Well, I have arrived - in Uganda that is. Luggage also arrived (intact), however my tooth did not. An old filling decided that it was time to give in. Fortunately, I managed to meet just the people to help me fix the problem. Patrick, a guy doing research in a small city near by Kampala and his friend, Craig, got a reference for me. Then Suzanna appeared out of nowhere for breakfast and low and behold, she was a dentist (she was also on the same trip as me!). She took a quick look with the ever handy flashlight and determined that I probably should do something about it given the length of my trip. That led us all to Dr. Tom at the Pan Dental Clinic. Quite a vivacious man who flirted terribly with us and made jokes about drilling the wrong tooth or possibly extracting one he shouldn't (Suzanna offered to come with and make sure things went well). Dr. Tom also happened to have studied at the same place in England as Suzanna and under a teacher she knew quite well and who was highly respected. The outcome being that I got a nice white filling for $50 and an unforgettable experience in a detal chair - a bargain by any account. Funny how you can meet just the right people at just the right times!
Two hours latter Suzanna, Patrick, Craig and I settled in for a Ungandan meal of Krest (bitter lemon drink), Matoke (mashed cooked plantains), Maharagwe (bean) and goat meat. Can't beat that now can you! Then we wandered through the old taxi park - an insaine mess off minibuses, "matatu", people selling flourescent mosquito nets and all sorts of other wares. One man had a nice collection of goodies: framed picture of a rose with "I Love You" written on it, a battery powered fly swatter, a TV remote and a pair of shoes. Guess they can actually sell the stuff as there are enough of them doing it. How we found the right matatu I am not quite sure but we did. Stopped quickly for a "Maize" treat on the way (corn grilled over an open flame and, well, hard as a rock - good jaw workout) and then relaxed in the pleasant bar oasis of the hostel. Finished the day with a phenomenal Chicken Tika Masala and several beers in the local Irish pub - Bubbles O'Leary.
This morning (Sunday), met the rest of my Drago group and we boarded our beast of a truck. Claudia is her name and she is quite the machine with the drive train of a cement truck and tires that look like they are from a tractor (hopefully I'll be able to post pictures soon). Think she is a bit out of sorts at the moment as Lucy and Jase (our fearless leaders/guides) have taken her off to get a tire replaced, and rumour has it, a clutch that won't cooperate. Thus, the rest of us, have been left to our own devices at the moment, which means tents are up, beers are in hand, internet, chatting and getting to know the 14 other people on the trip and otherwise having a lovely relaxing afternoon before heading out tomorrow for Lake Bunyonyi. Current schedule is to overnight there, then head off to see the Gorillas in Rwanda.
Off for another Club (local beer), unfortunately not quite as tasty as the local brews in the US but I imagine I'll survive), especially at the bargain price of $1.35.
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