Uganda pt. III

Monday morning after a few pictures, we said goodbye and got on pikipikis with baked sweet potatoes and honey from Jeje, avocados and our chicken from Mama and Tata. We took a two hour bus ride to Kampala, the capital. When we arrived we walked around in the mass chaos of a capital city (very unlike Dodoma) to find the office building where David’s uncle was. We met him, left our stuff and walked in the rain to find a place for lunch. After, we walked all around Kampala looking for a bus stand to buy our return tickets with no luck, but we had a nice tour of the city along the way. That night we stayed at David’s uncle’s home.

Tuesday morning David’s brother Paul helped us find the bus stand. We first walked to the old taxi park which was complete chaos; hundreds of buses organized in a system unrecognizable by a passerby but eventually navigated our way out on a bus. We had a few problems with bus tickets, so it took longer than we expected. After buying tickets, we stopped for sodas and fresh juice and then walked to visit the Jesuit residence. There we met an American Jesuit, Fr. Jim and talked with him for a while. He showed us around and we told him about our work in Dodoma. We also later visited the JRS (Jesuit Refugee Services) office where one Jesuit heads. It was awesome seeing the work they do and their facilities. (I think I would be really happy working with refugees. Maybe in my next life.) When all this was said and done, we were really hungry so we walked to find a place to eat. We stumbled upon an Ethiopian restaurant and Sean and I were so tempted that we convinced David to try it. We said it would be our treat for his generosity of bringing us. The food was so good and it was great watching David try it for the first time.

The evening we visited David’s aunt, another woman who married a man who made really, really good business decisions. They lived in this neighborhood where every house was gated with a security system sign on the fence and satellite dishes in their yards, usually next to their garages. His aunt and uncle had a beautiful home and two boys, but the family was very humble and so welcoming. Sean and I had a very intelligent and thought-provoking conversation with his uncle. He asked questions about our vocation that not many have asked us while in Africa. I was really impressed. Thankfully his uncle gave us a ride back to where we were staying. It was dark now and the traffic in this city is intense. After dinner at the house, David, Sean, a few of David’s cousins and I went to another dance club. For a Tuesday night, it was really packed. We had a great time dancing outside. It even started raining at one point!

Wednesday was a fun day. Sean, David, and I took a two hour bus ride to the source of the River Nile. We had to take pikipikis to the actual source and I was finally brave enough to get my own (usually I shared with Sean). It was a fun ride through a pretty neighborhood along the Nile. When we got there, we sat around, drank sodas and ate fried popcorn kernels. We eventually jumped in and swam around a little in the Nile. The water was so clean and it was quiet because not many people were around. David was the first to go in, but he quickly exited because he got afraid of what might be in the water. He sat on the bank and protected out stuff from the monkeys that stalked our bags on the tree above his head. After swimming, we ate a samaki kubwa (big fish, it was actually talapia) caught from the Nile at a restaurant along the water. It was so so so delicious! We didn’t do much when we got home; we were so tired from all the activity. So we had our last meal with the family there, drank sodas bought by David and turned in early.

Our bus left at 6:00am the next day, and his uncle generously drove us to the stand (just a reminder, it is a treat to get a ride in a car because not many people can afford their own cars). One of the bus drivers sat next to me and we chatted a while. He was a nice man and was telling me some helpful tips about if our bus were to get stopped by robbers. Well that night our bus was stopped by a police stand, unable to pass so we spent a few hours there. The bus ride was extremely cold – I wore my sweatshirt and used that kitenge as a blanket the whole time. Our bus arrived at 8:30am in Dodoma on Friday morning, just in time for our 9am meeting at school.

I am sad the trip was so short. But I think we really made the most of the few short days we had there. We saw lots of things and met almost all of David’s family. He keeps insisting we go back, but I think Sean and I are insisting it even more. I’d love to keep a relationship with them. It did feel like going home a little, the way they welcomed us to there family so much. I was so blessed to have that trip with David and Sean, and to have David as a friend.

I probably won’t post another of these for a few days. On Wednesday April 20, Sean and I are traveling to Lushoto to meet the other volunteers for retreat. We’ll be there a few days and then we will spend Easter together in Moshi at the JV community there. I’m looking forward to seeing the gang again, and comparing experiences for the first time. It will be a much-needed retreat. So, until then!