welcome to Africa!

Hey all!

Welcome to my first posting! I feel very strange starting my own blog, as i used to think it was for people that felt a little self important. There has been a lot of people curious about how i'm doing and what i have been up to since i moved to Uganda in August and i figured this would be the best way for me to let people in on my experiences.

As the weeks led up to my departure i did a lot of research on what to bring to begin this new life. Everything that i read said that i should plan on leaving my computer at home, as Uganda wouldn't have adequate utilities for it to be worth the packing. So, i left mine at home and packed my bags with 80 lbs of clothes and toiletries.

Shortly upon arrival we were having a session on technology in a training class when the instructor asked "who here didn't bring a laptop with them?" I was the only one out of 52 new volunteers who raised their hand. He then asked "who here didn't bring a thumb drive with them?" again, i was the only one who raised his hand. From behind my friend Caleb put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Travis, you stone-age bastard!"

My point is that the availability of technology has reached the third world...i was able to buy a laptop in the capital city of Kampala as well as a mobile modem that allows me to keep in touch with family, friends and current events while sitting in the comfort of my home.

So, that leads to this blog, my experiences here are amazing! I never could have fathomed that i would have the opportunity to lead this kind of life and it's important to me that i share these experiences with those that are close to me.

Uganda is a country that is as diverse as the African continent as a whole. In the West (along the Congo border) is one of the only places in the world you can see the silver back gorilla in the wild, in the South you can see hippos, lions and elephants. In the North (where I live) you can see giraffe, zebra and elephants. Also, Uganda has some amazing landscapes and waterfalls that attract tourists from all over the globe.

Politically, i'm here at a pretty fascinating time as well. In Sudan there is political unrest as the people in the South are wanting to form their own country. There is talk that there is going to be another bloody civil war leading to refugees flooding across the border into Uganda. My home is about 50 miles from that border.

In Uganda, elections are to be held in 2011 and there is talk of protests/riots in the South as that date approaches. Some of you may recall that i was under house arrest during a riot last September that arose after president Musevini blocked one of the main tribal leaders from entering the capital.

Musevini has overturned a law stating that a president could only serve two terms, and looks like he has no plans for relinquishing power. To say the least, my two years here could be very interesting.

There is also a bill on the table in Parliament that if passed could make it possible for anyone found guilty of being a homosexual to be put to death or given life in prison. Anyone that is found to knowingly harbor a homosexual or not report can also face a strong prison sentence. President Obama has taken a hard line stance against this bill and if it goes through it could definitely have negative repercussions on the work Peace Corps is doing here.

Anyway, these are some of the issues that I will be living with for the next couple of years and i figured this would be a good way of keeping family/friends informed. So, welcome! I hope you enjoy.