Mukungwe

Still keen on keeping active, we decided we had seen what we needed on Baggala Island, and wanted to move on! While getting my new favourite quick breakfast Rolex, our friend Abraham came to see us and offered us a free ride to the town from which we could get a shard taxi over to the ferry. We are now heading to Masaka which was west, so getting the ferry from a different town on the island. The shared taxi was an experience of its own!

The driver very casually tried to point as to who goes where, but really we just followed suit. I was pointed to go in along with the other boys. I didn't make anything of it at the time but eventually I noticed all the women were on top of the boys - I of course being on the bottom (there's a first! wink wink). So the back seat consisted of 4 boys (that's including me) on the seats with Jack and another lady shared amongst our laps. Funny part is, boy or not, I'm small and don't weigh much. They lady sitting on the guy next to me was relatively large and heavy. I just remember telling Jack the second time we got into the car to make sure she was on top of me because I don't think I could support that lady for the hour long ride! There was another 4 people in front, leaving just enough room for the driver to drive while squeezed against the door, head bent sideways. We added in a 10ish year old boy once back in the car after the ferry. In case you're not following, this taxi brought us to a ferry, on which we sat on benches, then we sat back in the car and it continued onto the town we wanted, Masaka.

11 people total in a 5 seat passenger car. And let's not forget the 3 lives chickens in a box in the front seat. Even the driver had trouble closing his door once seated because of the 2 women and child next to him. I couldn't feel my right leg for most of the trip. Jack being on top had her head pined against the ceiling of the car, sitting half on my lap and half on the guy next to us. Funny how all ideas of a personal bubbles and space melts away in these countries. Even when your sitting on a boda boda, you hold onto the guys waist in hills or press your thighs against his to hold on. You become friends very quickly!

The ferry ride, being just under an hour, was a welcomed, open and breezy moment of freedom before getting back into that car. As for Masaka, and once the feeling returned to my leg, we walked around with our backpacks and found our lunch spot. We had Greek! Legit and wonderful Greek! Fresh Greek salad. Actual feta cheese. Tzaziki! We even allowed ourselves to go all out and order desert - ice cream! I was in heaven. After ordering it, we noticed it had been 1 month since our departure from Ottawa. Desert for a celebration!

The rest of the day was just spent walking through this wonderful, busy, small shops kind of town, eventually stumbling upon what became our accommodation for the night. According to the travel book, there was not much to do but wonder around in this town, and it was right. But we both loved it! It's hard to explain why one town hits you in a really positive way, more then another. Especially when you don't have reference points to compare. I can't say the museum was nicer, or the restaurant better, or the parks nicer, just the feeling of the place was great. Still, Ugandans are impressing me. No one bothering us, everyone actually giving us real pricing for things like accommodation and transportation. We walked by a minibus station and were approached by two men, I automatically though they would sell me something but they just wanted to help - gave us the information we needed for tomorrow's bus to Kabale.

The evening was spent having a drink on a patio, people watching, and eating food from the street vendors around. It's cool, here - you can sit in any restaurant or coffee shop, buy something or not, doesn't matter, bring in something from outside, anything goes. Food with the vendors was cheaper and more interesting, do that's what we ate at the bar! A slight miscommunication - Jack wanted to try a different bier, so she asked the waiting if she could have his favourite beer. He got so excited, thanked us both and walked away. Maybe 10 minutes later, no beer, I call him over again and say "the beer, she wanted to try your favourite beer". And he goes "oh! She wants to try?" and again very happily walks away, eventually to return with Bell beer. Once the bill was in, turns out I had bought him a beer! Lol oops. He seemed so happy about it, I guess it's one good deed.

I've actually noticed - Ugandans drink... A lot... Well men do. I've seen an incredible amount of men drinking straight from these tiny mickeys of vodka. Even our spiritual medium from yesterday was drinking from his mickey while he was telling us about his religion. According to them, if you drink and have a job, no problem. If you drink and don't have a job, that's an issue. More often then I probably should, I find myself wondering "is that guy off or waisted?"

Side note - traveling is surprisingly tiring. We thought jet-lag was the reason we were in bed so early at first. I think at this point, it's safe to say we're just old! In bed by 8-9pm. Up by 630-7am. Going out for those drinks, we thought we would have a night on the town! 9pm, we're in bed, lights out. Party!

Second side note - check out the big ugly birds we keep spotting everywhere! They're literally everywhere. They're balding, long necked and about 3-4 feet tall... Creepy.Read more