"A week in Ngara" Ngara by eteerling

I spent one week here in February 2007. They have a decent internet cafe in the community center on Nsoro St. There are several guesthouses, but I stayed with a friend at the UN compound. There is one main paved road through town. Children will yell "muzungu" (foreigner) at you. It usually means "white person," but some Black Americans I met had it yelled at them too. I usually say, "matoto" (child) or "watoto" (children) back at them, and it kind of becomes a game. Some kids will walk up to you and say, "Give me money," to which I reply, "Give me your goat/bike," with a smile. I liked to hang out at the Casanova Beach Centre, which is a small mud hut with metal roof and dirt floor. I met a local by the name of Gustin, who never asked me for money or tried to sell me anything, which was refreshing. He spoke a little English, and helped me with my Swahili and Hangaza. He showed me where to buy bags of liquid yogurt, which are great for a traveler's stomach, as well as other grocercies. Ngara is a nice quiet town, and a real attraction if you like goats and plants as much as I do.