the road often traveled

the rains have started so travel is becoming a bit problematic.  parts of where we work have not experienced the heavy rains that are typical so the roads are still passable.  other parts are completely cut off and less you want to wallow in mud.  only got stuck once so far and that was more due to poor driving skills and/or bad luck, none the less we were coated in a nice sticky layer of mud that afternoon.  storms here are not as electric and fierce as those in Congo, but the heavy downfall does happen.  there are not those loud thundering storms here, just a gradual building up of dark clouds and then the spigot's open.  For most part they are predictable and occur around the same time, for a while we were getting hit by early morning rains in Juba.  it changes with time.

 

here we are returning from maper on the 'good' part of the road to rumbek.  there is a section that turns to slick mud after a rain, fortunately it hadn't rained for a few days and we had no problem.

 on the way we pass mr. patriotic bull - still excited about Independence day.

 from a few weeks ago, another over night in mayend!t. the trusty REI half dome plus so far been holding together, even in the strong winds - it stayed sturdy.

 here we have the local coffee shop in aweil, or one of many that dot the roadway.  we sat in front and sipped a sweet yet dark coffee with a hint of cardamon.  very tasty and enough sugar and caffeine to get you going.  , the sweet aroma from a hookah fills the air, mixed with the charcoal burning stove boiling the water. a constant drone of distant generators and passing people, a rooster and air polluting rickshaw sounds fill the air as well.

 cows still roam the land. the cow culture (trademark me for that term, unless it is already used) is a fascinating one.  cows are the hard (hooved) currency here and everything from status in the community to whether or not you can marry all play into it.  they are grazing bank accounts, tended by either young boy or warriors (depending on where the cows are). the warriors are with the cows that are on the outer edges of the community - why? so they are close to the a rival tribe (who may attack) or positioned so that the warriors are ready for an attack.  this is my speculation.  furthermore, if the warriors have spears they are not going on a serious raid, if they have machine guns and spears, let the raids begin!

this is a solider who wanted his picture taken. a proud fighter in a new independent nation!