Life in Kampala 6/16

March 28, 2003

I keep going through my head, trying to keep all the memories alive for when I get down to email. I know the logical thing would be for me to write them down, but then do you think I would bring the paper I put the info on? Puhleease.

I’m still in Kampala. I keep trying to leave but I’ve fallen into a lifestyle here. The thing is I’m here to travel, right? It’s just such a nice country. Even though the rains have started.

I think I left the last email at the full moon party in Jinja. Much fun was had. We actually had enough people to get our very own matatu. Seems that Peace Corp don’t really have to work here, as they made up the majority of the passenger list.

When we arrived at Bujagali Falls (right on the Nile), we immediately set up camp. Meaning we dumped our stuff in the dorms, then went about our duties for waragi punch. Now waragi is the local gin, known originally as wag gin. It’s made from matoke. Yum. Who would have thought I would actually like it when I hate gin? But it’s delicious, although mighty dangerous. So we made this wicked punch for all 15 of us, containing no less then 3 full pineapples and 3 bottles of waragi. Then had a hotdog bbq! It was so cool! Damn, the peace corp group is cool. And the most cynical. You should hear what they have to say about the war. But more on that later.

They party was held down at Speke Camp, around the corner from us and right on the falls. They had set up a spotlight at the top of the falls so some kayakers could show off and they had a dj going all night in the main bar. Funny how many people you run into at a party like that. You know you’ve been somewhere too long when. Also amazing is the amount of debauchery found here in Uganda. I guess it’s a given when you can pretty much buy anything over the counter at the pharmacy. Example: I can’t sleep, one says to the pharmacist. Well, I can give you valium, but only 10 since you have no prescription. For 50cents CAD!!!!! And I had heard a rumour that you could get prozac so a friend and I decided to give it a try. I said I was sad. The pharmacist chatted with me for a bit about it and then was going to give me some! He also had decided I had malaria (I haven’t been in peak form lately, but nothing to worry about), which is almost impossible on doxy, and wanted to get me on meds! No blood smear or anything. Nice. But still, I’m amazed at how much shit people do here. It’s like being in a western city, except not cause you’re on the Nile and there are monkeys and stuff.

I’ll stick with Pilsner beer. Headed back from Jinja with full intention of going to Tanz. Oh, but we had to have a going away party for Simon. So we went to the casino where I helped this American bloke, Walker, win just over 300000 shillings, almost $300CAD. Yeah, like I didn’t want a cut, which he offered but I didn’t feel like it was fair in the long run. I mean, all I did was sit beside him and chat. It would have felt very hooker like if I had taken some coin (also a large amount of those here in Kampala…one even tried to pick me up!).

Then I was leaving. But now my friend Liv, who’s an NGO working in a small village, needs help with a project. Seems a farmer at the village makes dried fruit but doesn’t know how to sell it. Can I help and maybe make a label? Sure. And then I proceed to take over the whole project. It would have been cool save for the fact that Liv disappeared leaving me no money or budget to go ahead with. I have now dropped the project. It would have been cool though. I first named it Peace of Fruit, as in you are saving the world by buying this product. Then, one night, a large group of us we were having drinks down at Bugaloobi market, making fun of Ugandan English (Ugenglish…and there were Ugandans with us spurring us on), when it hit me. See, for some reason, Ugandans say what a lot: Can you pass me the what? The salt. I think it comes from the teacher showing examples in English class. But it’s really weird. At first you try to answer them but soon realize that will make matters even worse so you just wait until they answer themselves. New product name: Can you pass me the what? The dried fruit. Then the story and village name written at the bottom. How funny would that be? The Ugandans loved it….

In the process of me basically living at the Red Chillis I managed to get close to a number of people, particularly Pete, who is trying to live a happy existence in Uganda as an NGO working in micro finance and a gay man; very taboo. I’ve also refriended (?) some of my south African celtel mates. They were very good to me the other week when I was feeling slightly ill. See, they live in a fancy place down the road and decided I just needed some good home cooked eats, TV, and sleep with a fan to get better and took me in for the weekend. Could they get any nicer?

Pete and I have also worked our way into the expat doctor crowd. This is due to Ingrid, a lovely woman from San Fran who lived at Red Chillis for her 5 weeks in Uganda. She was working at a clinic and knew most of the doctors (yankee ones) here and thought them quite dull so she organized a night out including Pete and I. The best part of this: Grant. He’s this cool surfy malaria doctor who’s been living here on and off for 3 years. And he’s a workaholic that never socializes. We went to a bar and he decided that since he makes so much money and never doe anything with it, he’ll pay for everything. This of course made Pete and I feel very guilty, as we had just met the dude 5 minutes earlier. We tried to buy a round and Grant almost killed us. Ok.

Now I have to say, other than all the doc talk and the looks of fear when I told them I rode the boda bodas and even some lecturing on eating street food, etc. I really enjoyed hanging out with them. Grant had a dinner party the other night and Pete and I were the only dumb people there and we still managed to have a wicked time. Mind you, we had red wine (!), cold (!) beer, waragi and 5 different types of juice, mp3s, a stunning house with a stunning view of Kampala with a ninja security guard, and so much food! Kebabs done on a bbq! Cheese and crackers! A house cat brought form the US! I think I must have eaten over a pound of cheese. Yeah….remember when a number of us at home were talking about how much weight I was going to lose in Africa? Yeah..not happening. Much weight gain.

What else…oh, Pete and I adopted a young Scottish boy and went to the Ssese Islands, specifically Hornbill campsite. Oh, the idea was wonderful. We were originally going to Banda Island that is relatively close to Kampala, with a short boat ride on Lake Vic near Entebbe. But then we couldn’t get through so opted for the further island. We got on a bus fairly late in the day for Msaka, praying that we would make the ferry. Sadly, we chose the wrong bus. We waited 2 hours for it to leave. We did manage to have fun though. We’ve developed a new sport called Bus Spotting. See, all the buses have something ‘clever’ written on their mud flaps. Sadly, I am having a mind fart right now and cannot remember one single one! Oh shit…I’ll have to get them off Pete…But it was along the lines of Beat the Devil or something to do with god. All very amusing. We also tried to sell our samosas to other people for an inflated price (helpful that Pete speaks Lugandan), which was treated with much amusement. Imagine this very white, very English looking man carting around a plastic bag of samosas to the windows of other buses, shoving the bag in peoples faces (as they do to us). Very very amusing.

We finally made it to Msaka and then finally made it to the backpackers with a lot of confusion from our taxi driver. Why do they say yes when they don’t understand? It’s amazing. We go to backpackers. Yes. Then starts driving to Kampala….5 hours away. You understand. Yes, you need to go to school. What?! Seriously bizarre.

Got to the backpackers and entertained myself with all the names I knew in the guest book. Great spot though. Very chilled out and secluded. Good grub too.

Got up early the next morning to get on the ferry to Buggala Island, only to find out it didn’t go until 1. The reality was 2. We finally made it around 4 for our 2 days of rest and relaxation (Pete and I had to be back the next day for the dinner party). I did some laundry that never dried then swam in Lake Victoria where I probably got bilharzias. Had the most amazing fish (tilapia) for din and then played cards all night while lightning storms went off all around us (rainy season). Got up early to get the matatu home, only to have to wait yet again for over 2 hours. We left at 11:30 and finally made it back to Red Chillis at 7, thanks to the fast boda bodas. But the islands were actually quite nice and it would have been fun to have spent more time.

Yesterday Pete had a car (his parents are here visiting) so we drove all around Kampala, sneaking photos and even visited Entebbe. It was fun being in a vehicle but man, gas is pricey! And you get treated really weird. Rich mzungu…

So the war. We’re not allowed to watch much of it at the hostel, don’t ask me why there’s a time restriction. But everywhere you go you hear these assholes “How’s Saddam” “how’s Bin Laden” How’s Bush” or “Saddam is a good man”. Crap like that. Now everyone is decidedly American, which is wasn’t like before. I try to ignore but often inform them that I am Canadian. My country is not involved whereas Museveni is backing the US, which usually takes them aback. They didn’t know.

Another thing I didn’t know: Uganda was going to be Israel. It was the first choice. And that’s about it. Not as exciting as the last email but I’m still having a great time. I am planning on moving on in the next 2 days. Have met some others who plan on safaring in Arusha so…well, we’ll see, won’t we.

Hope all is well at home and abroad!
Love and misses,
thi