A Cow Cut

RJ: "I was having my hair cut at a little roadside barber shack when almost a half a dozen cows walked by just a few meters away. I would have been genuinely surprised if this had happened in America. Here, you usually don't find cows contained by fences."

What's on top?

Adelaide: "I think she is carrying avocados on her head. One time I saw someone carrying lots of folded sheets on their head. While I'm in Africa I think I'm going to try to carry some food in a bucket on top of my head. My mom has been most impressed by women carrying heavy, heavy firewood on their head. We even saw kids my age carrying sticks on their heads for making fire to cook with."

50 Pound Matoke

RJ: "This is matoke. It looks like a banana or plantain, but it tastes like a potato if prepared while it is still green. This matoke weighs more than Adelaide. We eat it daily with a savory sauce. I love it."

Grasshoppers!

RJ: "My birthday was on Thanksgiving Day and yes, we ate grasshoppers. They are really crunchy. It is like chicken because they are fried, but the crunch-to-meat ratio is a lot more. Annabelle loved them, but Addy just couldn't handle seeing their eyes."

Lake Victoria

Annabelle: "We took a speedboat ride on Lake Victoria, the second-largest lake in the world! It was extremely fun. We went to an island to see chimpanzees. 95% of the island was devoted to the chimpanzees. "

Thanksgiving Dinner

Annabelle: "Thanksgiving dinner was great. We had grasshoppers, boiled matoke, rice, and beef sauce. As great as it was, it can't compare to the classic turkey, cranberry, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. I really missed the spirit of Thanksgiving this year. It isn't a holiday here."

School Days

Adelaide: "I like school, except for the nap times. We took a field trip to the Botanical Garden. We had activities and we got to roast marshmallows after lunch. They were great but I burnt my finger. One of my teachers is Ugandan and the other is American."

Our Water Filter

Annabelle: "Ick! Before we filter our water it looks greenish. The water from our faucets is not safe to drink. Here is a filter system we use."

The Great Nile River

Samuel: "We are on the banks of the Nile River in Northern Uganda. The Nile runs through 11 countries in Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea."

Namugongo Shrine

RJ: "I'm washing my face in blessing water said to have been used to clean the blood from the Uganda Martyrs. They were killed 130 years ago by the Kabaka (King) Mwanga II of Buganda."

Tick Hotel

Samuel: "We drove by this hotel outside Kampala. Maybe the owner's last name is Tick? I find it unusual that anyone would name a hotel after an actual tick. "

Strap it on!

Annabelle: "It is so cool seeing cattle farmers with vegetation for their animals on the back of bicycles. Boy, it must be a heavy load!"

Lots and Lots of Huts

Samuel: "As we got closer to Congo and South Sudan, I saw lots and lots and lots of grass hut houses. I was surprised when I got to go inside one in the morning and it was dry when it had recently rained and the grass outside was still wet. I think it is because the roof has a nice slant. So the rain flows off the roof and onto the ground."

Crocodile Tree

Adelaide: "I asked Mom if I could play on the tree and she said yes. It was really wobbly and fun. The name of the tree is Crocodile Tree. Guess how old the tree is? It is seven hundred years old!"

Radio Pacis

Annabelle: "We went to a radio station called, "Radio Pacis." We got to record promotions for the children's programs. It was cool knowing that thousands of people would hear the show we got to promote."