Rhinos !!!!

After a good week at school, we left with 23 of us in two mutatus to visit the Ziwa Rhino Organization in Uganda. I do not know if this website works, but here goes www.rhinofund.org. It was a 2 hour trip that turned into almost 4 hours, but the accomodations were very nice for Uganda. I had a single bed, and there was 2 nice guest houses. The food was very good--shepherd's pie, beef stew, and scrambled eggs. There was a rumor that someone got a hot shower, but it was not me. It was a great chance to relax, and hang with our entire group of teachers. I really like the weekends, because more people are in our house. Friday night, Matt M. and Josh, hung out and had a couple of Bell beers. It was great just to talk to some good people. At the Rhino guest house, Saturday night we played a game of hearts, and get ready for this Nerinx students, Mr. Magee played Mafia with the other teachers. I do not know if I told you about the other games, but I have now played Mafia 4 times in my life!!!! Casey is very intense during Mafia, much like Lauren L. or Norah F. are.

Okay, back to the rhinos. We went out on Saturday in our two mutatus down dirt paths after a heavy rain. There were several puddles that I thought we might get stuck in, but the plucky mutatus rolled through. All of a sudden, we stopped, and followed the guides into the bush for about a half of a mile. 25 of us, single file in a line, when I saw Matt M. raise his hand excitedly. There we were in a field with 5 white rhinoceros grazing in a field. It was amazing, I was also kind of curious, if these rhinos ever charged. But two guides were there with guns, but mostly they just turned the rhinos by saying, "Back Bella, or go back Bella now." It was weird, funny, scary, and amazing at the same time." I have both movies and pictures from this wonderful time, and just posted a picture of Nandi, the rhino on the blog. There are now 8 rhinoceros in Uganda. 6 at this compound, and two in a zoo in Kampala. We saw all of them, 5, except for the dominant male. I kind of thought, he might come up from behind us, tap me on the shoulder, and say, "Are you messing with my women." But that did not happen. It was a very good trip before our last week in school.

Tomorrow, I pick up two shirts I had made. I am curious how that is going to work out. I did it all by myself, and I expect when I get back someone will tell me, that is cloth for a dress....but I will walk down the streets of St. Louis proud of my shirts.

I am going to help Josh get some spirits, so I have to go now.

John