It's Another World

Wow !!!  Are you as amazed as I am???  We arn't in Kansas anymore Toto!!  The keyboard on this computer is even different and I'm miss-spelling words so much I need to use the two fingered approach.

I'm finally in San after a day... 8 hours to be exact... on a bus.  At least it was a big greyhound size bus on a smooth paved road.  It was a long day, very warm (No A/C), and the bus was fully loaded... needless to say this bird sticks out in a crowd.  Everyone is friendly but I don't speak a bit of this language, so we just smile a lot.  We arrived in the dark and all I had was a hotel name.  No taxis out in this neck of the woods; so a nice fellow took me on the back of his small motorcycle... holding ALL of my luggage between us down the road to the hotel.  That would have been a great picture.  I wanted this place for us because it has air conditioning and a private bath.  It's actually luxurious considering our current location.

It's kinda like desert with trees, large bushes, and buildings that are low and concrete, sometimes painted.  The homes are made of packed mud but you rarely see anyone near them because everyone is out and about (now that sounds familiar!)  People here are sitting in groups in front of small store fronts, walking (often with a LOT on their heads and babies on their backs; if women), riding innumerable small motorcycles, riding carts pulled by donkeys, or the rare car.

I just started walking this morning... it is market day so the street is jammed with people selling everything you might actually need; which in Africa means food that grows in the local region, some meat, bread, new and used clothing, parts to maintain your motorcycle, and just a bit of housewares.  They skip all advertising except their voice, and generally the street is the store so there's no overhead.  It's simple here; and it's in stark contrast to what we are used to.  The difference is in how we live; but once you look through that veil you see how the motivation for living, surviving, community, creating something, and the search for (or maintainence of) happiness is the same.

In case you are wondering "why did we come to San?"... it's because there is supposed to be a local Missionaries of Charity here.  These are the nuns founded by Mother Theresa that serve the "poorest of the poor".   So now as I walked through the town I realized  that we would need help finding them.

There was a little boy walking with me for quite a ways; along with SO MANY people, donkeys, horses, chickens, lizards, and goats.  All moving... and we just flowed along.  You see, we couldn't ask... they all smiled at me!!!  No English.  Eventually I came to something that looked like the word Catholic, a butterfly arrived and flew around my head a few times, and then a nun (of a different order) appeared that I said the magic word to.... Mother Theresa... and voila !!! No language barrier there.  A nice man took me on his motorcycle (No Charge) to the Missionaries of Charity.  A large compound, very clean, welcoming and OH SO familiar for me.  The nun that greeted me was from Wesport, County Mayo, Ireland... OH Happy Day.

The four nuns here were VERY surprised to see me.  They do not ever get volunteers.  We are in the right place my friends !!! Sister Clara

Food:  We only ate one meal yesterday when we arrived at the hotel.  Chicken so skinny it may have never eaten, french frys, and french bread.  It was fantastic.  I drank a coke yesterday in the hot afternoon and I'm sipping one right now... I wouldn't trade it for the finest champagne.

A wee bit personal:  I hope your kidneys have adapted as well as mine.  Despite all the liquids we drink, I only urinated twice yesterday... morning and bedtime.  Thats just freaky !!!!

For those that worry:  I feel Fabulous... 100 %