A walk through Moroto

A walk to Moroto - everything and anything can be carried on the head - Strong women

So at the moment I am sitting here struggling to learn the numbers for Ngakarimojong, before my second language class tonight at 6. I wish I could say I found it easy, but the language is very different from anything I’ve ever tried to learn. So here goes the first 10:

1 – Ipei

2 – Ngiarei

3- Ngiuni

4 – Ngiommon

5- Ngikan

6 – Ngikan ka pei

7- Ngikan ka arei

8 – Ngikan ka uni

9- Ngikan ka ommon

10 – Ngitomon

I have also learned a few basic things, like hello and thank you, but do feel like this is going to be slow going!

So after a morning of doing some work I spent most of the day walking around and exploring the town a bit. I had lunch, really good pizza, at Ekimomwor Café, 6000 UGX – Equals to about 2 dollars for a drink and pizza. So very affordable and tasty, also a nice treat saying hi to Maggie.

One of THE places to eat in Moroto 

Moroto as I said in a previous post is a bit of a peculiar town. A lot of NGO’s, UN agencies and a few mission projects, mixed in with what seems like villages crammed together to form a town. When walking the streets you meet so many people, and everyone stops, greets and shakes your hand before walking on, and usually a smile to my still learning greetings in Ngakarimojong. When walking into town I had a nice woman walk with me the whole way. She was on her way to the hospital as her granddaughter had been taken for vaccinations but had not returned so she was going to check on the baby. She also explained her life as someone who had worked for a long time in the health industry but now she was mentally ill herself so she was no longer working, her goodbye was said with a warning that next time she sees me she will probably not greet me as her mental problems will be kicking in, although as my name is Maria – mother of Jesus there was a chance she might remember. Very nice woman, so do hope she remembers me next time I see her!

Walking  to town

A stroll through town will take you to the Shell station – a  picture follows as the state of the Shell station looks a bit like something which has been through a war in the 50’s and not recovered, but all the same it is still open for business, so nothing bad to say about that.

Classic Shell in Moroto

On my walk out of town I was picked up by a man who was going to get water on the mountain, he asked if I would like to join, and as I had nothing better to do a ride in his land rover to the mountainside seemed like a good idea. We stopped off at the Karimojong cultural center, which is supposed to inform of the Karimojong history, culture and the geography of the area, rather it is a small room with some rocks, posters and some traditional clothing. An interesting idea, but I do think the Karimojong culture deserves something better than this room to represent their rich and diverse culture, but I suppose it is a start and I should not judge. Hopefully as a start it will be able to show the few visitors who are here a bit of the culture and heritage that make the Karimojong people so proud and unique.

By the mountain 

After the little stop at the cultural center it was time to collect the water. I am not quite sure what the water was for, but the Land Rover became full of jerrycans of water. Where the water was collected a few kids were playing. One had made a sort of wheelbarrow/stroller sort of contraption and was wheeling another kid around at great speed, unfortunately it ended rather quickly as the one kid went flying into a bush. Luckily kids are the same as wherever you are in the world, I picked him up, gave him a little cuddle, a blow on the hurt part and he was back to normal and running around again. I was dropped off back at the hotel with the promise of a trip to see some camels in the near future, the diversity of this region is amazing.

Fierce girl playing

Anyways now I must get back to my language practice as Perry is due here any minute and I can for the life of me not remember the first 10 numbers….