Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007
Subject: TTT The Trumble Travels - Uganda May 2007
Hello again. On Thursday morning I arrived in Uganda and then on Saturday evening I flew to Ethiopia. My short stay in Uganda was nice. In Uganda English is the language spoken by most folks but of course they have their own accent and phrasing. One of the interesting things to me is that when people would greet me they would often say, “You’re welcome” which to me would be a normal response to saying “Thank you” to someone but what they are saying is “You are welcome here”.
Hotel observations
The hotel I stayed at was quite nice. Interestingly, my room was behind two doors (there were 3 rooms that shared kind of a kitchen and living room area so there was one door into the common area and then another door into my room). I had two keys, one for each door. The thing is that when you lock the doors there is no way to unlock them without a key so if there were a fire or some emergency and you had to get out of the doors you’d have to manage the locks with a key or become toast. This hotel is under the same ownership as the place I stayed when I was previously in Uganda and it was the same thing there as well. In fact, during that previous stay, I was taking a nap and my roommate (Scott Todd) didn’t realize I was in the room (there were separate bedrooms) and he locked the door and took the keys and so I was locked in. So, when I went to leave and didn’t have a key I had to go out a balcony sliding glass door or something (in that room it was a real option…in the room I had this past week there was also a balcony off of the common area but it didn’t really go anywhere unless you wanted to take a dive to the ground from the 3rd floor).
Another interesting thing is that when you leave the hotel you drop the key off with the front desk and then when you come back you tell them which room you’re in and they give you the key but they never ask for your name or any identification or anything. You just say a room number and they produce the key for it…doesn’t seem real secure somehow but it seems to work out.
Finally, Africans don’t seem to believe in shower curtains/doors the way we do in the States. I had a little shower “wall” (kind of like a shower door) that covered maybe 40% of the space but if water sprays beyond that, it just goes on the floor. In Ghana and Tanzania I experienced showers with no curtain or door at all. Oh well.
Uganda has a lot of poverty and so people struggle to get by without many of the luxuries to which we’re accustomed in the West. Bicycles are a common mode of transporting goods and many people carry things on their heads. Lots of people cook over a fire (or coals).
Anyway, my short stay in Uganda was good. Here are some pictures:
Kampala, Uganda
Check out some pictures of folks carrying stuff on their heads. Imagine the balance that it takes as well as the strength of their necks!
Bicycles being used for hauling stuff
Lots of bananas on a truck
Lunch is provided for the staff each day. This would be a typical lunch (and is what I had on Thursday).
Container where the mashed plantain stuff comes from. Those are banana or plantain leaves.
Supper on Friday night. Hamburger with egg. 
Soccer game
Do you ever wonder, “Dan, do you do any work when you’re on these trips?” Are your initials FK? (you know who you are).
Here’s some pictures that may help you feel better.
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