So I have found the best way to start any morning. It is not a cup of coffee or tea, that is just an added bounce! The way to start a day is by taking a boda boda drive!
Many of you have been asking what is a boda boda so, let me explain. A boda is a motorcycle taxi. It is my number one mode of transport out here. There are a handful of boda guys I have gotten to know. They are great at what they do and have become like big brothers to me. They ask me how my day was. Answer any question I have about language and culture. They also have the roads of Kampala and the surrounding areas memorized!
There is one diver, Q, that is just a joy to ride with. This morning he picked me up at my flat and drove me to my AM meeting (near my office). Each time he sees me he has a big smile on his face! Today he went the back way to the office. There is a main road right next to my home that takes about 15 minutes to get to the AIM CR Office. Thankfully today he went on the back roads. They take a little longer, have more pot-hole, and connect to the main road further on up. Why am I so excited about a few extra minutes on a boda in the morning? Let me explain why.....
It is all about what I get to see, smell, and soak-up! The back roads are like life lines to all the small communities tucked back in the hills by my home. Everyone is going somewhere in the morning. I see little ones all dressed in their school uniforms walking off to class. There are women setting up their shops on the side of the road. The smell of casava cooking fills sections of the road. Other boda men are picking passengers and taking them where they need to go. The most enjoyable thing I see and hear is CHILDREN!
There are some areas of the road that have open fields. Even in the early morning you can hear and see little ones (some have to be no more then 2 years old) running and playing with their friends. They are laughing, singing, shouting, and chatting away. They use the most ordinary things to create toys! A old tire, some sticks, a flat ball, rocks, anything and everything they find around them!
Really, what could be better then seeing the joy of children playing to kick off your day? In my mind NOTHING!
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