Dirty water

We drove all day today. We started out in the morning by saying farewells in Shinyanga. One of the men approached me and said the Bishop had sent him to ask for my card. I’m not sure why he wanted my card. I suppose it may have been to make some plea for further support. Or perhaps it was because he wants to encourage Marcel to come and teach at their school.

The drive was a mixed bag today – some smooth tarmac and lots of washboard. We stopped in Mwanza, and I managed to send a few e-mails at an internet café. We also stopped at Victoria Lake for a bit of a break and a snack. While we were at the lake, a group of children came to collect water in their buckets. The water was filthy, and yet some of them filled their buckets and drank from it. It was really disturbing to see. I knew there was trouble with not enough clean water, but it didn’t really sink in until I saw them drinking filth.

We were anticipating sleeping at a school tonight, but Dan surprised us. He made the bus driver stop on the road, and without telling us what he was doing, walked over to the Serengetti Stop Over. When he got back, he announced that the plans had changed and we were spending the night here.

What a great surprise! We all get to sleep in rondebels with traditional thatched roofs. We had a relaxing evening, with drinks at the bar and a delicious supper.

I’m sharing a room with Corrie Lynn tonight. It’s quite remarkable how our relationship has evolved over the last few days.