Africa – A Travelling Accountant

Wander often, wonder always

November 12, 2023 by Tracy, posted in Africa

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted. I had to look at my website to see, because I couldn’t remember. It’s mid-November 2023 and I have posted twice this year. Doing a third post means I am tripled my activity in 2022 and passed 2021 by one.

It’s not that I haven’t done any travelling. I have. I’ve gone on safaris and been a stone’s throw from wild rhinos – twice. I have even checked the box of seeing the shoebill stork in the wild, and finally got to Europe on a work trip to the Netherlands. And this summer I travelled back to Canada and married my daughter, literally as I performed the ceremony. Why no posts? I can’t really say. And, of course, there is nothing stopping me from sharing about those adventures in the future.

But today, I am inspired to be a little philosophical. It is surprising, and a little sad, how extraordinary things can become ordinary to us when we forget our sense of wonder. Here I am, a small town girl from rural Manitoba Canada, living in Kampala, Uganda for nearly five years now. A long way from home. If you want to know how long, try flying here from western Canada. But somewhere along the way I let the wonder slip away.

It’s time to bring it back.

The impetus for this shifting back is, again, a simple walk in a new neighbourhood. A change in job led to downsizing my rent, but, it turns out, upscaling my overall circumstance.

Last Sunday I found a lovely walking route, approximately 2km long. It is a full circle which is not common in Kampala, a city of “Closes” and dead ends. And I don’t go near a main road. On this walk I discovered I am within a kilometer of the lake. This morning I walked the route again and took some photos to share with my best friend. While taking the pictures I remembered that this is not just any lake. It is Lake Victoria.

Here are the photos I took for Kim. Though the sky isn’t blue, it was warm and I was wearing shorts. As I come around the bend, less than 5 minutes into the walk, the lake appears. This part of the walk is downhill. On Sunday morning it is a musical walk, as there are a few churches on the route.

The road turns 90 degrees at the black gate and then I walk parallel to the lake for a while, every now and then there is a view on the left. I end heading up hill back home. Keeping in mind that the entire walk is only 2km gives an idea of how close to the lake I am.

As described by Wikipedia, Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately 59,947 km², Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake by area, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior in North America. And here I am, just strolling through my hood adjacent to it. A lake so big that it’s shores touch five countries – Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. A lake so big that it’s shores touch five countries – Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.

From my humble roots in rural Manitoba, I ended up making a home here and I have visited three of those five countries. I haven’t been out of the airport in Kigali, so I can’t add Rwanda to the list yet, and I haven’t been to Tanzania yet, though Zanzibar is calling loudly.

The world is amazing. Life is a gift, not a mundane exercise to be endured, it is indeed what we make it.

Wonder: A feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. Similar: awe, admiration, wonderment, fascination, surprise, astonishment, amazement

It is my intention to rekindle my wonder. I hope you will join me.

Ride 4 A Woman, Buhoma Uganda

April 2, 2023April 2, 2023 by Tracy, posted in Africa

https://www.ride4awoman.org/

Ride 4 A Woman is where I stayed when I went gorilla trekking in February. The day before my trip, my fabulous tour operator called me to ask if I was okay with switching my accommodation to a different hotel. I took a look at the website linked above and said Yes Please!

This is a short post, to share this amazing organization with my small following and perhaps inspire someone to donate, shop their store or stay when they come to see the gorillas.

When you arrive you are are immediately greeted, welcomed and offered fresh juice. A staff member gives an introduction to the hotel and the overall organization.

From their website:

Ride 4 a Woman was set up in 2009 by Evelyn Habasa and her husband Denis Rubalema. The organization exists to support local women struggling at home with issues associated with HIV, domestic violence and poverty.

More than 300 women from 11 villages now use or work at the Ride 4 a Woman community centre, where they can learn to pedal sew, weave baskets, dance, sing and drum; learning new skills, making a living and making it possible for their children to gain an education.

The organisation also offers microfinance, helping women to help themselves and support their families. To date over 100 women are actively engaged in the Ride 4 a Woman Microfinance Program.

This retreat in the local community offers local women a place to stay, something to eat and a wage while they learn new skills. Every day we welcome visitors to Stay With Us, Learn From Us, Shop or simply drop by to see what is going on.

Under the Story section on the site, check out the Safe Water Project. Ride 4 a woman provides over 150 litres of clean water to the community every day, without charge. I thought I took a picture but I cannot find it, but you can see the water station on the website. Safe Water Program

Now I am simply going to share my videos and picture, because the place sells itself.

First, let me show you my room:

I was in a room in Noel’s Cottage, with a lovely veranda and spectacular view

Here are some photos of the grounds and restaurant, and another view picture

This lovely stream runs through the compound, below the balcony of the restaurant.

The shop is beautifully stocked with quality textile goods, woven baskets, coffee and more, all from the local area and much of it made in the workshop. I had a lovely wrap skirt made for me. I selected the fabric and had the finished skirt that same day. I was told they ship around the world, so contact them or me if you see something you love. Canadian friends, I can bring things home with me in July…..

I close with a short video I took as I left my room on the final morning.

Peace

Gorillas!

March 15, 2023 by Tracy, posted in Africa

After four years in Uganda I finally invested in a trip to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to go Gorilla Trekking. It was so worth it!

I say invested, because the trekking permit cost USD $600 for me. That is the price after the $100 Uganda resident discount I got because I live and work here. I agree with the cost, as it contributes to the protection of the gorillas financially and by ensuring only serious tourists gain access to them.

This post is about the trekking. I will make another post about the rest of the trip, including the great place I stayed in Bwindi.

The day started peacefully with this view as I left my room at Ride-4-a-Woman

After a nice breakfast I was driven to the Uganda Wildlife Authority building in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park where we were treated to some dancing by local women.

After the dancing we were given an orientation about the trekking, including the explanation as to why we needed to wear masks when near the gorillas. Gorillas do not get covid-19 or other vaccinations, yet they are susceptible to our diseases. That was sufficient for me and I masked up for the entire time we were around the group.

We were then split into groups and told which gorilla family we would be tracking. I relied on my memory, so I cannot tell you which group we were assigned. I can tell you that it has eight members – 2 silverbacks, 1 blackback (teenage male), 3 adult females, and 2 little ones. The name of the dominant silverback is in the local language but translates to “Complicated” which I found quite amusing.

One of the couples in our group had been trekking the day before. They said they hiked for 3 hours before finding their group. They were basically stationary for their 1 hour with the gorillas and the poor wife was bitten mercilessly by ants and mosquitos. She was prepared for more of the same so sprayed down and tied her hood tightly around her face.

This was the base photo for my time calculation. The gorillas found us 10 minutes later.

That would not be our experience though. Based on the timestamp of my pictures, we were barely 10 minutes along the trail when the UWA trackers smelled the gorillas (we didn’t). A few minutes later, the family crossed the trail BEHIND us and the trek was on.

Here they are crossing the trail behind us – silverback, toddler and the black back (I think)

Interesting tidbit for those who may go trekking – you are given a strong walking stick to help with the hiking. It is a mountain and rainforest, so the ground is not flat or dry. But, once you find the gorillas, you must surrender your stick to avoid seeming aggressive. No problem, if you find the group already settled.

While our group was considerate enough to find us, and quickly, they decided to lead us through the forest for about thirty minutes before settling on a nice place for brunch. So we followed, down wet slopes, across slippery mucky trails, through bushes and grasses, without the help of our trusty walking sticks. I am proud to say that I did not end up face or ass down on the ground at any time.

The black back felt like showing us he’s boss as we followed the group. I was lucky enough to have my video on at the time.

Teenage bravado

Eventually they settled down to eat. There are not words to describe the privilege I felt, that this group of intelligent beings allowed us to spend so much time with them while they ate. They did not seem concerned about us at all. Our guides cleared foliage so that we could watch three members of the group easily. We were so lucky – the three were the top silverback, a mama and the 3 year old.

Once our time was up, we headed back to the trail. I missed my walking stick more on the way back, probably because I was not pre-occupied anticipating the gorillas. We met up with the porters and returned to the center.

The rest of the post is videos and photos because there isn’t anything else to say, except that I am so happy I finally did this.

Mom & Pop having some chow. The moving bushes are other group members.

Toddler pose

Weekend on the Shore of the Indian Ocean: Diani Beach, Kenya

April 10, 2022April 10, 2022 by Tracy, posted in Africa

From Wikitravel: “Diani Beach is a beach resort in Kenya, located 30 km (19 mi) south of Mombasa. Diani has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants and is famous for its white sand beaches, blue ocean and surfing. The beach is popular for relaxing resorts which are popular with honeymooners, backpackers and families on holiday. The white sand surrounded by abundant forest drives the attention of many nature lovers towards the resorts. Waves near the sea shore attract many adventure lovers towards the destination. The area near the beach is well known for coral reefs, black and white Colombus monkeys and nearly located wildlife reserve named as Shimba Hills National Reserve.”

If you follow my Instagram then you may already know that I spent the weekend of March 12, 2022 pretending I am wealthy at Leisure Lodge Resort, Diani Beach, Kenya (pronounce dee-A-ni). It was a leisurely paradise and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

My flight was even paid for by work because the following week was filled with project and partner meetings, unfortunately not at the same venue. Budget hotels in resort towns are OK, but moving to one after a four-star resort is a little rude 😉

I flew in daylight and enjoyed watching the landscape from Entebbe to Mombassa. The flight included a fly-by of Mount Kilimanjaro, so I snagged a photo or two.

We arrived at the hotel after dark because of the long taxi ride from the Mombassa airport. It was a nice drive through Mombassa, the ferry crossing and then some countryside. Since our driver was recommended by the resort, the price was set and I felt safe and secure.

Leisure Lodge Resort was more than I expected from the moment we arrived. The front desk is situated such that you have to walk through some of the building, past shops and lovely scenery before even arriving at the desk. The luxury vacation mood was set before I even got to the desk!

While they finalized our check in we were seated and given fresh squeezed tropical juice. I am getting used to such hospitality as it is common even in more budget hotels I have stayed in while in Africa.

As I said above, I decided to pretend I was still making Oil & Gas industry money for the weekend. Of course that meant booking an ocean view room and it was worth every penny (about $30USD more per night) The sound of the waves, the ocean breeze and sea smell were ever present, soothing and refreshing.

As it was late evening, we were quite hungry and headed to the dining room after I changed and freshened up. I had the buffet for dinner both nights and it was amazing! Fish, beef, chicken, pork and vegetarian options. Pasta salads, vegetable salads, fruit, juice, Indian food, matoke, and desserts. The chocolate cake was especially decadent. I was fully stuffed that first night.

Short video from the balcony when we arrived

The second night, Saturday, the dinner buffet was set up outside as a barbeque. Again, I filled my boots completely, with no repeat dishes from the night before. It was like being on a cruise!

The breakfast buffet was also outstanding and included with the room rate. The woman in charge of the omelet station could not be better at her job. She moved us through with great efficiency but also created made-to-order egg masterpieces cooked perfectly. Breakfast offerings included sausage, bacon, pancakes, fresh waffles, potatoes, vegetables, mandazi, and more. And of course, an abundance of fresh fruits. The fresh Passion Juice ran low both days due to high demand, but we still managed to snag some.

I love colobus monkeys, which are shy in Uganda. They have beautiful colouring and never approach humans for food. This held somewhat true at the resort as well. We met some along the path as we left breakfast. They did not approach us at all, but they also did not run away, or even seem to care about us. This fella was enjoying his own brunch of flowers and did not mind us stopping to take his picture. I also posted a video of this on both my Instagram and Tiktok – @a_travelling_accountant

I didn’t do much for activities this weekend, as I was supposed to have the next weekend as well. That plan fell through, so I did not scuba or snorkel in Diani – yet!

We spent Saturday relaxing, took a lovely ocean swim and then enjoyed some beach cocktails on the beautiful stretch of beach belonging to the resort.

Here is a selection of photos from our balcony, and one looking up at it. The sunrise was taken at 6:30 am Sunday morning, just before I closed the black-out curtains.

Saturday evening after dinner they brought in some Maasai dancers. It was a fun show and afterwards we bought some jewelry. Likely overpriced, given the location, but beautiful. I didn’t take pictures through the performance but here are a couple of screenshots from a video I took when they visited our table.

As I mentioned, we had some sea-side cocktails before dinner. We continued to imbibe through dinner and eventually went for a midnight-ish beach stroll, hoping to crash a party at the resort next door that we spotted from our balcony. The bouncer would not let us in so we took a stroll up the beach, in the moonlight, walking in the sand while waves rolled over our feet. It was magical. Crabs skittered across the sand back to the water as we approached them. Silver in the moonlight, their side-hustle made me giggle.

We came across the bar of a neighbouring resort that still had a few staff in it. Somehow, we convinced them to bring a large beer order to us, and we shared the bounty with them. An enjoyable experience chatting with some local guys on the quiet mid-night shore. Then we headed home and crashed, rather inebriated but happy!

We checked out the next morning and I crossed the road to the hotel booked for my work week. Whenever I am back in Diani Beach, I will very likely return to Leisure Lodge Resort. At the end of the week I flew to Nairobi from Diani Beach instead of heading back to Mombassa. I learned that if you are flying from Mombassa you are going from the airport, but if you fly from Diani, you are going from the airstrip. That is semantics only though. The airstrip is still an airport, just a small local one.

Fly over the beach as we left from the Diana Airstrip

Retreat to the Rainforest

November 7, 2021November 7, 2021 by Tracy, posted in Africa

The Rainforest Lodge , Mabira Rainforest

www.geolodgesafrica.com

The weekend of September 24 to 26I took a solo retreat to the Mabira Rainforest, located outside of the town Lugazi, almost midway between Kampala and Jinja.

I was connected to a driver by the Lodge. Reagan picked me up Friday afternoon at home in Muyenga, Kampala and we set off. We missed the worst of the traffic jams. If you know Kampala, you understand how significant that is. It also helps to have an experienced driver that knows side routes to escape the worst of the jams.

Some 2.5 to 3 hours later we turned off the highway and made our way to the lodge, which is surrounded by forest.

I was at the lodge in January 2020 with my soul sister Kimberley for a walk through the forest, but we did not stay after the walk. I have wanted to return ever since.

The accommodations are all individual cabins, each set off the meandering trail with forest sounds, smells and views.

My cabin was at the bottom of the trail, quite remote and absolutely perfect. The room was spacious and luxurious, well appointed with a king-sized bed, a reading nook with a day bed, a desk and a beautiful deck that is so close to the forest I could almost lean over and touch leaves. The bathroom included a massive rain shower shaped from clay, and the lovely artisan soaps provided suit the eco theme of the lodge.

The dining room at night. Perfect, peaceful setting

Given the rainforest location, it gets cold at night. There is no heating in rooms or homes in Uganda, but the cozy duvet and extra blanket kept me very warm in the middle of my king bed. I slept very well both nights soothed the sounds and smells of the rainforest.

Well, soothed by most of the sounds of the rainforest. When you check in, the front desk warns you of the not-so adorable sounds that come out of a cuddly looking rainforest creature, the hyrax. It is impossible to reconcile the sound it makes to the sweet face. They warn you that at night you may here something that sounds like an adult yelling in alarm. I was glad for the warning when I heard the call or I would have run outside to assist my neighbour! Instead, I simply chuckled at the accuracy of the warning.

Friday evening I enjoyed a small gathering with my driver and some other guests and staff around a large fire pit, reminiscent of home. We listened to the musical choices of a few different people on a portable speaker and revelled in the simple pleasure of company and a fire.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling rested and full of peace. People find their peace in different ways and places. Kim’s happy place is the sea and its beautiful beaches. For me, it is the forest. Whether it is the boreal forest where I grew up, the small rainforest I found on Koh Rong island in Cambodia, or the Mabira Rainforest in Uganda. The trees, ferns, moss, mushrooms all come together into a nature cocktail that brings me back to center.

The morning peace continued to grow as I enjoyed the breakfast buffet with a view of the forest, including visiting monkeys in the trees. The coffee, fruit, juice and omelet on request were delicious and satisfying.

A pair of monkeys grooming, taken from my deck

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for the day as I slowly walked back down the path to my rooms, stopping here and there to take photos of the foliage, including of course some mushrooms. Would I take a walk, swim, sauna, sleep?

I settled on my deck to decide and ended up spending a couple of hours relaxing and monkey watching. There was a group of red tailed monkeys in the trees and they remained in my vicinity for quite a while. Some were resting and grooming, others were foraging and playing, or perhaps squabbling.

I spent Saturday wandering around the property between the restaurant grounds, my room and the pool. I did not end up taking a swim but I did enjoy some poolside lounging while watching more (or the same) red tailed monkeys.

I didn’t end up taking a dip for two reasons. First and foremost, it was a warm day but not hot, so the water was not calling out to me. Secondly, a birthday party of several children arrived shortly after I did. The kids were having such fun in and around the pool and I did not want to infringe on their play. I watched and enjoyed it for a while and then strolled back to my little private haven in the forest.

The fire on Saturday evening was cut very short due to rain, but I still enjoyed a lovely barbeque dinner, some wine and then a quiet night in my room. I slept the long, restful slumber of complete peace and relaxation.

Sunday morning I woke up, enjoyed a little more deck time, packed and headed up for breakfast.

As I was checking out, I noticed that the guide was about to take a couple out on the rainforest tour. I asked if I could tag along. That is how I managed to get the walk in despite not booking one! I was talking with the female half of the couple a little bit during the walk. We shared how long we had been in Kampala (both since 2019, me January, they September). And it turns out I was walking with the Norway Ambassador to Uganda and her husband! I thought that was a little bit cool.

These are a few of the multitude of fungus photos I took on the weekend. I may add a photo gallery of mushroom pictures from my travels. You may already know, I love photographing them but hate eating them!

I dubbed this mushroom The Enterprise, for obvious reasons

Once my walk was over, I settled up my bill, made my contribution to the tip box and headed back to Kampala with my driver. Again he managed to skirt much of the traffic we encountered. He is very friendly and professional, as well as a good driver. He us not just a driver, but also a tour guide, I recommend him. His WhatsApp is +256 700 370740.

May already?! Is it too late to talk about my December trip to Kenya?

May 1, 2021May 1, 2021 by Tracy, posted in Africa

Wow! Even with the limitations and monotony imposed by a global pandemic, 2021 is flying by! Masks, curfews, social distancing, quarantines all over the planet for more than a year now. It almost feels normal at this point…

I am fortunate to live in Uganda where we so far have evaded the level of spreading that so many nations are experiencing. But I am also unable to visit my family in Canada. If I elected to go home right now I would have to choose between seeing my daughter or my parents, because interprovincial travel is a no-no. And that’s after paying for 2 weeks in quarantine. So I wait and hope.

I have a trip planned for my upcoming birthday, so I figure its about time I post something about my Christmas trip to Nairobi. I didn’t really do much touristy but I still have a tale or two to share.

I went to Nairobi with my guy, Maina, who is Kenyan, so I traveled a little differently than when I am a solo female.

First difference, we went by bus not plane. In non-pandemic times several busses run between Nairobi and Kampala and much of the travel time is at night. But these are pandemic, lockdown, curfew times so no night busses.

We got up just before the crack of dawn to be out catching a bodaboda in time to make the bus at 7am on Saturday morning. We naively assumed that would be easy. Not the case for us. At 6:30ish we were walking Bukasa Road with our backpacks wondering if we would make it!! Obviously we did, but it was a mildly stressful start to the day.

The bus got out of Kampala late, closer to 8:30am instead of the scheduled 7:30. Kenya curfew was 10pm at the time, so schedule mattered!

We were socially distanced on the bus…. 1 person per 2 seat side, so 2 per row. That was nice. I was determined to keep my mask on the entire 13-15 hour journey. I confess that after about 7 hours the combination of non-functioning air conditioning and nobody else keeping a mask on (except my guy, a true mask trooper) I was airing my face out regularly.

MASH bus depot Kampala, boarded and ready to go

Complimentary water and coke, not so ample leg room 😆

A significant difference between the bus here vs at home is these ones have no toilets. So you pee when the bus stops. Period. Bus bathrooms are usually disgusting, but in a pinch they can save you. And, let’s face it, bus depot and service station toilets are also disgusting.

Does anyone else limit their water intake while traveling to minimize their water output?

The border was uneventful for me. I showed my negative covid test results and my work permit and through I went. No need to pay for a visa because I am a resident of East Africa:)

Maina had a wee bit of excitement. Because of travel bans he did not have the exit and reentry stamps he was required to have in July (every 6 months) Easily explainable, and with a small recognition to the border officer he was also through.

The ride was hot (see air-conditioning comment above), scenic, and uneventful until it became questionable if we would make it to Nairobi before curfew. Then my stressed out inner worrier emerged in full force. As we left Nakuru after 7pm, in unrelenting traffic, panic started to set in. What would happen if we got to Nairobi after curfew! Please understand that I have been responsible for trip planning ever since I got married the first time. I had no idea what we would do.

I needn’t have worried at all because of my travel partner. He grew up in the village but lived in Nairobi for more than 25 years, so he was not concerned. BUT he could see my panic rising, so he acted. He called a friend in the police force who assured him we should have no trouble but if we did, just call the friend back and he would send a car from the nearest detachment to deliver us to our Airbnb. My stress instantly subsided. There are so many ways to say I love you without saying the words. Calling an old friend for a favour just to ease the worry of your lady is definitely one of those ways.

This post is long already, but our late dark arrival in Nairobi is too funny not to include.

There is a crazy amount of construction on the roads approaching and in Nairobi. Like summer in Canada, where they shove 12 months of repairs into 5 months of work time.

Well, our bus drivers got lost! Yes, it is literally their job to know how to get to from the station in Kampala to the one in Nairobi, but nope. The changes were beyond their knowledge. It ended up with Maina and another passenger sitting up front trying to direct the driver.

When he realized that we were very close to the location of our Airbnb, at approximately 10:30 pm so 30 minutes past curfew, Maina asked me to trust him and get off the bus there. we were at a well lit round-about with a large service station. I said sure and we disembarked.

This service station was well populated, vehicles refueling, shoppers in the store and even the food counter was still manned despite being past curfew. We got food, beer and a taxi without any difficulty. Curfew in Nairobi was quite different than Kampala at that time!

The Airbnb was perfect. We settled in, had some beer, snacks and laughs and our vacation was underway. * we had some minor excitement mid-bus ride concerning the Airbnb but it all worked out.

The next morning. Posted without permission 🥴

This morning was what I needed

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020 by Tracy, posted in Africa

As I wrote about in my earlier post Living La Vida Lockdown, my friends have taken me in for many weekends since this all started. It has kept my spirits up for the most part, but inevitably I have phases where I feel very alone. Since my family is in Canada, they are sleeping until my late afternoon. This means I can’t just call for a quick hello, laugh, cry. Sometimes that simple limitation leaves me quite sad.

The ongoing country wide 7pm curfew is also isolating for a single person who lives alone. I am physically by myself far more than I ever have been. I am an extrovert so this solitude builds up for me until I have mini self pity breakdowns and over indulge in Netflix binge watching. It is surprising how many series (yes series, not just episodes) that one can plow through in a week.

Yesterday, for no particular reason, I finally signed up with the Canadian Consulate in Uganda and immediately received email notification of a repatriation flight next week. Given my pre-existing state of mind, my loneliness kicked up to homesickness and I actually considered trying to get on the flight. The problem is that the deadline to sign up is July 1st. I received the email on June 29th leaving me no time to make a non-emotional decision. So this repatriation flight is out because this is not a decision to make quickly or emotionally.

I know I am not the only person whose sleep has suffered through this Covid lockdown, social isolation period. I do not sleep well at the best of times but lately I wake up even more throughout the night, and have some crazy dreams. Last night I woke up around 3am and did not start drifting back to sleep before 4:30, and even then I was in and out of slumber.

When my alarm went off at 6:15 to get me up for my morning 15 minutes on the stationary bike my first instinct was self pitying indulgence. Too tired, no sleep, skip today. But I didn’t skip. I got up and got on the bike. Good thing #1.

Part of my morning ride is watching a TedTalk. Today I chose “There’s more to life than being happy” by speaker Emily Esfahani Smith. It is just over 12 minutes long and I recommend it. She names four pillars to having meaning in our lives: Belonging, Purpose, Transcendence and Storytelling. Good thing #2 *I recommend the TedTalk app. It makes searching, saving and watching Talks so easy.

It was a glorious sunny morning, not too hot, blue sky. The sort or morning where the birds are out singing in force. Good thing #3

The Uganda government has lifted some of the lockdown restrictions and morning life in my neighbourhood has started to return to pre-Covid normal, albeit with reduced traffic. People are more relaxed, and there are simply more of us walking to work. The people I pass regularly will never know how they blessed me today. Good things 4+++

The Rolex Lady, also from an earlier post ¨A Different Side of My Neighbourhood” returned my good morning. She did not used to, but always does now.

Me 2 months back at the Rolex Lady’s shop

Two little boys who often do not notice me decided this was the morning to wave to the lady walking by. They kept waving and saying Hi over and over, until I had passed when they kept waving but switched to Bye. It is a universal truth that toddlers are great bringers of joy.

Next the Cassava Lady gave me a hearty hello. She sits at her hot oil every morning, Peeling, chopping and frying the cassava to sell to passers by. I have told her she is the hardest working woman in Muyenga. Cassava is not easy to work with. It is quite difficult to peel and to cut. she is often too busy to look up and see my smile of greeting.

Sitting in the little shop beside Cassava Lady was a gentleman I have passed many times on the road. Enough times that we regularly acknowledge each other with a hello, how are you. Today we did not pass on the road but we smiled and said good morning in a new context. A context that made me feel part of the community, not just in orbit around it.

Up the road I walked. Smiling and being smiled at. Saying hello and getting a return smile from a young man I have seen almost every weekday morning, my whole time in Kampala. His pre-lockdown response was often no response. Now he always gives me a smile or wave.

By the time I arrived at work to the friendly welcome of the security team, my spirit was replenished. I felt a renewed sense of pillar #1, Belonging.

I am sure this is not a permanent state. The waves of emotion – loneliness, confidence, ease, acceptance, frustration, sadness, unease – they are not getting bigger but it seems they are coming and going faster.

Face masks are the new handbags. My collection grows

First time cleaning a jackfruit

June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by Tracy, posted in Africa

I am in a slightly different neighborhood this weekend, dog sitting Becks, who I introduced in my last post. Still walking distance from my usual hood, but the encounter I am writing about occurred just inside the gated community, not in my usual road.

Gratuitous photo of Becks sleeping last evening

As Becks and I returned from the supermarket on Saturday afternoon, we came upon 2 men and 2 boys who were cutting up a large jackfruit. I stopped to watch, explaining to them that I had never seen the fruit cut up – only on the tree or packaged in the store.

The jackfruit today was probably the size of the one in the top right. I took this photo in Jinja because the one of the top left was the size of a toddler!

These lovely gentlemen then cut off a section and gave it too me. I was humbled and grateful for the gift.

So home I came with my bounty. As you can see, the section they gave me was indeed generous.

I read how to clean a jackfruit after I started. Of course. Because I jumped right in instead doing research, my hands got very sticky. Jackfruit has a latex sap – according to the internet – and it sticks quite well to hands. I didn’t use the recommended coconut oil to get it off. Just an every day dishes scrub did the job.

When you buy the little fruits in the store they still have the seeds in them. I recently learned that those seeds are edible, so in the spirit of maximizing the value from my food I took them out right away.

Last week I tried roasting some jackfruit seeds, so today I tried boiling them. Boiled is better in my opinion. The seeds don’t get crunchy but they have a nice potato like texture.

The nuts have a white outer covering that comes off easily after boiling

Look Siobhan, I’m wearing flip flops!!!!

Before getting to the gate I also bought all of these mangos from a local lady for 2,000 Uganda shillings. Total, not each. The equivalent of about 75 cents Canadian. The local mangos are small but tasty. This part is probably a little braggy 🙂

It was definitely a nice Saturday afternoon, even if I had to wear a face mask.

Living la Vida Lockdown

May 18, 2020May 18, 2020 by Tracy, posted in Africa

On March 30, 2020 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni ordered a 14-day nationwide lockdown which began the next day.

Lockdown here is truly a lockdown, though less restrictive than neighbouring Rwanda. There has been a 7pm curfew since the beginning, but other restrictions have evolved as time has passed.

There iss a complete ban on private vehicles, with businesses and NGO’s requiring approval and special permits for their vehicles. As the lockdown has progressed I think more businesses have been approved, but not my workplace.

Like most countries, non-essential services have been suspended- yes I have lockdown hair. Thankfully I brought a few boxes of hair colour from home so I caved and used one of them 2 weeks ago, just after the last extension was announced. At least my roots look better! (Yes there is hair colour here but my experience has been that it’s a gamble whether or not the colour ON the box is the same as the colour IN the box 😑 )

They also banned bodabodas from taking passengers. They are available to do deliveries of food, groceries etc which has helped keep stores and restaurants in business.

I have been saved since the first weekend by great friends, my lovely boss and his wife. That’s a double poke at Phil – he hates being called lovely and boss hahaha! I don’t know what state of mind I would be in without Phil and Natalia.

Natalia with Becks, celebrating his recent official adoption after a year as a foster

Yeah, yeah, social distancing, isolation oh no! Well Phil and I were in the same room at work and then isolated, so we were already cross-contaminated.

I have spent every weekend with them. Not actually violating any rules either, as the three of us fit within the gathering limit of 5 people.

Within 2 days of lockdown there were two daytime robberies of muzungu (white) women on my usual walking routes. This is understandable when people live day to day and now cannot work. Obviously some of us stand out as visibly more fortunate and therefore targets. The ladies were not physically harmed but lost everything- phones, laptops, cash. As such, my work has strongly encouraged that I do not walk alone. I have complied.

For the first few weeks of lockdown our office all worked remotely. Phil would walk over with their dog Becks, pick me up and walk back with me on Saturday morning. Sunday he would walk me home. I would shop at the supermarket on the way back home, and get fruit from my fruit guy.

Phil, Natalia, Tracy, Vishal enjoying the visit after a fantastic lunch

Several weeks back, a small group of us resumed working in the office – remember 5 is the limit. Since then, Phil picks me up each morning and walks me up to work, then back down afterwards. Making sure, of course to be home long before curfew. The exception is Friday, when I walk home with him instead.

We have had some great times. The three of is alone can be a party! And on a few occasions company has joined. For example, my day drinking birthday party on May 9th was a blast!

The worst thing for me has been the loss of freedom to ever walk anywhere alone. Don’t get me wrong, I am keenly aware of my privileged situation. I have food, water, a safe home, plenty of toilet paper, wifi etc. But still, the lack of independence is both a mental and emotional strain.

Hence today’s post inspiration. Today, May 18th, 2020, around midday, I walked from work to the supermarket and back all by my own self, just like a big girl!

It was fabulous, liberating and refreshing

I went with 3 things: my umbrella because it had just stopped raining, an empty bag for my produce, and the equivalent of about $16 Canadian secured in my bra. No purse, no phone. Can’t steal what I don’t have. I encountered no problems whatsoever, so I may do it again occasionally, taking the same precautions.

Face masks only became a requirement 2 weeks ago when the latest extension was announced. Reqiired in all public places, so even when walking outside. Nobody wore them for the first week but now most people have them. Many are worn as chin guards but compliance is rising. We are told people not wearing them will be sent home but haven’t heard from anybody who has experienced it.

Tomorrow the president will update us about another extension and/or changes to the rules. I am not speculating or holding out hope. But I am thrilled that on occasion I can stroll to the store by myself. It’s the little things, right? Stay safe and sane.

The Surreal Experience of Traveling in the Covid-19 Era

March 22, 2020May 18, 2020 by Tracy, posted in Africa, Personal stuff

I was recently recalled back to Uganda early from a work trip to Zimbabwe. The recall came on March 18, 2020 and was based more on the volatility of the governments involved that the virus itself. At that time neither Zimbabwe nor Uganda had confirmed cases of Covid-19.

I was originally going to fly back today, Sunday March 22. I would not have been able to however because Uganda closed its borders today. Being stranded in Zimbabwe would have been fine by me except my visa would have expired on April 12^th. Zimbabwe does not do in-country visa renewals, so if things were not opened up by then I could have been in a bit of a pickle.

Anyway, the first available flight out was on the morning of Thursday March 19^th. 11:15 am departure to be exact. The experience was so unusual I was compelled to start writing about it on that first leg of my trip from Harare to Nairobi.

On the night of the 18^th the Uganda president made an announcement regarding travel in that caused no small degree of confusion for many of us looking to come back. Based on the speech it was vague as to which countries would result in putting people into quarantine and it also looked like that quarantine could last up to 32 days.

While the people in Kampala worked out if the quarantine would apply to me, I considered taking my employer up on a previously declined offer to repatriate me to Canada. If I was going to face a 32 day quarantine, Canada was looking pretty good. At least they would only lock me up for 2 weeks! (at the time of writing the Uganda quarantine period as been confirmed to be 14 days not 32)

I was assured that Zimbabwe was not on the list of countries to be quarantined so I booked the last minute one way flight back to Kampala.

The next day, when I arrived at the airport with my South Africa colleague who was also heading home early, I first noticed how empty the airport was. It was 9 am on a weekday and looked more like 2 am.

I proceeded to the front of the line for check-in. Actually, I was the line.

I handed the attendant my passport and he pulled up my reservation. What happened next was a first for me. He spent about five minutes running around talking to people to determine if I would be allowed to enter once I landed in Uganda. He eventually concluded that I would and proceeded with my check in.

Once through security, again there was no line at all, I walked into a near empty waiting area.

The shops were even more empty than usual for the Zimbabwe airport. I bought a t-shirt for myself and a trillion dollar Zimbabwe bond note from 2008. Actually, I paid a little too much for a full suite of notes (one million, 100 million, 10 billion etc) But I knew that the two gentlemen I bought from could really use the money.

When my flight was called it was probably the fastest boarding of a midday flight ever.

The flight itself was well under half full. The Embraer 190 for Kenya Airways has an economy seating capacity of 84 and don’t think there were much over 30 of us on board. We were a second stop, so some were already on board.

The only row with two people seated side by side was filled with two travel companions. Every other row had one person per side, only one for the whole row, or was empty.

In the Zimbabwe airport and on the plane it was unsettlingly quiet. No laughter, or chatter and nobody dared to cough!

After a quick disembarkment in Kenya we walked to the shuttle. People maintained a distance from each other. One quarter to one third of the passengers were in various types of face masks. Of those of us standing on the shuttle I saw only one very briefly touch a handle. The rest of us kept our arms crossed or at our sides.

Again it was grim, silent and all business.

I believe Kenya might be the busiest airport in East Africa. It is certainly a hub airport. Our shuttle passed several baggage processing bays. A few had a scant amount of baggage moving along but most were completely dormant.

Workers were sitting and chatting. Some wore face masks, some had them hanging below their mouths.

Waiting for us when we got inside was a person in a white coat, mask and gloves and a temperature reader. All of us stood while he read our temperatures, without touching us of course.

That is not unusual in East Africa since they are vigilant about Ebola, but the heavy presence of soldiers in fatigues seemed significantly more than I remember from my last time in the airport.

Given the usual volumes at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, there are many well equipped stations for security screening. We were directed to the furthest station, passing six or seven that were completely empty. It was the middle of the afternoon and we passed through security in record time.

While on the shuttle and then sitting in the airport food court I was struck with this thought a few times – that burqas seem like a decent idea right now. They definitely provide some good facial and body coverage. I imagined some of the women wearing them snickering at the people wearing the little paper masks (just my imagination – no snickers were heard!)

The final leg from Kenya to Uganda was close to normal. The plane was smaller, so the same number of people filled the plane to half capacity or more.

There was even a small amount of talking and laughing.

Before take off we were given a new medical declaration form to complete for Uganda. When I flew back to Uganda from Burundi on March 11^th we were still filling in the Ebola focused form. Now it is a Covid-19 focused form with a short question or two about Ebola on the bottom.

At the Kampala airport they did the usual review of the medical form and my yellow fever card while looking at my passport photo page. I stated that I came from Zimbabwe and I was waived through to customs for my declaration. That was it.

There was a group of twenty to thirty people gathered by officials just on the other side of the person who reviewed my form. My assumption was they might be heading for quarantine. They were being guided somewhere just as I proceeded to customs. We mingled for a few seconds but don’t worry, I didn’t touch anyone or anything.

The rest of my return was completely normal, except I suppose, that all the workers were in face masks.

On a non-travel related note, the entire time in Zimbabwe I was able to charge my phone and turn on the lights. This was unexpected since Zimbabwe has been subject to planned power outages due to short supply for over a year. When I got to the apartment in Kampala however, all was dark. The power was out for hours. And again the next night. It was actually out for about 12 hours Friday evening/night and Saturday morning. Of all the aspects of Zimbabwe that I might want Uganda to mirror, power supply would not be on the list!

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