Kisumu, Kenya to Kampala, Uganda

August 17, 2011

Ate breakfast and back on the road. We have another border to cross and something tells me it is not going to be as easy as it was yesterday.

After yesterday's issue with unreliable maps, we stopped at a bookstore and picked up the Kenyan travel map complete with coordinates so we can link up with handheld GPSes x 2. Nothing like a few toys to help out. Between Google Earth and handhelds, we are going places. Now we just need satellite Internet so when Google Earth is wrong we can figure out where the hell we are.

Driving through lush farmland in Kenya is relaxing. Liam would probably say otherwise because of the crazy drivers. But, I enjoyed it. Liam likes to drive and I like to scream “STOP. Need picture.” It works for us. At least in my opinion. He would say he is just the superior driver. Well, ask him about the Ugandan police telling him to slow down and not pass four cars down a steep incline and around a corner. Let’s just say, my “slow down quit driving like a crazy person” was 100% justified when the cop looked at me and said “Hello Mama. I’m just going to have a little talk here with my friend about his driving.” I giggled. Liam gave me a dirty look.

Make it to the Kenyan-Uganda border in one piece. We are hopefully never ever going to get to a border after 8am in the future. What an ass pain. There were 10-15 people screaming at us and guiding us through all of the parked trucks. The easy part was getting our passports stamped. Then, we had to deal with customs and paperwork for the car. Apparently, the guys on the border we crossed yesterday forgot to give us a piece of paper so we could get out of Kenya without having to drive all the way back to get the stupid piece of paper. Well, we had a copy of the title that is currently MIA at our embassy. Paperwork in hand, we head to the Ugandan border. With our little guides in tow. Immigration stamps were easy. Liam had to deal with our new rafikis. They gave us a quote for Ugandan insurance for $150 for 4 months. Then, said $40 would be okay. I don’t know about you guys – but I’m thinking payouts on insurance wouldn’t be that great in Uganda. And I thought US insurance was sketchy….

Immediately, after crossing the border two baboons welcomed us. I thought Liam was going to get out of the car and go play with them. He loves monkeys/primates (but not silverback gorillas – more later). Sometimes I question how his brain works. Especially, when he is looking at the giant open wound on one of their noses. I don’t know about you, but I’m not planning on hugging any wildlife in their territory this year. Just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Uganda has a different feel. While the countryside is very pretty, the people were very serious. I guess that comes with years of turmoil. You become hardened. And it is very visible to outsiders.

Stopped in Jinja to have lunch and get some cash. Pull up and park in an area in town and while I am sitting in the car and Liam is getting something out of the back seat, this little kid runs up to the car, scribbles something down and sticks it under the windshield wiper. Liam asks him what he is doing and he says writing a parking ticket. So, I watched the little brat run across the street and brag about how he wrote a ticket to two diplomatic mzungus. But, you screwed up dude. You pissed off the crazy mzungu woman. Liam comes back from the bank to say we have to drive to another location and the little brat comes running up asking for us to pay 5000 Ugandan shillings for the ticket. Well, we had ZERO Ugandan shillings and are on diplomatic passports. Then, he told us to give him American money. I’m not giving this brat a $20. Nope. We drove away and he has an unpaid ticket that will never be collected on.

Ate lunch at this great café right on Lake Victoria. Vegetable quiche was perfection. And you couldn’t beat the atmosphere. Quiet and delightful – with Internet. Since Liam’s phone still wasn’t working (at least we thought – but it’s all better now), talked with Brad to confirm our arrival in Kampala and left to head to town. The rest of the drive wasn’t bad until I led us to the wrong embassy because I was looking at number 8 on the wrong map. Finally, met up with Brad and drove to their house. (In case you don’t know who Brad is, Liam replaced him for IRT in Tanzania. Between him and his wife, Angie, our life has been much easier prepping for this move. So, a big part of this trip was to come hang out with them and play in Uganda).

While we were sitting around talking about everything in general and what we wanted to do in Uganda, I mentioned the gorillas. Brad said something along the lines of you have to go because its just cool. When Brad and a buddy went, his friend was checked, from behind, by a 550 lb. silverback gorilla. And I have to agree with Brad and friend – I don’t care who you are but being checked by a 550 lb. silverback in his house will make you pee yourself a little. So, I think Liam has finally decided it’s worth the $500 park fee per person to look at gorillas from about 10 feet away (or less I hear). Especially since his half is considered exploring Africa and part of his budget. That’s what I call a two for one special.

Off to bed to dream of gorillas.