I spend every morning at the orphanage and very little changes. I look after the children, although tend to look after the same children...in fact if I had room in my back pack when I leave Jinja I would definitely be trying to sneak a couple of them in to bring home with me as they are so adorable.

Anyway, Tuesday I spent all morning there but Wednesday we had the opportunity to go to the hospital, which was hugely insightful.

The hospital has different buildings for each ward and so not unlike England but there are so many more people visiting it in comparison to the UK. Given that alot of people have to travel some distance to reach the hospital many relatives and friends stay over. They sleep outside or in special rooms I think and then at daylight all come outside to wash their clothes and blankets etc and cook for themselves - the basic diet being corn and ciappatties (I have no doubt that I've spelt that wrong!). It was just so incredible how busy it was! Joseph, one of the guys took me around the hospital. I must admit it was so bizarre just how easy it was to walk in and out of the wards it is with so little security. I walked through the malaria ward and the emergency ward and although we spoke to the sister in charge of the TB and AIDS/HIV wards we were advised only to enter if we wore a mask, for our own safety. Given that we didn't have one we decided to abstain.

On Wednesday evening we had "irish night"...

Irish night

Irish night

Irish night

At the end of last week, quite a few of the girls left as well, which was actually really sad, particularly as three out of the four who left on Friday had arrived on the same flight as me. Alisha, Becca and Emer together with Claire, who's spent 4 weeks in Jinja, all left for a night out in Kampala Friday and then to join the Taste of Africa Safari on Sunday - which I'll be doing in a months time. Dylan also left to get his hair braded that night and so that just left 5 of us.

My first lot of housemates

We all decided to go for chinese and I must say this was probably the nicest evening so far...the food perhaps wasn't the greatest but it was actually really nice being in a smaller group and just chatting and getting to know each other a little better.

On Saturday, Luke left early to spend the weekend doing a gorilla safari in Bwindi - also where I'll be going in a few weeks time - and so that left four of us so we headed to the resort to sun ourselves and chill out...I just love the fact that despite supposedly travelling, I can still find a really nice hotel with a lovely pool and huge sun loungers to sunbath! I had such a good day and finally indulged in a plate full of fresh fruit which was lush...considering Uganda is so green and has loads of fruit I actually haven't had that much salad or vegetables or fruit unless we go out for it, perhaps because carbohydrate based foods are so much cheaper?!

We spent Saturday evening at 2 friends, that being Lisa's last night and had a really nice meal. We also had two new arrivals, Sophie and Liam, and Dylan returned looking like an extra out of Cool Runnings with his newly braded hair! Sophie is coming to the orphanage with me, which is good as otherwise I would have been all on my own, Emer, Alisha and Becca having all left on the Friday. Liam's come to do football training and take over from Luke and Ben. Both seem really lovely and will just fit in. I love the fact that we get new arrivals and that there's an overlap of people - you get to meet so many more people and the weeks are just different from each other because of the different people you spend time with.

Yesterday we went and had lunch at Bujagli Falls, where I'll be camping when I'm on my overland safari and get to do the various activities. I've decided that I'm saving quad biking and rafting for the safari but intending to ho horseback riding and mountain biking before I properly leave Jinja. Although I was planning to do the bunjee I really don't think I have the guts and would hate to pay nearly 50pounds and that not jump so I've decided to the jet boat instead which cruises the nile and looks amazing! Will keep you updated!

Lunch was really good and the view is just incredible...I really will at some point upload my photos so people can actually see where I am, what I've seen and who I'm leaving with!

I'm going to head off the the solicitors in a minute as not been seen last Tuesday as I've been so incredibly busy. Hopefully I'll get to do more work than I did last week...I went in and he handed me a petition, which I was really chuffed about because I thought at least it's matrimonial which I can do but we only spent about 20 minutes discussing that and the rest of the 2 odd hours talking about England, how much I get paid over there and how much the guy really wants to marry a muzungu (a white person)...however I assured him that I was not in the slightest ready to get married just yet!

I've probably forgotten loads in this blog but will no doubt be talking about this trip for months to come...you poor people!

written by  Laura_Smith on June 22, 2009 from Jinja, Uganda
from the travel blog: Laura's little summer break
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Last week we chilled out a lot more and only indulged in alcohol on a couple of nights in comparison to the pretty much every night previously!

I've continued with attending the orphangae, which I love. It still amazes me that the children are so content with merely the simplest of things. Playing outside entertains them all day and playing with the most basic of toys is seemingly enjoyable to them. I can't tell you how many times I have had to sing 'round and round the garden to them' or playing 'gimme five' with them. They are just entertained for hours. The children are so hardy as well. If they fall over they get straight back up and carry on playing...they play bare foot...when it's lunch time they sit down and eat quietly, with very little fuss, wash their hands and head for an afternoon nap. It really puts into perspective how much cotton wall kids are wrapped in at home and how children can enjoy the most basic of things without a fortune being spent on them!

All the staff are lovely at the home as well. They are so happy to discuss their family life and the struggles that they have endured. They also want to know more about England and my god what a difference it is.

The most striking different between here and back home is the attitude of people. The people here are so friendly. There isn't a day when you don't walk past people and and they say hello are the children don't wave and scream muzungu at you...I swear on some occasions I have actually felt like the pied piper!I think when I get home, I will actually miss people not shouting affectionate things at me on the street! I've explained to some of the people that in England if you said hello to somebody on the street that you don't know you are considered strange, many finding this attitude so strange and uncomprehendable! The way people and communities stick together and help each other out is also so warming and quite enviable when you compare life at home.

I've continued visiting schools and the prison today - the latter continuing to probably be the most emotional of the visits that I've made. Every time I go I continue to be overwhelmed by the womens attitudes to life and admire their strong belief and faith in religion. They have nothing and yet they do not want for anything and are simply grateful for me continuing to visit them and buy some of their items, which are most beautifully made and yet so inexpensive.

I also went out with a hospice last week - a programme that was exactly like I wanted to get involved with when I got out here. The hospice provides palliative care to terminally ill people unable to access hospitals due to their illness and the distance they would have to travel to seek medical care.

We went out into the villages and initially saw patients at the medical centre. The first patient has cancer of the colon but despite being terminally ill still finds the energy and goodness to seek other people in the village who desperately require assistance - hopefully you will now understand what I mean about people sticking together! The second was a gentleman who had suffered from cancer of the leg but has since had it amputated but is still seen by the hospice as it is just not medical care which they provide but support in respect of their emotional welfare, cultural and social welfare. His wife left him and he know considers that he will never be able to find another woman.

I also went and did some home visits and went with a nurse and another lady who works for an African organisation providing assistance and training in respect of carework. She told me that in Africa they are now trying to structure the way that hospices work. Her presence was invaluable in regards to my understanding of what was going on and also in respect of the way hospices and medical care works in Africa in general. Most people who are diagnosed with cancer will be terminally ill. Medical care is expensive here and few can access or afford it. The work the hospice does is therefore invaluable. Not only does it provide medical care but also emotional support. They ask for a mere 5000shillings, which is about two pounds sixty as a contribution for the drugs and assistance but should any be unable to afford it I think it highly unlikely care would be refused. During the home visits I met a two men with HIV, one refusing to take any medication due to the fact that his faith is so strong he believes that god will help and also anxious about the effect of western medicines. I also met several other people with cancer...all patients being incredibly thankful for the work the hospice does and also so welcoming to me in to their homes. I'm going out with them again next week but attending the hospital and doing further home visits. Shem, the organiser, would like me to see as much of what the hospice does as I can and I will take full advantage of their hospitality.

But me warned people, I will be seeking you financial assistance at some point as a few of us are intending to set up a charity to help to continue to fund the hospice and assist in meeting their well worthy visions for the future.

I also attended an introduction ceremony last weekend. Me and a lad I live with, Luke, went to another nearby town for the event. Luke has been coaching the football team and one of the player's sisters is getting married. It is therefore customary to have a ceremony to introduce formally the families to one another. We both purchased traditional clothes...the photos of us being particularly special! We headed to Iganga on Friday afternoon, intending to set off at 4pm but in typical African style leaving at about 6ish...maybe I was an African in a past life and have retained their time keeping?!

I don't know how many brothers and sisters I met when we arrived but I know it was a lot, Raj's father having married 5 women and fathered 20 children! We went to the nearby pub...a room with a few chairs scattered around and looked in at the local cinema - a room with a television and chairs lined up in front of it!

Night out at the pub!

We stayed in Iganga, although having only a few hours sleep given out attendance at the local club, another very special attendance! The clubs are becoming strangely enjoyable and I must say that I am really learning to appreciate hip hop and Akon! I must say it is really easy to spot friends in the clubs though given there are so few white people...a real advantage actually!!!

On the Saturday, despite being absolute shattered, I probably had one of my best days here. We got to the village and family home where the ceremony was to take and where the cooking had seemingly being started incredibly early. We both enjoyed a cup of african tea, which is so amzingly sweet and which I had to force down to me polite. We were also given this root vegetable, the name of which escapes me all the time, something else I struggled to eat but was saved by a trip to the nearby market.

The market was wicked...we visited every aspect of it from seeing the animals tied up ready for slaughter, to the hardy flip flops made from tyres to the food ready to eat. We were bought yams to try, something else I've learnt I'm not a fan of, chicken, which was so incredibly fresh and tasty and liver, which I would never usually eat but was just so tasty.

When we returned Luke did the typical man thing of doing very little but sitting and talking whilst I helped with the cooking. The food is cooked outside in small fires in huge pots surrounded by flys, the knives being used to cut raw meat one second and tomatoes the next.

Assisting with the cooking

When we got ready the shower I was taken to was merely water in a jug to be poured used in a little bricked area. Needless to say I have not become that comfortable with African life that I took a proper shower seemingly concerned as to the random people just aimless walking around in the garden...although I have been forced to use the drop toilets which were horrid but necessary!

The ceremony was lengthy and hot but amazing! Both Luke and I were involved in it throughout. I was paraded around the central maarquee with the other woman, dancing to the music - the purpose of such being a task for the future husband to pick out his future wife from the women.

Parading at the Introduction ceremony

Luke had to offer drinks to the husband's family and also receive gifts...those included baskets of fruit, bags of flour and animals, both dead and alive...a bag with a hoof pocking out being a definite give away of a slaughtered animal!

The ceremony lasted for about three hours - probably the time it will take you to read this ridiculously long blog! We ate once it had concluded and when darkness had fallen thus necessitating us to eat the food in the darkness and obviously with out hands. Although it would have been nice to see what we were eating, it was definitely an experience to try food and not have a clue what I was eating and thus being forced to try everything.

Done very little since Saturday actually. It poured down with rain yesterday, not the best situation when you're on the back of a boda in a 5pound primark dress! Just chilled out today having been at the orphanage and probably heading up the Bujagali to the bar at the camp site there to see a few of the girls who left last week before they leave tomorrow. Saw them last night, which was such a good night, and realised how much I'd missed then actually having only known them for two weeks. It's bizarre at how quickly you get to befriend people here...many it feels like I've known for ages and not just 3 weeks!

Must go now as everyone else has gone and it's dark outside and food is calling me!

Happy reading!

written by  Laura_Smith on June 29, 2009 from Jinja, Uganda
from the travel blog: Laura's little summer break
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As a number of you may know I am currently obsessed with kitkat crunchy peanuts so was well chuffed when I came to the internet cafe to discover that the in the making of peanut butter cookies. Not only do they taste quite strongly of peanut butter but have loads of peanut chunks in them. Plus they're only 1000 shillings, which is about 30p! Today I enjoyed another - although this indulgence is perhaps occuring too frequently and will certainly not assist in the weight loss I was expecting when I came over here - which he warmed up so it just melted in my mouth.

I have also been introduced to something called a rolex. This being an omlete wrapped in a chipatti. Now ordinarily this would not be something that would excite me, omletes rarly do, but these are like the Ugandan version of a kebab after a night out and absolutely amazing! The omlete usually consists of peppers and onions and can be purchased off the street made fresh to order. We tried to get one last night after a night out at sombreros, at the particualr insistence of Dylan but were unable to find a stall. Santos, our chef, also makes them and I find that they go particularly will with tomato ketchup, although given that we'd run out yesterday lunch time I tried it with chilli sauce, which also works. Santos has promised to teach me how to cook them before I leave.

But I did have one of the best rolexes the other night at camp site consisting not only of onion and peppers but also tomatos and advocados. The rolexes at camp site are so amzing that there is even a facebook group in honour of them. They also sell chipattis filled with peanut butter and bananna...although I have not tried these yet as don't want to over-indulge!

Other food which I have enjoyed over is not dissimilar to that back home, consisting of pasta or rice with usually either stew or curry or pasta sauce.

At the introduction ceremony last weekend I also got involved with helping cook and prepare the food as I think detailed in my last blog and just loved the fact that all the food there was just cooked and prepared so easily and simply. I think at the ceremony I truly experienced ugandan food and even the way to eat it - that being just with your hands! The staple base of the diet tends to be high carb food - that being rice, noodles or matoki - the latter not being to my taste at all! I enjoyed goat, beef and chicken, all being cooked or boiled in a pot. The chicken however was cooked together with potatoes and tomatoes and onion within bananna leaves and then each little parcel was placed within a big pot made only out of more bananna leaves then just cooked over a fire.

So the short of it is the food here is good and enjoyable and I will definitely be baking peanut butter cookies and rolexes when I return for you all to enjoy!

written by  Laura_Smith on July 2, 2009 from Jinja, Uganda
from the travel blog: Laura's little summer break
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So this week was actually quite an emotional week - I admit I did cry however having had a few drinks that may have heightened my emotional state and as many of you know I do cry quite easily - crying reading Harry Potter being a perfect example! Anyhow, I digress, the last two of my original housemates left on Thursday and the girls who left at the end of my second week who came back to Jinja, staying up at Bujagali, also left, meaning I won't see them again until I get home. Despite seeing them every night whilst they were here and having not seen them for a week, it was actually really hard to say goodbye to them on the Monday night.

It's actually so bizarre but also really nice how quickly you become friends and so close to people in such a short time. It felt like I'd been living with everyone for so much longer than just four weeks! We keep joking that the mad house is like the big brother house but it really is. We get new arrivals nearly every weekend and people leave nearly every week and we have very little stimulation apart from alcohol and conversation and sunning ourselves (oh and our voluntary projects of course and we are allowed out the house to socialise!).

At the weekend though, the end of my third week, we did get new arrivals, Tom, Hazel, Jess and Beccy. Luke and I ended up spending the whole Sunday with Jess and Beccy having been absolutely shattered on returning from the Introduction Ceremony and despite our best intentions to sunbathe, the weather forced us to 2 friends and so we spent the whole day just chilling out and chatting. They're absolutely wicked and so easy to get on with, like all the new arrivals so far and despite feeling a bit anxious when I knew that I'd be the only 'original' when Luke and Dylan leave, the rest of my time will be really enjoyable and the new group will be different but still as good to go out with and live with!

On the Monday I went to the prison again. Every week I look forward to going there. The women are just an inspiration to women everywhere and although my intention for going was to learn more and offer some encouragement I feel that I have got so much more from the visits than they have from me. I admire them so much, their faith and belief and attitude to life and every person they come in to contact with, whether it be the prison staff, the ministry or a simple muzungu like myself!

On the evening, we headed up to Camp Site to see the girls who were on their overland safari - this being their last night before they head off to Kenya. I had such a blast up there and really can't wait to camp there in a few weeks.

Camp Site when the girls came back on their safari

A night out at Camp Site

It was really sad to see them go but I know that we'll all probably end up going to the mad ball in October and will definitely keep in touch in one form or another - thank you facebook!

On the Tuesday, again I went to the orphanage and spent the day with the children. I never thought that I would remember all their names but I can. Each one has a different personality and need and I just love it! I love the fact that as soon as we step in to the courtyard where they play they run up to us, craving for attention and to be held. However please do not get the wrong idea - the children here get so much attention, more than any normal child. There are regular volunteers here and all come with a similar thought process that all the children are orphans and need love and attention. Not all the children here are orphans. Some have been handed in to their care as they just can't afford to care for them for one reason or another and it is very likely that they will return to their families when they reach school age if that is the families wish. Others are adopted, mainly to Americans or Canadians.

Tuesday night we had a chilled out night at Flavours. This is a bar/cafe in Jinja and just within walking distance, which is great. They make the best cakes and milkshakes and iced coffees - not at all helping my cause to lose the weight that I have most definitely put on. It's also good as they have board games. Now I did consider whether agreeing to play a board game would lose me the friends that I have made but despite my hugely competitive nature I think I retained them! Luckily I managed to dissuade them from playing monopoly and we opted for 30 seconds - this most definitely being one of the best board games I've played (maybe because on the two occasions that I have played I've won - get in!).

Playing 30 seconds

On the Wednesday night we had a bbq and headed to Sombreros. WE also went to this bar, which played the best cheesey western music, something which even Somreros doesn't offer, despite it being the best club in Jinja. Sombreros mainly plays hip hop and R 'n' B - although I have discovered that the DJ has Peter Andre and Britney, those tending to be my usual weekly requests!

I must admit that I did have a bit of a cry tonight and yes vodka and Benji's cocktails may have had something to do with it, but Luke and I ended up talking to Raj, the guy who invited is to his sister's introduction ceremony and he said the most lovely things to us and I thought were quite meaningful, something I find very rare! We had such a good night though and was definitely a good night to send the boys off when they left early Thursday morning for their safari and trip through Tanzania and Zanzibar.

The rest of the week was pretty standard - well as standard as it has been these past few weeks! I continued to go to the orphanage in the morning, visiting a school on the Thursday morning. Although I'm noty particualrly activer in spreading the word of god with the bible group that I go with I must admit that I actually enjoy the singing and dancing aspect of it. I have learnt a couple of the songs and participate fully together with the children in the singing and dancing. If you're lucky I might even teach a few of you when I return!

We also went to the market on the Thursday afternoon, in particular search for friend grass hoppers but alas we couldn't find any. I have since tried them though and they are not at all unpleasant. They kind of taste a bit like prawn crackers. However I must admit I won't be swaping prawn crackers for grasshoppers just yet!

The market

We went out for dinner on the Friday night for a curry, which after waiting for about an hour - remember we are on african time and so the easiest of meals can take a ridiculous amount of time - but by the time we got it, it was good. However that could have something to do with being absolutely starving byt the time it did arrive!

As I was going bike riding on the Saturday morning and we were heading in to the forest early, we headed home rather early on the Fridya night for an early one enjoying a nice cup of tea when we returned. Oh how good intentions can be severely changed! Welive quite near a church and they had decided to put on another (I say another this happened about a month ago apparently although I didn't hear it?!) marathon church service lasting for a ridiculous 12 hours. And people, this church service isn't just singing and preaching in quiet, oh no, this is with microphones and ridiculous loud speakers so that everyone in Jinja can enjoy the hymns, the preaching, the prayers and the sermons. Needless to say I went to sleep to the sound of the church and woke up also to the sound of the church!

Now biking in the Mbara Forest was certainly an experience!This is probably the hardest thing that I have ever done! In no way did I think this would be a gentle bike ride but I did not think that it would leave me bruised, bleeding and unable to sit down comfortable for several days. The only good thing about this ride was seeing the end in sight at the end and knowing that lunch was provided - I chose a jacket potato with cheese and beans for those of you who are interested, which was really good!

Anyhow I digress...So we all met at Backpackers in the morning - all being myself, Liam, Tom, Hazel, Sophie, Benji and Nash, who was taking us. We enjoyed fresh fruit salad for breakfast and the day appeared to be quite an enjoyable one...

The start

We left for the Forest, which is I think the biggest in Uganda. We started off well on a dusty track and I just took it easy. No need to be too eager and competitive at the start of things. Also, I will admit I'm not exactly a big bike rider so wasn't eager to show off any talent or fitness level that I may have appropriate to this day out.

Mabira Forest

However it would appear that Nash was just easing us in. We ended up cycling for about 3 hours within the forest - granted something that I had indeed signbed up for and encouraged people to do with me - but never did I expect to see tree roots the size that they were, lose body weight in the amount of sweating that I did (don't get any impressions though poeple, that was body weight I needed to shed, it will be quite evident when I return that I haven't starved and eaten very well, so I am coming round to the idea of lots of comments like "you look really well" and "you look really healthy") and fall of my bike, fall down holes and cycle into trees and return with scars which I am convinced with remain with me for a long time to come! I think I can safely say that Sophie and I - she also having the same issues as myself at the back of the group - spent as much time off our bikes as we did on them and were hugely relieved to see the end in sight.

The end

However Saturday night definitely made up for it! We went to 2 friends and Santos, our chef allowed us to make pizzas with him and Ivan. This was definitely a good end to a difficult day! We had so much fun and I must say our pizzas were pretty bloody good!

Rolling the pizza

Preparing the pizza

Putting the tomato on the pizza

Putting the pizza in the oven (part 1)

Putting the pizza in the over (part 2)

Pleased as Punch

My finished Gorganzola pizza

You will see above that I have detailed the steps in making a pizza and the final result!

Sunday as per usual was spent chilling at the resort displaying my bruised and scarred legs!The weather continuing to be fantastic!

written by  Laura_Smith on July 14, 2009 from Jinja, Uganda
from the travel blog: Laura's little summer break
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So I left Jinja on Saturday morning and was so upset! Never did I appreicate how easily it would be to make such good friends in such a short space of time and feel so at home in a place that I've only been in for 6 weeks. Leaving was hard but the only good thing is that I knew that I'd come back the week later and see Beccy, Jess and Liam again. I know I keep rabbiting on about making friends and getting really upset when they or I leave but it's just a weird experience and something that I just can't explain. All that I can say is that I have definitely made some excellent friends out here and know that they will be friends for a long time to come.

After travelling to Entebbe and dropping Hazel and Sophie at the airport - cue the waterworks again laura - and collecting some new arrivals, I got dropped at Entebbe backpackers with a girl called Catherine, also doing the safari, although travelling all the way to Cape Town, whom we had found at the airport!There I left Benji and started the second part of my trip - my overland safari!

We spent Saturday night being briefed about the trip and the truck that we're in and just geeting to know everyone. There's 22 of us on the truck together with out leader Julius and our driver Dixon. There's 5 couples - although they're not at all coupley which is good and just fit in with the group as indivduals, 2 pairs of friends and then 8 of us who have just come on our own.

written by  Laura_Smith on July 18, 2009 from Entebbe, Uganda
from the travel blog: Laura's little summer break
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