Leaving Kampala

This would have been posted Saturday except for the fact that the hotel decided to upgrade their wireless internet. It had previously been very bad but I was managing happily with a cable begged from the business center. But on Saturday the cable stopped working and the wireless provided strange partial access with email but few web sites.

So by now I am in London after a long and tiring journey. There is something still a bit unnerving about the concept of flying out of Entebbe, given its past. In actuality it's an OK airport--but located 40 kilometers away from Kampala along a road with one lane in each direction. At night, when I came, the traffic was terrible. Before dawn on Sunday there was little traffic--but no lighting. People and bicyclists kept looming out of the dark--none with bright clothes or reflective gear. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen if we hit someone--could I still get to the airport in time? But the trip was uneventful as was the flight, just long.

The pictures are from a terribly crowded health center I visited on the last day. I wasn't comfortable taking pictures of the crowding and the smaller groups of patients, when asked about pictures, turned me down. That's a pharmacy in the first picture, with ART drugs being distributed. The little boy was thrilled with his picture when I showed it to him--wish I had a picture of the resulting smile.

I had the pleasure of watching the first World Cup match in the bar with a lot of other Bafana Bafana supporters. It was very exciting to have the first goal! The weird thing for me about World Cup matches is the horns--they sound like locusts in the background. Apparently the sports commentators hate them.

Roger will be here tomorrow! Maybe we can post jointly.