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.

17th of December 2008

After a quick ba-ga-gi ride, something that is second nature to me now, we arrive to spend the day at one of the most prominent resorts around, okay I didn't sleep there or get a gourmet buffet i paid an entry price to use their pools and access the picturesque beach front with palm trees, coconut trees, golden sand... So this is how the other half lives aye, preferring to avoid the squalor of the streets, it is luxurious, the pool and beach are amazing with a capital A! I apply sun block and apply sunblock and, you get the picture, I do it everyday. We see so many tourists and so many prostitutes, how can you tell? trust me you can. I begin to wonder what some of these tourist get out of staying at such a luxurious location in Africa, what is their experience and perception of the place, I wouldn't complain living here, but it seems like they are some how cheating themselves. My Mum came back from an all expenses paid trip to Fiji staying in a luxury resort, she was shocked at such an experience living it up while others suffer, not her idea of a holiday, i think I have her genes, other friends have made the same comment, yet these people don't seem perturbed and for the day I'll happily join them. Relaxing and actually enjoying the heat, the old lie on your back floating in the pool and sea trick, eyes closed, always a winner..

I have to relate to you something that happen to me that was unexpected but so funny at the same time, I'm walking along the beach under the coconut trees talking to a friend when i felt a massive thud, followed by one of worst dead arms Ive had, I looked around thinking someone had hit me or thrown something at me, actually a medium sized coconut had fallen from one of the trees catching my arm in the process, lucky it wasn't my head.. haha what was that all about.. random, from that height it hurts, alot!

Back to the resort, we chilled all day, swam, ate, chatted, they had a live band, we got involved with the salsa action, a rather large African woman was my dance partner, she was energetic and quite the dancer I was laughing the whole time. then the resort produced some acrobats who flipped through skipping ropes, juggled things, balanced chairs on their noses, freakishly unbelievable antics like that. Acrobats would have to practice alot you cant just learn that sort of thing over night. We were then introduced to 'chiwawa' the baboon, he was dressed in shorts complete with a tail hole and commanded by his trainer who held him on a chain to do all sorts of tricks, I found the whole thing cruel, monkeys are clever creatures, but animals don't deserve such treatment. The day finished with a tired trip home, you don't realise just how much energy you exert when your enjoying yourself.

12-16th of December 2008

I never thought that I would get the chance to see Uganda or Kenya when I was planning this trip, but such is the way things go, I would have been satisfied to have taken in all the wonders of Tanzania, but now my hunger is increasing with more opportunity. We have planned a comprehensive trip of the 'pearl of Africa' (Uganda) comprehensive in that we have a number of spots that each of us wants to see and the rest is up to the wind... our trip has scheduled stops in Kenya, we are going to thoroughly take in the sights of east Africa. I love road trips, they are uncertain, promise so much, especially this one.. us three amigos Lawrence, Jim and myself have become good friends within the last month, we are tight and have been through a lot, we share dinners, discussions, drinks, outings and the daily complaints and philosophies of life, we have a regular spot where we meet after our various days for food and the odd beer or two. 'juhudi' it has become one of the centres of my daily routines and is iconic to my experience in Dar at least for almost a month now.. It feels like we are about to begin an adventure akin to 'on the road' by Jack Kerouac there is that kind of optimism and adventurous will about us our trek across East Africa! It is unlike the tourist treks that travel these parts often, ours is set to be unique but similar in a way, we do have our own local guide the bold, big thinking Lawrence, he never leaves a stone unturned and me and Jim are foreigners so in that sense we are 'tourists' but talking at length we want a more full African experience out of it all, Christmas and New years like never before.... an ever lasting adventure, these kind of trips can drain you, but they are always intoxicatingly addictive. reminds me of my non-stop adventures across the U.S of A excitement to excitement, wonder to wonder, hell I gotta stop counting my chickens, I get carried away.

Plans falling into place, school term is winding down ,my duties and loose ends are being tied, we get visas from the grand High Commission of Uganda, bus tickets from the busy and once again chaotic bus station. Trips to Internet cafes, topping up my phone to contact the principle of my next school, using Internet from friends air conditioned work places after school, sometimes dabbling with the library facilities keeping that constant stream of contact strong. Enjoying classic moments each and every day with kids of all ages in my differing roles, talking at length, joking at length with all teachers listening and picking up as much insight and information as I can from everyone no matter who, each person a new experience and like a blink the wonder turns to memory, others are fixed for longer, the giving and friendly acceptance of one who was once a complete stranger. The next school principle is super excited, can't wait to meet me, a change of scene is promised and organised. Mt Kilimanjaro also looms after the 'Ugandan odyssey' a weeks climb through multiple levels of differing terrain, from rain forest, to snow capped peaks, ahhhh the table top of Africa, made more affordable by making sure it is under the guise of a school trip. The next principle mentions the possibility of safari trips, did someone say that luck is on my side, I think so! Aiesec is organising a conference on Zanzibar before I leave so that will be my big finale to this whole thing, still a way off, I wonder what kind of shock it would be to hit real life again in New Zealand and back to school? I focus back on the imminent future and the possibilities, traveling Africa has never been so real.

11th of December 2008

It is far too hot here, temperatures soar, for instance yesterday it reached 37 degree Celsius and being humid there is literally no escape. The heat makes me so tired even with sufficient sleep, it is draining and when you are biking and playing sport during the day you are truly knackered at the end of it all. If you do go for a swim, take a shower or sit 2cm away from a fan, when you hop out of the pool or leave the comfort of the fan, straight away it is a snap back to reality, sleeping at night can be impossible. Picture this, cramped in a tiny net, night after night, not being able to stretch out, in an indescribable heat, sweating like mad being occasionally bitten and itchy and hearing the bain of Tanzania buzzing round you all night, some how they manage to find a chink in the amour of your net, im sure it will be the death of me, or drive me mad. I could imagine that hell would be being but naked, no money, in the middle of Dar during the day without shade, at this time of year, no water or food and being kept alive for eternity...

For all its hardships and shocks there are so many beautiful things aswell like the culture.. The music of Tanzania stretches over a wide variety from traditional music and dance to the distinctive African style of Hip-hop which sounds cooler than the American gangster rap as it is mostly in Swahili, sounds authentic and more intriguing. African rumba and Reggae are also very popular genres and are played loudly everywhere it makes for an African atmosphere, just in case you need the reminder. I often get my head bopping or getting a shoulder grove going, it makes you wanna dance even when your tired. Western music does pervade their culture somewhat but obscure artists have taken off like Dolly Parton and Jim Reeves.... I don't quite know how these caught on? The local art is something remarkable, jewelers, carpenters and all sorts of craftsmen take immense pride in their work taking their sweet, laid back time to produce beautiful pieces. Walk by the craft market you see an array of African paintings produced with enamel paints on canvas. Animals, landscapes and flowers in colourful erratic, sometimes repetitive designs, sculptures that have been given the tender love of a skilled hand look exactly like a pouncing lion or a proud rhino, the ebony sculptures are the most impressive.. when you walk by these markets the craftsmen are desperate to give their work a good, if they can, expensive home, bargaining is essential, made easier by the fact that there are so many, uniquely though there seems to be a widely accepted white man price that they wont go below, this is infinitely higher than what a local would pay as my friends have proven, it is like a social experiment, send the white guy see what the say, then send the local see them change tune. It is a great day out to see these guys hard at work with metal, wood all sorts of material, creating, in amongst blaring, beautiful music, if you pass the markets constantly you can see work develop, sculptures take shape it really is a sight.. But they just try so, so hard to sell you anything, even when I'm clearly not interested i have persistent followers "hey, my friend, Welcome!", "do you like", "how are you brother" they get an A for effort that's for sure. the woman make attractive jewelry in all sorts of African styles and their cloth work is special.. lots of these types of shops are present in my area so it is cool just to tour and look around.

Another side of the Tanzanian culture is the presence of tribes like the Masai, the Masai are present everywhere in their distinctive dress, they carry knives and large sticks, the police don't usually mess with the Masai as this tribe tends to help enforce the law, it is an uncommon unusual combination, some of the more well known warriors patrol the neighbourhoods at night keeping watch, they have whistles for attention and can produce a gang from nowhere to chase thieves or offender and the retribution is violent, Masai dont usually commit crime as the a re said to have a higher ethical code, but they are intimidating seen around in their gangs and i dont really have much of a chance of communication as they dont bother with English. I have tried to talk to many of them, it is funny they give you an look and then ask for a soda or spare change.. I learnt not to try after a while...