A note to start: Although I will write daily as much as possible the posts may come in waves. I currently have internet but it is not powerful enough to load my site and pictures may be impossible for the time being. This too is part of the familiar.
We arrive in Entebbe on Wednesday afternoon. The arrival is “easier” this time as I know what to expect… visa, luggage, money exchange, the typical confusion with the Speke shuttle. The drive to Kampala is now partially quickened by the Entebbe to Kampala expressway. Large military helicopters fly overhead as we leave the airport. The traffic is light, but I chuckle as the line dividers on the road seem to be more of a suggestion for where to drive rather than a rule. Sitting in the van I am reminded of how much I love the color of the earth here. A deep red evidenced by the construction. Our driver makes a stop, he needs some gas and then another stop to fill his phone minutes. These are quick but a different style than taking a shuttle in the states- a reminder that time is a bit more relative here in Africa. As we pull off the expressway onto the typical smaller road to town although slower, I am thankful as we get to see more of what makes Uganda familiar. There are people working everywhere. Partially finished buildings, everyone repairing something- a bike wheel, painting a door outside their store, a broken boda boda on the side of the road, soldering a bed frame. There are clearly no zoning laws. We observe a dress shop next to a concrete store next to cages of chickens next to large pieces of furniture. As we near the city the traffic becomes much heavier. Traffic swerves and moves at almost a frantic pace, each vehicle- mostly buses, vans and boda bodas jockeying for the position in the road that will move them forward most quickly.
We arrive at the Speke hotel and the warm smiling faces greet us. After a quick nap we meet Dr. Moses and his wife Nadiia for dinner. Moses is a surgeon whom Karen and Gil helped through school and is considered a son. Nadiia his wife is from the Ukraine, they met while he was in medical school in the Ukraine. I enjoy learning about her childhood while we wait for Dr. Moses who had a late surgery to complete. Two of their three children join us and are busy finishing homework while we wait for dinner. It is nice again to see them and share a meal. Nadiia wants us to schedule a longer time in Kampala next visit so we can see the city.
Thursday morning we wake and head downstairs. I am happy to see that the van is already waiting with Marjorie (Ezra’s wife), Jackie the drama instructor, Kihumuro (the oldest son) and Moses the new driver awaiting. The arrived Kampala early to pick up some things for the drama department. It is good to see familiar faces and after a rushed breakfast and a walk to the local Forex to exchange some money we load the van and head out. We pick up Murungi, another son, on the way out of town. The traffic is very heavy and again the jockeying for position. The boda bodas are everywhere and remind me of New York taxis honking and angling for spots. I am humored to see a man on a bike with a UberBoda shirt on.
The ride to KIDA is noisy. The radio station blasts with Christian praise songs and the Ugandans sing along loudly with their spirited and slightly off-key voices. They laugh and joke loudly in Rutooro, their local language, seemingly always playfully teasing one another. We stop for some local chicken/liver on a stick but J and I pass. I figure we should at least give our stomachs a minute to catch up to the local food. I sit next to Kihumuro who has just finished a degree in Business Administration. He is proud to have completed it at a high level- First Class. We converse about many things: the refugees arriving from the Congo due to the war, corruption in the Ugandan government, management consulting plans, life in America…the astronomical price of housing (trillions of shillings), public schools being free until kids are 18, Trump. They learn that Americans borrow money for homes and that our class sizes in public schools are around 1 to 30. The public schools in Uganda typically have a 1 to 300 student to teacher ratio which is why many try to go to private schools. KIDA is hoping to reach out to the refugees with the drama group to share about health issues. I listen and share as I stare out the window at the rolling hills of varying shades of green. After nearly 5 hours we make a stop in Ft. Portal, for Brian to exchange some money at the bank. The guards sit outside with heavy artillery and Brian is “wanded” before he goes in. I decide to run to the local store to pick up some conditioner and hopefully some snacks for J. I feel comfortable walking through Ft. Portal and wait for the van when we are done. We briefly see Nsita, a daughter of Ezra and Marjorie, and pick up Murungi’s 3 year old son Ezekial before heading out to KIDA.
The arrival is warm and friendly and full of smiles. I am happy to see Ezra again, as well as John, Joseph and Moses, three of the staff up at the cottages. Joseph has cold juice ready and some tomato and cheese sandwiches. The juice here is almost indescribable. It is made from fresh fruits and has a flavor that not only quenches but keeps my tongue guessing as to which fruits he has chosen. We head back to the hospital to unload two of the bags of goodies we brought and then back to unpack where I am greeted by the enormous ants on my doorstep. A lizard joins me inside and I crane my neck to see my friends, the red-tailed monkeys in the trees across the way. We head back up to the house for dinner. Ezra joins us. J is so tired he can barely keep his head up. I am reminded that food is one thing we will not lack. Joseph brings out the 4-course meal – mushrooms on home baked bread, lightly cooked broccoli and carrots, roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and a crepe with Ruwenzori honey for dessert. I will be taking small servings of everything this year as I know more food keeps coming.
All exhausted we head to bed looking forward to what tomorrow will bring. I am taking less photos so far wanting to experience it all but will take more soon. I am thankful for the safety in travels and, other than having all my family here, that this place so far from home feels like home.
