Kate writes:
We have just got back from a week in Kampala. When a Ugandan hears that you are travelling anywhere, the usual response is ‘journey mercies’. And we had those.
The journey to Kampala involved catching a lift with Francis, a doctor who used to work in Kisiizi, and now works in Kampala. We were joined by Alex, a law student and Jennifer, who works in a health clinic. Much more comfortable that the Kisiizi bus, and we left at a leisurely 9am rather than the ghastly 5am when the bus leaves. We passed a number of people who had attended the jubilee, including the 3 armoured personnel-carriers full of the soldiers who had been camping out in the hills surrounding the hospital for the week before and provided security for the President; and a very smart 4×4 with the number plate ‘HIS GRACE’ taking the Archbishop home.
Our time in Kampala involved eating lots of really good food, and lots of shopping (mainly for good food). We also spent two days traipsing across the city in the pursuit of our work permits. But that’s another story…
Our lift back was in the hospital landcruiser-ambulance, which was returning from dropping off people at the airport the day before.
As always, word gets around that a vehicle is going to Kampala; we shared the journey back with four other adults (excluding Augustine, the driver) and a 3 year old. The rest of the space was taken up with a new photocopier for the school, and lots of baggage filled with Kampala ‘goodies’. The shopping didn’t finish when we left Kampala– we stopped off on the way back to buy a pumpkin, pineapples and a Tilapia fish for John (the headmaster), which was tied to the radiator grill to keep cool and stop the car smelling!
Journey mercies indeed.
