You would be amazed at how long it takes for 400 head of cattle to walk down the road...I spent the time waiting working out how much my offered 'bride price' would actually be worth. Here in Juba one cow is worth US$1000. So, if I accept a price of 150 cows, thats US$150,000.
Hmmm.....
Now that IS tempting! Maybe I can have the ceremony, get the cows and make a dash for the border? No.... they are moving too slowly. Damn. Have to come up with another option...
Anyway, about this photo, please note the electricity wires in the background.....These have been here since colonial days. A whole power system was installed, people trained, and then the whole lot handed over to the Sudanese. Within a couple of months 3 of the 4 substations had blown. So now the only places that have electricity are the hospital and the electricity department building. The rest of Juba sometimes gets power for about 2 hours every few days.
Oh, and this isnt the dodgy area of town. This is one of the good parts :-)
11 comments:
I have never been blocked by cattle on the road. Well, maybe once when I was traveling though Kansas. When I lived in a small town in Germany, the street was often blocked by pigs crossing it. Yuck.
Wow ... that's a lot of cows .. but technically you'd only be rich in Africa, nowhere else!
Do you have electricity? You must do ... how does that happen? Generator?
Yup indeed, generators it is. The bane of Juba existence. Not only does the dust here destroy then, but they have been known to overheat and burst into flame, not to mention the fact that they cost about $10,000 a month to run. Can you imagine if your electricity in UK cost you £5000?
No electricity = no running water.
Meaning no flush toilets.
I would not do well there.
Fair point, if that was the case neither would I....
On the other hand the pump works when there IS electricity, and fills up a huge water tank that is on a high stand to give water pressure. And failing that, you can have water delivered from tankers that use the cars electricty to pump it out the Nile. No electricity, however, can mean no internet access, which would actually kill me...
No electricity however, mea
How long do you plan on staying again??!?!?!
Um, as long as I can bear it I suppose! Probably till the end of the year.... Then? Who knows!
OH.MY.GAWSH! Miss P I dont know how you cope?!!?
It might be faster to actually ride one of the cows? yes? no?
Geez girl, my hat is off to you :)
So 10 cows and you got a new generator.
I found you via Mooooog's site. He was being a little cry baby wasn't he? I guess he cannot help it, he is a man afterall. Still, he amusing. :)
I love your blog, I am definately going to keep up with you. BTW, Ben Afleck is a total f'n idiot with the IQ of a snail. Sorry you had to deal with him! I have to work with celebs, about 60 at one time, each year at my golf outing for work. As far as they go I always say put your money where your mouth is.
Happy Snapper: It probably would be quicket to ride the cow. However, I quite like the 4x4 with its aircon :-) To be honest.. I dont actually know how I deal with it. Survival? Greed for more money? Maybe..
Malicious: Moog makes me laugh. Maybe more AT him than with him, buts hes funny :-) And yeah, celebrities are intensely annoying at times, although I have met a few that are just lovely, so I suppose it balances. Ben Affleck pissed me off though. Badly.
Well I suppose it does not matter if we laugh at him or with him, just so we laugh. Which he is good at!
I have a few celeb's that are "normal" folks. But many are kind primadonnas (is that spelled right?? lol) I like the ones I can walk up to and treat like a human being and not a piece of meat and return the favor.
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