You just can't describe Africa. . .

I've been told that my many people. You just have to be there to smell the red dirt. You just have to spend time there to understand it. Africa is different. People usually describe it as a positive trait, it is special. The people that tell me usually roll their eyes back "oh my gosh" in this , it was so amazing face. Some friends have lived there for a few years as a Peace Corps Volunteers, others friends for 6 months with 4H. They all have educated opinions.

So, when I arrived I was really stoked to see if I would tap into this vibe that is so beyond words that all my educated friends can't seem to share it verbally. I was only there for 3 weeks. I only visited two countries of East Africa: Uganda and Ethiopia. Therefore my opinion is rather near sighted, but I do want to put in to writing the vibe that I sensed.

I'm about as Irish as I am black. Really. If you have seen me before you would know that the only dark skin I have is called a freckle. If you haven't, here is me:We (United States People) like to refer back to our "roots". We like to say yes I'm Irish. Yet we have never been to the island and don't know why they are fighting in the North. We like to say, I'm 1/4 German, 1/4 English and 1/2 French because we can. On my first trip to Europe, I went to Italy. I saw a sculpture that is 5X older than our country. I saw ruins that were even older than that. Our desire to have roots pushes us to refer all the way back to our Pre-British colony roots. I know that my mom's family can be traced back to the Mayflower and through that, I'm related to George Washington. And yet, when people ask me about the red hairs on my chin and pale skin, I say, "I'm 1/2 Irish, 1/4 English, 1/4 German".

In our individualist society, in the USA we love to pride ourselves in how each one of us is exceptional. And we are. Everyone is. Our search for our tribe is what, I think, drives us to look way back into our genealogical history to find our origin.

In Uganda, there are about 20 tribes and about 25 million people. Each tribe has its own language, customs and culture. Seeing as how there are Muslims and Christians living there in more or less unity leads me to believe it can be done here in the USA. But the fact that they are a country is more a recognition of the need for a political boarder to manage the rich resources, than a unifying bond behind the 20 different tribes. When I was in Kasese, Uganda I towered over most of the local men. It was a nice change. But that is a tribe known for being small.

Ethiopia has about 84 tribes and about 80 million people. It seemed to be similar. As we drove from the Oromia region, where the only nice buildings between the huts and shacks were Mosques, it was clear this was a Muslim state. The terrain changed and we crossed a river into Kaffa, now there were more women showing hair and much fewer Mosques. There were Orthodox Churches and Protestant Churches everywhere. When one crosses that river the language, culture, religion and terrain changed noticeably.

What did I find common in both countries? OUR roots. Really. What struck me when looking at the faces of Ugandan and Ethiopian people was that I saw myself. Remember I'm white. But something about the unspoken of human structure of society and how it plays out into different tribes fighting over certain resources and sometimes over nothing. Now we are all fancy an call them countries but really we are just tribes. So many people seemed to say with their faces, we've seen this before. And even the designs of logos, and buildings struck me as so classic and timeless. See the match box below and the Tonic Water above. Those are from big companies but even the small companies often had beautiful logos that could last centuries.

When leaving Kaffa, I was thinking that if people knew their history here they might actually know it for a few hundred, if not, thousand years. Working the same plot as their fathers. Dealing with the same challenges. Probably the same neighbors too. Some scientists say Ethiopia was the birth place of humanity. Where we decided to stand up and grow opposable thumbs.

In my near sighted view, this vibe that we sense in Africa is us resonating with ourselves, our true roots. Maybe its been 10,000 years since us whities headed north from Ethiopia, but I'm sure it happened. It was enlightening to see it again.

Ethiopia Photos

"Near" Jimma. Actually it took every bit of the 4x4 Land Cruiser to get to the above site. They are installing a wet mill. The co-op of 150 members cut 3.5km of road to get there by picks and shovels. The conviction with which they worked was incredible. The mill will be operational in 3 weeks from now.
My first coffee ceremony. She is adding the just roasted coffee and just ground to the pot to be brought to a boil and then served.
Typical Sidama hut.
Solid coffee. Great cups.
"12" A variety of coffee being distribute by the Ethiopian government.


I loved Ethiopia and Uganda. More text on both Uganda and Ethiopia later.

more Uganda Photos

I did a Barista Training while I was in Uganda.
Notice all the small plots? There were gardens that had coffee. Not pure coffee farms like. They were usually .5 - 2 acres. Coffee is a cash crop.
Most families used some type of wall like is shown, a goat or cow, banana, yucca, sweet potato, and a some coffee.
Uganda was a British colony until 1962. So they still drink and produce tea.
A decent hand picking of Robusta.

Ugand photos

Robusta produces a lot. This is some of the healthiest coffee I saw in all of my trip.

The dust, diesel exhaust, and burning trash were every where. And they drive on the left.
People were welding every where.
The Bahai Temple. The only one in Africa. Simple, 9 sided, dome. Utterly gorgeous timeless.

photos of Finca La Paz

It was a short trip. Laura got to meet my other family in the DR. The coffee on my farm is at the stage below. Not full yet but there are lots of green.


Laura, Tongo and Frankeli putting on their tough faces at the Rancho.Nerva roasting coffee to 3rd crack. No, third crack doesn't exist but if it did she would half found it. The oils have completely left the coffee. The typical cafecito has plenty of sugar to bring the sweetness back.
Not quite full yet. We start picking in Sept. With all the rains we have had it might peak early this year.
Antonio and Manuel, his youngest.

Africa is a Country

Really.

The ignorant masses in the US that refer to Africa as a country might be more right than you think. I currently have had the privilege of watching world cup soccer every night with a Ugandan announcer from my hotel room. When ever an African country plays, they play for all of Africa. The Mobile Phone sponsor MTN's slogan is, "Our Flags are different, but our dream is the same".

Take Uganda for example, one country, 20 tribes, many more clans, probably 15 languages. They all look very different! Some facial structures and skin colors, shades of black, and mannerisms would lead one to think they are not governed by the same body. I have heard that most African nations follow the same trend. Many tribes, languages and cultures under each flag. Some tribes bridge boarders.

Uganda is full of beautiful things and some ugly things as well. They were freed from the British as a colony in 1962. Uganda is the birth place of Robusta coffee and I had a great espresso shot of strictly heirloom varieties and it was delicious! Yes, Robusta can be great. There is a ubiquitous bird that is a cross between a pelican, a teradactyl and the ugly stick. The bird eats trash for breakfast, which seems appropriate. I saw some beautiful antelope in a national park and a wild board that looked like it was wearing a mask to fend off people taking its picture, cause it was funny lookin'.

More to come when the internet is free. Pictures too.

Coffee Planting in Finca La Paz and Cucuyo.org

Clap-Clap-Clap. My favorite part of any DR flight is the landing because people clap. Loud.

I had two reasons to fly to the DR on this trip 1) check in on my farm: see the coffee planting, check this years harvest volume, introduce my girlfriend to my second home/family and 2) help my girlfriend (she is a lady so I'll call her my lady friend) launch her Non Profit called Cucuyo.org.

Los Frios was awesome. We ate a bunch, Laura and I shared one divine mango from from my farm, Laura got to smell a few coffee flowers, and she also got to meet some of my closest friends on earth Lin, Antonio and Nerva.

There had been a ton of rain of over the last month. The shade trees seem much taller than before and the coffee planting had made some good progress. Three full days without rain and the planting will be complete. Along with some re-planting the farm will be fully planted with coffee by this July. Very exciting. This years harvest will be smaller, my main hope is for little rain during the harvest for controlled drying.

Per Cucuyo.org - After two years of development work in the Peace Corps I know first hand the challenges in organizing community events, it is challenge to get people to meetings, and to get them there on time. . . nearly impossible. Laura Scott Vaughn (my lady friend) along with some local partners has successfully organized an art program in two communities of Bonao, coordinated and selected four amazing artists, and when I left the country she had over 80 kids enrolled. She did that and the fund raising from Athens, Georgia and one visit to Bonao last year! Needless to say I'm super impressed. I helped a little with organizing and logistics. After getting the artists to their host families and oriented I had to leave on the first day of the program.

When I landed at New York/JFK airport I had both hands free for clapping, the turbulence and rough landing made the clapping and praying around me much louder. Flying doesn't scare me, but I do love to clap with everyone it does scare. Good thing because I had 2 eight hour flights before I arrived to Uganda.