The Story of the Moon’s Two Wives

Uraa is a small village on a slopes of Kilimanjaro with a killer view of the mountain’s snowy top. We stayed there only a couple nights but both were as clear as could be. Before any other stars were out, you could see the moon and this one bright star near to it that we realized later was actually Jupiter. Our professor, Mwalimu Ngonyani, overheard us talking about it and enlightened us on the story of the moon’s two wives. One of these wives (Jupiter) was a very bad one. Whenever she was near to the moon, he was always unhappy and poorly fed, so never full. Whenever the moon was near to his other wife (Mars) on the other side of the sky, he was fulfilled and well fed, so always full. Na hivyo ndivyo ilivyo (and this, indeed, is the way it was).

                                                                      The crescent moon with his bad wife Jupiter

Didn't realize we were going hiking when I put on my long skirt that morning.
I improvised but paid for it dearly - got eaten alive by fire ants!

A mama goat and her 5-day old - too cute to not paparazi

Readying our pot for coffee roasting

Smelled amazing :)

All roasted! Ready for grinding, brewing and drinking!

                                                       A quick visit during recess at an orphanage for 3 and unders