Limol #15

Had to skip my run this morning because of heavy rain - it made the trail very slippery. I did however walk nearly 7km with a heavy load to and from the canoe spot on my first fishing trip! Everyone went, but our fishing party was Wagiba, Wendy, Lauren. Grace, and me. Many other woman and small girls also walked down with us to go fishing. When we got to the canoe place, we bailed the rain water out of the canoes, spent a little time digging in the mud for worms, then settled in to Wagibas big canoe and took off. Others were throwing lines but we were going to drag a net to catch fish. Riding in the canoe was beautiful but frightening. I was so worried I would topple out. 

I helped Wagiba throw out the net properly, we tied one end to a stick in the mud then paddled out into the clear part of the swamp tossing the net out as we went and back to the stick in a big circle. One side of the net had floaters and the other had sinkers. Then with the circle complete, you drag the net in from the bottom, and trap the fish inside. We threw the net five times and I helped twice. This involved jumping into the swamp from the canoe and trudging through the mud. The first two times we didn't catch anything. But the third time Wagiba caught two medium fish, and the fourth time I caught two big fish. The fifth time Grace dragged, but again nothing. With the fish trapped, wrestled into the canoe and bludgeoned, Grace,Wagiba, and I went to pick sweet potatoes from Wagiba's swamp garden. We found plenty then paddled back to the canoe place to cook up some sweet potatoes and then Grace and I walked home. We offered to pick up Wagibas sago bags along the way. About a half kilometer from the village, we found the bags and carried them with our other bags of greens and fish. Oh my god, my bag was the heaviest thing I ever carried. It must have been 50 pounds or more. I carried it on my back and I thought the skin on my hands and fingers was going to come off. I made it into the village and collapsed. Some boys were laughing so I asked them to carry it. They had to do it on a bike but they brought it to my house. After we finally got home, I showered and Maryanne braided my hair. I gave half a fish to my namesake Kate and got some work done. I translated a beautiful story and found some really interesting constructions. One involves verbal inflection that I've never seen before. Can't wait to explore it tomorrow!

No running tomorrow. I'm very sunburnt from fishing with my shirt off in the water :(

Kate