Saturday 10th April 2010 - Karl Morris
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With some sleep under our belts we were ready for another day of Ugandan breakfast with a European twist, it was only sausages but at least we had them. After Chris ruined a perfectly good sausage sandwich with the only variety of Heinz available in Uganda (Tomato Ketchup), we, being the newbies were all set to head off to the Ugandan equator. Ten of us in all were making sure we had been to the toilet as there would be no stopping the 2 and a half hour bus journey to follow. With Rogers at the wheel and a new found shortcut which halved the time from 5 hours we were reasonably happy. We knew we could count on Rogers' rally skills at the helm of a mini bus but we didn't expect to be constantly stopped by traffic police and road crews. I'm sure they were doing their job but it did seem like it was just too much of a spectacle to miss, 10 white people struggling in the African sun. Despite the constant stops we were able to get to the equator before everybody closed up and left. Rogers missed his 2 and a half hour deadline, much to Megan's displeasure but it was only by thirteen minutes so he just avoided a severe beating! We got off the bus eager to stretch our legs and once Luke, Chris and I saw Uganda shirts we were walking better than ever.
Now it was time to find the toilets, at 200 shillings we didn't care about the price, we needed to go. It was here that my dad John found what Anna had found at one of the schools, a white rabbit. Now she could prove to the doubters they exist, and even better, it was on the equator, which makes everything better. We thought it best to do everything we planned before telling her the good news though; you don't want to spoil a high quality surprise like that!
It came to the time of the photo shoot, posing, waiting and clicking away we stood under the arch at the equator. We were amazed that even Godfrey and Rogers were posing under the arch but T.I.A! After the exhausting photo shoot was complete we now had our sights set on the shops and a certain cafe. Once in we discovered the greatest of foods a westerner can devour in Uganda, a cheeseburger, which certainly hit the spot. Quickly followed up by some of the greatest chips I have ever tasted we were all set for some bargaining, we were not going to accept Mzungu prices today. White Ugandan football shirts were the order of the day and a lucky salesman sold four to some very happy tourists! Now came the purchases of simple gifts for friends, loved ones.....or yourself. I wasn't going to spoil myself today so I bought gifts for friends and let my dear mother Jackie haggle away. I am certain it is a Northern Irish trait passed through the generations and works surprisingly well in Uganda. After spending all my money I then discovered the greatest and perhaps largest mask I have ever seen, and only for about £28 *75,000 UGSH*.
After browsing, haggling and buying it was home time, the bus had been left to bake at gas mark five meaning we were sweating buckets, even Rogers was suffering, something I have never seen before. We were now praying the fridge had been working to chill the water, with our prayers answered, we quenched our thirsts and used the water bottles cool our heads. With refreshing fluids in our dried out bodies we were off. Rogers, keen to meet his deadline of two and a half hours was taking a shorter shortcut. It wasn't all lightning fast though, we did have to make a pit stop for some native stools. Anna, Michelle and Megan were desperate to buy and now they had to find a place for them on the bus. Two were safe but Anna's was relying on downhill driving as her stool was resting on the fridge. Her female intuition kicked in and she realised, it wasn't safe so it was now placed in the gap at the door. She wasn't wasting 7,000 shillings on a stool for it to become faulty. With the stools in comfortable positions we got back to conversing or listening to music. Some even decided to try and nod off which isn't going to happen on Uganda's finest of roads never mind Uganda's regular roads. Soon enough though we were back at Enro hotel ready to tell the old hands of a place they already knew. Now all I needed was the room key and I was ready to crash out on the bed for an hour or two but there were no workers to be found so I had to wait while slightly nodding off in a rather nice leather chair in reception. Once I received my room key I wasted no time in hitting the bed. Sleep however was now off the list as the hotel kindly started playing some country music. Hard to be enjoyed by myself at the best of times, it certainly wasn't going to grow on me when it was keeping me up. Instead I got some time to relax and melt on the bed. After that I was ready to go up to the bar and again relax, in the company of the Building Brighter Futures gang.
A wedding one minute away was causing some noise and quite a gathering of wedding goers also found their way to the bar making things interesting and cramped. At least it was food time soon; we could definitely see chicken, rice, beef and soup on the cards. Expecting as such my enthusiasm for the food wasn't sky high but being hungry I got tucked in like everybody else. Back to the bar for some more relaxing and conversing. The pool table was definitely out of the question as it was surrounded by everyone. If one of the group managed to wrestle through the mob and get a game, they are of hero status.
I think from me it is goodnight, my eyes are closing ever so casually and it seems my room mate Chris is already throwing out Z's. Big day tomorrow, I don't want to ruin what is happening so I will leave it to tomorrow's blogger to explain in detail what unfolds.
A goodnight from Uganda
Karl Morris
Now it was time to find the toilets, at 200 shillings we didn't care about the price, we needed to go. It was here that my dad John found what Anna had found at one of the schools, a white rabbit. Now she could prove to the doubters they exist, and even better, it was on the equator, which makes everything better. We thought it best to do everything we planned before telling her the good news though; you don't want to spoil a high quality surprise like that!
It came to the time of the photo shoot, posing, waiting and clicking away we stood under the arch at the equator. We were amazed that even Godfrey and Rogers were posing under the arch but T.I.A! After the exhausting photo shoot was complete we now had our sights set on the shops and a certain cafe. Once in we discovered the greatest of foods a westerner can devour in Uganda, a cheeseburger, which certainly hit the spot. Quickly followed up by some of the greatest chips I have ever tasted we were all set for some bargaining, we were not going to accept Mzungu prices today. White Ugandan football shirts were the order of the day and a lucky salesman sold four to some very happy tourists! Now came the purchases of simple gifts for friends, loved ones.....or yourself. I wasn't going to spoil myself today so I bought gifts for friends and let my dear mother Jackie haggle away. I am certain it is a Northern Irish trait passed through the generations and works surprisingly well in Uganda. After spending all my money I then discovered the greatest and perhaps largest mask I have ever seen, and only for about £28 *75,000 UGSH*.
After browsing, haggling and buying it was home time, the bus had been left to bake at gas mark five meaning we were sweating buckets, even Rogers was suffering, something I have never seen before. We were now praying the fridge had been working to chill the water, with our prayers answered, we quenched our thirsts and used the water bottles cool our heads. With refreshing fluids in our dried out bodies we were off. Rogers, keen to meet his deadline of two and a half hours was taking a shorter shortcut. It wasn't all lightning fast though, we did have to make a pit stop for some native stools. Anna, Michelle and Megan were desperate to buy and now they had to find a place for them on the bus. Two were safe but Anna's was relying on downhill driving as her stool was resting on the fridge. Her female intuition kicked in and she realised, it wasn't safe so it was now placed in the gap at the door. She wasn't wasting 7,000 shillings on a stool for it to become faulty. With the stools in comfortable positions we got back to conversing or listening to music. Some even decided to try and nod off which isn't going to happen on Uganda's finest of roads never mind Uganda's regular roads. Soon enough though we were back at Enro hotel ready to tell the old hands of a place they already knew. Now all I needed was the room key and I was ready to crash out on the bed for an hour or two but there were no workers to be found so I had to wait while slightly nodding off in a rather nice leather chair in reception. Once I received my room key I wasted no time in hitting the bed. Sleep however was now off the list as the hotel kindly started playing some country music. Hard to be enjoyed by myself at the best of times, it certainly wasn't going to grow on me when it was keeping me up. Instead I got some time to relax and melt on the bed. After that I was ready to go up to the bar and again relax, in the company of the Building Brighter Futures gang.
A wedding one minute away was causing some noise and quite a gathering of wedding goers also found their way to the bar making things interesting and cramped. At least it was food time soon; we could definitely see chicken, rice, beef and soup on the cards. Expecting as such my enthusiasm for the food wasn't sky high but being hungry I got tucked in like everybody else. Back to the bar for some more relaxing and conversing. The pool table was definitely out of the question as it was surrounded by everyone. If one of the group managed to wrestle through the mob and get a game, they are of hero status.
I think from me it is goodnight, my eyes are closing ever so casually and it seems my room mate Chris is already throwing out Z's. Big day tomorrow, I don't want to ruin what is happening so I will leave it to tomorrow's blogger to explain in detail what unfolds.
A goodnight from Uganda
Karl Morris
