I woke up in a much better mood and it was great to see the sun shining! I decided to go for a walk to the mall. Seeing all the traffic and people rushing to get to work I was reminded that there's something called the real world and I'll be getting back to it in a week's time. I quickly pushed those thoughts aside and took in the beautiful view. The hotel I stayed at is on a hill. I walked down the hill and past this beautiful golf course. There are these motorbikes called Bora-bora's that transport people around the city. It's great how they whizz past the cars, I made a note to myself, I'm getting on a Bora-Bora before I go!
Found my way to the mall, the one thing that struck me about Uganda is that there are lots and lots of guns. Security guards at the mall have guns, police on the road carry guns, even the security guard at the bus-tickets place has a gun. Big AK47 look-a-like guns. I've never been a fan, I think that something whose sole purpose is to kill, has no place in society, but I also don't believe in hitting kids so maybe behind this bad-ass exterior, I'm a real softie...
When I got to the tickets place, it was 9h10, the last bus to Rwanda was planned to leave at 9am. I couldn't believe it! I went to the lady at the counter, asked if the bus had left already (remember, I'd walked from my hotel, hadn't even packed or had breakfast yet, I just showered and decided to go for a walk), anyways she told me no it hadn't arrived yet. I smiled as I thought to myself, every now and then that African time does work in one's favour! I went outside, found this awesome Bora-bora driver, hopped on and we drove to the hotel. The feeling of the wind in my hair, holding on to him tightly as we whizzed past everyone.... priceless! I packed up within seconds, checked out and we were on our way!
By the time we got back to the bus stop, the bus had arrived but it was a good 30 minutes before it would be ready, so I headed off to the bank to exchange some money. I'd missed out on the hotel breakfast and was Starving! I was touched when I arrived at the mall and this security lady calls me, I'm like: 'Huh? Me?' She nodded and because well, her gun was big and I don't like trouble, I went to her. She asked for my bag, I obliged, handed it to her and watched as she did a thorough search (just like at airports and stuff). Kampala's really big on safety! She handed me my bag back and off I went.
Then I get to the forex place, I don't know if it's just me who looked a bit dodgy but the lady at the counter examined my USD for ages and then was like: I can't take this? I was gobsmacked. She gives me a story about it being old money and no bank would take it, I was actually speechless. Then the other lady who works there is like, 'The exchange is 2700 but for notes less than $50 it's 1000. I was half expecting Leon Schuster to pop out and say: 'Smile, you're on candid cameara!' I've been using USD since I left Jo'burg, all my notes are from the same place. The idea of getting almost a 3rd for my money was too crazy to even entertain.
But I'd had a good night, was loving the weather in Kampala and excited about the next phase of my trip, so I decided to be nice. I smiled at her, said 'No thanks' and went next door. There they gave me my money, with no hassles. I went back to the bus-stop and we were off to Kigali.
*I need to google this, I remember once reading about a country where like 70% of the population is now women because of the war, wondering if that's Uganda. The result was that most jobs usually attributed to men are now being performed by women there*
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