Boda Bodas and Kittens

May 14, 2012

We’ve made it to Uganda, we’re settled into our super loud hotel, and we’ve explored the town.  So far it has been a lot of sleeping, as well as a lot of fun.  Today, we got down to the reason we are really here in Uganda, the SEED program. 

Deo (our loan collector and only contact in Uganda), and Ronald (a boda boda driver who can be trusted) picked us up so we could go around for this week’s collections.  Amy and Dallin rode with Ronald, Kennie and I rode with Deo. 

It turns out that I absolutely love boda boda rides. 

All I have to do is sit and not fall off.  The wind rushes through my hair, I can observe the beautiful sites of the Ugandan jungle, and wave at the kids on the side of the road who wave at me.  It is definitely my new favorite activity.  While I am sitting on the boda boda, I wonder if life even gets any better. 

It turns out that Kennie does not.

Kennie explained to me that he only likes motorbikes if he is driving, and that it scares him to be the passenger.  Personally, it would scare me lots more to be driving.  Luckily for him,

It turns out that Deo is not so good at driving the boda boda. 

After stalling the bike a few times, on our first boda boda ride ever, Deo hands the keys over to Kennie, and lets him drive us around the Ugandan countryside.  I’m not sure that is approved by our travel insurance, but I do have to say, Kennie did an excellent job.  Kennie is now our team’s boda boda driver of choice, except I told him I will not ride with him in the town or in the rain, because that scares me. 

At one of the stops for a loan collection, I found this kitten sitting in a small hole.  Since I can’t resist any cat that doesn’t look completely diseased or mangy, I just had to go look at it, pet it, pick it up, play with it, and take pictures with it. 

As Amy would say, it was the best day ever.