The Road Less Traveled

---

Do any of you remember the old Bing Crosby and Bob Hope series of movies called "the road to..." Well, settle in for "The Non-Road to Terekeka !" Our flight from Addis Ababa to Juba seemed longer than its two hours because it was a small (about 50passengers) prop plane that was pretty crammed full and quite noisy, at least to those of us over the wings. So we were very glad to land, stretch our legs and have lunch at the Bistro, a restaurant that had fans, flush toilets, and many American items like pizza or burgers. I wanted something cool,so I had a delightful watermelon smoothie and a garden salad packed with fresh veggie. After a few errands, we started the 53 mile trip of torture. The three of us sat on bench seats that faced each other In the back of a Toyota Land Cruiser that was crammed full of luggage and food. The trip took 3 hours due to the unbelievable road conditions. The rainy season has almost ended, so the dirt roads are FULL of ruts, mini lakes, and mud. Driving on the roads was like a toddler walking down the street--this side, then that side,back and forth (the 53 miles is as the crow flies, not as the car rides). Poor Karen got sick once, and Ellen and I were reminded of those old fitness machines that you sat on and it pounded your bottom into submission. There were a mile or two of paved roads in Juba, the capital city, and Ellen told us that parts of the Terekeka road have been graded recently, but you could have fooled us! The last three iles to the Harvesters compound were the worst, road wise, but the prettiest--it was a one lane road through a rain forest atmosphere (earlier scenery included savannah type land and some small gatherings of tukels, the mud huts common here). We arrived after dark, which worried us because that's when the malaria bearing mosquitoes are present, so we hurried into the payat ( meeting room)for a quick dinner, then off to bed. Since it was the first bed I had been in for 48 hours, it felt fabulous and both Karen and I slept through the morning wake up bell. To read about how we spent Halloween, check my Facebook post; I am too tired to write any more! It is a blessing to be here and I hope you enjoy my blogs! Blessings to all, and to all a good night!

---