Yesterday I arrived in Jinja, I’ll blog about that trip next. Jinja town as the locals call it, is a bustling little city, quite unlike Kampala. It is much cleaner, and I believe I could negotiate traffic here quite easily. We took a drive down main street and it reminded me of small towns back home in Texas. Jinja is really a beautiful tropical city that I’m at this moment awakening in.
Last evening: World Cup soccer is being hosted by South Africa this year, and believe me not one person missed the opening ceremonies in this city. I heard yelling and cheering and clapping to the tv’s until the early hours. I was tired so it really didn’t matter.
However, the darkness fills the room as loudly as the outside sounds of the night, frogs, insects, horns, people talking in the distance, and occasional rooster up way too early. It is 5:00 am and there is no hope of my falling back to sleep.
Some early morning events I’ve noted about Jinja Town that really stand out as I was attempting to return to my slumber:
- The most notable was the Islam call to prayer at exactly 5:28 am. They use loud speakers! Bring earplugs!
- Roosters getting up far before dawn all vying for airtime. See solution number 1.
- It is not as hot in Jinja because there is a breeze that flows from Lake Victoria. The nights are quite cool. I was thankful for this.
- Hundreds of unusual bird and mammal sounds fill the early morning air. There is one sound that I can’t identify but it sounds like a woman screaming chooooooooow, or maybe I’m just so hungry. Magpies flying over just long enough to quash my dozing back off idea.
- Boda-Boda’s are up early (think 6 am) hitting their accelerators and testing their machines for the day’s work
- Insects are well alive and roaring throughout the night. I hear crickets and other unknown species. I have also unknown bites on me upon awakening, even on my face, though I sprayed the room and myself with hard-core 3M DEET and had the mosquito net.
- Cell phones going off, presumably alarms. Jinja, please…. it is 5 o’clock in the morning!!
- Weed Whackers starting at 6:30 AM here on the compound.
Twice last night I felt my hand was nibbled on and quickly recoiled my hand, I think I’m losing it…Or am I?
From the looks of me in the mirror this morning it is going to be a long day.
Good Morning Jinja! I’m awake thank you.
So… I take it you did not have earplugs! Sounds like Uganda is filled with auditory overloads!
I forgot my earplugs unfortunately this trip, but I always bring them everywhere and since I’m alone I hate to plug up my ears just in case. It is 5:35 different day and the call to prayer and Mr. Rooster outside woke me up!
Sensory overload of all types for sure! Visual, auditory and smell. But the unusual thing is that I got used to it quite quickly. I have had a few moments where I thought “What was that???” when something fell or moved and I thought maybe a rodent or lizard or bug….lol I haven’t screamed like a little girl yet though!
Fascinating!! Are you afraid at all???
Oh no I’m not afraid. I think that as Americans we tend to walk in fear everywhere. I just use regular safety that I would if walking down the NYC streets. I don’t go anywhere really alone, but if I lived here I’d have to and that would be accepted. I’ll write another post about being a white woman in a sea of black…