Day 32: Back to a place I once called home

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The morning started with an eventful bus departure. We were late for the bus but it hadn’t departed and as Shelby ran to the bathroom, I found seats. I asked the person next to me where he was heading. He said Kampala (Fort Portal and Kampala are not close). The bus started pulling out, Shelby wasn’t on the bus out, I was trying to get of to ask about the trek, and a worker was pounding on the bus trying to get it to wait for Shelby. As Shelby was jumping on I was trying to get off. I asked the worker if it was going to Fort Portal, he said there is no bus from Masindi to Fort Portal, you go to Kampala first than transfer. We got on the bus mentally preparing for the additional 4 hour ride. We missed the 11:00 bus to Fort Portal and spent 2 additional hours in Kampala. I hate Kampala, but what else can you do. My time on the bus was occupied seeing all the toys kids were playing with:

· Bike tire and stick (either running with it, hitting it back and forth or trying to do tricks with it)

· A game like bags only played with two sticks in the ground and plastic bottles trying to see who could throw closest to the stick

· Tag and wrestling

· Giving each other rides in wheelbarrows

· A cut water jug with a string attached being pulled like a sled

· Soccer out of anything (a ball, plastic bags wrapped together, rags)

· Climbing

· Running after the Mazungos on buses asking “How are you?”



We finally reached Fort Portal after 11 hours of travel. The mountains were behind a cloud of mist. The air was fresh from the smug hovering over Kampala, the smoke from burning garbage was cleared for the day. I couldn’t believe how much the same the city felt but also how much it had grown.

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Photos

Part of the link bus stop
This space that allows you to see the other buses is a bus stall. It gives the bus driver about 18 inches on each side and is typically a 4 point pull in to get into the space with 3 people pounding on each corner of the bus to let the driver know when to stop,