Jambo rafikis!

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Jambo rafikis,

Well we are here! We arrived n Entebbe (the airport city) about 7:30 this morning. It was amazing to fly in right over Lake Victoria and to see the trees and landscape, it really is quite breathtaking. We snagged our visas and then proceeded to wait for all 18 of our suitcases to come off the baggage carousel. 6 women, 18 checked bags, 6 carry-ons (and I use that term lightly)...it was quite the show. We were joking with people that you should see what we pack when we are gone longer than a weekend! ;O)

Our driver, Bob, then proceeded to take half an hour masterfully arranging our nags in to the back, sides, and front of the matata or van. It took several attempts but he made it so we all fit and he even had a wee space to peer out the back window...but let me tell you once we hit the road I don't know why he bothered! lol...the driving here makes Montreal look rather civilized! The bodabodas, or motorcycles, have several people/eggs/wild animals stacked on them and they weave in and out of traffic in a rather beautiful urban ballet. I'd be lying if I said it didn't cause a few gasps from the backseats....but we laughed at ourselves as much as what we were seeing.

We arrived an the most beautiful guest house, Adoni, where we have 3 of us to a room and the prettiest mosquito netted beds...they look like canopy beds and are quite comfy! There is no rest for the wicked, so we dropped our bags and headed to the "mall" at Garden City. It was something else to experience the traffic again where everything from line dividers, stop signs and even direction of travel seem more to be suggestion that hard and fast rules of the road. There are more varieties of police uniform, weapon of choice, and police vehicle than I have seen in one place before. We even got pulled over by a traffic cop I didn't even see! All of a sudden we were by the roadside getting clucked at Bob for having a crack in his windshield. A few words in Lugandan, and awkward silence, and we were on our way back to Adoni with market purchases in hand.

I had a quick nap, I could NOT keep my eyes open a moment longer...apparently we were in the screaming baby section of the plane this last leg so I needed just a quick power nap and I feel much more alive. It is just after 7pm here now and we are awaiting our African tea which is the most delicious blend of spice tea and goat's milk. It will be a staple of our diet for sure.

I've taken lots of pictures but of course forgot the camera cord to download them! lol...I promise to upload shots to each of these entried once I get back. I feel the visuals will be more powerful than my words... This beautiful place is an assault on the senses. It smells of campfire all the time as the locals burn wood in teh ground to create charcoal. Its quite lovely and reminds me of the lake to be honest. The sights and sounds are so foreign but somehow urban in a similar way. Kids laughing, horns honking...it is comforting to be honest.

For you social studies fiends, I took a photo of the Air France plane that was hijiacked and landed in Entebbe during the reign of Idi Amin. It still sits abandoned, a skeletal reminder of another time...a warning of sorts. I will have more to say later but my head is still a bit foggy and my tea has been served.

More to come I promise....

A

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