Arrived in Uganda

On Wednesday November 29th I left Vancouver WA on my way to the Nakivale Refugee Camp in Isingiro Provence, Uganda. The overall travel time is nearly 4 days, somehow you loose a day on the east bound flight. As I said, I left my home in Vancouver at noon on the 29th and arrived at the Entebbe airport in Uganda a little after noon on Friday December 1st. After 3 days of flying with little sleep and wearing the same set of clothes I was ready for a hotel room and shower.

Surprise, surprise no one was there to meet me. Arrangements had been made weeks in advance, but as they say “the best laid plans of mice and men”. Just chalk it up to T.I.A. (This is Africa). Of course my phone does not work in Uganda, but thankfully, the airport had WiFi and I was able to

communicate with Pastor Lewi (Lay-we) who was on his way but stuck in a traffic jam in Kampala. (A very normal occurrence driving in Kampala, Uganda). After about an hour and a half we were loaded up and on our to that hotel room and shower. 

Of course the traffic was terrible but it was moving, even if it was a snails pace. Our driver got a little frustrated and anxious as we had seen a number of the Presidents guard vehicles scream by us, splitting the center lane, between north and south bound traffic. But to add to that each time a group would race by, with sirens screaming, there would be a trail of civilian vehicles following them. Our driver thought that was a good idea, so off we went trailing the next set of official vehicles. It really worked great and we were making excellent time, right up to the point that a police officer waved us over and escorted us to the nearest police station. I could see my hotel room fading fast and was afraid my next room was going to have bars on the windows. If I was lucky enough to have a window.

Police check point

The police officer took our driver away into an office and we were left in the vehicle. After about an hour we were wondering how long the scourging was going to take. Pastor Lewi, bless his soul, got out to speak with some of the ranking police officers, trying to beg their forgiveness. After the second hour our driver final emerged, none the worst by the looks of him, with a very firm warning and lecture about the fact that during this time of terrorist activity the Presidents guards could have shot us with no questions asked. Well we dodged another bullet, literally this time. So the hour and a half trip took us well over four hours.

The first thing we needed to do when we got to Kampala was find a ForeX to change some dollars into Ugandan shillings. It is after 5:00 pm so the first few try’s resulted in closed offices. Finally we found an open office to do our business, it is more than a little awkward walking out with a bag full of currency, ten million is a large amount of bills, and not easily concealed. Needless to say, I felt quite exposed. But I had never been a millionaire before.

Next item on the agenda, decided by popular vote, but not necessarily unanimous, was to get some dinner. About now I am wishing a had that policeman back with me, as we go into a restaurant with me carrying a backpack full of money. We ended up having a great meal in this coffee shop. I would have loved a cup of their gourmet coffee but all I can think about is that hotel bed. Can you see where this is going? (T.I.A.)

The boys had decided we would just drive on to Mbarra. Another non-unanimous vote. Oh, it’s only a little over 3 hours I was told and they had not brought anything with them for an overnight stay. Well, then I still make it to bed by midnight. 

The traffic out of Kampala is absolutely ridiculous it takes us over two hours to go just a few miles. But we keep inching along with trucks, buses, cars, motorbikes, and bicycles going by us, around us and at times at us. The bicycles are by far the fastest moving mode of transportation followed closely by the motorbikes. But I’d have felt safer riding with Evil Knievel than on a moto in Kampala.

We finally cross the equator and it is about midnight, my bedtime, and we are not yet halfway to Mbarra. So maybe another hour and a half. The good news is that we are finally out of traffic, the bad news is the driver thinks he’s Mario Andretti. When I got into this vehicle back at the airport I noticed that there wasn’t enough tread left on the tires to leave a print in a fresh snow. And the headlight plastic covers were so yellowed they would have tested positive for jaundice.

 Oh and gee, I forgot to mention, we are in the middle of nowhere at 1:30 in the morning, literally in the middle of Africa and we run out of gas. When you fly into the Entebbe airport you cannot simply go to the local Hertz counter to rent a vehicle. You have to have someone hire a car and driver for so ever how many days you are going to be in the country. And most people in Uganda do not have a lot of free cash just laying around the house, so you pay them half up front and the balance when you leave. So I had just handed to our vehicles owner two million Ugandan shillings. And he doesn’t fill the gas tank. To quote Lt. Kendra, “my, my, my!!!”

I got to bed about 3:30 am, Oh and Pastor Lewi tells me before he leaves that we need to go the the school in the morning. I push the snooze and crawl out of bed at 7:00.

But I am in Uganda, Praise the Lord. And all the challenges of getting here pale in comparison to be with these people. I believe that if it were not for the nation of Israel, the people of East Africa would be Gods chosen people.