What a start to my 2014 Uganda adventure! I spent the day of January 9th
traveling from Entebbe to Maundo. My day
began in Entebbe with a “special hire” ride from a young man named Hakim. Hakim is 24 years old and has a wonderful
story! He arrived at the hotel dressed
in a full suit and driving his own van.
During our hour long drive from Entebbe to Kampala I asked Hakim about
his life. He started working as a driver
for a company and over time, instead of spending the money he made, he saved
it. He was able to save up 10 million
Uganda shillings which is the equivalent of about $4000. He used this money to buy his own van and
hopes to continue working to build his own transportation business. I was so impressed with his work ethic and
desire to improve his life.
Hakim took me to the Kampala Taxi Center. I wish I could fully describe this
scene. Imagine an area in the heart of a
big city where there are hundreds of what we would call passenger vans. There does not appear to be any organization
and people are everywhere. There are
vendors walking around selling foods, drinks, and products. It was overwhelming to my senses, but I
tagged along Hakim who kindly helped me find the right taxi. Once on board he made sure the driver took
care of me and my luggage and gave me guidance.
After about 20 minutes we were off to Torroro.
Now to explain, this “taxi” is quite the experience. There are 15 people crammed inside with
absolutely no leg room. On top of my lap
sat about 20lbs of medical equipment and my backpack. I rode like this for 4 hours. What a great time to practice meditation and
the experience of discomfort! About an
hour into the ride, just as I was falling asleep we pulled up to a roadside
refreshment stand. As soon as we pulled
up about 20 people rushed up to the van windows and stuck every imaginable kind
of food or drink in our faces. It was
exhilarating! I purchased some fried
plantains which were quite tasty and luckily had no negative consequences from eating these.
Once in Tororo, I hopped a ride on a “boda boda”
(motorcycle) then caught another “special hire” ride to Maundo. What a day!!
I can officially say that I now greatly appreciate American
transportation!
Lake Victoria
I'm so glad you got to experience the Kampala Taxi Center! It's unlike anything else! I wouldn't worry too much about the local/roadside food. I ate it all the time and never got sick.
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