Crocodiles and Chaos in the time of Cholera

Were to start, that is the question, so much seems to have happened in the last week it seems more like a month, so I hope I don't forget anything important.

The work week went well, there were a few highlights. Firstly we had a meeting with the Ugandan Nurses council which actually went really well and was very positive and lively and we think we can really do some great work with them ... and believe me there is a lot that needs to be done. During the meeting we were given morning tea which consisted of tea/coffee, peanuts and a banana wrapped in a serviette. We hadn't eaten the banana by the end of the meeting but my colleague from the Uni Gerald suggested that we should eat the banana. It seemed appropriate to eat the banana as it had been given to us and we didn't want to offend. So we sat around with the registrar at the end of the meeting eating bananas which kind of struck me as being very funny and I still have a chuckle about it now. I can't imagine that happening at home.

Also on the work front I have new role taking profile pictures of the students. We were given some laptops by a charity in Belgium and the students went in to a lottery and the lucky ones have to have profiles done so students in Belgium can select someone to give to laptop to and keep in touch with them over the course of their studies. The photography has been fun and given me a chance to get to know the students which has been good.

Cholera broke out down the street which was a bit of a thing really. So far there about twenty cases and three deaths in our area but more in other parts of Kampala. They are expecting it to peak in about 6 weeks, so the 'best' is yet to come I guess. I went down to look at the area today, it is a slum area that backs onto the disused railway tracks and a swamp. Man it was an eyeopener. Very squalid conditions. The little shanty houses don't have toilets and they have to pay to use the latrines of which there are only a few and people cant afford to pay so they just toilet on top of the rubbish. You could see human excrement on the rubbish piles which were numerous. Then the rain comes and washes everything into the streets and houses I guess. And the funny thing is that just the next suburb is quite well off and some very rich folk with nice houses where I am sure they don't have to pay for the toilet. Uganda is certainly a place of great contrasts. Some folk have absolutely nothing, not even a toilet and others drive around in BMW 4 wheel drives. Hmmmn...

Friday this was a public holiday for Ugandan Independence Day which ment three days off so a great chance to get out of the city and see a bit of Uganda. On Thursday we had drinks after work and I was walking home with one of my housemate and I swear I had only had one beer but suddenly I disappeared into a ditch at the side of the road. One minute walking along, next minute in ditch, wouldn't read about it really. Anyway I got quite a shock as you can imagine and am still wearing the battle scars to prove it. I was actually quite proud. That was my first fall in Uganda. I've had a few more since then!!

So off the Jinja on Friday for whitewater rafting which was pretty exhillarating to say the least. And I may say it was incredibly terrifying especially as we flipped our raft twice and ended up in the drink in the middle of the hugest rapids I care to imagine. I am not sure why but I didn't die, so that was good but it was touch and go. The second time we came out someone landed on my head and I went way down into the neverland, but came up eventually and live to tell the tail. I only felt partially alive however in the evening of the rafting as I think half the Nile water was lodged in my right ear

On Saturday we hired bikes and rode around a bit but lazed around a bit too as it kept raining and we found a good spot to spend the afternoon so that ended up being a bit of a lazy afternoon but a good time was had by all. Sunday was much more adventurous as we got lost on a short walk, which turned out to be a long walk without any water that was highlighted by our accidently stumbling to the path of three crocodiles and then getting lost in a snake infested sugar cane field. Somehow more by luck than good management we managed to survive that experience also and made it back to our camp although I was feeling like Burke and Wills or Scott of the Antartic for a while. Actually more like Burke and Wills I think as it was pretty hot.

Finally, finally, finally we arrived back in Kampala at about 10pm. We got caught in the obligatory 'jam' which always adds the the adventure and uncertainly of road travel in Uganda. It could take one hour, it could take four. One just has to go with the flow really.

So Jinja was fabulous, we had a great weekend away and will definitely go back sometime soonish.

So let's see what this week brings, don't know really what to expect yet. That's what I am enjoying about life in Kampala, you never really know what is going to happen or when, its crazy really. So until next week.......