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December 22, 2001

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Last night we camped under the stars, or rather, huddled for protection against mosquitoes under a net tied to a tree. On the next hillside, villagers beat their drums and sang songs around a fire that looked like a lantern at the doorway of a primordial world. The African mood felt genuine since the villagers didn't know we were camping nearby. We sat in darkness, watched their fire burning (no city lights here), and listened to their voices blend with the drum's insistent beat. In the morning we walked 17 kilometers back to our village base at Rhumsiki. The grand mountain setting added majesty to the simple mud huts, reed roofs, and stone walls of the villages we passed. We asked our guide about real estate prices. The cost of a compound of four mud huts and a stone wall: 150 US dollars.
Do-it-yourself housing.
There are a lot of advantages to living in this neighborhood besides the great scenery. No traffic, the footpaths are clear, very little lawn to mow.
We were a babysitting service for the parents of these kids.
A few nights ago pizza, tonight roast pig. We've lived high on the hog lately.