Relaxing in Uganda

What a peaceful and relaxing place this is. After weeks of constantly moving, river rafting, hitchhiking, hippo watching, more hitchhiking, walking, walking, and more walking, both Kate and I were exhausted. Not the kind of exhausted that can be remedied with a good night's sleep, but an exhasution that takes a few days of utter relaxastion to cure. I spent most of the day yesterday doing the things I love most--getting lost in the hills that surround Lake Bunyonyi, making friends with school kids, devouring a new book, and swimming in the lake. I guess I didn't really sit still too much, but indulging in such activities was just the recharging relaxation I needed. Swimming in a fresh water lake in Africa is a rare occurance, as nearly all fresh water bodies of water on the continent are infested with bilharzia, a tiny parasite that wriggles its way into your skin and eventually into you liver, where it lays eggs and causes all sorts of serious trouble. So, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to swim in one of Africa's only safe lakes and in Uganda's deepest lakes, despite the chilly weather. As the sunset, Kate and I sat around the campfire and talked about family and happiness, and I am so grateful to have the family I have. No matter how bad or dysfunctional your family may seem, it could always be worse. I am so blessed to have healthy and supportive parents (3 of them!) and a wonderful sister. There's no better feeling in the world than to know that I have strong and loving people surrounding me, who love me and who will do anything for me.