Kampala

Kampala is dirty, loud, and hectic… but I love it. There’s something charming about all the chaos. Goats run across the streets, barely dodging cars; dead animal carcasses hang outside butcher stands for sale; and the entire city is one big traffic jam.

When Zawadi and I got off of the bus in Kampala, we were immediately surrounded by men shouting “taxi!” We had been planning on taking a cab to Zawadi’s friend’s office, but the drivers were trying to charge us 15,000 Ugandan shillings (8 dollars), and that was way too much. So instead, we struck a deal with two boda-boda (motorcycle) drivers – we only had to pay them 3,000 Ugandan shillings each. My boda-boda driver threw my big green suitcase in front of him and rested it between his chest and the handlebars. Then I got on the back with my purse, bag of Rwandan coffee, and my huge backpack. What a thrill that ride was… I was torn between sheer joy and terror; marveling at the colorful new city and praying that my driver didn’t loose his grip on my suitcase (or the handlebars for that matter).

It’s good I’m friends with Zawadi, because she has friends in high places. Her Pakistani friend from work booked us a hotel room for our first night here, took us out to dinner, and provided us with a driver so we didn’t have to pay for any taxi rides today.

We went to see a beautiful lake-side resort in the morning, and then went to the Cineplex to catch the afternoon showing of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Harry Potter was also playing, but I’m saving that one for when I get home. (Mom, Dad, Em – I hope you didn’t see it without me already, but something tells me you probably did). I had soft serve frozen yogurt for the first time in a month (and that’s a long time for me to go without some soft serve), and even had a Smirnoff Ice before dinner this evening. It’s almost as if I’m back in home already. Well that’s a lie actually. All you have to do is drive a couple blocks from the city center to see shacks with tin roofs and peddlers selling everything from phone cards, to firewood, to buckets of peas.