Notes on Uganda

• Security guards, police, and military all carry very large guns on a regular basis.
• KPC is Kampala Pentecostal Church on Kampala road and makes an excellent marker for many other locations.
• Traffic here rivals Bangkok and crossing streets in Phnom Penh is very good practice for Kampala.
• Look both ways before crossing the road, even if you are on a one way street.
• A taxi park is an adventure in itself.
• When it comes to boda-boda rides, know that there are safer ways to travel, but also realize your driver also wants to come out of the experience alive (you hope). Best bet, until you are used to them, just close your eyes, keep your knees in close and hang-on tight.
• People are so friendly. As you walk around downtown Kampala people will always take time to point you in a direction, even if they have no idea what you are looking for.
• Pediatric medications for HIV don’t exist. Adult ARVs and Septrin are simply broken in half (and half the adult amount is prescribed).
• Children, for the most part, are allowed to run around where ever they want and without adult supervision thus the significant child abductions rate.
• Beeping someone is totally acceptable; a beep is calling their phone but hanging up before they pick up. They will then call you – thus paying to talk to you. Usually this is done when one person is nearly out of minutes. It’s best not to do it constantly or you will find people will not return your call. Texting is also popular (and cheaper than a call).
• Kampala is a great mixing pot many different cultures (and thus) foods. There is a number of good ethnic restaurants from Indian to Lebanese, and samosas are offered at most canteens. Samosas are the Cuban peso pizza of Uganda – cheap (about $0.05 each) and delicious, although probably not the most healthy offering.
• Matoke, steamed plantain, must be eaten fresh – if it hangs around too long it becomes an inedible lump.
• School girls have hair about ½ cm long. Schools restrict them girls hair length saying they will spend more time on their hair than their studies.
• CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) preparations are becoming a pain! Roads are randomly ripped up, power goes out for 20 hour stretches and people (and buildings) are moved. Billboards ask “CHOGM: Are you ready?” My guess? Not really.
• People in Uganda (both muzungu and Ugandan) regularly show up uninvited and unannounced and stay for long periods of time. For the most part it is great, but every once and a while you will find yourself at a complete loss at what to say and have no idea how to ask them to leave.
• You can make most kids days by stopping to say “Hi” or waving. Of course as they get to recognize you they come running at you for a high five, hug or to hold your hand and follow you to your next destination.
  

Also, a very unique experience…

When I was out with CBHC on Friday we went to the Kasubi tombs, the place where the kings of Uganda are buried. The tombs are tended by the descendants of the Kings and their wives. We went to treat these people and I became the first Muzungu to step inside a caretaker’s house since 1894. It was a huge deal. I was given a Buganda (tribe) name of Nabatanzi, as well as a grandmother and aunt. It was all very wonderful. We ate delicious matoke and groundnut sauce!