Trials and Tribulations of Travel in Africa 12/23/2018

Greetings –

While we had hoped to see yet more of Kampala on our last day in Uganda, we kept being warned that the drive could take anywhere from one hour to three hours to get from our hotel to the airport (although it is technically about a 30 minute drive). So we succumbed and hired a taxi to pick us up four hours before our flight boarding time – the taxi arrived promptly at 11 am (boarding was at 3:00). The drive from our hotel in Kampala to the airport which is actually in Entebbe is a distance of about 40 kilometers (25 miles), so the four-hour timing seemed ridiculous, but we already knew that it took us two hours in the other direction and that we had now experienced waiting at intersections for more than 15 and 20 minutes. There are no traffic lights in Kampala and they have these occasional roundabouts but they just seem to actually cause more jams as so many roads intersect at each roundabouts they become a total mess and create gridlock. So we began our driving adventure with the same taxi driver we had the day before.

The first five miles took two hours!! Mostly we are just sitting in the car stopped or crawling. We could have walked faster. It was also raining which added to the mess (at times hard rain, but mostly drizzling). Very few roads in Kampala are paved (except for this new super highway – Uganda version – which is only open for a few miles of the trip and once we got onto that it was full speed ahead, but that was only for about 6 miles or so), so there are enormous potholes and much of the time, given the rain, you’re driving in the mud. We used the time to do some car photography out the side of the window (which I detest for numerous reasons, but we didn’t have that much to do). We also became way more familiar with the driver. He is one of 48 children. Yes, you read that correctly – 48 siblings.  His father had 8 wives (simultaneously). Six of his siblings have died. His father would have had many more children but he died at the age of 45. He knows all of the siblings but does not see them very often. They gather at the father’s grave once each year. This year 32 of the siblings were there for the annual ceremony.

The father would buy a small parcel of land, marry a woman, have children (or at least one child initially) and then the wife would tend to the coffee plantation on that parcel of land, as the father bought another parcel, built another house and set up another coffee plantation for that next wife to tend. So I assume by age 45 he had six coffee plantations. The driver only met his mother when he was 14-years-old. Clearly the children identify with the fathers. (That was true for Martin as well.. His father had 4 wives and there were about 15 siblings; we met and he talked a lot about his father, but never about his mother.) The driver explained that this was his father’s way – the children were raised by the stepmothers not their birth mothers.) Now we know why the vendors in the market think we must be sister and brother and they ask Mike how many wives he has. I guess you don’t hang out much with any of your wives if you are male in Uganda. So basically the father’s strategy was.. get land, build house, find wife, have children, expand coffee business.

Along the very slow drive we were able to catch more glimpses of life in both the city and the surroundings. We saw women in traditional dress heading to a wedding (getting messed up by the mud and wet by the rain), many matatus packed with people who were also getting nowhere in the traffic, and lots of goats. We also saw thousands of mannequins during both our walks in shopping areas and markets and along the road. They are obsessed with showing clothing on mannequins; some with heads, some without; almost all are white bodies.

We arrived at the Kampala Airport four hours after we started the 25-mile journey – exactly when our plane would be taking off. And we still had to go through all the layers of security – the car check, the scanning devices, check in luggage since it would be a small prop plane, more security, customs, etc. So were resigned that we would have to take the next and last flight out which would be 6 hours later. And not exactly a great airport with lots of accommodations to sit around and wait.  But we got to the counter to see what might be possible.

The women were not too happy but said we could make the plane because it was late (not overly surprised) but they didn’t know if we could board because they might not be able to get the baggage on in time. For some reason this took a while and as we waited, one of the two Rwanda Air employees was rather annoyed that we were late, saying they will only accommodate us this one time. We were quite apologetic, explained the driving time (which she shrugged off) and offered to take the later flight if this was too difficult to manage. Alas, we were escorted through all the security channels and taken to the gate where we waited another 30 minutes before boarding! One note – about a mile before the airport the driver must step out of the car and be hand inspected (a bit demeaning in front of us sitting in the car); most passengers are asked to exit the car and go through metal detectors not hand screening. We were not asked to do this (although we had done it in Nairobi); we were the only Whites in cars headed to the airport.

Finally, we arrived in Kigali… the potholes are gone, the streets are immaculate, there are traffic lights and very orderly movement of vehicles. We took an “airport taxi” which was in a queue that was far calmer than anything at JFK. But before this, we headed to the ATM to get Rwandan Francs. They have a limit on the amount you can retrieve (just about $50) but you can do it multiple times … I did it twice and then the machine was out of cash. We then went to the airport bank and they said the machine was being re-filled. We went back and Mike tried but it was still out of money. We saw a second ATM (they are in little teeny buildings with doors that have advertising, so they are not so easy to spot) and Mike tried that one. It ate his card so back to the little bank who sent over a woman with a key who returned the card and then attempted to restart the machine.. but it was taking too long. So we just hopped in the taxi. The drive was amazing. It’s a very hilly city, located at 5,200 ft (like Denver?) and experienced the smoothest drive, the greenest road edges (all trimmed)… and lots of great views of the city.

We arrived at Heaven Boutique Hotel… more details on that later.. but it is an exquisite little paradise in the middle of the city… While we had booked the “villa rooms” when we got here we understood the differences between the three room types (villa, chateau, retreat). And so we upgraded to “retreat” – complete with our own outdoor (and indoor) shower, beautifully appointed furnishings… We are here for 4 nights (5 days) and the room is only available for three.. so we will have to move to the chateau room on the last night.. We are praying for a cancellation. I’ll take a better picture of the whole room later today… when the sun is out..

We settled in and then walked (!!!) to a phenomenal Indian restaurant – Khana Khawana – and had a feast. We hadn’t eaten since our basic breakfast at Humura.

In short, Heaven Boutique is owned by two expats (we think from the Bay Area) who hire only locals and are training them to be professionals in the tourist industry. All staff are African (from Rwanda, Burundi, etc.). They appear to be overstaffed (fine by me) and that is probably because they are all “in training”.. They also donate a portion of the rates from what we understand–to local NGOs.

OK.. That’s it…Tomorrow’s note will be about Kigali. We are super excited to see the city and understand more. It’s sort of good and bad that we are here on Christmas as it’s not as typical a moment in time.

On the racial front, Mike and I believe we saw six white people our entire time in Uganda (and that included the two of us); we have already seen more white people in Rwanda – from what little we could see at customs and at the hotel – Australians, Brits, probably some Americans, but we haven’t heard American English yet… )

All the best.. as most of you sit in that government-lite environment known as the US… We’re quite connected with Internet and CNN and Al Jezeera.. so we’re keeping up so as not to be in total shock upon our return.

Fern