Dinner at Bella Restaurant and Meeting the North Carolina Group
Good day, April 26th. So didn’t mention that last night I did end up eating at the Bella restaurant, and a quarter chicken was all I needed, and it was really delicious. But more so, the night before that, I had run into John and Beth Murphy who are from North Carolina and part of a group from North Carolina that is visiting Nakoma for 2 weeks. So last night they all had dinner at the same place because that’s also the place where they’re staying for the 2 weeks almost all the time.
A Presbyterian Church Mission from North Carolina
And what’s fascinating is that their church, their Presbyterian church in North Carolina — and there’s probably a lot more to it than what I know — but they help fund a lot of the things that are going on here. And then people come here to check things out once or twice a year. So some of them already had been here more often, and even one had worked at the Nakoma Hospital a few years ago. So it was all pretty fascinating. They were an inspiring group and they were going to go and do the church in the morning. No, they had — yes, because that was Saturday night and then going to do the church in the morning, right. But that I did not pay enough attention to, so I had no idea what time that all was happening, so didn’t get around to that.
Sunday Walk Through Nakoma Town
What I did do on this Sunday is took a long walk through town, ended up at the market after seeing the gas station, which has very old pumps, and they don’t sell any gas or diesel on Sundays, but they said they did have stuff to sell the next day.
Arriving at the Nakoma Market
So then I came to the market, and there was a bunch of people around me when I entered the marketplace, and something was said that I had no idea what, because they all speak a different language, but it resulted with everybody within hearing distance having a good laugh. I know for sure it was about my appearance there, but hey, they got a good laugh, so if it was at my expense, that’s quite all right.
What’s for Sale at the Sunday Market
So the markets on Sunday aren’t that intense. Actually, there’s very few things happening. There’s always a few people selling some vegetables, but most of the time it’s onions, potatoes, cassava, some greens, aubergines — pretty basic stuff, but at least there’s some to purchase.
Exploring the Market Grounds
So then I walked all around the market. It’s all very uneven to walk there. It’s kind of dangerous if you’re not good on your feet. Lots of places to do things with, to purchase. It’s a lot of commerce there. But I don’t feel threatened. I feel very much at ease going to a place like that. And it was a good time to explore what’s going on in Nakoma.
Back to Base and Emergency Food Supplies
And then I walk back through the hospital to get to the place where I’m staying. And I’m finishing up a lot of the emergency foods that I’ve had with me all along. That mostly only requires some hot water. Either to dip it in and let it get warm or to add water to it in a pouch and let it sit. And that’s halfway decent food. Some of it came from the Netherlands and some of it came from Norway. So I’m putting it to good use.
Thank you for coming along. See you tomorrow.
