Run It

juba was hosting their first-ever race last weekend, so our team took the opportunity to participate in such an event. the 5 hour drive to the big city was not exactly pleasant. forging along the never-ending dirt road through miles of bush and nothingness, crossing rivers, weaving around potholes. we keep our spirits up singing flashbacks of the 80’s and 90’s, until finally... a smooth, paved road is ready to greet us in juba.  

the morning of the race, we arrive at the stadium and take a moment to survey the small crowd. an almost equal representation of nationals and ex-pats, some dressed in serious runner attire, stretching and jogging in preparation. and here we are, the hillbillies from mundri... a force to be reckoned with.

heidi and i were the designated cheer squad, supporting our fearless teammates and documenting the event. it was a hard job, but we did it.

and off our runners went, dodging traffic through the streets of juba, pressing on through the merciless heat. and championing over the finish line. so proud.

a trip to juba wouldn’t be complete without some food indulgences. i can't explain our zeal to see oranges and apples on the side of the road. and of course, a must when visiting juba...ice cream!

sunday morning bethany and i boarded the mundri “express” for what proved to be...let's say...entertaining. 

we arrived at the bus park sunday morning only to find our bus was, in fact, missing some tires. slightly concerning, but still, we are optimistic and manage to depart only an hour late. 

only a few minutes down the road, we are certain this will be an interesting journey back to mundri. 

to say we were jostled about would be an understatement. our bodies were in constant bouncing motion, and we became airborne more times than i could count....seriously, i mean, bottom out of the seat, almost hitting our head on the luggage rail above. good thing we brought a good sense of humor with us. 

a few hours later, our engine began to overheat, so we stopped at every borehole to pour water on the engine, or whatever they did. sometimes this was every 5 minutes. at this point, we were hoping to just make it home before dark.

needless to say, we formed a bond with our fellow moru passengers. bethany sat next to a woman who was rather persistent in hopes of arranging a marriage between her and her brother.

8 hours later, we arrive in mundri...with laughs and fond memories of mundri "express."