Blog... umm... 7? I dunno I've lost count! Travel fatigue ...
Well we have had an ace - but far too hectic week! Suffice it to say it has a superb ending as I sit at a house listening to blink 182 (teenage year memories) on a Sunday night and on Christmas Eve!
Since Mbale we have spent most of the time travelling. The only fun bit of this travelling was travelling down the Nile in a raft (well, half the time we were in it!) White water rafting is apparently the main tourist activity done in Uganda and after a day you can see why! We went with a company called "The Nile River Explorers" and they were superb! The rapids are so scary, we got chucked out about 3 times! Then you just think "Shit, which way is up, aghh I can't breath!" Yay for life jackets! You get about three rapid waves in your face then you hit calm water and look back to see your raft in three pieces still being attacked by the waves. It's what makes it fun though. You hare down and duck into the boat, knowing full well you're about to get flipped in by your second breath.
The crew we went with were really friendly and professional. The two safety kayak guys were international kayakers and the safety boat was somehow miraculously rowed down the rapids! Steven Redgrave eat your heart out. Our leader was really sound - probably because he is doing the best job in the world as far as he is concerned! (Big difference with Mt. Elgon guides!)
As well as the rafting the day includes an obscene breakfast buffet - real toast, chapattis, boiled eggs, bananas, pineapple and an obscene amount of tea and coffee - and a delicious buffet dinner. I ate well!
Apart from rafting we have just been travelling back down to good old home - south west Uganda. We had a short stop in Kampala to visit Doctor Dick (Dr Stockley) My toe had been nub since Mt. Elgon (a trapped nerve apparently - feeling still hasn't come back... hope my whole foot doesn't fall off on Mt. Kenya!) Another volunteer also had to talk to him. The surgery was like being back at home - there was even a fish tank.
Then on the 23rd we made our way from Kampala to Kabale. I have never seen the taxi park so busy. In Uganda although Christmas does not seem to be such a major celebration everyone still goes home to their families at Christmas. Many people have told us the reason the season is not celebrated more is because people do not have enough money - all the shops were open today despite it being Christmas Eve. I think it is probably a combination of this and the fact that Uganda is culturally different. So anyway we turned up at Kampala bus park to find throngs of Ugandans' carrying everything from children to mattresses and blankets. The bus fare was double the usual price - we went to get on the first bus but were met by a smug, Cheshire cat style grinning muzungu who said "Do you have a ticket... then you can't get on". I was like - who is random arrogant guy - unfortunately he was right. We bought our ticket then waited about one and a half hours for the next bus to arrive. When it did it was pandemonium. For anyone who remembers the pushing and shoving of a school lunch queue imagine that in a crammed bus park. Queuing unfortunately is a very British tradition! We fought our way to the bus and managed to just about get our bags on before another bus crammed into the tiny space next to our bus (which was parked in the narrow strip right in the central road of the bus park - blocking all the other busses in). In the process the other bus nearly ran over on man and forced the crowed to push even more onto the bus - despite the conductor desperately trying to check everyone tickets - agh!
The journey was really long - we got home about 8pm but it was great to be in my one house again, despite the fact that the power has been cut off (Cold shower - what about Kabale's best ice cold makes you dizzy bathe?)
Today we did a mad shop for Christmas. We were buying for 11 people - I swear I have never seen as much food! With four of us we could hardly carry it all. Now the 11 of us are sat around and it has just reached Christmas day. Wooo! Some of us are going to Church tomorrow which will be really good - Christmas isn't Christmas without Jesus! lol. Then we are going to open all our prezzys and cook a feast with chocolate sponge cake for desert - who needs Christmas pud! I just hope everyone isn't too home sick - I reckon the Project Trust friends family is just as good anyway! We even have 4 cheesy songs playing on repeat!
I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! In Africa we know it's Christmas!