New Years in Kampala, 31 December 2008

Me and Jim decided to go running this afternoon I guess as a way of promising ourselves that our optimism would continue through till next year, Lawrence wanted to visit more friends and run a few errands round town, we arranged with him to grab our bus tickets back to Tanzania early while he was around. So we feasted happy in the knowledge that this evening would welcome the start of a New Year, 2009. I would like to say the year has gone fast but I feel like 2009 has been a long year for me.

Avocados, fresh fruit, tomatoes, sour dough, eggs we kept going and going, talking over our plans for tomorrow, foolishly we were preparing to wake up very early after what promises to be a long evening to make our way to the famous Jinja area in search of the source of the Nile! we wanted to wake by seven, optimistic I thought but true to our jam packed trend.. after breky we all turned to the chore of washing, it is quite a chore without a washing machine, every item takes a long time, involving vigorous effort scrubbing and rubbing, It is quite disgusting to see how much filthy water even one item can produce, I don't mind as I think of it as more of an appreciation lesson, never will I cease to appreciate the washing machine and the ease it brings to our lives. One and a half hours later, im done.

After this rigmarole we take off for much needed exercise, with Kili coming up I'm trying to get my act together, however the time we decided to run happened to coincide with mid-day and Kampala is not cold! so we went for maybe a 3 kilometre run in the sweltering heat, sweating our hearts out through the dust, mindful of the unpredictable traffic, up hills and all, nearing the end of the run we spotted a sign saying "swimming pool" the offer was too good, we ran towards this promised oasis, one sign led to another sign, that sign led to another and so on, it felt like a real oasis disappearing before our eyes until finally we reached the complex with barely the strength to walk. Ahhh the pool, what a way to end a hardcore run, swimming and relaxing by the pool, drifting off to sleep, talking about the future, and our individual plans!

Kampala changes when the lights go down, it is not like Time Square in New York but there is a lot of fluorescent colour and light, a vibe that makes the city feel unique, it feels exciting, there is a buzz in the air, the youth are out in force to celebrate and it has only just turned 6, it must be a universal thing that New years equals p+a+r+t+y. We make our way through the city to meet friends for dinner, Lawrence is in a rush trying to ensure the evening goes to plan, we are walking very fast through crowded streets dodging messy puddles, staggering people, jumping over gaps,through tight areas, always making haste, at one point it felt like we were doing an Indiana Jones take, i was carefully maneuvering round a large man struggling with a large fragile vase as Lawrence was racing ahead, Jim was still behind us both, I sidestepped this gentleman only to find another guy making his way towards a tight alleyway carrying an overflowing sack of material, this sack was maybe five times the size of himself, I ducked under his load just before he made the squeeze, Jim wasn't so lucky, this man had wedged himself right in the way, i ran to get Lawrence, what a jam. It is an exciting centre with so much about, jazz playing here, an enthusiastic speaker making himself heard above the crowd, its all going on. We are laughing at everything this night could not be going better if it tried.

We sit to eat pork and talk, talk about it all, the friends are all about the evening, drinks here, more food there, music always around us like a welcome friend. We meet friend after friend at bar after bar, we go with the crew that have emerged to a local to get in the count down, we meet TV presenters, marketing managers, it doesn't matter its all about whats next, whats next, moving, moving, moving.... 5,4,3,2,1.. the new year begins, the dancing begins, the pace does not slow, hip hop clubs, where Ugandan language rules the floor, back to the multi faceted club with many DJs, guys, girls dressed up, loving it, people yelling everywhere...Happy New year, many on the back of trucks dancing, we see live performances of famous local artists doing their thing, everyone is stoked to dance with the white guys who are enjoying the night and music just as much as them! Jim and his salsa moves impress the local dancers, the beat rises and falls we are all transfixed, through reggae, ragga, all types of local and international stuff everyone is sweating but going on, the DJ is pointing at us us loving how much we get into it, it all goes on, parties in the street, drunk brothers leaving for home, we continue, just happy to be here and welcoming the new year, eventually the night fades as we emerge exhausted and hit home. Kampala was one big party for us even when we were relaxing, enjoyment levels were high!

30th of December 2008

Last night we had stayed at a dingy den that backed onto a bar, where music was playing loud as you like. crazy characters of all sorts came and went, the place had a sleazy feel, with a managers smile to match, I hit my first game of pool in a long time to find I wasn't on form. it was a busy city with too much going on for me at that time.

Kampala! at long last we made it, it was late at night when we pulled up. The scenery was once again top notch, as we talked, bumped and slept our way back. We had managed to get all the parts for our car to temporarily piece it together yet the front still looked like it had been attacked by a meat grinder, at least it was an improvement from what it was, unfortunately despite all the hard work and money all the repairs would need to be replaced for new parts... Anyway we pitched in with costs and tried to move on. Even around this time of 8.30, without dinner and only a small lunch, Lawrence's first priority was to hit the local saloon for a shave and a cut. I finally gave in, my facial hair had become too itchy to handle, I also opted for a shave...

I came out a new man, its amazing how much a little hair on the face can change your appearance, I watched it all unfold through stages.. Castaway, filthy goatee, Tom Saleck moustache, to a man almost ten years younger. I was a little sad to see over a months hard fought growth swept up from the floor, but I figure that there is plenty of time left for another attempt. Time for some well earned rest as we look forward to New Years eve tomorrow!!!!

28th of December 2008

With a car in ruins we could not travel the roads, the Ugandan police are liable to take any measure like an extreme fine or even confiscation of a vehicle if they see such a spectacle through their corrupt lenses, not to mention the fact that we did not have fully functioning headlights and it was getting dark, so we stopped in Kabale in a motel like hotel for the night. We put the car in for repair at a local mechanic and friend of the families, these men jumped into life measuring parts, unscrewing bits and bobs, it was all rather frantic, being tired we left them to their work. We took bicycles home, a rider will take one or two people on the back of his bike were there is a cushioned space for passengers, then he will strain his way to the destination for money, being the only form of transport around we reluctantly accepted, I felt bad relaxing while this guy was giving it his all.

So good to get a great sleep, a hot shower and a solid breakfast of food that my digestive system is used to. I had a minor altercation with the management team over breakfast, they wanted to charge me double the set menu price for my scrambled eggs, they claimed they added an extra egg without telling me, my advice to any African hotel staff who try this... watch out for the law student, we argued for about half an hour until i walked away paying the original amount. Close to Kabale lies one of Uganda's most celebrated attractions, Lake Bunyonyi. Since we had no car and could not continue our journey towards Kampala until it was repaired we decided to make the detour by taxi. Lake Bunyonyi fills you with anticipation because even from afar it is a stunning sight, try as i might I could not get my camera to give it just deserts. Imagine the beauty of the countryside we had been driving through reflected in a calm smooth surface of a large, wonderful lake. This lake is rumoured to be the deepest in Africa and we caught it at such a perfect moment, there had been rain the day before and while we were there massive black clouds broken by blue sky loomed, we met the calm before the Storm on the lake. Picture after picture of the lake reflecting, hills, clouds and sky.... We paddled the lake using a canoe, reaching the far shores where a little resort welcomed us with friendly arms. This is the utopia that everyone in the world is always searching for, if you can make it to Bunyonyi your closer than the communists ever came.

When we returned by canoe to the other side Lawrence began to get really excited, he almost jumped before we made the shore, he raced over to shake the hand of rather large burly looking fellow with a face that reminded me of the African Saint Nick, this was one of the countries most important ministers, one of Lawrence's 'idols' 'minister of interior defence', he shook our hands firmly and we did the formalities, he was a character who had a presence that you could feel, a true politician, always smiling. Boy was Lawrence excited!

True to style we returned to pack even more into our day, we could not pass this area without visiting Lawrence's grandfather... This ancient man still looked in good form, he had lived many lives in one with many wives and many tales, he didn't speak English but didn't have to, the stare, smile and look of the man said enough, it was an honour on my part to be a part of such a warm reunion. Lawrence elaborated on a few of his grandfathers adventures it could and should fill a book.

The mechanic had transformed our wreck as best he could, yet we were minus a headlight, we had to go on to the next town in search of this vital piece. So we went, saying goodbye to a man, a character who plays a part in a long story I barely know, saying goodbye to a lake the likes of which many a legend has been based, through the scenery we race, over pot holes, amongst our conversation, the road flies by.

27th of December 2008

I'm stuck in a tornado traveling at top speed, it doesn't want to slow down, round and round i go, I'm along for the ride, well at least that's what it feels like. today we leave the village off to the Switzerland of Uganda to see the green greens of Kabale's terraces and rich fertile lands, this is another long drive with yet another brother, the scenery is breath taking. It was a shame to leave the village behind but we had such a great time and saw things and people I would never have dreamt up, on our way we pass the site of a mass murder that unfortunately put the Kanugu district on the map. in a cult like act akin to the Jonestown massacre, a man burnt thousands alive inside a church in a mad belief that the world was going to end, a bad man who conned and ruled with thugs and fear, a dramatic story, everyone in the village knew or was related to someone affected, Lawrence had cousins killed.
The country side here is nothing on the dry hot Savannah's of Queen Elizabeth, here it is cool with large, rolling hills, New Zealand, Switzerland and Peru all mixed in together, a vast array of green hills with terraced plateaus and rustic roads and houses, red dust, green ferns, grass of all shades, paddocks colouring the area in squares of contrast, different types of green, yellow, brown up and down hills, more green, very green! stock and birds grazing away, the peace of it all is what I think about, just watching it gradually go by is very relaxing, enjoying fresh mountain air, it is the closest to home Ive felt since being in Africa, my mind takes off home to friends, family and next year, through pristine forests and large luscious farm lands, we stop for photo's, stories told of the great farmers out here who play reggae and classical music to their cows to maximise milk production. We stop for petrol and again experience highly inflated prices, far more expensive than NZ, petrol is approximately $3 a litre or more, just like Tanzania the petrol companies dictate round here, acting in cartels they ensure prices remain high even in times where OPEC are cutting production rates as the rest of the world experiences a glut. Corruption pervades all parts of life over here, there is a joke that if a man has a moustache in Africa he is corrupt, its quite a good one when you see just how quickly an African can grow a mo and just how many have them, a perpetual movember!
I cannot emphasise the beauty of this area, every corner brings exclamations from within the car, for Lawrence and brother this is business as usual, but Me and Jim are just in awe., the plateaus are so amazing. The roads however are very dangerous, they are slippery, sandy and very narrow winding round blind corners where the horn has to be used as an alerting mechanism in case of oncoming traffic. We took one corner at about 50km without sounding the horn to find a pick up carrying a packed load of passengers in the car and on the back coming straight at us. Lawrence's bro had little option, it was either hit the steep cliff on the left side and potentially kill passengers or run into the other vehicle. breaking violently he slid, smack bang into the side of the pick up propelling it up a bank, inches away from a perilous drop where we could have witnessed a horrible end to many. the vehicle was still teetering on the edge, two tires off, everyone was quick to get out and survey the damage. Our car sustained heavy damage to the front right and was going to need definite repairs, the other car was hit in the side in a fairly strong area so luckily only denting occurred, no-one was hurt, we gathered in a group prayer. Eventually after heated negotiations and wanting to avoid the corrupt police, we paid the other driver out a large sum and kept going.. the roads are just so dangerous, it began pouring down as we made our way to the closest town to baton down for the night, survive the shock and repair the car, plans were understandably put on hold, as again I thanked my guardian angel for bringing me thus far safely.

26th of December 2008

Dabora, the drunkard we left merrily feasting away last night got so intoxicated that he was helpless to let himself out for a short call, instead he took to yelling at the top of his voice early in the morning for attention, awoken by his crazed drunken ramblings i thought i was in a mental asylum or a torture chamber, his racket was too much, even when he'd been about his business he would have random outbursts throughout the night that no-one could sleep through. Dabora became a familiar name after that night as he often became the topic of conversation for both myself and Jim, we had never quite experienced the likes of him, Lawrence would laugh in heinsite it was really funny.
We were meant to wake up early but Dabora prevented this, still at about 9 we went through the morning village routine, hurrying to the bucket shower before others got in first, waiting for the toilet as it was cleaned, drinking locally grown tea with locally made bread and a large bowl of fruit, paupau, pineapple, mango. We discussed the plan: try to drive the private road through Queen Elizabeth national park without paying, viewing the abundance of wildlife as we travelled. Queen Elizabeth national park was named by the queen in her previous 2007 visit for it's natural beauty and number + variety of animals, it is situated right on the border, DRC is just a stones throw away, to make things even better this is one of the closest borders to the current conflict and is known for the sheer number of refugees that cross every day. Anticipation and anxiety were mixed but the possibility of getting my first site of a wild leopard, lion or elephant ,without expense, was an opportunity I wasn't about to pass up. Cameras in hand we jammed into Lawrence's brothers car and made our way out of the village in a long journey towards the Savannah.
We stopped to fill up on petrol and buy food supplies in the last town before the park began, this was also the closest town to the border, where numerous refugee camps could be found, flash 4wd's bearing the names of every NGO under the sun were present. The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is no joke, everyday people are dying and millions are homeless, talking to many about the situation you get the feeling it isn't going to get any better soon, Congo is a resource rich, massive country, full of dense jungles and terrain perfect for any rebel faction to hide. We are also talking about some of the most sought after resources in the world, diamonds, oil, gold, so yes there are rebel groups but there are also government backed troops from Rwanda and Uganda, all vieing for a piece of the pie incognito. Uganda is there apparently fighting the ongoing battle against Kony, a man that has committed many atrocities, however Uganda has had the chance to kill this guy or stop him in his tracks so often you wonder why they haven't, does it have anything to do with the territory where he is currently situated? let me give a good example of this, Uganda was the largest timber exporter in Africa, without massive forests to back this up, they were recently found plundering large amounts of Congolese timber for large profits.
So we are travelling near one of the worlds hot spots nearing the park when what should we see but 2 large Ugandan tanks making their way on the road towards us, we had to pull over as these massive things passed, soon after hundreds of ground infantry followed carrying all sorts of weaponry, they were making their way towards Congo, Jim and I just looked at each other, sometimes a face can say a thousand words! Tanks! we really felt like we were in the middle of it, extreme!
We continued, whilst trying to understand what exactly was going on, Lawrence tried to keep us focused on the wild life, "lions roam these parts" he said as our tire burst. we were in the middle of a national park, on the border of Congo, surrounded by tanks, lions and god knows what else, we had a flat tire that had to be fixed and the grass was so long that trying to spot a stalking lion was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. One thing we did have on our side was that it was around noon, not the usual hunting time.. still! tire changed, we keep going again, soon enough we see an elephant, Me and Jim turn to take pictures as the brother is racing at top speed, the elephant is running along side us about 50 metres away, both brothers talk of the danger of elephants especially ones on the move... its like scoring a part in an action movie, everything is happening, we see angry buffalo and don't stick around, monkeys, birds of all shapes , colours and sizes, the terrain is ongoing, at last we get a picture of a calm elephant drinking in a river, what site, a huge thing that didn't mind the company. Following the ongoing road, bands of baboons cross in front and behind our moving vehicle, one group came very close, perfect for a photo opportunity, these animals are surprisingly large and very agile, with sharp teeth and claws, Lawrence said it was OK to throw them a banana, as I reached for one from the back it sent the animals present into a frenzy, they rushed at my open window bearing teeth, slashing out at my arm they stood on hind legs beating their chests, i shouted while releasing the banana then watched them fight violently amongst themselves and turn again aggressively toward the car full of open windows, we didn't need to be told twice and raced off. don't feed the animals comes to mind, i wouldn't recommend it either! this is an ongoing joke, the way i shouted in the face of dangerous wild animals out for food is something i cant live down and will remember for a while to come.

Christmas in Uganda- 25th of Dec 2008

We were woken very early by a male goat on heat just outside our window, strange noises, the crowing of roosters soon followed, we were definately in the village. Wished everyone a Merry Christmas during a morning routine and thinking of home I prepared for church knowing full well that my family had done the same for midnight mass back in little old Napier. I soon found that I was to be embarrassingly under dressed, everyone was getting dressed to the nines, the suits came out complete with cuff links, frilly sparkling dresses and shawls. I ironed my cargo pants, but on a brand new African shirt and tried to look the part, It was Christmas! This was Jim's first non- white Christmas, one without snow that is, we both were excited but had some part of us somewhere else. Majority of the family were heading to the main local parish, as they were getting sons and daughters baptised in a doubly special way to spend the day, however it was decided that some of the family should make appearances at other local Churches just to keep up the family presence, we accompanied Lawrence on his mission to a small nearby Church set on top of a hill, it was perfect in its simplicity, even from afar you could see people everywhere. In Africa the people are very religious, in Uganda Christianity is the main denomination and worship is a must, at this time I strongly believe that every house in the village would have been empty, as a cat burglar from another life I pondered this fact. We had arrived late, the sermon had started, we joined the crowds outside peering in windows, when the head nun caught wind of our arrival she wasn't having anything of this standing outside business instead gave us the royal treatment right up the front, I knew what was going to happen, everyone stopped and starred, "check out the late white guys", "phh not even dressed in suits", " yep, right up the front", "every year"... haha no there was a lot of staring but it was mostly out of interest, some of these people, especially the kids had never or hardly seen whites, can you imagine.
The service was something else, they had an African choir straight from the record books, complete with a bongo drum backing they sang Christmas songs in familiar tunes with different words, we did join in for the Latin version of 'Gloria', more like a Mr. Bean rendition on our part, loud chorus, no verse. The local songs hit it off the harmony of a whole church erupting in heart felt, joyous, beautiful song is moving. They all clapped to their hearts content, swaying and dancing, the kids would jump up in down in a sweaty, moving mass the whole standing room was on fire, caught in the wave of Christmas song, this was a Christmas, and church sermon like no other. All was in the native tongue of Lugandan, we sat patiently in between speeches, took the bread in turn, donations as well, Church doesn't finish after the last song, distinguished members are invited to speak and who should be one of those but Lawrence, addressing a crowd of about 1 maybe 2 thousand he spoke in his native tongue until Jim and i heard our names mentioned and he gestured for us to join him, well they just clapped and clapped as we stood on the stage, he introduced us, we waved and sat back down to another round of applause, gee talk about flattering, I'm stoked he didn't get us to speak, what would u say. The formal proceedings ended with an auction, a way of donating alot of money to the church for a token prize. Goats, eggs, chicken, cabbages were all for the bidding. I bet one persistent old fella to a bag of four avocados, holy avocados, I looked forward to eating those. When we emerged from the mass both Jim and I were circled by many wanting to meet and greet, I managed to grab a photo with a whole bunch of kids. We meet the elders of the village some over 100 years of age, so old they themselves had lost count. We talked to everyone and were swamped by more, Lawrence took us on a visiting spree of all his dearer connections like ex-teachers, and bosses, people who used to help him herd cows as a blighter etc. the rich tapestry of people filled our morning and mid afternoon completely, meeting people so happy and content with their simple lives, true beauty... We ran into the town drunkards, ragged, senseless bunch, crazy from years of wanton abuse, mad, dancing passionately in the middle of the road, yelling at trees, man it was bizarre...

Lunch with a happy, well dressed, reunited family the sound of catch ups taking place all over, Christmas overseas for me was really special.
In the evening after another meal with family Lawrence took us to visit his old boss the 'Village King', this gentleman, Sam he humbly called himself, high up in the government owned a massive elaborate mansion, we were metaphorically transported out of the village just for the evening and delivered into the lap of luxury, I was introduced by Lawrence with a slip of the tongue as a Lawyer, well, I tried to live up to this introduction as we discussed many issues global through domestic, economic through legal, arts etc, he was a well travelled, well educated man with alot to say, he took a liking to Jim and I, taking us outside to a table amongst his decorative garden, he brought tray upon tray of alcohol and finger food, Heineken, Johnny walker black, leiphroag, all sorts of African beer, wine and liqueur, I never knew some of these drinks existed and had never seen some of these familiar brands here in Africa, finger food was fantastic, his family and friends joined us and we were waited upon by servants, it was luxurious I felt again like a true foreign prince, he wanted our opinions on all and questioned us amoungst the many stories throughout the night, as a campfire emerged, so did the laughter. We made it home to find a couple of drunkards, seriously intoxicated since we had left them feasting on the left overs of our earlier meal, they were having a merry Christmas aswell by the looks, it was good to see, they made happy noises and continued hoing down the food and their liquid mixtures at an alarming rate. A seriously surreal day, how to do justice by explanation to a Christmas such as this is really beyond my means.

24th of December 2008

It was always our plan in coming to Uganda to accompany Lawrence back to his home village to celebrate Christmas, something he had been marketing since the very day i met him, his village is in the far western Kanugu district, close to the DRC border. Lawrence stayed in a flat, (the one we were getting set to leave) in the city while studying and continued the cheap rent so he could keep the place over time, however his home and many generations of family roots was situated in Kanugu. His father had managed to obtain a large amount of property there while alive which he had duly passed on to his many, responsible sons, of which Lawrence was one, this put Lawrence in a fairly distinguished position within his village at a very young age, an honour which he looks to expand upon, his networking leaves nothing to be desired, I mean really is the whole of Uganda his family or what?

So today we made the journey from Kampala to Kanugu, starting early again, at 5.00. Due to the sheer amount of family making the voyage car space was tight, Jim and I were tightly jammed into the back of Silver, (Lawrence's actual brothers) vehicle and Lawrence travelled ahead with another. Two others shared the back seat with us, two cousins, one a baby. I was a sardine for the day, I had to ask for stretch stops all the time, my legs were going numb, the distance mounting and time was taking its toll, I found it hard to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Funny pictures come to mind, as we travelled up one long hill, everyone is heading out of Kampala in a classic pre-Christmas dash to get home, we were travelling in a large convey, it was so full of pot holes that it looked like every single driver was drunk, dodging the holes, oncoming traffic and passing cars, honestly to look out the front windscreen was a joke. Silver would stop occasionally at stalls to introduce us to Ugandan treats like bbq'd maize, roasted banana, skin and all, cassava roots and mango, I tried a fruit that no-one in the car new the name of, it was bitter as hell, i thought i didnt get a ripe one so reached back in the bag, same story, they thought I took a liking to it so bought me a whole bag, damn, I couldn't help but politely smile, offer it round, then try to fall asleep, ha ha. the fruit stalls were bright and packed, I wanted all of it, the bus experience of people swarming the car was repeated as i got chicken shoved in my barely awake face, the country side flew by, towns, rivers, hills and all. We reached the village after 12 hours of driving. Set in the middle of a tropical jungle, surrounded by farm area and farm style houses and cottages, I had gone back in time, people wave and wave and wave everywhere as we arrive, they continue to work away with various tools, this family knows every single person here greeting them by name. As we are nearing the village, there was an unbearable smell, Silver points out a dead leopard in the middle of the road, slaughtered by residents as it strayed to close for comfort, that's the first wild leopard I have seen, hm not how I pictured it happening. Silver tells us stories of the days when Idi Amin ruled the land, under his rule these roads were littered with bodies, bad men blockaded every entrance demanding money and vehicles if their demands were refused you joined the others on the side of the road, as a boy Silver had seen all this, he'd seen woman raped and people killed, a far cry from life in New Zealand.

The village could be described as simple, I had been getting used to the way of African life so nothing was a shock, lack of power, not a problem, shower, not a problem, toilet, not a problem, hold on, did you say the toilet meant trekking sometimes in the dark through the banana jungle? when Ive just seen a leopard dead or not? i try to hold on till morning, again politely smiling. Everyone welcomed us openly, they prepared elaborate meals for all, we ate like kings and slept accordingly.

23rd of December 2008

Kampala is breathtaking. just to walk around the local streets is nothing short of impressive, the rusty colour of the roads and hills, huge ancient looking buildings, banana plantations dotted all over the place, large anthills line the paths, blue sky above without the saturating heat, cows like you've never seen, skinny as anything with horns the size of elephant tusks Lawrence said these were small! friendly smiling people say hello, shout greetings or pass excited comments every second, every turn is worth a photo. Lawrence, Jim and I must have looked an odd combination as we toured around, Jim with his blond, curly masses, Lawrence neatly shaven and dressed impeccably and me scraggly beard and all. We called each other names, laughing as we met everyone we could in a whirlwind of events, Lawrence knew everyone, we were stopped on every corner by a long lost friend. Lawrence has such a good natured way about him, optimistic at every point, any trouble is meet with his laid back reply of, "no worries, man". Jim and I soon found out how infectious the man's sayings are, he has a number phrases that he fits into daily speech, they have suddenly become a part of our vocabulary as well. in Ugandan culture it seems everyone is a brother or sister even when they aren't, I thought I had a large family, but Lawrence's actuall family is huge, I've lost count, it gets confusing as well when he introduces friends and extended family as brothers and sisters, names fly by. This brother takes us there, that brother(friend) takes us here, this sister welcomes us for lunch, this uncle puts on dinner and so it goes on, the African way is share all, such a hospitable bunch.
The ba-ja-jis/tuk-tuks of Tanzania are not to be seen in Uganda, a new species has evolved here, boda-bodas and bicycles. Boda-boda's are motorbikes that can hold one or two passengers, they are found everywhere. in every main destination, groups of these riders compete for attention. Together the three of us managed to fit on two of these motorbikes as we headed toward a landmark on the tourist map of Uganda, a religious monument erected in remembrance of 22 Ugandan Martyrs who were burned alive for there religious beliefs. these motorbikes are meant to be reliable things I'm assured, very sturdy, skilled, competent drivers, insurance pops to mind as we take off, i think that's natural. Lawrence is our guide wrangling cheap prices, taking us anywhere that comes to mind, we go along for the ride, although this is travel for us this is home for Lawrence so he has lots of must do's. When we arrive at the sacred grounds, Lawrence disappears for a while, we are automatically hit by people wanting to charge us to look around etc. when he returns Lawrence shrugs them off as and showed us around the Church, surrounding gardens, monuments and statues. The place had been opened by the pope at the time and a large crowd had come from all across the world to ceremonially celebrate its opening, it was a very sacred, holy place, almost ornamental, you didn't want to step out of line it was that perfect, we met with the ex-choir leader from the opening day who led us in a prayer with his present family, for Lawrence and this man you could see and feel the place meant so much.

As if in direct contrast to what we had just seen and experienced we were off to meet locals for a beer at the pub, we left the bikes and headed through the markets, shops and main streets of wider Kampala drawing stares all the way, entering the pub felt like a movie scene everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the two white guys come in, soon enough the place came back to life. These friends went to uni with Lawrence, smiles all round as they noticed his company, the enthusiastic chatter began, one of his friends works on the Congolese border with red cross, man, I talked this guy non-stop, asking about the situation, he updated me more extensively then any news paper, DRC is a mess seems like a common trend here. He had seen gory things, inspiring things, said he loved his job, said he could put me in touch if i wanted to volunteer, I passed politely on the offer. Learning more every moment it was time to move on to meet more friends, and more, we meet so many.

To top the day off we had a formalish dinner at Lawrence's Uncles house, the man had clearly done really well for himself in life and was obviously interested in America judging by the way he questioned Jim all night. his family were welcoming as I almost fell asleep eating the mountains of food put in front of me.

22nd of December 2008

Kampala clubs are huge, it is definately an experience to make your way on to an African dance floor with your mates, it is a big deal, I had a few beers nothing too drastic, they get into the club scene big time over here, one place had four floors with different DJ's catering for differing tastes, seas of african bouncing and rolling in time to the rythym, it seemed surreal like something out of a book to be here seeing the whole thing in motion, Lawrence was pointing out big African hip-hop stars that were hanging out at tables full of all sorts of drinks and girls, people are really interested in the whites as we are rare here and stand out, people here speak English! everyone speaks English! so you can talk in depth with locals, some fresh from Iraq, others born in England, all have a story. One of the first things I found out was the very high percentage of those with aids in this city something like 40%, cringe cringe it makes sense when you see the way they interact. I was also surprised at the number of Ugandans who are in or just come back from Iraq it seems alot go to work for private security companies as mercenary for high wages and high risks, the night was worthwhile just to hear some of these guys yarn. We stayed up till late talking and taking in the experience of the scene, I haven't seen anything quite like it before...
We slept today until the cows came home, facilities in Lawrence's abode took a bit of getting used to, a hole for a toilet, basin as a shower and a washing machine, life will never be the same when i get home. For breakfast we hit a nearby, sane, laid back market and bought eggs, avocados, tomatoes and toast. It felt great to amble out of bed lazily and stroll around checking out the dusty red, rolling neighbourhood. Lawrence eats avocados whole two at a time, the avocado here is everywhere and tastes so good, i tried to follow Lawrence's example, never too much of a good thing is my motto when it comes to food. The food in Uganda is delicious and different, they eat alot of bananas and have found even more ways to cook this staple of their diet than even Tanzania, my first meal consisted of 'matoki' which is mashed savoury banana, its like mashed potatoes but yellow and banana instead of potato, mixed in with chili, I had this with g-nuts or ground nuts made into a sauce, tastes like a mild satay or peanut sauce and is meant to be really good for you, cheap too, they added peas, carrots and a few roast potatoes and I was savvy!
We were basically in chill mode just checking out random spots around town, taking in the sights of Kampala, a sunny well planned city where the people love to dress up, dressing up is great bright frilly colourful African suits and the same form for the dresses. Uganda is a Commonwealth country as well, but like the rest of Africa has problems with leadership/politics and corruption, the same president has been in power now for 23 years he has changed the constitution a number of times, a tell tale sign of a dictatorship, he also silences opposition with jail terms and election cheating. African dictators have to hold on to power otherwise when they leave its curtains, Mugabe is the prime example, still apparently this leader is doing good things for Uganda despite his many questionables, they have come a long way since the days of Idi Amin. Police are seen constantly, keeping everything in order, directing traffic, walking the beat, some ride in big convoys on the back of jeeps they like an intimidating bunch, always suspicious and carrying large weaponry. There is no where near as much suffering to be seen here as in Dar-es-Salaam, but poverty is still around and so are the mosquitoes, my left arm bore the brunt during the night
For dinner we had flame grilled pork sticks, this is by far the best pork I've ever tasted, on the side we had roast banana in a salsa sauce, I was in heaven. We mulled over the extent of our trip so far in between plenty of laughs, in the background played Ugandan 'ragga,' a fast paced form of reggae with a catching beat designed to make you dance. We have planned to get the max out of our Christmas/New Year break and are going to be packing a fair bit!

21st of December 2008

We paid exuberant transit visa prices to briefly enter Kenya, a good way for their government to make a quick buck, we had to sign out of Tanzania and sign in to Kenya (standard) after we completed this time consuming process the sun was going down. The freezing cold of the Western rift valley in Kenya should never, I repeat never be underestimated when traveling overnight. It was unbearable! I wore a tshirt acting as a balaclava over my whole head, the entire night, I borrowed a friends spare leather jacket and wrapped a towel that I had packed in my day bag round my legs, if someone had taken a picture of our desperate, motley crew during these times I'm sure we would be the laughing stock.. the road by now was shaking the bus violently as we travelled at speed, A local on board, wrapped in all sorts of warmth told stories of the lawless state of Kenya, how corrupt even the police are, he happily elaborated to our horror on the hoards of bandits that pick off buses and supply trucks on these highways, so the speed in my eyes was justified. however the speed was causing other issues, hitting the bumpy road at about 120 kmph shook the whole bus which in turn made sure that the faulty bus windows were impossible to close which then guaranteed that our attempts to find any ounce of warmth were worthless. No amount of complaining made it better, we were frozen the whole night long, I couldn't sleep, i kept thinking that the Japanese could have utilised these techniques during WWII. We passed through Nairobi the largest city in East Africa, it was huge, like a western city full of commercial districts and large office buildings, bright lights, clean streets and all the attractions of a big city. My tired state was piling up, I needed sleep and I needed it bad!

By the break of dawn we reached Uganda and again went through the motions, scrabbling to take toilet stops in our hurried time, they charged us to pee, anything to make a dime in these parts, I had a mind to use a nearby bush, but thoughts of a lonely Kenyan/Uganda cell restrained me, you only have so many lives in Africa, i decided to save a few of mine. As we crossed the border the terrain changed dramatically, instantly you notice the green of Uganda, it is a beautiful site. There is produce everywhere. rice fields, corn/maize fields, green, green grass, tropical rain forest, chai/tea, coffee, sugar cane, banana, mango, potatoes etc, etc the land is fertile. Lawrence changed form as well becoming the tour guide he was born to be pointing out this and that, we crossed the Nile which Uganda harnesses for hydro power and were told that the source of the Nile was very close, in 'Livingstone' territory. As we weaved our way towards Kampala, Uganda revealed more of itself in the form of rolling New Zealand-esq hills and forests, I finally fell asleep safe in the knowledge that we were almost 'home' (there).

After 29 hours of travel we reached the bus stop in the arvo, amid the very organised city of Kampala, this city is a welcome change from the chaos of Dar, there is order, it is beautiful, I don't know if I'm a capitalist but it was great to see capitalism thriving. It is amazing how much an hours power sleep can do for you, I felt refreshed and ready, a surprise given the sleep of the last two days, we stacked up on supplies were introduced to Lawrence's flat and a few of his many brothers, had a massive Ugandan style feast and made plans to hit Kampala at night, something everyone you meet raves about.

20th of December 2008

And so it begins. With approximately 2 weeks ahead of us traveling East Africa we started on a very early foot (up at 4am) this was made even worse by the fact that my mind was wondering all night long giving me a dark complextion around the eyes. It was a relief though to know that the heat of Dar was to disappear with promises of a cooler Ugandan climate not to mention the fact that i was actually about to begin exploring a country I had never planned to see. So again we bargained our way to the jam packed bus station, paying to much by local standards but just keen to get there. Sounding like a broken record the organisation of the bus station leaved alot to be desired as we struggled our way through manic early morning madness, verbal arguments breaking out left right and centre. We located our bus amongst the many, insisted our bags were labelled as they were thrown inside and reached our assigned seats only to find that one of those verbal arguments had made its way into our compartment.... I thought a scrap was going to break out, it was fairly heated, the sound of these fellas trying to make headway mixed with the repetitive blasts of the big bus horns was enough to make my morning!

40 minutes into the bus ride i had to go for a short call due to the copious amounts of water id been consuming i had to get my friend to stop the whole bus, everyone watched this white guy run from the bus off to the bushes it took them a few minutes to realise what was going on , then many others scrambled to join, hilarious. soon enough the silence of the road left our worries behind, as I drifted off to sleep African jazz/calypso was playing quietly over the radio, lulled into a false sense of security little did I know just how far we had to travel. To put it in perspective Tanzania is the same size as the whole of western Europe, Uganda and Kenya ain't small and we were traveling about half the length of Tanzania a decent chunk of Kenya and a massive portion of Uganda, put together is no small feat..

The roads we travelled could hardly be given such a name, deadly pot holes were felt regularly throughout the bus and that was when the roads were actually paved. The bus true to Tanzanian style had no worries passing in the face of on coming traffic, it felt somewhat relieving to be in the larger vehicle, our driver would just toot and carry on....I do love travelling foreign countries by road you get to see so much, the scenery took up the leading role in entertainment as we watched and pointed our way to the Kenyan border, Tanzania has large mountains surrounded by palm trees, bright outcrops of bush and shrub, arid sands and grassland, typical safari style trees, many birds, brilliant patches of shanty towns, busy, more formal stops and very colorful congregations of people and animals, usually in the form of markets. There are so many birds nests on each tree some clever birds craft theirs in the form of spheres with small openings so they can stay warm completely immersed inside. when these birds do emerge they are bright yellow with a black head fascinating things to watch. At every stop people would swarm the bus trying to sell all sorts of fruit, water, biscuits, chicken on a stick, they would try to make transactions through every window, if you decided to partake you had to produce the correct amount otherwise your change was never seen again etc. when we passed the huge form of Kili it was cloud covered but still made it's presence felt, mount Meru another close volcano could be seen, if Meru is 2,900m smaller than Kili I'm really up for a challenge in Jan.

A couple of days before we started our trip a friend of ours had warned of the freezing temperatures we may face overnight travelling through Kenya and advised us to take jackets. I took those warnings with a grain of salt, my thinking was that she was African, used to extreme heat and I'm a kiwi used to the Wellington cold, i was sure we'd even each other out. I decided to dress liberally in a shorts and a thin cotton dress shirt.