African Rain

(Friday, June 18) The second of three early morning Uganda walks took Gabriel and me back to Lutembe Beach. I’d not had batteries in my camera (duh) the first time and wanted to return for some pictures. The skies were dark and cloudy even in the early hours. After pausing at a covered table, the rain started coming down. Even though the weather was dark, we still enjoyed the view over Lake Victoria.

On the way back from the beach, it poured…hard. I learned later that for the past four years Africa had been in a drought. No rain or at least very little of it. This year the rains returned and the landscape was thick, lush, and very green. This was the only day while I was in Uganda where the morning time stars weren’t big and bright the day time skies weren’t a brilliant blue. The rain continued to pour down on us for the rest of the one and a half hour walk. The heavy rain washed the red dust from the foliage revealing a brilliant, sparkling green.

At one point Gabriel asked how I liked walking in the rain. I actually thought I was privileged to experience the African rains up close and personal. I think Gabriel was freezing, though he never complained.

Once closer to town we took some back roads to when returning to Lauren’s duplex. Those roads were tricky. The canyons were brimming with water for lack of any sewer system. Rock was exposed in some places but in other places the ground was covered with the slick red clay making footing unstable. Even though we walked past Gabriel’s apartment, he refused to do anything other than walk me all the way to the door of Lauren’s duplex.

My shoes are covered with the thick red dust of Uganda that I’ll never shake off.