last tuesday - NRM Day!

- the players: dennis, tony, me, debbie, mary, jameisha

- objective: visit ssezibwa falls. catch a monkey.

- supplies: bananas we bought from the market, tropical trail mix (from america)

- taxi (15 passenger van) to tony's home (1,000 schillings = 50 cents).

- named tony's pigs wilbur and kunta kinte. we had cool drinks. we posed with spears then threw them. i missed the tree. but i killed a bush. tony gave me a traditional magic stick. it's a stick with a cow tail attached to the end. you dance with it for luck.

- Taxi to Ssezibwa Falls. Sorta. We had to walk most the way. And it was hot. i made alot of sweat

- The park costs 3000/= ($1.50). I climbed up the falls and found many offerings in the rocks on top of the falls. there were clay bowls and pots and gourds full of juice.

- i almost caught a frog.

- i stuck my face in the river above the falls. it was so hot and so my face was very relieved in the cool water.

- saw a green snake. i wanted to go down towards it but the guide would not let me.

- the story of the falls: so a woman gave birth to twins. not humans but two rivers. this river and the falls are a traditional Bugandan holy site. traditional worshippers come and offer sacrifices and offerings to the spirit of the river. it is believed to manifest itself in the form of a large snake that lives in a cave on top of the falls. this cave is full of clay pots and offerings and small spears. there are also many shells (sea shells were a form of currency in ancient times) and coffee beans (a symbol of unity) spread about the cave and outside.

- the guide told us about what i call "blood coffee." close close friends used to unify themselves by taking a coffee bean and cracking it open. they would take the two part seed and each take one piece. then they would cut themselves on the stomach and bleed on the coffee seed. they would then exchange the bloody coffee seeds and eat the others "blood coffee." like becoming blood brothers. this makes people even closer than family according to tradition. i asked dennis and tony if they wanted to do it and dennis said he would if tony would and tony said no way.

- we had "chips" for lunch. that is fries. i shared my tropical trail mix and tony and dennis, who had never had it, loved the stuff. great success!

- met a child named Saint Ivan on the walk back. actually he was following us so i introduced myself. he told me his name and that he was 10. moments later i looked down at him and he was smiling and looking up at me. then he reached and grabbed my hand.

- took a taxi back to mukono. ate a cooked banana.

- met up with dennis at 5 for tony's football match.

- good day.