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So...after deciding at home that I wouldn't write a blog, now I'm here I feel like I have so much stuff to tell so many people that it would maybe be a good idea. I've been in Uganda for nearly a month now and it feels like 1 day and my whole life at the same time...
So..the trip got off to an interesting start when we were joined on our plane to Dubai by Dermot o'leary, Connie Huq and the boys x factor finalists. Pretty random and crazy. After a crazily long plane flight, on the most swish plane I've ever been on in my life, we arrived in Uganda! We spent our first night in the country at our host's, James and Isobelle, beautiful house in Kampala. Justine and I spent the night in a rather crampt 2 man tent, but I could have slept anywhere after the journey. The next morning we were given a pretty good breakfast, but unfortunately I couldn't eat much of it as I was feeling pretty sick after my first malaria table. Great start! Anyway, I soon recovered and at about lunch time we left to go to our projcts. Me and Justine and another pair, Benny and Finn, were picked up by our host Joseph, who on first impressions seems like a pretty cool guy. We travelled off in a taxi (which in Uganda means minibus - designed to hold 14 but in reality just fits in as many peoaple as physically possible) after about 10 minutes we got to Kampala's main taxi park and had to get out and look for another taxi to take us. This was a bit mental as we were left standing around in the baking heat, carrying 40kg of luggage with a million and 1 Ugandans trying to sell us stuff! Eventually, we managed to find a taxi just about big enough to cram in the 5 of us and all of our bags! Our journey tookus about 1 hour and a half in total - most of which was spent trying to get out of the traffic jam around Kampala. As we drove we got to watch out the windows as we drove through extremely green country sideand past colurful villages, Eventually we pulled into a sidestreet and I realised we had arrived in our village - Kitega. With the help of Joseph we unloaded our bags ad heaved them up inot a sall room - Joseph, his wife Rebecca and their 4 children's home. For th next hour or so we were constantly shaking hands and being introdced o mroe faces and names than I could possible remember. Unfrotunately, just before we arrived in Kitega, Jospeh realisd we had left the keys for Justine and I's accomodaton in Kampala. This meant we were left spending our first ngiht sleeping on Joseph's rather hard floor. The sight of a mouse scurrying around near the lng drop toilet did nothing to make me feel more comfortable!
Kitega:
Justine and I have been living for the last 3 and a half weeks in a small illage caleld Kitega (pronounced chit-ay-ga.) The village is just off the main road that runs between the 2 big cities of Kampala and Jinja. It is also around 2km formt he slightly bigger twon of Lugazi. The village appears small at first, but when you explore you realise there are large amounts of house packe din everywhere. Varying from sturdy brick stuctures to small muddy huts. Thevillage is a huge sugar cane producing area, and Justine and I's house (basically 2 rooms and a porch) is at a quiet end of the village, just bfore a vast plantation. W are very lucky in that we have most possibly the best view in the village. Even if we do have to risk our lives wlaking up a step and ofen extreeeemely muddy hill to reach it!
Weather:
he weather here i in someways a bit like Scotland - totally unpredictable. It can go from one extreme to another in minutes. When it is sunny both me and Justine find it hard to just sit in the heat, let alone move around it. I nearly died just watching the children playing football. I was in the easy role of Alex Ferguson - managing my Man United team - which I was given by the kids. When it rains it is sooo heavy that I worry our house might blow down. In minutes it turns the dry red earth into deathly mud slides that make moving anywhere pretty hard. Justine fell down the hill in the mud in front of a;l the kids who needless to say found it hilarious! There is also pretty often lightning which lights up the whole sky and thunder - which the first time I heard it I genuinely thought it was a bomb! Craaaaaazy!
Funny stuff that has happened:
1. Before even leaivng the country I managed to kick my mobile onto the train tracks.
2. I fell down a 3ft deep drainage ditch while being chased by little kids who I was trying to ignore cause they were shouting "mzungu" at me. Made me look like a bit of a fool.
3. I dropped my wind up torch down the veeeeery deep lng drop toilet. You could still see it lit up for the next 24 hours or so. Oh. No.
4. I keep thinking I'm getting ridiculously tanned - only to then realised it is, in fact, just a permanent layer of mud.
5. When buying these dough ball things - called mandas- the women delightedly told me and Justine she would find big ones - just like us. Excellent - cant beat being called fat
6. The children tried to guess my age and estimated me at around 30.
Anyway - that is all for now. Will add some more info/photos soon :)
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