4 months. Then, said $40 would be okay. I don’t know about you guys – but I’m thinking payouts on insurance wouldn’t be that great in Uganda. And I thought US insurance was sketchy….

Immediately, after crossing the border two baboons welcomed us. I thought Liam was going to get out of the car and go play with them. He loves monkeys/primates (but not silverback gorillas – more later). Sometimes I question how his brain works. Especially, when he is looking at the giant open wound on one of their noses. I don’t know about you, but I’m not planning on hugging any wildlife in their territory this year. Just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Uganda has a different feel. While the countryside is very pretty, the people were very serious. I guess that comes with years of turmoil. You become hardened. And it is very visible to outsiders.

Stopped in Jinja to have lunch and get some cash. Pull up and park in an area in town and while I am sitting in the car and Liam is getting something out of the back seat, this little kid runs up to the car, scribbles something down and sticks it under the windshield wiper. Liam asks him what he is doing and he says writing a parking ticket. So, I watched the little brat run across the street and brag about how he wrote a ticket to two diplomatic mzungus. But, you screwed up dude. You pissed off the crazy mzungu woman. Liam comes back from the bank to say we have to drive to another location and the little brat comes running up asking for us to pay 5000 Ugandan shillings for the ticket. Well, we had ZERO Ugandan shillings and are on diplomatic passports. Then, he told us to give him American money. I’m not giving this brat a $20. Nope. We drove away and he has an unpaid ticket that will never be collected on.

Ate lunch at this great café right on Lake Victoria. Vegetable quiche was perfection. And you couldn’t beat the atmosphere. Quiet and delightful – with Internet. Since Liam’s phone still wasn’t working (at least we thought – but it’s all better now), talked with Brad to confirm our arrival in Kampala and left to head to town. The rest of the drive wasn’t bad until I led us to the wrong embassy because I was looking at number 8 on the wrong map. Finally, met up with Brad and drove to their house. (In case you don’t know who Brad is, Liam replaced him for IRT in Tanzania. Between him and his wife, Angie, our life has been much easier prepping for this move. So, a big part of this trip was to come hang out with them and play in Uganda).

While we were sitting around talking about everything in general and what we wanted to do in Uganda, I mentioned the gorillas. Brad said something along the lines of you have to go because its just cool. When Brad and a buddy went, his friend was checked, from behind, by a 550 lb. silverback gorilla. And I have to agree with Brad and friend – I don’t care who you are but being checked by a 550 lb. silverback in his house will make you pee yourself a little. So, I think Liam has finally decided it’s worth the $500 park fee per person to look at gorillas from about 10 feet away (or less I hear). Especially since his half is considered exploring Africa and part of his budget. That’s what I call a two for one special.

Off to bed to dream of gorillas.

Arusha Tanzania, to Kisumu, Kenya…hopefully.

August 16, 2011

Well today is the day. We aren’t very sure if we are actually going to cross the Kenyan border. We are hoping to get by on good looks and diplomatic passports. It’s just one of those things. As Liam says, “it may or may not be a giant ass pain.”

At 0630, we left the hotel bound for the Kenyan border. It was about an hour to an hour and a half drive through one of the coolest places I have ever driven through. We rounded Mt. Meru and the sun was coming up against a row of huge cumulus clouds. Dry gorges from rainy season were scattered throughout. Sparse trees and succulent vegetation lined the road. Children were running in order to make it to school in time. Masai walking around with their herds of cows, goats, and sheep. Yep, it was really cool. And then, a giant giraffe butt was spotted in the distance. This is the crap you dream of as a little kid. And here I am screaming at Liam “Giraffe butt. Giraffe butt. Hurry up. Back up. I gotta get a picture.” He willing obliged - a little unsure - because he didn’t see it at first. Then, giant giraffe head pops up and looks straight at me as if to say, “Yes, I see you too.” My only wonder – what do you think was going through this giraffe’s head. I’m going to go with “Mzungu. Money?” Then, baby giraffe comes walking through the bushes. And stops and looks at me too. Apparently, we are as interesting to them as they are too us. Who’d have thunk it???

Crossing the Tanzania- Kenyan border was uneventful. Accept for all of the Africans walking across the border 200 m from the immigration office and NO ONE giving a crap. TIA (This is AFRICA). I love this place.

Safely into Kenya and my face is PLASTERED to the window after the giraffe. I kept telling Liam to slow down because it was too hard for me to animal watch. Plus, East Africans (I may confirm to be all Africans by the end of this year) drive like crazy people. They have ZERO comprehension of rules of the road. Liam has taken quite nicely to African driving, which means I should be taking Xanax on every road trip and sleeping through the terror. But, I’m not because then what would I write home about?

I diverged. Excuse me. Anyway, face plastered and animal watching. Pretty uneventful until we hit the chaos that exists as Nairobi. At one point there were four roads under construction, all going in the same direction and randomly merging. Still haven’t figured that one out. But, I’m going to blame China like everyone else here. We stopped to get cash and lunch. We ate at the Thorn Tree Café at the Stanley Hotel. Pretty tasty and clean bathrooms. Take note of clean bathrooms as I mention them – they are few and FAR between.

Liam’s local beer review: Tusker – It’s drinkable and cheap. Two very important qualities.

Back on the road and driving away. We meander through the Rift Valley. Um yeah. AWESOME. I can confirm that at almost 9000 feet right at the equator is quite comfortable at a balmy 17 degrees Celsius. I was happy as a clam in my capris, t-shirt, and flip-flops while everyone around me had on wool sweaters and layers. Donkeys, cows, sheep, goats roaming EVERYWHERE. There were patches of forest and green everywhere. It was beautiful and a place I would love to go back and wander. I also want to spend a day with a farmer and find out what all the plants are – it’s a farm feast. Lots of yummy stuff.

At the end of the rift valley, face plastered to the window and I pull another “Zebra butt. Zebra butt. Back up. Hurry. Hurry. I gotta get a picture.” Well I got a few. And probably a little closer to the striped horsey than I should have. As I was creeping closer and closer to my subjects, I could only wonder what was creeping closer and closer to me. But, I just kept telling the Zebra that I thought it was pretty and wanted to say Hi. Didn’t go over so well when they started to run away. I guess they don’t speak English either. Gotta learn how to say that in Kiswahili.

Ventured on through many valleys and hills and mountains. Ignore what you have been told. Kenya is beautiful. I can’t wait to go back to a couple of areas. Especially the coffee fields. Plus, you can get Kenyan coffee for probably nothing (we didn’t buy any because we didn’t have any small bills. Something we have learned, people selling stuff on the side of the road NEVER have change).

Just be leery when the security guy tells you “Back up and go the other way because this road is closed for construction. Don’t worry, that way is better anyway.” Um. Yeah. Not so much. 30 kms of bouncing up and down. I thought pregnancy bladder was bad. Bouncy bladder in African countryside = much worse. Cause it's not like there is even a questionable gas station you can run in and pee pee.

Making it back to the paved road, we spent a little detour looking for our unmarked road. The rest of the drive was interesting. Construction, fog, dusk, light rain and Kenyan driving make for a trial on your patience. But, we made it. Not to the hotel we were planning on staying at, but a bed nonetheless. Nice hotel. Pretty yummy food. AMAZING service. Thank you Imperial Hotel in Kisumu, Kenya. We will probably be back at some point. I hear there are hippos nearby.

Oh and did I mention, we did this all without a cell phone and inaccurate maps. Life is an adventure.

Dar es Salaam to Arusha, Tanzania

August 15, 2011

Well folks. Adventure #1 has officially begun. We are driving (yes that’s correct – driving) to Uganda and Rwanda from Tanzania. While the average person would probably not consider driving through Tanzania, across Kenya into Uganda, onto Rwanda and back into Tanzania, we signed on quickly. I mean really why not. The whole point of this year is for him to explore as much of Africa as possible.

Traffic in Dar at 0600 will make you question getting in a car in “normal” working hours. At 0600 the line to get into Dar was at least an hour outside of the city. I can only image what it looked like by 0800. Then, there were people waiting on the bus. Probably a few hundred people waiting. No wonder it takes forever for anything to get done in Tanzania. They aren’t at work because they are waiting for the bus.

Tanzania is beautiful and there are a few things that surprised us. Tanzania has a lot of rolling hills and mountains (with a few pretty steep cliffs). Sections are lush and green with tons of banana and orange trees. Others are dry and look like an elephant may stroll up to the car looking for a peanut. But, the only animals we saw were goats, cows, and donkeys being herded by their Masai owners. Another shocker – there are people EVERYWHERE. And I’m not kidding. We literally did not travel a full kilometer without seeing at least one person.

A few oddities. Liam and I are mzungus. It’s the term Tanzanians (and maybe other Swahili speaking countries) give to white people who come to their country. It isn’t meant to be derogatory – just a description. Well, we experienced our first “real” experience with mzungu pricing. We stopped for gas and the guy running the show told Liam “For you, the price is 2400 per liter.” Everywhere else, 2070 per liter. The government controls the prices. Had we known there were quite a few gas stations up ahead, we would have kept going. Lesson learned.

And did I mention the speed bumps. No warning. Frequent. They suck. Liam did come one step closer to finding his elusive honey badger. We passed a honey badger campground on our way into Arusha. A minor clue, but still a clue on his hunt. We didn’t get a picture – but we promise to the next time we drive up there.

At this gas station, I had my first experience with a hole in the floor toilet. I knew it was going to happen, just a matter of when. It was a pretty clean little space. I’m sure in our travels throughout Africa it won’t be my last. All I can say is after being fearful of squatting on the side of the road and being bit by something, the hole seemed comforting. My reality is warped. But, this is Africa.

Something else we noticed while driving across the country, as cars pass each other on the road, they turn on their turning signal or flash their bright lights. I’m not sure the significance of this one – but I’m going to find out. It was really annoying driving down the road when people were constantly turning on their turn signals, but never planning on turning. Between the random turn signals, frequent speed bumps, and buses trying to kill their passengers by driving like maniacs, Liam was ready to be done driving.

Along the way, we saw a ton of really red soil. Many houses were crafted out of this mud and sticks. Really beautiful colored homes – who needs paint? The only thing is I remember growing up with red clay in Mississippi. Your feet turn bright red and it takes a while for it to wear off. Needless to say, I noticed some pretty red toes walking around.

We also saw a few monkeys run across the road. I woke up from a little nap with Liam saying “Monkeys. Monkeys. Monkeys.” Camera was in hand we got a couple of shots. Liam talked about the monkeys for hours. I think I’ve got to get this boy into a natural primate park. I think he will feel at home.

We stayed at the Impala Hotel in Arusha. Not too bad for $110 a night. We will probably stay there again in the future. Pretty clean, mosquito nets, hot water, and breakfast. Works for us.

Liam’s local beer review: Kilimanjaro – It’s drinkable and cheap. Two very important qualities.

Lost somewhere in Africa

Liam is still working. I'm still mooching. But, I had a thought and wanted to share. Everywhere we have been serves wet food versus dry food. By wet food, I mean covered and smothered in delicious gravies. This is not going to bode well for shrinking backsides. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to develop an addiction for pepper gravy. It's just so delicious. Gotta find a way to account for gravies in post-baby weight loss without giving up staples like Cadbury chocolate or glass bottle Coke. Because, we can't get too crazy. Africa has already taken over my taste buds. I'm doomed.

We haven't forgotten about you..

We are off hunting for a honey badger. Don't worry, while we are gone - here is your entertainment...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg

Liam is on a mission to find one...I'm joining because why not. I'm hoping for a moment like "FYI - you've been bitten."

Back to the hunt.

The Slipway

Slipway is around the corner from our house and it's rapidly becoming one of our favorite places to hang out. Here's the link - http://www.slipway.net/index.php. There's food, a bookstore, and a fantastic junk store made out of lots of individual booths. Now by junk, I mean tacky - yet, surprisingly cool - souvenirs. And if you come visit, I promise to take you there for your required ration of tacky souvenirs. We are forming our own collection, too. Don't you worry.

Back to the task at hand. Yesterday, we made two trips to Slipway looking for various items. The bookstore was the main point of venture where I found "the book." The one I have been hunting for since we found out we would be living on the Indian Ocean. And I'm very happy to have confirmed it's existence.

Now, I don't have to wonder what is out there. I know! Daily nerd point - earned. We were also looking for country maps for our travels. However, the maps didn't have coordinates and other information Liam wanted. We picked up a book about Dar es Salaam for entertaining ourselves and others while we are here.

After we ran a couple of other errands, we returned to the booths looking for a few pieces of furniture. Well, we came home with other things. Two paintings.













The giraffe was just a fun purchase to eliminate some white wall space. The blue Masi painting I fell in love with a couple of weeks ago. I was watching the artist paint when my eyes fell on this one drying in the sun. We went back last week looking for it and couldn't find it because there are so many paintings. Last night, it became ours. For a whopping, 50,000 Tz shillings for both (about $31) Now, I just need a hammer and a nail for it to take it's place on the wall!

After our painting excitement, we went to dinner on the Terrace. There was a nice breeze on a warm, winter evening. Liam ordered a fillet mignon (which actually looked more like pot roast -he did say it was tasty). I ordered one grilled lobster, but for some reason my plate showed up with TWO!!! Woo hoo! I was in heaven. Those little boogers were quite tasty.

Full and happy, we wandered home and spent a few hours talking to our guard about books. If you have any extra books laying around, pack them in a flat rate box and send them our way. Books are VERY expensive here and the guards would really enjoy them.

It's a rough life in Tanzania.

Traveling through Africa...

The whole reason we are here this year is for Liam to travel throughout Sub-Sahara Africa to learn about cultures, customs, and issues of all potential countries he could be stationed at as a Foreign Area Officer (FAO). My job this year is to maximize his travel budget so that I can travel with him and enjoy this massive continent together. Seems like an easy enough task. Well, I'm learning very quickly it is not.

Traveling through Africa requires a carefully calculated plan. It requires extra safety precautions, visas, setting up travel routes, proper currency, and a few more things I'm probably not even aware of yet. Hotels may or may not take credit cards - sometimes due to power outages and sometimes just because they don't. Are mosquito nets included? Malaria isn't on my to-do list. Gas stations should be readily available but you should be prepared just in case they aren't or don't have gas. Don't forget the spare tire, windshield wipers, and other "essential" car parts. Someone said something about getting a wench for their car the other day. I found myself jealous and saying, "I want a wench on my car." I love wenches and four-wheel drive. Is it to early to prepare for rainy season? It's happened. I've gone country. Admitting it is the first step to recovery, correct?

Planes may or may not take off and land where you expect them too. Too top it all off, I'm using information provided on 3-10 websites and 1-4 books at any given moment to find a single hotel. The other day I learned it is a very good thing I grabbed a copy of our marriage license. I've heard it may be necessary to show the document for us to sleep in the same space together at night. Welcome to 1930 peeps - I guess the tan line on my left ring finger means nothing in Africa. I may not being paid in my profession this year, but I'm definitely working hard for our money.

Reasons why I can't wait to raise our babies in Africa...

I'm starting to realize what an amazing opportunity raising our babies in Africa is going to be. Our kids will never throw fits to go to the zoo to see gorillas, monkeys, giraffes, elephants, lions, rhinos, hippos, and honey badgers. It will be a part of their landscape for the first 10ish years of their lives. They will learn the art of silence and how it can enhance seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling everything around you, especially when you want to acquire a favorite photographic image. Hopefully, they will have an ear for language since they will be around so many. They won't have all of the marketing and outlandish advertising thrown at them by American marketing firms. During the day, we can walk everywhere. Eat foods without all of the preservatives and chemicals even I can't pronounce. They will be outside, playing soccer, running around with other children, and generally have a more active lifestyle than most American children. They will be exposed to germs and have (hopefully) healthy immune systems. They will know how to travel and be responsible while doing so. Know how to be safe in otherwise unsafe situations. Their first backpack may not actually be for school, but to go hiking and camping with mommy and daddy.

And maybe, just maybe, they will learn to love the environment and the spaces we are given like their mommy and daddy and want to wander the world and be a part of it as much as it will be a part of them. I just wish we could have had these experiences with Nora. But, since we can't, I'll keep looking forward to exposing our babies to Africa.