15 - 22 OCTOBER 2011

KAMPALA

 

With another tourist I leave Edirisa for the short walk to the Post Office with my pre-ordered rolex in hand – a chappati rolled around an omelette - for breakfast. We’re both catching the Posta Bus, which is slower because it drops off mail at major post offices on the way, but is decidedly safer than alternative bus companies.  As we near the bus there is much commotion and we comment to each other that it is often hard to determine how serious it is, when we notice a bloke being punched, pushed and chased away, the subject of a bit of early morning mob justice. Talking with the conductor later, he tells me that ‘some people think he was stealing money’ and ‘the mob were taking care of him.

He agreed with me that crowds could be easily misled and I could see how crowds could so easily get out of control in fits of temper here in any African country. It’s a relaxing drive through green, cultivated countryside and I travel over the equator for the third time this trip, to Kampala arriving early afternoon. We drop a lot of passengers at the market and I watch as a msungu who has alighted gets her bags rifled through three times by pickpockets as she stands by the bus! We travel through to the city to finish at the main post office and its an easy walk through the city to check in at New City Annexe Hotel and get one of the two single rooms that have a window.

I take up the cause of retrieving my torch here; I have been trying Yahya’s phone with calls and sms but he is not picking up or replying and I begin to wonder if I have been a little over confident thinking I would get it back? Reception here have never heard of New Hope Hotel, it’s not on maps and talking to the bodaboda guys they know the Jaguar bus station but not the hotel I’m looking for. We set a price to the bus station and I ask my rider if he will ask for me when we get to that part of town. No worries although the ride on the boda boda was a little hair raising through town on wet streets, but a rider there knew the hotel and we easily locate the New Hope. First part accomplished! I enquire about Yahya, who is not in (bad) but the lovely receptionist telephones him for me (good) and he tells them to look for the torch in his bag he has at reception – Its in there and now I have my head torch back. Again unbelievable and I am very happy to have it back because it’s a very handy light for travelling. I did feel bad growling at the Kigali auberge staff and accusing them of keeping it, but Ange assured me that she had telephoned them to apologise on our behalf. Phew..

Walking out of that hotel, I see I am in Old Kampala and opposite the Gaddafi National Mosque with a sign inviting free visits. On entry I discover I have to pay 6000 shillings to hire a scarf and wrap to cover up because I am female, but the tour was free, led by a very earnest young man with a severe eye disorder – he was cross eyed! I gather Islam must have been his only option as he could not have worked otherwise. Idi Amin began building this mosque in 1972, ran out of money and Col Gaddafi funded the completion in 2007 gaining him lots of supporters here. The mosque affords great views over Kampala. I take another boda boda out to check out Backpackers but s it’s now tourist low season because European and American school terms have begun so all the vollies have gone back home, so not many tourists here. I check out their accommodation but the dorm smells so damp and at only a few thousand shillings less than what I am paying now for a private room I decide to stay in town. I round off the afternoon with a quick visit to the Namirembe Anglican Cathedral, again giving me great views over the city.

Next morning I check out Uganda’s National Theatre directly across the road from where I am staying – they have umpteen events on this week which tempts me to stay a few more days. Ush10,000 – A$3.50 for most shows and tonight there is a musical drama, Kibuga about greed and confusion! My church visit is this morning arrive at the Calvary Temple Worship Centre in Kitintale. I am introduced to this pastor and that pastor and then seated right up the front on cushioned chairs.

After a long and fervent session with the evangelists, which included my being introduced to the congregation, I am treated to a lovely lunch by Robert and Peter.  The donation envelopes distributed here included a quotation from the bible “Bring ye the whole tithe in to the storehouse, that there may be food in my house…. If I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing….” Mal 3:10 as a gentle reminder to GIVE MONEY..

Tonight I attend the premiere of Kibuga, with a late start and a late discovery that it’s a gospel drama to demonstrate the emptiness of worldly pleasures. Fortunately the gospel bit goes right over my head and I enjoyed a couple of hours of great singing, drumming, dancing and storytelling!

Monday I strike out across town to walk to the Girl Guides at BP House in Buganda Road which takes me through the centre of town. Here it is crowded with many armed police and riot trucks at each corner. BY the time I get to Buganda Rd, I hear the first shots of tear gas being aimed at the Walk to Work procession, who are making a peaceful protest.

Very sad that there is such a crackdown with people injured and the government later claiming that these people have no rights to protest! At BP House I meet with some lovely young leaders and we chat about a few of the problems they are dealing with as an association, including owning valuable land that is underutilised. They organise for me to meet with their Chief Commissioner this afternoon so in the meantime I visit the Uganda Museum and amongst the poor displays there is a photography exhibition from a new book, Extra Ordinary Women from Uganda.

While at lunch there, I get a call back from Ngamba Island that they have a group on Thursday that I can join to visit the Chimpanzee Sanctuary. What great luck, and between short rains I walk downhill all the way back to town past green scenic golf courses to find Speare House very near where I am staying. I meet with Morine Wayamunno, Uganda Girl Guide Association’s Chief Commissioner at her work office. Morine is lovely and I mention the museum’s photo exhibition with the photo of the Presidential Advisor, Juliana Bezuidenhuit in her Girl Guide uniform. Morine shows me a copy of the book and tells us that she and her daughter are also in it and the photographer is a friend of the family. Ooh I now know someone famous! Back at New City Annexe reception I try and extend my stay in my windowed room so I can spend a few days going to various concerts, plays and dance exhibitions as well as visit Ngamba. Yes its possible until Friday.

Exploring the nearby Nakumatt and Garden City plazas, I find there is half price cinema today at both malls. I choose to see Viva Riva, a very gory story about a handsome Congolese being chased by an extremely good looking Angolan, looking for his stolen oil. In the African way they all end up dead but it was something different.

Then tonight is The story of John Akii Bua: An African Tragedy at the National Theatre. Starting time is 7pm and I stroll over around 6.30pm to find a reception going on for invited guests and crew. I get in on the basis of being a mzungu and drink up the free beer but not quick enough to beat the hungry Africans for the free food on offer! lol John Aki Bua won gold at the Munich Olympics in 1972 for 400m Hurdles but died unknown at 47 years of age. He was one of 43 children form a father who had 8 wives, joined the police force and trained as an athlete. HE should have defended his record in 1976 at Montreal but was withdrawn after Idi Amin announced that Ugandan athletes would not take part, as a protest at New Zealand playing rugby with apartheid South Africa. He was soon barred from competing abroad by the ruling General and he fled to Kenya with his family when the war with Tanzania was at its climax. International media found him at a camp in Kenya, rescued him and Puma offered him employment in Germany, where he and his family tried to settle but at that time being African in Europe was very difficult. After returning to Uganda he died in relative anonymity. His family were present and the theatre was full of Akii Bua admirers as each appearance was applauded. The General Amin character was also applauded but I wasn’t sure if that was for the actor or whether they actually liked General Amin.

Another night at the National Theatre for Uganda’s National Contemporary Dance presentation of ‘The Power of Hope’. It is choreographed to original music written by a US composer especially for the company. The Power of Hope is set against the usual African backdrop of impending drought, famine, war and the eventual rise of the human spirit to surmount these issues. The dancers include 12 youths from Kayda Orphanage, percussionists and video footage. It is stirring music and the choreography was fabulous, 10,000 shillings (A$3.50) for a wonderful evening. Thursday I head off very early to arrive in Entebbe in plenty of time for the 9am boat to Ngamba Island. I find the office but alas the booked group have not paid nor turned up and no one can get any confirmation from them. Another girl turns up at the last minute but that still is only two of us, they are very sorry unless we want to pay $150 each. I rebook for Saturday, when they assure me they have paid bookings, pay my money and spend a pleasant few hours at the Uganda Animal Sanctuary, checking out a few rescued animals and enjoying the rural peace here. There is a great display set up by the ‘Soft Power Education’ www.softpowereducation.com all about the historic and present Murchison Falls. They have all sorts of interesting evidence including The African Queen playing on a flat screen, more video footage of an interview with Idi Amin trying to talk to the crocodiles, clippings about Hemingway’s holiday jaunt and near fatal air crash there. There were audio recordings from witnesses of the Lord’s Resistance Army trainings there and interviews and re-enactments within the park from reformed poachers.

The refuge itself is ok but memorable only for the close views of a couple of Shoebill stork and Crested cranes. They also have a couple of Uganda Kob which are reddish brown antelopes and part of Uganda’s coat of arms. Nearby are the Entebbe Botanical Gardens where many Tarzan movies were filmed – I wonder which vines Johnny used? Walking about I meet with Dick and Beanie who have been travelling a few weeks here in East Africa but made time to make a flying visit to Juba to see the newest  world country, South Sudan. Beanie first visited Africa as a Peace Corp member in 1964 and was based in Ethiopia for 2 years! I could not even begin to imagine what Ethiopia must have been like in those days. Since then the couple have been supported and sustained by collecting West African art and crafts to resell from their home, twice a year. We join up for a lovely lunch of half decent pizzas and great coffee at Annas Corner Cafe. There is a shop on site with loads of jewellery, local fabric crafts etc and we all linger finding more things to buy. Soon enough we part ways, they to head back for a last few hours of four star luxury before flying out tonight and me back to town for a spot more shopping at Uganda 2000 Crafts which is stocked wall to wall, floor to ceiling with all manner of local fair trade arts and crafts. After scouring the shelves I come up with a few women table mats. Then a lovely walk back along Kampala Rd in the twilight with everyone either closing up, going home or setting up for the evening.  Tonight I see a comedy night at the National Theatre and even though the accents were heavy, and a lot of the jokes in local language, there were still enough skits that I ‘got’ even if just for their African flavour.

Next day I get a call from Ngamba at 9am, that I can join a tour today – too bad the boat went two minutes ago and I am still in Kampala. Spend a lazy day online updating the blog, then head out to Alliance Francaise but they don't have a café there – I am shocked! So I head to a different shopping Lugogo Mall where I find another branch of Banana Boat with more Ugandan souvenirs, b*gger more shopping. I get a Bodaboda back through town during peak hour which in itself is an adventure. Tonight I dine out on Turkish before heading back to the National Theatre for Dance Transmissions Festival, 2011, contempory dance workshops, exhibitions and performances. All was fine until the third dance, a Ugandan dance company who portrayed prophesies according to the Book of Revelations in the bible. This was the crucifixion of Jesus and again I find myself debating religion as part of culture? I get that it is a big part of their lives while they struggle to understand anyone who admits to not having religion etc etc….

All week I have been extending my stay at New City Annexe and there is no guarantee of the same room again tomorrow night so I pack up in anticipation of being moved whilst visiting Entebbe tomorrow. I also pack another back of souvenir goodies that I will try and post at the Entebbe Post Office tomorrow!! After another early start I get to Entebbe to find that the PO opens at 9am – b*gger.  Heading on to the pier, I am given a lift from Ngamba staff to wait at restaurant at Uganda Wildlife. I caht with with a couple who were robbed second day in Kampala!! No boat, but I'm reassured its coming. Then the boat arrives but no people. I am confused and start to walk to the boat – a staff member turns up to tell me to go to the boat, more folk are coming. Meanwhile she has another bloke with her to take to another boat. I volunteer to take other boat (hoping its bigger cause the weather is rough and the waiting boat is small) but by the time we get there, that boat has left. Returning to the first boat it is now full with Alex on board. It’s all turning African and I am happy to give the whole thing a miss.

The staff are distraught but I cheerfully offer to rescind my passage to be paid by Alex. Upon leaving I ask them to give the chimps my regards, telephone Kampala to check out (cause my bags was already packed) and get great service at the now opened post office to send a 2 kg parcel off home. Early lunch back at Annes Corner with their lovely plunge decaf coffee followed by a long and slow taxi back to Kampala. I pick up my pack, grab a couple of Govinda’s gorgeous samosas take away and installed on a coaster bus to Jinja within the hour. Visiting Ngamba just wasn’t meant to be.

NOTE: Entebbe is situated right about on the equator and is infamous amongst those of us old enough to remember the plane hijack that was force landed in Entebbe in 1976. The hijackers were Palestinian and german terrorists who held Israelis on board after sending all the other passengers off. This was going to be Idi Amin’s big moment on the world stage if he could only broker a deal and have Uganda rescue the hostages on behalf of the world. Israel, however, had other ideas and sent in its own small rescue team who clinically eliminated the hostages and rescued their countrymen. One women was missing, who was taken to hospital during the siege – she was never seen again.