These are our personal thoughts written during the trip itself.
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Mark's EntryDecember 24 - EntebbeArriving at Entebbe we passed through Immigration with no problems and waited at the baggage claim. Our blue bag was one of the first off the plane and we were happy to see that, but the purple bag didn’t appear, and didn’t appear. We were getting very worried and most other passengers had already taken their things and left. Finally it showed up, one of the last to appear. Leaving the airport we met our guide Robert who drove us to our hotel. Seeing Africa for the first time was intense. I thought I was well prepared, but I wasn’t. There was so much busy-ness. And the big thing that I noticed was the smells. Lots of very intense smells, and not all of them good. The two strongest I think were the exhaust from the motorbikes and the burning garbage on the sides of the road. The two combine to create what I call the ‘smell’ of Kampala. It’s almost everywhere. The hotel was very upper-class. Apparently Prince Charles stayed there. The room was comfortable enough, but almost no privacy in the bathroom. Meals were very proper and not very good. I was worried about how we were going to eat. In fact, I was worried about a lot of things. Like wondering if I had made a big mistake coming here. That afternoon I felt sick so I barely ate. Folks from the area UMC conference visited to vet us. We passed. They offered to take us to their service on Christmas. It was about an hour away, they didn’t know when it would start. I would last 2 – 3 hours. And they were picking us up at 9. Joy. But Ann was interested so I agreed. Because I was feeling sick we only visited one place that afternoon, the tombs. They were even more boring than I thought they would be. |
Ann's EntryKampala ChaosKampala, Uganda – 24 Dec 2007 – (All times are now quoted in local Africa time, which is 8 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and measured on a 24-hour clock.) The answer to the continued upgrade question is a resounding, “No.” We have a 9-hour red-eye flight from Heathrow into Africa. I see my first African sunrise, because I certainly didn’t get any sleep. We arrive at Entebbe Airport at approximately 8:30 in the morning. We go through immigration without any difficulty. The immigration official is very friendly and welcoming (as is much of Uganda.) We go to the baggage claim area to retrieve our stuff. One bag arrives on the carousel immediately. Then we wait, and wait, and wait. Our second bag is nowhere to be found. We watch the carousel go around and around and around. We begin to think that it did not make the transfer in Heathrow. Finally, it shows up. It’s like the last bag they unloaded from the plane. We meet our guide, Robert, who drives us 26 km to Kampala. Along the way, we pass through many small villages. At first, I think that the road is full of shops – every building is painted as if it is a store front. I find it odd that there are so many paint shops, so many cell phone stores, all in a row. Robert explains that the towns on the road from Entebbe to Kampala are rather poor. So, if you want your house painted, these companies will paint your house for free, but of course they paint it to look like an advertisement billboard. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda, and it is very busy. The roads are a very dangerous place. Everyone drives on the left. The only thing that is paved is the road itself. Everything else is red earth and dirt. There are no sidewalks, and only one traffic light. Cars, mass transit, and motorized bikes travel in all different directions. There is no right-of-way at an intersection. You just proceed through at your own risk, right into oncoming traffic. People cross the street at any point, and they do so without looking. Often times, the distance between our vehicle and others (people, mass transit, motorized bikes, etc.) is only a matter of inches. Kampala is a very dirty city. Despite the city’s promotion of a clean environment, there is no rubbish removal system. People pile their garbage in the gutter along the road and just burn it. Cars belch black exhaust constantly. Kampala is arranged around a central city (rather modern), with several small villages surrounding it. Our hotel is the Emin Pasha, in Nakasero Village. It is a building made of brick and clay, with many verandas and outdoor seating areas. The building itself is surrounded by lush flowering gardens. It is a quiet place in the middle of a loud and busy city. We spend the rest of our mid-morning napping due to the red-eye flight the night before. The one tourist place we did visit was the Kasubi Tombs – the burial place of Uganda’s former kings (before they became an independent republic in 1962.) It is a large stick-and-straw hut type of building. It isn’t all that impressive, and our visit there is thankfully short. In order for me to gain entrance, I have to borrow a cloth to wear around my waist for a skirt, as women in trousers are not allowed on sacred ground. Speak English, Man!Kampala - 24 Dec 2007 - 14:00 Uganda used to be a British colony, so we are not surprised that the use of the English language would be slightly different than American English.Nonetheless, during our drive through the Kampala villages, there are a few signs that catch my attention...
The National Chicken??Kampala – 24 Dec 2007 – 14:00 The crested crane is the national bird of Uganda. While at our hotel, I see two of them gracefully glide through the air. However, on our drive through the Kampala villages, I see something like two thousand chickens. Yes, live chickens. They happen to be a diet staple. Refrigeration is scarce, so food shopping is done on a daily basis. It is very common to see corner markets with crates of live chickens. If you want one, you just pick out the one you want, pay for it, and carry it home by its wings. Yes, the bird is still alive. People are walking along the side of the road (or in traffic) carting around live chickens! As far as other animals go, I only saw one pet dog – but lots of pet goats. Geckos for DinnerEmin Pasha Hotel – 24 Dec 2007 – dinnertime The restaurant at the hotel is all open-air. Hey, when you live on the equator, I guess you don’t need walls so much. At this late hour, the heat of the day has worn off, and it is comfortable to be outside. Even the geckos think so, because while we are eating, they all come out and start crawling along the columns and ceiling. No one thinks much of it. Most guests don’t even notice. The locals don’t see them as vermin and don’t try to chase them out. I don’t mind. I think they’re kind of cute. I am also glad they didn’t show up on my dinner plate. |
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| next day: December 25 | ||||||||||||||||||