INSTALLATION COMPLETE: WHERE the HECK DO I SLEEP?

Left on the bus at 06:00 again, this time traveling on dirt roads because the highway is still under construction (being supervised by the Chinese). After a few hours, we disembarked and our bags were loaded on the top of the local bus to Gitting – a daladala (large van). Then we went shopping at the safi duka (store where you can buy things like peanut butter & powdered milk), another store, and soko (market). We bought some basic supplies like a jiko (charcoal stove), a couple of cooking pots, 2 spoons, 2 mugs, a plate, a large wooden spoon, and some fruits & veggies. Then Uma & I were placed in the van where we sat for awhile, not really knowing what we were supposed to do or where our mkuus had gone. Around noon, the conductor took us to a nearby place to eat lunch and we’re pretty sure our mkuus had just been there the whole time drinking in the back room. After eating, we waited for a couple more hours for the daladala to fill and we finally headed out of Katesh. Only we didn’t go straight to Gitting. Instead, the daladala takes the main (dirt) road to Endasak, where it drops people off and waits to fill up again for the trip on the side road to Gitting. At least the van dropped me off at the school with my bags and I didn’t have to walk from the village of Gitting; thanks mkuu.

I am now officially at my site and installed. Upon arrival, I met the second master, who went w/ me to the village once my bags were in my house. The village is actually 2 separate villages separated by a distance of only about ¼ mile. We went to Gocho, which is just slightly closer, where I bought matches (quite useful for getting charcoal lit), rice, sugar, salt, flour, baking powder, peanuts, and cooking oil. Now I have enough to be able to cook so I can eat.

Once alone back at my house, I tried to start settling in. I am replacing a PCV who Eted (early termination – aka quit) a few months ago and he left several things behind. I am grateful for the extra things, like some books and cooking things, but am thinknig it will be harder to clean. He left 2 large bags in the bedroom that hid a little surprise from me at first. When I moved them, I discovered a partially decomposed or eaten lizard. In the guest room, one corner is heavily littered with rodent feces. This presented me with my first major problem: Where the heck do I sleep?? I felt like sleeping in the main room but the hassle of trying to get the wooden bed through the doorway was too much and I didn’t feel like sleeping on the floor where insects and arachnids could more easily crawl over me. Cooking tonight was a breeze in comparison so at least I ate good food – yay for vegetables!