Blog numero two in Uganda.

A shot from a cramped Mutatu onto a
cramped Kampala road.

Take Kabale, get rid of the rolling, green hills and put in there place low lying grey buildings, cover them in dust, smog and petrol fumes, times the population by 20, drive in endless amounts of boda bodas, mutatu and private hires that are constantly driving at break neck speeds, which dodge pot-holes, pedestrians, and other drivers. Finally add cheating, stealing, and extortion to depending on your skin colour and there you have Kampala. What a mad city.  Welcome to the hub of Uganda, if you want something you get it from Kampala. Yes, it has stealing and high prices but what city doesn't. Okay it may not be the cleanest place and the roads are simply terrifying. However, you must remember this simple phrase 'TIU'- 'THIS IS UGANDA'.

Kampala was our rendezvous point fro the 1 month induction meeting where we got to reunite with all the other volunteers in order to catch up, see our reps, Finn and Lucy again and have the health talk from Dr Dick Stockley. It was great to see all the other Mzungu again, as it felt like a link back to home, a little taste of Western life in Uganda, and with Western life comes Western NIGHTLIFE. Yes we partied it up Ugandan style to celebrate the Uganda vs., Kenya match that was happening the following day.



Kanoeing on Lake Bunyoni



It was a big game for Uganda because if they won it would be the first time in 33 years that the team has qualified for the African Cup of Nations. So off we went to Club Iguana to have a bit of a dance. I think most of the girls had a hard time with the locals who had a slightly animalistic attraction towards them. So the whole night was a constant battle with the strong willed Mzungu girls coming out on top (pardon the pun) and not leaving with a husband...TIU! So yeah Kampala is a LOVELY place. At least we satisfied our cravings for meat. I had the most amazing double beef burger and cheese with fries in a cafe, just to the right of Garden City Shopping centre, called Cafe Javas. I even shed a tear after my gorgeous meal, which was top off with 3 scoops of ice cream with brownies stuck in it. How much did it cost, you ask? A mere five pounds and fifty English sterling. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Me and Sam stayed in Kampala till Monday and left with David (our host) early morning on Tuesday.

You are told by travelers’ books, novels on Africa, friends, family, and the internet that travel (especially by bus) is frustrating, tiring and long. I was constantly warned that African Time causes buses to stand and wait until full capacity (and a little extra) is reached and then they set off at breakneck speed down the unkempt roads of Uganda. I have yes to experience this (I have now though - read on to Fort Portal journey HA!). All we found was that the bus would stop at lots of different places for a while to pick up more passengers, but nothing a quick blare of the iPod, or read of a good novel can't handle.

Shopping in the local market

Even if you are privileged enough to own either of these items (my kindle broke in the first week leaving me bookless for a while- thank you Kampala for Aristoc bookstore you saved my bacon) you can easily entertain yourself by looking out

the window at the markets and people in the different villages and trading towns you stop at. Sellers of cooked meat on sticks, which look like they could give you Malaria (the meat I mean) come to the window to sell you their produce, you can see it bobbing past your window in a comic fashion. You also get bbq maize-on-the-cob, biscuit and soda and whole chicken legs (feet included) jumping about in the same way creating a some sort of serial puppet show!

As you are driving the scenery can change quite dramatically in a matter of seconds; from the mountainous region of Kabale into the flats of Mbarara, then as you approach Kampala you see huge expanses of tall crops (still don't what of, but they look like something out of Jurassic Park where the raptors lie "STAY OUT OF THE LONG GRASS"). Along with the scenery the language also changes. At one moment you can be happily bartering in Rukiga ('Agandi sebo...Nigay') in my stupid accent I seem to acquire when talking to people out here, the next moment you are floundering and struggling even to say 'hello' in Lugandan. Even Muzeveni, the President of Uganda, struggles to talk some of the more Northern dialects and he has to make speeches there! Tough life, ay Muz my old chum!

26/10/2011

The cozy bed

Sam and I are now back in our 'hometown' of Kabale after returning from our journey to Fort Portal, North-West of Kabale, in order to visit four volunteers who live there and meet up with the rest of them. Travelling up to their project was simple enough as we travelled by 3 buses: one to Mbarara, onwards to Kisese and finally to Kihura. On the way from Kisese you pass masses of tea plantations; a sea of lush, green leaves following the contours of the hills creating 'wave-lie' structures. When we arrived in Kihura it was late so we decided to get a Rolex (omelet wrapped up in a chapatti with cabbage and tomato). Very nice indeed - I'll cook it for you lads when I get back. On Saturday we spent the morning and afternoon in Fort Portal spending time at the swimming pool and hanging around with the crew. We headed back in a colossal thunder storm back to Kihura. Will and I had the excellent idea of taking a Rolex and adding a tasty piece of bacon to it. It was heaven! Bacon at last!

The Italian arrived three days ago. His name is Fredrico and he will be staying at the project for around a month. He is a really pleasant guy, but there is one small problem about the language as he speaks scattered English so it is hard for us to communicate with him and it is even harder for him to talk to the locals. I’m sure he’ll get by though.

In about a month we shall be setting off on our Christmas travels around Uganda. The final plans are being made next weekend, so I will tell you of the plan on the next blog.

Keep reading and Stay cool, won’t you

Liam and Sam

The pigs being 'Bagged and Tagged' to be given around selected families
will be brought back to the project for mating or selling. (Literally pigs in blankets)