Off to Rakai, Day 1

Monday, May 27 was a huge, jam-packed day.  We got up pretty early to pack up the coaster (bus) and travel to Rakai for an overnight.  It took a LONG time to get there...  as in we left at 8 am and didn't get there until 3 pm.  Needless to say, there was a lot of traffic.  But we did get stop for a stretch/toilet break at the EQUATOR!  It's a legit pit stop, a bit touristy, and there is a guy who shows an experiment to anyone who asks.  Here's it is:  on either side of the equator and on the equator was a funnel.  The man poured a bucket in and then set a flower on top of the water to show which way the water was spinning.  On one side of the equator, the water went clockwise, on the other it went counter-clockwise, and on the equator the water sucked the flower down without spinning.  It was SO COOL!

The water experiment

Smack-dab on the equator!!!

Our first stop was our hotel, where we "ate" lunch (it was the only meal that many of us only ate the chipati, a tortilla like bread that's got a bit more substance, and rice because everything else was a bit questionable).  Richard assured us we would find a different place for dinner (thank goodness!!).

After our short meal, we headed to an orphanage/school on a plateau called Goodwill Primary School.  It became an orphanage because so many children were dropped off there and since their numbers are always increasing, they have had a difficult time supporting all the kids.  Right now, they have about 85 students.  It was impressive to see how they made everything work with so few resources.  We were visiting to check on the second rain water tank that had been installed. This tank had been sponsored by Roberts Wesleyan my alma mater!  They had 4 buildings on the property, 2 larger and 2 smaller.  In one of the larger buildings was a home for all the girls, 4 teachers, and the family of a teacher.  The room below sleeps 27 older girls (about 10-14 yrs old).  The 30 boys had to sleep on hay in one of the larger school rooms.

 A bunch of the kids singing a greeting to us!

We got a tour from the headmaster, and then we got out all our games: balloons for little kids, footballs for the boys, and a toss game that teaches how germs are spread.  They were all a huge hit!  Lulu got out her guitar, Gail got a tambourine,  and Isaiah played the cajon (box drum) and they sang their hearts out for a while. :)   It was a very special thing to see many of the children, parents, and other community members joining in and dancing as they played.

The students performed a program for us just after our arrival.  It was so special to hear their joyful voices!

Playing the "Germ game" with the older girls

None of us wanted to leave when it was time to go back to the hotel.  The kids were so much fun and the location was perfect!  We even postponed our second site visit for that day because Richard realized the importance and value of our time here.

Josh enjoyed taking pictures of the kids and then showing them the picture :)

Steve and some cuties!

Dinner was DEE-licious!!  We had a whole buffet of jackfruit (look it up, so good!), chipati, chicken, rice, beans, and a bunch of other stuff with fresh fruit for dessert.  As we walked back to our hotel after dinner, we passed several vendors, many of which were selling grasshoppers.  At first none of us knew what they were because they covered entire tables and had been de-legged and de-winged.  Richard insisted on buying some and "forced" us to eat at least one.....  Kaylee was the first to try one I think, then pretty much everyone followed eventually, EVEN Linda!  It was pretty entertaining watching her psych herself up to actually eat it.  They didn't taste soo bad- kind of like a salty peanut.  The only one who was very adamant in his refusal to eat the roasted, salted grasshopper was Don.  Let me tell you, he is STILL getting teased about it...

Grasshopper vendor