Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
LAST DAY
But the crazynest of Uganda wasn't finished with me yet! While driving to Entebbe airport we were intrigued by the large number of heavily armed commando types lining the main highway. That only meant one thing; the President is coming back to town! So I definitly had the fun of going through a massive amount of AK wielding security personel at the airport! Yay!
Flying to Dubai was pretty straightforward after that, I met some other Canadians on the flight. Small world, they too went on the whitewater rafting trip and had the same crazy Rhodesian intrustor guy !
Now before I left the house, I remember being drilled by Keshy's mom about this secret lounge at the Dubai airport. This "meditation chamber" was open to all, and this wonderfull place was supposed located right beside the business lounge. Now I understandibly went searching for this small oasis. Now I kept walking towards the business lounge, but I could not find the place, so I was a bit confused... I kept walking forward and forward. Then I realized: hey wait a minute, I am in the business lounge right now and nobody has stopped me.... sweet! Immeadiatly my mind told me to chill out and act cool, theres no reason to leave the place if nobody is kicking you out.
So right now I am chilling out in the lap of luxury, but keeping a low profile. Ha people pay a 10 grand ticket for this type of service! This clueless tall guy just walked in without a fuss! Not my fault, I didnt know ! ha
So now I just have to deal with occasional paranoia whenever a security guard or emirates official walks by, but no biggie ha !
So I'm back in TO at 3:45, its been a great trip
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Day 31: African Lion Safari
What was real magical was that we saw a big herd of giraffes right in front of the rising sun. That was a real impressive sight! Those animals are real tall and they move so gracefully across the savanna. There was a ton of buck running around in the park, they came in all shapes and sizes, which was good because they attract the most famous of predators, lions! Yep we saw a couple of lions lazily lying down under some shade, all females, probably getting ready for the hunt. It was pretty impossible to get a good picture with that little camera that I had, but I got a pretty good view of the predators with my binoculars. So we parked right in front of the lionesses, we stared at them, they stared at us, then they disappeared in the bush.
We got a little bit of a scare when we drove unexpectedly right in the middle of a whole lot of grazing water buffaloes. Those animals are real killers, you dont want to mess with. So we were pretty on edge, we kept moving very slowly, ready to floor it if need be. We were so close to the buffalo, that was pretty cool. At the end of the ride, we were lucky to see a huge bull elephant walking around alone, at the exit. Kinda saying goodbye, ha.
This time on the way back we saw another equally memorable sight, it was the remnants of the vast array of refugee camps for displaced people in the north. It was a pretty sobering sight, there were little huts as far as the eye could see. It was sad, but their was solace in knowing that the situation wasn't as bad as it once was. The northern rebels are less active as they once were, but we were still in dangerous country.
We arrived at the compound in the afternoon. The good thing is that my sunburn is wearing off, I will be grateful for that when I'm squeezed in economy class on the flight home on Thursday.
Day 30: River Adventure!
So once we got to our destination we realized it was too late in the day for a game drive, animals don't walk around in the scorching mid day sun, so we had to book that for tomorrow morning. What we could do that day was take a boat ride to the waterfalls, and see all the animals by the water.
So we took a very scenic boat cruise on the Nile, and I saw some pretty amazing animals running around. A lot of Hippos were lying around, periodically popping in and out of the water to check us out, those are pretty dangerous things, and you don't want to get too close. There was also a lot of water buffalo and other buck walking around in the water doing their thing. Then I saw a big giant lumbering around in the distance, it was a big bull elephant. The size of those things are simply amazing, the elephants are pretty much walking bulldozers. I saw one knock over a big tree like if it was a flower. At one point we were very lucky and saw a whole herd of elephants, about 10 of them I think. You couldn't see them at first, but you could make out movement in the bush, trees were being tossed side to side, you knew something big was coming. The group of elephants walked along side of the boat and I managed to get some nice photos. It was a pretty memorable sight. There were dozens of other animals long the river side, we saw crocodiles and birds just going about their business.
The boat stopped at the waterfall, and steamed right back, the whole ride took about 3 hours. We were extremely tired on the way back and Joseph Keshy and I had to drive back to our hotel in the dark on a very untrustworthy road. All I can say is that we were very very careful. When we got back we had some chow and hit the hay soon after, to catch the game tomorrow, we would have to be out of there by 5:00am.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Day 28: ITs a great thing they have over here
That night the family hosted a big get together with the karate pupils, who are really the extended family and we all had a great time. Its amazing how the Naidoo family has really touched the lives of the people that came over today. I mean the Dad has been training the students for like 15 years now, so there is a real sense of family between everybody that came over.
We were also celebrated the 50 birthday of Mme Naruka, so there was a big cake and much jubilation. What was really touching was that the family made sure to package extra food and cake to the less fortunate pupils and their families. At one point we all sat in a circle and each person talked about about the importance of this little community in their lives, it was all very touching.
Its really remarkable how generous this family can be, and I really hope that I can make a positive impact of the lives of others, like the Naidoo family.
And PS: I remembered to take a lot of pictures :)
Day 27: Rafting on the Nile
So the plan today was to hook up with a white water rafting company and spend the day on the choppy waters on the Nile. Well we had to wake up nice and early in the morning and catch the company bus to Ginger. To poor Keshy's dismay, the bus was full of tourists! So the poor guy had to endure a two hour bus ride of conversation covering such interesting topics covering; the coolness of trekking Rwanda, up too the right shutter speed for your digital camera, ha. But when we got there, we had a great time. Naturally we signed up on the toughest and most insane instruction we could find, a crazy Rhodesian guy who promised to f*** shit up, ha! So our raft was the tough guy raft and the instructor never made us forget it! So we hit the biggest of the rapids without a second thought, but only once did the whole boat flip over :). A lot of times we were just hit with a massive wall of water that took half our crew with it! When the instructor yells GET DOWN, you better do it. The craziest part was when we faced a huge 6 meter waterfall, and nobody could think of a reason not to go over it. Yep that hurt a little bit, especially when the entire back of the boat came flying over us. But we survived and shrugged it off pretty fast.
The instructor guy had some pretty interesting stories to tell, he pretty much is like Mr. Adventure Africa. He told us a crazy story about the time when he and his buddies kayaked the entire Nile river, and even got into a firefight with bandits in Ethiopia, damn thats hardcore!
Well I was having so much fun that I didn't even realized what the glaring sun was doing to my poor skin, so got a mean sunburn, not good.
It was a pretty good deal that we got, 125 bucks got us a whole day of rafting, a ride their and back, a free lunch and some beer at the end Yay! Good times, at the Nile, but this sunburn isn't going away anytime soon :(.
Day 26: End of the line at pincer
Day 25: A new guest
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Day 24: At the source of the Nile
So the Source was a pretty interesting sight, its pretty amazing that the water here goes all the way to the Mediterranean, thats pretty cool. We were told to watch out for alligators, but I didn't see anything.
You could find a lot of shops and little huts that sold souvenirs, but I was counseled not to buy anything. After admiring the beauty of the basin for a while, we got back in the car and drove downriver, to see some rapids. Ah Madame Naidoo has got it in her head that we should be as safe as possible while we're here, so no rafting or bungee jumping today.
Seeing the huge rapids was pretty cool. The shame is that one of the local guides told us that the government is planning to build a large hydroelectric dam in the area, thereby flooding the area.
While driving back to the compound, we stopped at a roadside market in the middle of the rain-forest. Once we pulled up, we were rushed by dozens of sellers carrying their goods. It was a real struggle getting out of the car and walking around the area, but we managed to get the fresh fruit and firewood that we wanted. We all got home safe and sound.
Day 23: its hard coming up with new titles
So good times to be had at the Naidoo compound.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Day 22: Dr. Naidoo comes home
The big water tower is becoming a little bit of a problem, the big thing is getting a bit rusty at the base. The bloody thing is like 5 stories tall, so I think if it ever tips over it would make one hell of a dent on the house. The hilarious thing is that everybody that works here is scarred out of their mind of the old crazy landlord. That guy was the former head of the national police or something, and I get the feeling that he did some rather unmentionable things. So it was Keshy who got on the horn with this guy and tried to speak in the softest of tones, quite funny and I think we managed to sort everything out.
Later in the day Keshy's Dad came back from Ottawa and everybody was overjoyed to see him. I think he is going to stay here for a week or so before heading back. He showed me his passports for a little bit of a laugh, hes got 5 of them all filled out. This man travels a whole lot. He's also a real nice guy. So I got to wake up nice and early tomorrow to catch a ride to the Pincer office and finish our work there, and then decide what to do with the rest of our time.
Day 21: Easy Riding
Day 20: So what is it, the third Friday now?
Yeah, Kampala on Friday night is a pretty lively place, filled with plenty of noise, partying and working girls, ha. Keshy told me a funny story about finding one of his high school teachers and the club we passed through consorting with a couple of ladies who were clearly not his wife, ha. Not a bad way to boost your marks. The important thing is that I made it back home safe and sound, once you put the blinding fear of falling off your bike or getting robbed, you can really start to enjoy yourself here.
Day 20: So what is it, the third Friday now?
Yeah, Kampala on Friday night is a pretty lively place, filled with plenty of noise, partying and working girls, ha. Keshy told me a funny story about finding one of his high school teachers and the club we passed through consorting with a couple of ladies who were clearly not his wife, ha. Not a bad way to boost your marks. The important thing is that I made it back home safe and sound, once you put the blinding fear of falling off your bike or getting robbed, you can really start to enjoy yourself here.
Day 18: Stay at home
Friday, May 15, 2009
Day 17: Yay for half days
Well after that ordeal, we managed to do a little bit more work until Keshy's mom arrived to see the progress we've made. So we did a little bit of show and tell, and told everybody that there was not a lot of work left to due at the office and that we would benefit with a trip to the north. The good thing was that the Mom told us to pack up our things because she was taking us to lunch. However we were unsuccessful at finding an adequate restaurant close by, so we opted to get some groceries and make our own lunch back at the compound. Well we passed one restaurant, but it was full of loud tourists, ha, not our crowd :) . Hourra for half days!
Day 16: trip is halfway done
So naturally, the company has a wealth of information regarding all aspects of their aid programs, and its our job to read this info and process it. Today, my assignment was going through an key component of the REPLICA program; the efforts to rectify gender disparity in the rural schools. Its an enormous challenge to keep young girls in the primary school system, retention rates are low and this is a difficult thing to prevent. The problem is cultural and economical, young girls are often married off for a financial incentive and little value is seen in continuing their education.
So I wrote up some notes and attempted to fit more information in our ever growing newsletter. Tomorrow it should all come together and I'm anxious to leave Kampala and see the country. Good times ahead,
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Day 13: Saturday Night Fever
After dinner, Keshy and I phoned up a known cabbie and set off for downtown Kampala. It was a smart move opting for a actually cab instead of those motorcycles, you got to try to be somewhat safe in UG. So we hit the downtown night life and we settled at this Turkish club, a popular spot for young Ugandans. It was all in all a good time and the prices were remarkably cheap, we certainly took advantage of that :) . So good times, plus I haven't been robbed yet. Yay!
A Working Monday
So were approaching the deadline, and I am pretty sure we got this in the bag. Should be good.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Day 12 : TGIF
Friday, May 8, 2009
Day 10: Long Days at the office
We eventually got out and found a good local lunch spot. When we finally got back to the compound, I was to tired to do anything.
Day 7: A week done
Afterwards we played some cricket in the gardens until our ball unfortunately disappeared into the deep brush. Better not risk getting bitten by God knows what by foraging around in there.
Day 9: Getting Busy
The work is long but we are glad to help in any way we can. I'm quite content that we are working in research and advocacy, one of the few disciplines in which I am actually qualified. Not only do we have to read a tall stack of bureaucratic reports, and find what information we need, but also write a paper that curtails to everyone's expectations and designs.
A/fter an interesting morning, we were treated to some local cuisine just down the road. My lunch was remarkably cheap, a mere 2 dollars for an entire meal.
Day 6: Getting Acquainted
We agreed that the best thing for us to put our analytical skills to the test through data analysis and writing short summaries of the reports we read. We can then expect to travel North for some hands on experience helping with the relief of displaced people living there.
Well our work begins on Tuesday, so we have some more time to explore Kampala. We drove to various stores and shops to gather all we needed for a big barbecue or “Braii”. We then feasted in the African night, a great time to be had.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Day 5: Trying New Things
After we picked up Keshy's Mother, we stopped at a local Ethiopian restaurant. I made sure to get a mild meal, I just can't handle some of the spices here ha. I never had Ethiopian food before, you get served a large plate of thin spongy bread and a bowl of meat sauce. It was pretty good.
Later that day Keshy and I went down to the local pub, and we had to jump on a “Boerwors”. Riding for the first time was quite an experience. Keshy told me that when riding in those taxi motorcycles, you always run the risk of falling off or getting knocked down ha On a more positive note, the ride is extremely cheap, about 1 dollar.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Day 4 : Getting Settled
I woke up to a rather loud noise, a large bird perched on a branch beside my window and started to sing. While I suspected to be serenaded with a beautiful melody, I was surprised when out came a great shriek. Dumb bird. We made our own breakfast today and ate on the balcony. Keshy's place has such a magnificent view, the whole city of Kampala is in view. While we were eating, something was moving in the distant brush; a very familiar pest. It was a little monkey climbing this tree. Keshy's grandmother, told us that this little monkey broke into the house two days ago and stole some fruit. The house cat then chased it away, a little work for a very lazy animal.
Our job today was to wait out the rain and run some errands downtown, were still recovering from jet-lag you see. Taking a drive downtown sounds like unnoticeable activity, but remember this is Africa! It was an insanely bumpy ride, theres little to no traffic lights in Kampala. The law of the road is simple : the right of way belongs to the biggest car. We passed through more shanty towns, some of the poverty here is quite striking. We bought some cooked corn from the street venders, they were glad for the business. The strangest thing would happen on our way home, while driving, we passed a truck filled with screaming supporters of some guy running for president at a local college. They were yelling and blocking traffic, I managed to take a picture. Funny stuff.
Day 3 Halfway there, livin on a prayer
First time ever that I woke up at 5am and actually felt well rested, thats jet lag for you. I got to say that the hotel that Emirates Air placed wasn't all bad, well for Dubai standards anyway. We then got a shuttle to the airport, and then we were amazed at the testament to capitalism that is Dubai airport terminal one, stores and duty free smokes everywhere!!! What was great that in the airplane I got a great view of that massive tower in Dubai, freaking huge! It kinda resembles a giant middle finger, pointed straight at Toronto ha.
Well we had a bit of a wait in Ethiopia, that was some view ; deserts and dilapidated airplanes. Uganda was a nice contrast, nice and green. The tarmac was flanked by tough looking bunch of bodyguard types, it seemed like the president was gonna make a landing after us.
Keshy, got in some more trouble down at Entebbe security, its funny how they try to trap Keshy into saying hes there for work. I guess the Ugandan work permit costs a lot of money, but his argument was : if Im here to work, why do I have this big Canadian guy with me? They then let him through.
Meeting Keshy's driver was fun, a cool guy named Joseph. The drive to Keshy's house was a real eye opener; my sight was filled with people living in noticeably poor conditions, Central Africa is really a different world.
Keshy's house is a bit of a lifestyle change, its quite a large place, staffed by a team of maids and other helpers. Keshy's grandma is here and cooked us a great dinner.
Should be some good times ahead.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Packing Day !
Today is the Day I leave for Africa, packing is always tough but I have been on too many trips to know the appropriate number of boxers "and other important things, i guess" that I should bring.
My partner in crime in this cross Atlantic voyage of mine is Keshy Naidoo "aka: the big boss Kesh-meister" a guy that you pray doesn't run into a Boer or anybody else that destroying his country ha. Should be a raging time at the airport, Keshy is worried about waiting forever at the airport. He's gotta know that not every airport hates brown people, cmon keshy ha.
Gonna Fly United Emirates so it should be a sweet ride, and what a great time to travel. Everyone is scarred of this Swine Flu business so I'm hoping for some good service.
Peace out and see you next time
Monday, April 6, 2009
Everything has a beginning
The deal is that I will do my whole hearten best to bring a little joy, knowledge and humor to any and all who venture through the blogosphere, at the cost of your precious precious time, ha. But we also got some serious stuff here too !
I have a plan to severely humble my painfully sarcastic ways with a eye opening journey to Uganda at the end of the month, thats right Dan "maybe i should have mentioned my name before, meh" is going to volunteer "wait now I'm talking in the third person, greeeat" for the Ugandan Ministry of Education, hopefully putting my astute political science brain to its best possible use.... "so I will probably carrying bags from truck to truck or something for the next couple of weeks ha". I hope to record every memorable moment of this unforgettable Odyssey so we can better understand the tough reality the children of Africa face every day and how best to help them.
Oh and to lightly ease off the heavy stuff for a while, I will be sure to add any random craziness this brain can concoct. Like Baconnaise, a god forsaken mix btw bacon and mayo, I mean what the hell is that !