Entebbe

After a very long, eight hour journey to Kampala, I arrived at the bus park about 1 a.m. and took a motorcycle to my hotel. The hotel was nice with hot water and a flat screen tv. That excited me, but I was too tired to enjoy it. I think I fell asleep about 2 a.m. My sleep was restless because Kampala is a very noisy town and business seems to be conducted 24/7. I wish I could describe to you the craziness of Kampala, but you just have to experience it to understand. Around 12, my friends came to pick me up. They were storing another bag for me, so they brought it to me and loaded up my other bag. We set off to do some shopping. My favorite place in Kampala is a very small bead store that is difficult to find, but my friend Jenny knew exactly the spot! We found them when their lights were off, but I didn’t mind. They have such incredible jewelry and they can literally make everything right there. Jenny and Sam helped me pick out the jewelry and then we bargained for the price and left the ladies for an hour so they could finish my order.

We headed over to get some other things including shoes, coffee, and material. One travel tip that I have learned throughout the years is to buy local foods that you want at a grocery store instead of a tourist trap. The prices are cheaper and you get a fresher product. I am fascinated by the coffee situation here. Uganda grows and exports a lot of coffee, yet it is hard to find fresh brewed coffee. Everything they have is instant. The only place I have seen it is in the very expensive hotels and the embassy. So, I bought coffee, tea, and some sherry at the grocery store. I also went to the market to buy some shoes for me and Ella (my niece). Ella’s birthday was last week, so I had to get here a few special presents. She is always wearing my shoes and grabbing at my jewelry, so I wanted to get those things here. I can’t wait to see that sweet girl tomorrow.

 Then, we headed back to the shop to pick up my order. I snapped a quick pick with the ladies and they gave me a few extra pieces. They are incredibly talented and they genuinely take pride in their artwork. I am happy to support them. After finishing the shopping, we headed to Entebbe. Entebbe is like 30 KM away, but it took us over two hours because of the traffic. Their traffic systems here are really inefficient. There are traffic officers, but I swear they just get paid to stand around. There are also police convoys that come through for various reasons or another. Sometimes they are escorting a diplomat and sometimes they are just escorting a wedding party. Regardless, they come by at a high rate of speed with sirens blazing with usually 5-10 vehicles while everyone hugs the shoulder of the road to make way. Sometimes other vehicles join in, so that is fun. Then, you have to wait for all of the drama to pass and get back on the road. This happens so frequently, especially as you go towards bigger cities.

We arrived in Entebbe and got to the hotel. I knew this hotel was going to be pretty nice because it is $60/night and the most I have spent per night is $20. The hotel is nice with a beautiful balcony overlooking the lake. The lake is not really pretty because the water is dirty, but it is better than looking at the city streets and people everywhere. Entebbe seems to be full of money with the nicest cars and more Westernized food. They have a pizza and Thai place just down the street, so I had my meals planned out. It would be okay with me if I didn’t see rice for another year. Once I got settled, we visited the beach and some of the sites around. There is a strange phenomenon here where these lake flies come out about 7:30-8:15. They are absolutely overwhelming. They swam towards light, so you have to keep your lights in your room off or they will gather there in droves. They die off so quickly and the next morning you find their carcasses all over the place. I took a video of it last night and I will upload it later when I have better wifi. They are just crazy.

Prior to the fly swarm, my friends Daniel and Gloria came by to hang out, eat pizza, and play cards. I am so glad they came by and we picked up just like it was yesterday. They traveled over two hours to get here and that is how you know you have good friends. We shared a bottle of wine, cheese, and played a raucous game of cards until the lake flies started. Then, they headed home and I started the packing process. Packing to go home is much easier than packing to go some place. I just throw everything into my suitcases and hope I don't exceed the weight limit. After I finished packing, I relaxed a bit and slept off!

Breakfast in the morning is always fascinating because you see who has stayed at the hotel the night before. During breakfast there were four other couples besides me. Two of the couples were Ugandan. The other two couples were older, white men with very young, Ugandan women. I can't help to think about the discussion I have had with my friends about "ladies of the night" here in Ugandan. Prostitution is illegal here, but it happens, openly and freely. These ladies in the hotel were at least 30 years younger than their partners. One of the guys seemed European and the other one was American. These ladies know exactly what they are doing. They will do anything to get money in order to go to school, provide for their families, or just to get things for themselves. I am not judging them, just intrigued by the situation.

This morning I had a special treat of seeing monkeys before I left the hotel. I had a lot of monkeys near me when I lived in Mukono and I never get tired of seeing them. They are so human-like and so affectionate. I especially love it when I see babies attached to their moms. I saw them running by the hotel, so I ran out to snap some pics of them. Super cute. 

I am off to the airport this morning to take the two-day journey home. I have long layovers in Abu Dhabi and Chicago, but I am looking forward to coming home and getting things finalized for Turkey. See you soon!