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

Veronica was determined to make a dress for me...using the fabric that Sarah had given me. I explained that Sarah had been in the place where the fabric was printed. So, Friday afternoon, we left the material, and Veronica assured me that it would be finished late Saturday afternoon, in time for me to pick it up on the way to the Embassy Party. Saturday morning, Bill worked on his blogs, and I pressed all of the fabrics while Sarah and Nate were off to an engagement party. When they got home, they decided to come with me to Veronica's because they had discovered a framing shop near the Thousand Cups coffee house a few doors from Veronica's. Also, they knew that there was a woman's crafts market across the street. Nate added to his spear ... read more

Monday & Tuesday, February 6-7, 2006 KAMPALA, UGANDA Really, life is getting better. Although we had a day to recuperate when we first arrived, we really didn’t have an opportunity to get ourselves organized. In a way, it was nice that we got the sightseeing out of our systems, and it was wonderful to have it all organized by Sarah, so that we could enjoy our second week sans sightseeing, but I am only now feeling ready to start to write anything. Sorry about that! I think that we didn’t tell you that their maid QUIT a few days before we arrived! Almost unheard of, but it happened, in large part, because they expected her to pay for the numerous daily calls that she had been enjoying…obviously, that was why the house hadn’t been cleaned, laundry ... read more

It has been a chore to find a reliable source for the INternet, but today we lucked out, and since we joined a "club" we will be checking in daily until we leave. In the meantime, check out Bill's blog at www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Nebraska-Bill for pictures and more reporting from him. miss you all, but having a GREAT TIME! Marie... read more