We are all Friends

Starting the day with a buffet breakfast looking out over Lake Victoria made it clear that this was not a normal day and this is not a normal school trip.

A buffet of amazing fruit, beef bacon, fresh beans and tomato sauce, honey melon, guava and paw paws. We could just eat all the paw paw by hand because you don't pick the prickly pair with the paw, when you pick a pair you have to use the claw. But you don't need to use the claw when you pick a pair from the big paw paw. Everyone went up for 2nds, 3rds, 4ths and they trying increasingly adventurous fruits each time. Tom found he loves sugar cane and Lydia had a plate full of honey melon.

After breakfast, Alex and Moses turned up to take us into Kampala. A few last minute checks of hand sanitiser, cash and sun cream led to Genevieve running back to her room. We were all then about to get onto the bus when Genevieve then returned to us only this time she was crusing along in a golf cart, having been picked up by a helpful Speke resort worker.

As we turned the van out of the resort, we were suddenly back in the real Uganda. The boda bodas were out in force as we were trying in vain to understand the road rules on the side roads. At points, hundreds of these small motorbikes swarm the minibus like midges at a Scortish lake. But like everyone in Uganda, they smile and say hello as they pass. Some genuinely looking in and saying 'hello, how are you?'.

We battled our way into town and up to the top of the Old Kampala hill where we turned into the National Mosque car park.
Before going in, the girls all went and were wrapped in their saris and head dresses and we were ready to be toured around by our new friend,Yousef.

We took off our shoes and socks and marvelled at the thickness of the carpet as Yousef said to tour around, take pictures and just take in the majesty of this huge religious building.
Yousef then gathered us and began revealing the history of both the Mosque and Kampala itself. The Mosque was began by Idi Admin in his second year in charge as Ugandan's 3rd president. He was funded by Saudi but the funding dried up after the old Indian businesses were given to the Ugandans and Idi was overthrown in 1969. 30 years later, General Gadaffi then visited Kampala and decided to complete the Mosque to stand high above Kampala's central hill. I am not sure that everyone quite understood the history of these two men but they have been asking questions to us and to our main guide Alex all the time to try and get their heads around even just one section of this complex and fascinating country.

Yourself then explained the history of Kampala's name and the 7 hills of Kampala making it the Roma of Africa.
After the tours, we tentatively walked up the minaret to look out from the highest viewpoint in Kampala. Yousef was again on hand to explain the history of the King's Palace and what was found on each of the 7 hills. It was fascinating to know about Idi Armin using the King's Palace for tortures and meaning th

at the current King no longer sleeps there due to this and just uses it for functions.

From the mosque, we headed to the craft Market. As we arrived the eyes lit up on each of the stall holders as tourism has been low since covid and ebola. As soon as we stopped, everyone filtered into the stalls. Tom and Charlie Currie were popular with some of the lady stall holders as Charlie Harris started chatting up each of the ladies, using their names to barter his way through friendliness. This seems to work better than Mr Pitt's rude walk away (although both get the required price). Niamh was in her element analysing the fabrics and it was a competition between Niamh, Fenella and Mrs Pitt to see who would barter and buy most things. 

The highlighted purchases were our whole team of Ugandan football shirts that we can now wear, the impressive bum bags that Lydia and Niamh will be using to go travelling with and the lovely Ugandan wrist bands that everyone bought.
Alastair Klemz's was the most impressive purchase as he bought a rather unique Ugandan wrist band, so unique in fact that it has the Kenyan flag on it! It looks good though!
We had to drag Tom away from the new love of his life as she was steadily trying on different outfits for him and we managed to get Charlie out of the hut with his best friends Diana and Beatrice. To sum up Charlie's chatter, on finding out that the lovely lady's name was Diana. He said 'just like Princess Diana, well you are my princess anyway'. He was the celebrity of the markets and he is undoubtedly the king of bartering.

After a swift drive round the corner to the business district, we stopped at a lovely restaurant called CJ's and had the largest portions of sandwiches and chips that I have seen outside of the USA. Although speaking of the USA, it was amazing to drive past the huge US embassy to see a pride flag flying next to the huge stars and stripes. A big statement from an even bigger embassy.

The traffic on the way home was again another test of patience that Team Uganda passed with flying colours (the first test of the day had been the roilet at the mosque but I dont think Katie needs reminding about that).

Jess remarked how it is easier driving here because there are so many interesting things to see on the way. Charlie talked about how hard it is seeing the poverty by the side of the street whilst Jamie was on watch to shut windows if any roadside beggers were looking like they got a little too close.
As we were stuck for longer and longer in the traffic, none of the group moaned, not even once but they did calculate how little swim time there may be as the pool closed at 6.30.

Thankfully the driving artistry of Alex and Moses magically parted the red sea of traffic and got us a lop sided way home and with over an hour to hit the pool.

A huge wedding was happening on Speke as we walked to the pool and African traditional dancers seemed to start performing for us as a drone flew overhead to capture the magical day (the wedding not our magical day in Kampala).
6 G wagons then drove by in procession informing us that Arnold and Sasha were getting married and the juxtaposition of the wealth and poverty could not have been more apparent. The children on the streets begging for their mothers who sat at the side of the road, the people with bananas on their heads approaching cars to sell food and then the opulence of the wedding and the pool at Speke.


Team Uganda have seen it all and they have also spoken about it, reflected on it, asked questions and smiled and joined in with the Ugandan way.

At lunchtime every pupil was sat chatting
At one point I forgot to ask for the bill as the conversation was so mature, relaxed and enjoyable.

Whether a street seller, a stall holder, a Muslim come to pray or a guest at a huge wedding; everyone smiles and says hello. Even the trendy Ugandan pop star having his agent take Instagram pictures on the steps in Speke stopped to smile, say hello and laugh at himself for having to be so vain for his Insta fans.

As Yousef said on the tour; 'In Uganda, we are all friends'.