Blogs from Central Region, Uganda, Africa - page 55

Well we made it to uganda after a very interesting bus experience. Apparently in Africa they don't give you directions, they just unload you off the bus in the middle of the night and drive away! Luckily we were able to follow the people in front of us because otherwise we would have never found our way! We're now in a small town outside of Kampala called Entebbe working at the Uganda Wildlife and Education Centre. It's a really neat place because they have created a zoo, but entirely from animals that were orphaned or rescued from poachers. It's much hotter here than in Nairobi. We're sleeping on top of our sleeping bags because it's way too hot to sleep inside. I couldn't even imagine what their summers are like because it's winter here right now ... read more

It seems an age since our training at Sheffield, and yet it was only last weekend! Once back at school I've been submerged in rehearsals for our production of 'Oliver!' but have made good use of internet shopping for my Ugandan flag, wind up radio and several bottles of mosquito repellent. Still chuckling over 'DOOM'- the name of the mossie spray that Link give us! Yikes! Another weekend has passed, we're into the final month count down...... read more

If Kampala was in the United States, it would come with a Surgeon General’s Warning. Between the exhaust-clouded streets of downtown and the death-defying motorcycle taxis (“boda-bodas”) that weave through it, residing in the city may be hazardous to your health. But like most things that come with such warnings, Kampala can be addictive. Coffee shops with character; friendly, English-speaking locals; the biggest used clothes market we’ve ever seen (courtesy of your Salvation Army donations); picturesque views of the city’s rolling green hills; the 24-hour nightlife powered by local beers; the human-sized Marabou storks that thrive among billboards and office buildings…All contribute to the city’s magnetic personality. The longer you stay, the harder it is to leave. Our introduction to the city came in the form of a fender-bender: almost the exact moment downtown Kampala came ... read more

After getting settling in at the Blue Mango, a place known for it's soothing atmosphere, I went around the compound to take in the sites. It's really a very relaxing place with a beautiful garden and Safari Hut-Style lounge area, you just feel like chillin' and not running around town site-seeing. So that's exactly what I did! I had intended to make stay busy, to make the most of my short 3 days here and realized my body was planning for otherwise. It wasn't until I sat in the TV room and had a soda that I really noticed my ankle. After "Killin Kili" and riding over 14 hours on one bus my left ankle wasn't too happy. I knew I injured it somehow on the Kilimanjaro climb, but didn't realize that all the walking I ... read more

MUNICH in KAMPALA, UGANDA It was Sarah’s birthday, and we took her and Nate to dinner at a fast food Lebanese restaurant in a multi-storied mall. The food was excellent, especially the garlic sauce for the falafel…a pleasant beginning to a difficult movie. Bill and I saw Schindler’s List in Bangkok; now Munich in Kampala. The movie, plus my readings, seem to come together... I have been reading from Granta, an English publication, Joberg, by Ivan Vladislavic and walls: Johannesburg is a frontier city, a place of contested boundaries. Territory must be secured and defended or it will be lost. Today the contest is fierce and so the defences multiple. Walls replace fences, high walls replace low ones, the highest walls acquire electrified wires and spikes. …walls tend to grow in increments. A stone wall is ... read more