Memphis

Joe and I decided to drive down to Memphis, Tennessee to visit our friend Kelly. The drive was supposed to take about 4.5 hours, but it took us about 5.5 or 6 hours. The ride was mostly smooth and we stopped at Steak n Shake for dinner. We arrived around 9:30 p.m. and had drinks with our friends. Our friend Kelly left us cute little hick wine glasses, gummies, and chocolate covered berries. It was so nice and cute. After drinks and catching up, we crashed.

The first place we went today was the Civil Right Museum, which is the hotel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot. I always feel really surreal when I visit places that are living history. It is just unexplainable to be in the same place of such overwhelming sorrow that shaped history. I felt the same way when I visited the concentration camp in Germany and the school where boy would come each night to stay away from Kony and the LRA in Uganda. I always imagine the terror that happened right where I am standing. It is monumental for me. I felt the same feeling today at the museum.

This is the balcony that MLK died on and the next picture is where James Earl Ray shot him from a boarding house. It was very eery to be standing in that place. I can't imagine having so much hate for someone that you want to kill them. The museum was amazing and I am so glad that I had the time to go and see it. It was interactive and allowed you to be part of the experience.

We went to Germantown Commissary to get BBQ. It was delicious. I had sweet potato fries and a pulled pork sandwich with a sweet tea. It was delicious. They had a BBQ spice that we bought to try at home. The first ingredient was sugar, so you know it will be good.

Then, we went to a really cool international grocery store to grab some food. I loved the seafood section and all of the produce. We have similar things at home, but on a smaller scale.

Overall, we had a great day seeing the city.

Return to the U.S.

About 48 hours after leaving Uganda, I arrived home. I always have thought that 24 hours was bad, but this trip was really long. It all started on my trip to the airport. Normally, it takes us about 2 hours to get to the airport (during traffic), but this time, it took a little over three hours because there was so much traffic. When I arrived at the airport, they were announcing that my flight was closing, so I quickly said my goodbyes and was quickly ushered in past security. Security was tight and there were police everywhere. I got through security and checked in. Immigration was a breeze even if there was a long line and I was checked through without a problem. I always prefer to pack less to take on the airplane because then security is easy and I don't have to carry a lot of things. I always carry a change of clothes and a few toiletries in case I get stuck. Little did I know that I would be stuck in at Newark for 30 hours.

My flights were normal, packed and crowded, but no issues. There were four large flight leaving Uganda at the same time, so we were delayed about an hour. I didn't mind. I had a three hour layover in Belgium anyway. My layover was easy and they had free wifi, so that was exciting. I boarded the flight back to the U.S. and tried to rest. I can't sleep on flights, so I tried to stay busy while playing games and reading. Both flights had an amazing entertainment system, so I was quite pleased and entertained.

I have a love/hate relationship with reentering the U.S. because not only does immigration ask you a million questions, but then you have to pull off your luggage and re-check it. I really wish there was an easier way, but there's not. The immigration official asked me several questions including ones about ebola. Then, he sent me on my way and I grabbed my bags. I re-checked my bags and checked the departures screen to find my gate. I noticed that the flight scheduled in the morning for St. Louis was delayed, but I didn't think much about it.

When I arrived upstairs to the terminal, I realized that many of the flights were delayed because there were so many people standing around. I checked the monitor and noticed that my flight was canceled. So, I waited in line to talk to the agent at United...for 45 minutes. There was ONE agent taking care of everyone and then another agent came to assist. Once I got up to the counter, the agent told me she could not get me to St. Louis until the next night at 11 p.m...it was 4 p.m. in the afternoon, which was nearly 30 hours later. I was so frustrated, but it didn't seem like there was much I could do. She offered for me to fly stand-by for several flights the next day, but I couldn't imagine myself waiting in the airport any longer. So, I found a payphone and called my family to let them know I wouldn't be in the next day. I didn't take my cell phone because I didn't want anything to happen to it, so all I had was my ipad. I had to figure out a hotel and transportation WITHOUT a cell phone. I vowed at that moment to never travel without a cell phone again.

Even though I was frustrated with United, Newark did have a nice setup with a phone board to call and make reservations. So, I called Holiday Inn and reserved a room and caught the shuttle. Now, I thought I was going to be indoors all day, so of course I was in flip flops and capris. I headed to the hotel and checked in. The hotel was nicer than I expected. The rooms were spacious and very comfortable. I think my standard of hotels has changed a bit since traveling through Africa, but the hotel was definitely nice. There was Bath and Body accessories, a hairdryer, coffee maker, and large screen TV. I was very pleased and enjoyed the luxury. I wish I could have worked out or gone to the sauna, but I didn't have my swimsuit or gym clothes.

Once I was settled in, I ate dinner at the restaurant and then came back to the room and crashed. It didn't matter that is was 7 p.m. because in my mind, it was 4 a.m. Ugandan time and I needed to rest. I woke up the next morning about 6 a.m. and headed downstairs for breakfast. The restaurant had a breakfast buffet for $15, so I relaxed with a newspaper and enjoyed the fast wifi to upload pics and chat with my friends. I finished up my morning relaxing on the couch in my room and then headed back to the airport. The airport offered transportation to an outlet mall for $5, so I headed there.

The mall was called Jersey Gardens and I knew they had a movie theatre and some stores where I could find tennis shoes and some warmer clothes. I bought tennis shoes at Nike and a sweatshirt at Under Armour. I also saw Big Eyes with Amy Adams which was about an artist (Keen) whose husband basically took credit for her work. It was really entertaining and sad. In the end though, Keen won her case against her husband and still paints to this very day. I love that her husband died penniless! Karma is a wonderful thing!

I boarded the flight home without a problem and slept the whole time. I was so exhausted. I had a single seat, next to the window, which was awesome. My bags had already arrived at the airport and were waiting for me, so I picked them up and headed outside. I was a little concerned about waiting outside in the cold, but the shelter had a heater in it, so I was nice and warm. My bestie picked me up and then I headed home since I had to work six hours later. What a whirlwind of a trip!

Day 6 - Kampala/Mukono

I booked the bus for 8 am on Friday and anticipated a long, hot ride. There is no air conditioning on the buses, the road was not paved until about the last two hours, and the bus was packed. It is hard to describe thee bus situation, but the transportation is cheap and easy, just uncomfortable. On the bus ride up to Kitgum, we had a flat tire, so I was not surprised when ten minutes into the journey we had a problem. Apparently, there was a trailor that got "spoiled" (had a mechanical problem), so it was taking up most of the road. The further you get away from the city, the narrower the roads and zero to no resources. The broken down vehicles often stay on the road until their owners fix them because there are few towing devices and also people prefer to fix it themselves because it is cheaper. So the way people signal they are broken down is that they drop leaves on the road 5 meters before the broken down vehicle. Our bus tried to pass the vehicle, but began to tilt so severely that everyone got out of the bus. 

I was not so much scared as I didn't want to be delayed. The bus driver carefully drove through the narrow place and soon we were on our way. 

Most of the time I am usually tolerant of most people but this lady behind me was really getting on my nerves. It started when she tried to take our seat because she didn't realize there were seat numbers of her ticket. I thought maybe she was from the village and had not taken a bus before, but I quickly realized she was just an ignorant, boastful person who tried to impress everyone with who she had been partying with or how much she could persuade a man to buy for her. These kind of people completely turn me off. She was completely self absorbed by talking on her cell phone very loudly, asking the bus to stop so she could go to the bathroom when the rest area was 20 minutes away, and rotating seats whenever she felt like changing. I was beyond annoyed, but thankfully I kept my cool.

The bus ride was long and we arrived in Kampala at 5:30 pm, which was about 9.5 hours after we departed. Once arriving and picking up our luggage, we rushed up to my tailor to get fitted. We were already late and the walk to get to her was about 25 minutes. Kampala is a terribly crowded city and pickpockets run rampant. I absolutely hate walking through the city, especially if I have something in my bag. We finally arrived at my tailor, Grace's shop and she began presenting the skirts and suits that she made for me. They were absolutely gorgeous. She makes such amazing designs and I am always in awe of her handiwork. 

After getting my clothes, I headed back to the bus park to catch a coaster to Mukono. That ride took about an hour until I arrived at the hotel. So, all in all, the ride was close to 12 hours. After checking in I had scheduled some drinks with friends, so I enjoyed my evening with them before collapsing in bed after a very long day. 

I think it is worth mentioning that the hotels are quite different here than home. First of all, they are cheap, but may or may not have wifi, hot water, and/or electricity. The most I paid during my trip was 100,000 or $40, but I typically paid about $15-20 a night. The hotels stamp or carve their name/logo into everything including the sheets. They also have all different sorts of showers/toilets, but my least favorite is the squatting toilet. Several of my friends tell me they prefer them because they are cleaner because you don't sit on a seat, but I have time hitting the hole. At least I'm working on my quads.

On Saturday, I had scheduled two meetings, one with Joseph (a UCU students whose family makes mats) and the other with one of my favorite people, Banner. I have always been grateful to know so many people and support local families instead of big chains. Joseph's family makes gorgeous mats using raffia that they actually go get from the village. It is a awesome process. I had preordered some mats and bottle openers, so Joseph dropped them off for me.

Then I spent some time Banner who is a student I met at UCU. I have had a somewhat mother/son relationship with him and he is one of the first people I met on campus. Banner is from Rwanda, but has spent quite a bit of time in Uganda. He is such an awesome young man and I'm thankful for our friendship. 

My friend Sam picked me up around midday and spent the rest of the day watching movies, packing,  and getting my nails painted. Jenny and I have painted each others' nails several times, but this time she spoiled me by painting mine. Then we cooked beans, posho, rice, and ate fresh avocado. I also got a lesson in how to properly eat posho (which I think is made for maize flour) with my hands. Jenny actually shot a video of it and I didn't know it, but I will post on FB. We relaxed until it was time to go to the airport. 

 

Days 4 and 5 - Kitgum

I arrived into Kitgum about 8:30 am, which as nearly 12 hours after leaving Kampala. I was exhausted, dirty, and hungry. I retrieved my luggage from the "boot" and then headed to the bus office to check on the bus schedule. I planned on coming back on the Thursday night bus, but there are no buses running on January 1, so I will return on the Friday morning bus. The ride up to Kitgum is not an easy one. The road about 3 hours outside of Kitgum is under construction, which means it is a dirt road. It is very, very bumpy, like come-out-of-your-seat bumpy. We also had a flat tire just outside of Gulu which caused me to have to use the "bush" toilet. Now, I have not really been camping much and I don't like the outdoors. My first tent camping experience was last year during my time in the Serengeti in Tanzania, so needless to say squatting in the grass is a challenge for me. 

I finally arrived at the hotel, ordered food, and showered. Then, I slept like a baby for two hours. I wanted to rest because I was attending a New Year's Eve party with some of my former students who are teachers in the town. I visited them at their school last year during student practice and they are enrolled at a bachelor's program at UCU. Many teachers go to a teacher's college because it is cheaper and then go back to school to get a degree. The timing was perfect because they will soon be heading back to the college for three weeks before going back to work. The holiday time here is about 2 months for schools. It reminds me of our summer breaks. They don't have summer break, so this is there holiday time. Teachers can go to get the instruction for their class for three weeks and then go back home and work on their coursework and prepare for examinations during their next break. This program allows them to teach and still work on their degree. 

We attended a New Year's Eve party at a hotel in town. They had a DJ and offered snacks (fried food). We arrived at 7:30 to tight security and very few people. Many more people came as the night went on. I've never really been out to public events here in Uganda because I've always been warned that things can become dangerous quickly. This was especially the case in Kampala with terrorist warnings. But because we were up north near the border of South Sudan, there are less people and the town is relatively quiet. We relaxed in the gardens, ate, and played Uno. I had brought Uno and it was one of our favorite past times. Everybody loved it and we played for hours. At about 10 minutes to midnight, the excitement was in the air and all of a sudden the fireworks started exploding. They were so close and I tried to capture video of them. After every firework, the crowd would yell and shout. It was so much fun. I also brought a lot of noise makers and decorations. Everyone had fun with them. After the fireworks, we headed out and I understood why people felt nervous about the large crowds. People were shouting, but relatively calm. Some guy grabbed my arm and it frightened me a bit. I turned around and one of my friends behind me had already reared back to punch the guy. But we quickly realized the guy was young and mentally disturbed. Some people respond differently to someone or something that haven't seen before, and I'm used to people touching my skin or hair. But this was different because he grabbed at me. My friend had mercy on him and let him go because we knew he was just responding to something that he didn't know. I took a motorcycle back home and opened the gift that the students have given me. It is not acceptable to open gifts when people give them to you so I had to wait until I got home. When I opened the gift I found honey, gnut sauce and really cute shoes. 

I was so excited and honored that the students had given me these gifts. I know they don't make much as teachers and I was honored they thought of me. I fell asleep and slept for about 8 hours. Finally my body has adjusted to the time difference...just in time to catch my flight in a few days. 

On Thursday, I woke up, had breakfast, and headed into town to book my journey back to Kampala. I'm hoping that the journey is shorter this time, but we will see. I also wanted to upload my posts, so I knew that the town would have wifi at one of the restaurants. My plan is to leave tomorrow morning, arrive in Kampala, pick up the things my tailor made for me, and then head back to Mukono to meetup with friends.

Day 3 - Kampala

We left Rakai and headed back to Kampapa, which takes about 3 hours. The journey is an enjoyable one because it is a smooth ride. We stopped along the way to get a few things including a drum for me. The place where we stopped was incredible - one of those by the road places that you would never find anywhere else. I wanted a drum and I found just the place.

These drums are actually made from animal hides. You could see several of the animal hides being stretched and dried in sun next to the shop. It was awesome. I bought a small drum and stool which I hope I can get into the U.S. We will see. We arrived back to Kampala and immediately went to the bus park to secure tickets up to Kitgum for the 9 pm bus. We bought our tickets and headed to the mall to get some books and meet up some other friends at the brand new Acacia mall to watch a 3D movie. 

We saw Exodus complete with popcorn and slushies. I was in heaven. Then we went to the food court to fuel up before heading to the bus for our overnight journey. The food court was really, really different than the ones at home. As soon as you sit down, about 5 or 6 vultures (attendants from the various chains) surround you and shove menus in your face. We all ordered food and waited for it to come. 

I ordered Chinese food and loved it. It is nice to have the variety of food here because I knew that I would get mostly local food where I was going over the next few days. Local food is not bad, I'm just spoiled by the variety we have in the U.S. After dinner, we headed to the bus park to catch our bus. I love to travel at night because it is cooler and most people sleep. Also, the travel is safe without worry of someone robbing you. I have taken this journey before and I knew it would take about eight hours. Little did I know we wouldn't arrive in town until nearly twelve hours later due to a problem at the police checkpoint and a flat tire.

Day 2 - Rakai

Rakai was the reason I wanted to come to Uganda. Of course, I wanted to come to Uganda to visit my friends and experience the gorgeous weather, but this organization and my sponsor child were at the heart of this trip. So I was definitely looking forward to our trip today. Joseph (the founder of the orgazation) picked me up in Mukono and we headed to pick up the director and change money in Kampala. The trip to Rakai is about 3-4 hours and about 130 km. I first met Joseph when I was working at UCU. He came to my office to tell me about a small organization that he started during his internship when he noticed so many kids on the street and not in school. I was so intrigued by Joseph and his character.  At that time, a lot of people asked me to help in various ways or to connect them with people in the U.S. However, Joseph was totally different. I could feel his heart through the discussions we had, yet he wasn't pressuring me Iike others. I instantly knew this organization was something I wanted to get involved with and see how I could help. 

I had prepared a lot before coming by getting donations from my school as well as clothing donations from various places/organizations. I didn't want to say how much I was bringing because I was afraid I would be vulnerable, but since the money is in a safe place, I can say that I gave the organization $800 or 2 million shillings. I was so excited to give this money to them, but I also wanted ROHP to know that this money was not from me, but from so many people that care for them in the U.S., including my school's National Junior Honors Society who donated $400. I sponsor a child, but I also wanted to give something to the organization, so I donated a new laptop. Joseph indicated that was something they needed and I know it will be used to further the organization. 

I also knew this was a chance for me to see my sponsor child, Berendette. She is six years old and we were able to get her in school for the first time this term, starting in January. She was already showing me some of the English she has learned in school and also Joseph showed me some of her grade reports. I know she will continue to progress. 

After giving all of the money, clothing and laptop, we paused for a picture with the kids. They were super excited. They made these cute signs to welcome me. Their hospitality is always awesome. After pictures, we dismissed the kids to go back home and we went to go visit two sponsor kids. The first family we visited was one of our American sponsors, Beverly, who sponsors Kevin. Beverly was also responsible for sending all of the clothes for the kids through an organization that makes dresses for Africa. Kevin lives with his grandmother who is taking care of 10 grandchildren whose parents have all died from HIV/AIDS. It is a desperate situation for sure. Their house is in disrepair and they are struggling for their basic, daily needs. My heart feels so much for the desperate situation of this grandmother who is taking care of so many kids. I often wonder what will happen when she passes away, but I try to push that feeling out of my mind.

After visiting Kevin's family, we headed to lunch. We took Bernadette with us. She gobbled up everything we gave her to the point that her stomach was swollen and we packed the rest of the food for her to take home to her family. I quickly realized that her stuffing herself so much was because she didn't know where her next meal was coming from. This was one of those surreal moments in my life where I had to reconcile why I was so blessed to never worry about food and this little girl didn't know where her next meal was coming from. I know the things we are doing for her are helping but it is still hard for me to understand the contrasts between my world and hers.

We also had the opportunity to visit Bernadette's family's. Joseph had recently purchased a mattress and mosquito net for them, but their house needs a new roof badly. It is leaking everytime it rains and there is no door to provide security. I immediately knew I wanted to do something, so I asked Joseph to inquire about the building materials and day laborers so that the family could have a safe, dry house. It is dry season but the rains will be coming soon. I just could not live with myself if I didn't do something.

After our long day, Joseph dropped me off at the hotel and I crashed at 6 pm. I had such a long day coupled with jet lag, so I needed the rest. Joseph was scheduled to pick me up at 10 the next day to return to Kapala.