Kwaherini! I'm off!

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Jambo rafiki langu! (Hello my friends!)

Just to preface this... I HATE the word "blog". In fact it might be my least favoraite word in the english language. It sounds like something that I blew out of my nose this morning but I concede that this would qualify as a "blog". Gross.

Tonight I'm leaving beautiful British Columbia and long summer nights, street festivals, mountains and beaches for the jungles, savannas, volcanoes and unpredictability of E. Africa. Tomorrow will be spent wandering alongside canals and strolling through green parks in Amsterdam (maybe a Heineken or two) before jumping back on a plane and heading back to Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya. Though it is not my first time in E. Africa, it is the first time that I will be "traveling" solo and largely without company until my rendez vous with two fantastic amigos in Arusha near the end of July.

My trip will take me through Uganda, Rwanda and concluding in Tanzania, though I'm leaving my itinerary relatively open pending the security situations in and around the regions where I want to visit. There is sooooo much to do in Africa that I am actually worried a bit about running out of time to see it all. Transportation is slow and tedious and often unpredictable which makes planning somewhat of a futile exercise. Along the way I'm assured to eat many random foods on sticks (yum) have many, many children point and laugh at me while yelling words that I hope are endearing but much of my trip is a bit of an unknown to me which is both very exciting and yes, a bit daunting. I figure adventure is best achieved if the element of surprise (shock) is present. When I have some time and IF there is internet access I might ramble a bit and share with you some of my experiences.

Really, this collection of written diarrhea has several purposes. To be completely honest, it will be partly for my own sanity and connection back home. Yes, it can be a bit lonely when everything around you seems so foreign. Also, it is a good way for me to keep track of what I've done and gives me something to jog my memory down the road. So please feel free to disregard this or humor me from time to time.

I will genuinely miss many of you along the way but I'm sure I'll have lots to bore you with along the way!

Take care all and see you in August!

Ryan "sourdough" Jack

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