Monday 29th & Tuesday 30th October 2007

You’ve Got to Love Africa!!

Today Edward and I headed to Kampala to get our working visas sorted out, hopefully; and I was very much looking forward to getting to Haandis Indian restaurant.  We left with all that we thought we needed and met down where the buses leave at 7 am.  We boarded the Horizon bus, we were told that it left at 7:30 am sharp.  So we sat talking for a bit getting ready for the trip, and where I was sitting I was thinking “I hope we go soon” as the bus was on an angle from being on the side of the road and I was getting uncomfortable rather quickly.  Before we knew it, it was 8 am and the bus had not left, we watched a few other buses we could have caught come pass and travel on without us, as we had already paid.  Around 8:30 an Anglican Pastor that Edward knew got on and sat with us.  Finally 9 am came and we headed off.  We were not too happy at this point, we would have been much better catching the dreaded Posta Bus that everyone says goes slow, but it would have arrived long before we did.

Not long after we left Edward got a call from Frank to ask where we were, and when he found out he hung up.  Later Edward called him back as we were talking about Pam and Eddie having troubles with getting their visa letter from someone and thought that his call may have been about that, when we phoned he was just ringing as he heard we were going and that he liked travelling and would have come with us if we had not left.  When we reached Mbarara only two hours into the trip we pulled into the depot to wait another 15 minutes or so (which felt like about an hour) waiting for the conductor to try and muster up a bit more business.  Then we hit the road again stopping every now and again to get a few more passengers or what have you.  We were almost in Kampala and Henry wanted to meet with us and said he had a car he could use so we organised to meet him near the bus depot.  When we got to the meeting place he was not there so we rang and he said he was caught in a traffic jam, Edward told him that we would catch boda bodas to Internal Affairs and he could meet us there if he wanted as we had to rush to get there before it closed.  Edward said that he did not seem to happy that we did not wait, but we were in a rush and knew he would forgive us. 

I have caught boda bodas in Kampala before, but I had forgotten just how crazy they were, quite a hair raising ride indeed, they are a bit more powerful than the ones in Kabale and it is lucky they have good brakes the way they dart here and there and everywhere.  They had told Edward that the trip would cost 1500 shillings which for a start was more expensive than he would normally pay, but when we got there they charged us 2000.  They told Edward in the local lingo, that that’s what he gets for walking with a white man!! Cheeky cheeky.  Now we were there to do what we had come to do, which took about 15 minutes for us to carry out.  We had to apply for special passes (as our tourist visas run out soon), while we wait for our work visas to be processed, which meant we had to leave our passports there and come back next week to get them.  This felt a bit weird, but there was a basket full of others visas.  It felt like a bit of an anti-climax to just leave them and have to come back, rather Quinton and Phil will hopefully get them when they are in Kampala to pick up Quinton’s parents.

After this Edward said let’s go home and relax, which was a good idea.  On our way Edward informed me that he had arranged for us to stay with his rich cousin, which was good as it meant that it would be reasonable accommodation.  It was a funny experience as we were waiting at a petrol station nearby to his cousin’s house, to meet with someone to show us where to go.  To see so many white people driving pass in good cars was a bit odd, I was thinking have I ever seen so many white people before; I can’t imagine what I will feel when we go home to Australia.  We rang Henry while on route to ensure he felt ok and he arranged that we would travel with him back to Kabale tomorrow, leaving at 7 am in the morning.  After we arranged this we joked that it would most likely be much later than that.

We arrived at Edward’s cousin’s (James) place, which was another weird experience as it was a similar house to what a middle class person in Australia might have had ten years ago, fish tank, big TV, nice couches etc etc.  James’ wife had not arrived but when she did she said that James had not told her we were coming so was a bit disorganised which was ok.  We were watching TV while waiting around, which was a bit annoying as there was some American nature show on.  It finally reached 9 pm and I started wondering if we were going straight to bed without dinner, which wouldn’t have mattered, but I was just wanting to know what was happening, when James’ wife informed me that it was time to bathe.  It was quite funny she just came in and said “Excuse me, it’s time to bathe”.  She proceeded to explain the procedure, that there was no water and I had to have a bird bath.  After I bathed, Edward had his turn and then a little while later, just after 9:30 pm we were told dinner was ready.  Dinner had been prepared for the three of us, Edward, James and me.  I was not too upset in missing out on Haandis as I thought we would get to go to City Top Indian restaurant in Mbarara on the way home tomorrow, and was thinking local food would be ok, sometimes I quite enjoy it, though maybe not everyday. I even thought that it might be quite ok as her grandfather was from Pakistan and thought that she might spice things up a little.  To my surprise laid on the table before us were three frozen TV meals of local food, definitely not what I was expecting, but it was ok.  After this we went to bed, but not before we received a text from Henry saying that he put departure time back to 9:30 am as he had to meet with his uncle for some family business.

In the morning we left at 7:30 to meet Henry at the petrol station that we were at yesterday, when he finally arrived around 8:30 we realised why he was a little upset we did not wait yesterday, someone had given him a Land Cruiser.  Yes I did just say that, someone just gave him a car that is worth more than the car we have, which we thought was pricey.  Henry’s brother was in the car to meet with Henry’s uncle also and spirits were very high indeed, though they were speaking in Rukiga, so I could not join in.  When we reached the Uncle’s place, sometime after 9:30 we discovered he was not there, he was flying out of the country soon and thought he would go to Internal Affairs to sort his visa out.  When Henry rang his uncle said that he did not know it would take so long, as if it wouldn’t – this is Uganda!!  So we sat around and had a coffee while we waited, and Henry surprised me by having what I will call Teffee; a tea bag, a teaspoon of coffee and about three of sugar!  Finally we headed out of town after business was tied up at around 11:30, but not before dropping off Henry’s brother and picking up a lady that Henry knew to take to Mbarara.

You think that getting back to Kabale would be a simple drive and more enjoyable than catching a bus, which the company was, but that’s about it.  When we were coming to Masaka, about two hours away, Edward asked what we would do for lunch I said I was easy, I had given up on City Top in Mbarara as that was another two hours away and it was nearing 2 pm now and I would be happy to have anything to eat as I had not eaten today yet.  So we pulled into a road side joint that had a smorgas board and we all decided to have that, I thought this would be ok, but to my dismay it was yet even more matooke and other local delicacies.  After this I got to drive the car, but this was quite painful indeed as the turbo was not working and it was very slow up hills, sometimes dropping back to 30 kms per hour, at one stage, when the hill was long and steep enough I wound it out to 115kms/h but not for long as the hill soon changed to up instead of down.  After a little bit Henry asks for us to pull in and get petrol, so I asked how much to put in and he said that he had ten thousand shillings only, Edward and I suddenly laughed to each other as we knew that this is why we had been asked to travel with him.  Edward joked later on about this rich man always borrowing money off him.  Finally after reaching Mbarara we dropped off “Henry’s girlfriend” and popped into the Department of Works so Henry could check on some business, so I took the chance to jump in the back, and I’m glad I did.

About 50 kms down the road we pulled over because the engine had started to overheat.  This is when Henry tells us that the car had a leaking radiator, so at least it was a fairly simple fix.  So we hit the road again and about another 50 kms I heard this sound that at first I thought was something that had been picked up by the tyre and was clicking on the ground as it changed speed as we did.  I thought I would check and noticed that the tyre was a little bit flat, and expressed concern to Henry, but he did not seem to mind, but it got louder so we pulled over to check.  We didn’t see anything so Henry drove slowly as we watched and there it was - a split in the tyre that splurted air everytime it was on the bottom of the wheel and had the weight of the car on it.  Henry said jump in it will be ok, his theory was to get to the next town as quick as possible.  Which was ok I suppose, but he tried telling us it would be ok as it would blow out air and then suck it in again, and to think he is meant to be a bright business owner, Henry, Henry!!! We got about 500 metres down the road and the tyre promptly went completely flat when Henry gave in and pulled over.  This is when he tells us the car had been sitting for three years! I was thinking I hope the other tyres hold out till we get home.  Anyway Henry knows a lot of people so he called a friend from the town we were heading, to come and help, we needed help as the spare was flat as a tac also.  Any way Henry disappeared with his friend to get the tyre fixed and to get a special tool needed to remove the tyre spot welded.  It had split and looked like it would not hold to the pressure of loosening and tightening nuts too well.  When he returned he did not have the spare as it also had a puncture and left it to get a tube put in and the town had no power so he did not get the tool fixed.  We removed the old tyre and then Henry went back to get the spare, I thought it was odd he did not wait, but his friend had something to do out where we were.

While all this was going on an 18 year old lady had come and asked if we could give her and her baby a lift to Kabale as she was looking for her Aunty.  We were not too sure of her story and if she did tell us it may not have been complete or true, but we resolved that maybe we got a flat to give her a life and said she could come.  Anyway Henry finally returned with the spare and we changed it and hit the road, only to pull off the highway not too far down the road, Henry had more friends that he was getting fuel from to put into the car out of jerry cans.  You have to laugh.  The trip from there was very slow as it is very hilly, but we finally got home and dropped everyone else where they needed to be dropped.  We left the girl and her baby with Judith at VCCS and Edward told her to look for her Aunty in the morning and if she could not find her, to come back and he will give her money to get back to her village.

As Henry dropped me off he said that he will fix and wash his new car, but then bring it around to store in our garage, saying he will use it when there are visitors and on family outings only. 

Just another couple of fun days in Uganda.