Here’s the link for people who want to support me on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the sixth blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 10, An Epic Tale of Laundry and Exploring:

 

 

After a long day of climbing Mount Bisoke, we took the rest of the day off. We stayed at the hostel to rest and regain our energy. The rest of the group used the time to explore the marketplace and resupply. I used the time to wash some long-neglected dirty laundry in the morning. It was a sunny Saturday, perfect for drying clothes in the sun. Unfortunately, I accidentally flushed the bar of soap that I was using down the toilet with the dirty bucket water. So I had to use another one that I found.

 

 

When I was going out to take a walk around town later that afternoon, I ran into Sarah Bell. She was on her way back to the hostel, so we went to explore the back streets of the town. There were a lot of places showing the humble livelihoods of the locals; kids playing in the streets, and young men bathing in the river and washing their clothes. We tried to reach a hill that was in the distance, but we were blocked by the path of the river. But that was okay because we had to make our way back to the hostel before 6pm. We wanted to get dressed up for a fancy dinner that we were going to eat that night anyway.

 

Here’s the link for people who want to support me on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the fifth blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 9, Bisoke:

 

 

Mount Bisoke is one of the 3 Volcanic mountains in the Volcanoes National Park that borders the Democratic Republic of Congo. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can find wild mountain gorillas. The peak altitude is 3711 metres above sea level, and today, we started to prepare for the hike to the top. We packed light bags, got into the safari vehicles, and made our way to the place where the hike was being organized.

 

 

After a half-hour long bumpy ride, we reached our destination. We were welcomed with the beautiful cultural dancing and tribal drum beating of some African performers. I heard the deep sound of the drums and watched the rhythmic dancing, with the backdrop of the 3 volcanic mountains that faded into the distant sky. It was a powerful experience. That’s when I really got the awareness that I was truly in the heart and soul of Africa; the cradle of humanity.

 

 

After getting debriefed about the climb and meeting our porters, we went on another 20-minute-long ride to the starting point of the hike. Military men would escort us to protect us from dangerous wild animals and Congo militants. The hike through the dense African jungle had a lot of sights and sounds.

 

 

On the way up, our tremendous effort was rewarded at every clearing with the beautiful sight of the Rwandan countryside in the distance. Alongside me were Maddie, Brett, and 2 military men who escorted us. 3 hours and 5 minutes after the starting point, and marching against a gradient, we reached the peak of Mount Bisoke. The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. The Clouds that had been covering our path rolled around the edge of the rim and swirled into the volcano’s crater. In the bottom of it was a serene, perfectly round lake that was surrounded by wilderness. The sides of the crater were steep cliffs that couldn’t be accessed.

 

 

We took pictures and ate a light meal of hard-boiled eggs and avocado sandwiches while we enjoyed the view. The way back down on the same path was tiring, but not in the same manner as going up was. It was a lot harder on our knees.

 

When we got to the bottom and rode back in the safari vehicle, there was a child with a gorilla picture who was following us. Kyle, Stella, Sarah Bell, Maddie, Sydney, Lindsey and I were having a huge debate about who would buy the picture from the boy. It was like the U. N. security council debating about the effects of poverty in Africa. Stella seemed to be anxious to buy the picture. I was arguing that she should not do so. With arguments going back and forth, and Stella about to lose it because she felt bad for the boy, the bus broke forcefully. We heard a bang. The kid had banged his head on the back of the bus. Everyone burst into laughter and the poor boy retreated to a tree with his face turned away from us. Kyle was hysterical and Stella was pissed off.

 

 

“I don’t understand why that’s funny!” she said.

 

The boy eventually came back for a while longer, but Stella had no money anyway. The events of that bus ride turned into the story that no one let go of for the rest of the trip. It was even the topic of debate in one of the sessions that happened a few days later, which kind of changed my perspective to a degree.

 

Here’s the link for people who want to support me on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the fourth blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 8, Red Rocks, Musanze:

 

 

We got up early today to head out of Kigali and go to Musanze. It was a four-hour-long bus ride over the hills to the northern province. Once we got there, we went to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International where we had a tour of the building and learned about the mountain gorillas. We were introduced to the work of Dian Fossey and saw the original desk where she worked.

 

 

After that, we dropped by the house where we would be staying so we could leave our stuff there. Then we went out for lunch in a little bakery/restaurant. The small place had the oven just behind the counter, so the front was hot. Half of us sat at an outside table, and the other half of us were inside. The owner of the bakery was also the owner of the island where we would be staying to camp in a few days.

 

 

Later, we went back to the house called Red Rocks where we were staying, and just relaxed. The whole house was just for ourselves. Upon arriving at the house and settling down, I was briefly overcome with a sense of being home as I walked into the living room. I saw Kyle, Sophie and Alessandra just laying around, watching T. V., and enjoying passing the time. It felt like a college dorm room. I was really taking in that moment, knowing that it wouldn’t last forever.

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the third blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 7, The Genocide:

 

 

In 1994, the Rwandan Genocide took place. Millions of people were murdered all across the country, and families were ripped apart. Some families were completely wiped off of the face of the earth, with no one to commemorate their names. They were lost forever to the sands of time. 23 years later, this nation functions like any other, but with the healing scars of the trauma just beneath the surface.

 

 

To someone who is unaware of the changes, they’d be none the wiser. But there is one fascinating thought that I have when I look at the faces of people who are a bit older than me; they lived through hell on Earth in this land, not so long ago. The genocide memorial was definitely one of the most emotionally impactful sites that I visited during this whole trip. Hearing the heartbreaking stories of the people, and about the sheer pointlessness of the events that happened, really got me thinking. What’s this life all about? Why are we here? What’s the end goal of all of this if it’s not just to live and die by the inexorable rules of nature? The experience definitely had an impact on me.

 

 

I walked through the hallways that were lined with historical imagery and documentation of the events. There was a room that was full of the skulls and possessions of the victims, and I walked through the exhibit of the child victims. That’s the part that got to me the most. There were stories of the individual children, who they were, what they liked, and what tragic fate awaited them in their final destination. Some of them were blown away by grenades, and another one was stabbed in the eye and the head. One innocent baby was even hacked to death with a machete while he was in his mother’s arms.

 

 

We had a tough time with trying to come back from the mental state that was caused by the genocide memorial visit. Later that afternoon, we got a gang of boda bodas and made our way to the art gallery. At our destination, we met up with Leah, a former OG (Operation Groundswell, our travel organization, not Original Gangster.) leader who would show us the way. She had a very exuberant personality and was open to talking and engaging with any of us. The art gallery was run by two painters who lived there. It was a small exhibitionist house with modernist paintings on every wall. The yard outside of the building had a lot of sculptures. They included trees that were made of steel and plastic bottles, and old rusty cars that were covered in paint. We took a few minutes to explore, take pictures, and enjoy the scenic views from the balcony and of the art.

 

 

Later, boda bodas took us to the Kigali marketplace. It’s different from the ones in Tanzania. There in Kigali, they seemed to be a lot more organized into aisles. But they were still cramped and populated with lots of people. That’s where I bought my good print shirt and carry-on bag.

 

 

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the second blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 6, The Water Tank Village:

 

 

Today, we got up early in the morning to wait for a dalla dalla-style bus to pick us up. Although dalla dallas are only normally a Tanzanian thing, this bus was privately booked for us. It would be picking us up at around 8:00 am to take us on a one hour-long ride. We visited a small village up on the rural hills that was populated by people who are less fortunate than us.

 

 

The guide was explaining to me that the people used to live off the forest land, which has now sadly been wiped away from the area. The dusty, sloped terrain on which the small village sat was covered by nothing but small shrubs and sparse trees. The houses were built by the government for this poor community. They had been poverty-stricken after the loss of the flora and fauna that supported their way of life.

 

 

The only trade that the villagers currently have is pottery, and this has helped create struggles for them since there is little market for it. Each of the 30 or so small houses in the scorching Rwandan sun were homes for struggling families with about 8 people. Most of the inhabitants were children. The 12 mile-long walk to the water well was one issue, among many, that the community was facing.

 

 

Our job was to help with the construction of water tanks for the houses to use to collect rain water. This would spare the people from the 12 mile-long walk to the water well. Some tanks had been built already, and some were just starting to be put together. Their insides were made of a bamboo lace that was covered with a plastered-on cement mixture. We were carrying large stones up a hill for a few hours, and then plastering the sides of the bamboo lace with cement.

 

 

Although we were there for only a few hours, we had the opportunity to see the real-world social effects that deforestation has on the population. It was sad to see countless people in ragged, ripped-up dirty clothing, and children with swollen stomachs, struggling to survive.

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the first blog in part 2 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 5, Soccer With African Children

 

 

Today was day 3 in Kigali, Rwanda. We went to check out one of the organizations that we will be working with, an environmental group in Ecole Primaire Biryogo Amizero. It was a grade school filled with children who were happy to see us. We had the opportunity to learn how the school manages erosion prevention. They do this by growing a Vetiver tall grass along the dusty slopes of the school yard. Trimming and maintaining the grass is important as well, and it can be used as cattle fodder. At the school, the children were running and playing around by the hundreds, in their blue uniforms. Some of them were helping us with the grass trimming, which they had demonstrated to us.

 

 

After that, we went up the slope to the simple classroom buildings, with one door for each of the rooms leading outside. The inside of the room that we saw looked very humble. Only a cord for a single light bulb hung from the roof, with no light bulb in it. There was only natural lighting from two windows across from the door. The dimly lit classroom was filled with young students and their teacher.

 

 

As we walked inside, all of the students stood up. Kyle, the first one to enter, was instructed by our guide to tell the students that they may sit down. We sat in the desks with the children. Then we viewed a simple math lesson on multiplying fractions for about 10 minutes. Slight things were different from the way that I was taught in school. For one thing, the students snap their fingers to get the teacher’s attention. The kids took turns answering problems on the board and correcting each other.

 

 

Later, we went outside to just introduce ourselves to the rest of the people in the school yard. They were ecstatic to see us. They all wanted to say hello, walk by our sides, play games and just spend time with us. It was a fun experience, even for those of us who are usually not too good with children. The appreciation was overwhelming. Some of us played soccer with them, and others took lots of photos and selfies. Sophie and Sarah Bell decided to teach them the Macarena. We stayed there for about half an hour. But it may have been longer than that since we were so preoccupied with interacting with them.

 

 

Later in the evening, not much happened. We just stayed around the hostel, enjoying each other’s company. We talked about Rwandan history, went for a night run, and had dinner. It was a nice way to conclude the evening.

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the eleventh and final blog in part 1 of this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 4, A Thousand Hills:

 

 

The land of a thousand hills. That’s the nickname that Rwanda has been given due to its copiously rolling hilly landscape. The city is beautiful. It’s very different from anything east of the border. Few people speak Swahili here, but a lot of them speak English. The view from the hostel’s rooftop pateo is beautiful. You can see the streets and the buildings on the hillside in the distance as if you were flying in a plane.

 

 

In the morning, Sarah Bell, Claudia and I went for a walk in the marketplace and then got some smoothies. On the way, Brett joined us. The streets here are more modern, more like cities. There are sidewalks everywhere. They’re not like the dirt pathways that line the roadsides in Tanzania. Police officers are quite common on the streets. On the roundabout crossing, there were three of them. At the market that looked like a green painted school, vendors welcomed us at every door. However, they all seemed to pretty much be selling the same thing; African artifacts and print clothing. We made our way back to the hostel in the hot Rwandan sun. We walked through a garden route in the side of the river as we took pictures.

 

 

Our first full group exploration of the city centre happened after lunch in the afternoon. On our way up there, we walked up a hill for several miles in the tiring sun. The buildings might not be as huge as those in New York City, but the site was very modern. We visited a mall with all of the latest brand names, had some drinks in another cafe, and shopped for souvenirs in another store.

 

 

Later, we broke into smaller groups. Claudia, Brett, Sarah Bell, Sofie and I went to see the infamous Hotel Rwanda. It was the safe haven that was set up in 1994 by U.N. peacekeeping forces during the Rwandan genocide. The hotel is still in full operation. It looks very luxurious with beautiful paintings on the wall, splendid views, and a fancy penthouse restaurant that we also went to visit. At the time, the restaurant was closed, but they let us go inside just to see it. We admired the panoramic view of the city under a cloudy sky. This restaurant was where many of the shots in the movie, Hotel Rwanda, were filmed.

 

 

After we made our way back to the mall at around 5 o clock, we got motorcycle taxis, or Boda Bodas, to take us back to our hostel. Brett and Claudia headed there on foot.

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the tenth blog in this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 2, 3, Road to Kigali:

 

 

After a late night of drinking and fun times with the group, we were ready to pack our bags and hit the road at 5 in the morning the next day. The bus ride was from 6am to 9pm on the first day. Along the way, not much happened. There were just the sights outside the windows of the locals following their daily routines. There were some Maasai villages with dirt houses, and a lot of cattle herders. Snacks were bought from vendors through the windows during bus stops. One man on the bus was unconscious, possibly due to drugs or alcohol. He was detained later by the police before being put back on the bus because he had been causing a disturbance. However, he was let back onto the bus and taken all the way to our destination.We arrived in Kahama after a long, exhausting 15 hours of quick naps, leg cramps, and watching the same movie 3 times in a row. Then we checked into a hostel for a night, went out to eat, and took showers.

 

 

The next morning, we were up for round two of our travel, from 5am to 5pm. On this bus ride, we had to put up with a fish smell all day, which could have come from anywhere. Once we passed the border and checked in with customs, we moved along on the endless rolling hills of Rwandan countryside for the rest of the way. Then we reached our final destination called Kigali, a city that looked nothing like the places we had seen in Tanzania.

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the ninth blog in this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

June 1, Silas Returns:

 

 

I woke up early to do some exercises and yoga stretches with Stella, Sydney, and Maddie, and then we were ready to start the day. After the workout, we went to have breakfast and a session with the group involving a silent card game. It was designed as an analogy for cultural miscommunication, and included an anonymous compliment box.

 

 

Next, we were getting ready for the day’s main event; a trip to the hot springs. With a private dalla dalla that Jordy called, we packed our bathing suits and travelled for an hour or more to the location. The route to get there was an experience in and of itself. The dalla dalla took us to what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. All that was to be seen were little delocalized houses made humbly out of clay bricks. They were in a land that was filled with dusty ground, dried up streams, shrubs, and some cattle and sheperds every now and then. There were also large, sparse native trees with fat trunks that are the kind that you usually see in pictures of Africa. The road wasn’t even really a road. There were so many tire marks on the ground that it often seemed more like we were off-roading. The driver of the dalla dalla had to reverse a few times to take another path across small creaks or to avoid rocks. The violent vibrating seemed to take its toll on the vehicle.

 

 

When we arrived, we were welcomed to the exact same site that I had seen on Google Earth a few months before; a serene pool of crystal clear water cradled in a mesh of vines and tree roots. The water was beautiful. You could see the rocks and sediment floor in the bottom of it. The water looked like the carnivorous island from The Life of Pi. A stick on a rope hung from a tree, to be used for diving. It was breathtaking.

 

 

Once we were in the water, we explored the surroundings. There was a gentle current on one side. Touching the ground was hard to do in most parts, except for where there were large rocks or logs on which to stand. The fish loved to kiss my feet. They tickled. Up-stream, there was a small opening in the fallen palm leaves. Swimming up to it was a challenge, but very worth-wile. On the other side, there was a clearing where the sun shined. However, no ground was reachable and the edges were marked with fallen branches; not ideal for a resting place. Treading water was the only option.

 

 

Later in the evening, back in town, we went out for dinner at a karaoke bar. We had food and a few mixed drinks. We ran into our Maasai friend, Silas, from the first hostel. It was quite a story to tell. We talked for a while, and then I bought him a lemon drop shot to celebrate. I had to show him how to drink it since he appeared to be unfamiliar with it. We cheered and drank the shots.

 

 

After some good conversations, he bought me a bottle of Konyagi (a unique type of Tanzanian alcohol), along with coke that we split between the two of us as we talked about our cultures and lives. He started telling me about one girl in our group, Sydney, and that he liked her. A few beers, a shot, and half a bottle of Konyagi later, Silas was making moves on Sydney. He brought her over to the bar and had a drink with her. A few minutes later, he came back to hang out for the rest of the night. Perhaps it was all the alcohol, or maybe he came on too strongly, but unfortunately for the Maasai, she wasn’t budging. On our way back, he accompanied us up to the place where we hailed a taxi and said our farewells. It was a great night, bonding with and getting to know this young Maasai warrior. We would be keeping in touch.

 

 

If anyone wants to support me on Patreon, here’s the link:

https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=6600631

 

 

My friend, David (who I talked with about math and evolution on previous blogs, links are below.) went on a backpacking trip in Africa recently. This is his story of the experience of other cultures.

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/14/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-1/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/07/25/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-2/

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/2017/08/04/math-evolution-meaning-life-dialogue-part-3/

 

This is the eigth blog in this series. Here is the link for the page where the others can be found:

 

https://mindgasms.bplifetime.com/category/travel/

 

May 31, Rau Eco Tour:

 

 

Today, we started the day quickly. After our rise and shine and breakfast, we went off to our destination mostly by foot. We grabbed a few supplies at the local supermarket, and continued walking for 2o minutes to Rau Eco Tourists through an interesting suburb neighbourhood. The environment looked like something from a movie. There were humbly built houses everywhere, small front porch shops, and stray dogs. There was also an abandoned train yard full of grazing livestock with a beautiful view of the great mountain. The roads were made of dust and clay.

 

 

Our destination was a little office in the top of a house where we would be introduced to Mango and _; (Yes, that’s someone’s name. At least according Russel Peters, the comedian, the semicolon means that their name has a click in the pronunciation of it.), the people in charge of Rau. Just before we got to work, we had the best lunch that we had since our arrival. It was composed of virtually every other food we had previously, but in abundance.

 

 

After lunch, they gave us a tour of the ground water forest and showed us all about the native species of flora and fauna. Blue monkeys were the main attraction. Our goal was to collect garbage and seeds for planting. We also visited one of the oldest and largest trees in the forest; one to which people often go for blessings and to pay respect.

 

 

After our 3 or 4 hour long walk through the mighty African jungle, we came back to the tree nursery. We started doing the same job that we had with the Roots and Shoots people, stuffing dirt into plastic sleeves. Some of the people were less than happy to do that, but hey, that’s what we signed up for. Although it was monotonous labour, we pushed through it and got the job done. Later, we reclaimed a patch of land and each of us planted two trees by hand. This concluded the day’s events with the satisfying feeling of knowing that we had made a change.