Vroom! Vroom!

So back home in Chicago I take public transportation everywhere. From the train to the buses the CTA is the way for me. In high school I got around through car pool, parents, school buses, walking, and eventually a car I myself drove. Well transportation here in Uganda is a bit different, but just as much fun. Here are a list of each way I have traveled.

Bus:
-So my first bus experience was on my trip from Kampala up to Gulu with Chris Walker. What an experience it was, the first thing I noticed when I walked on the bus was that there were boxes of baby chicks above head, this was my first indication that the bus ride would be one unlike any I had ever been on before. Prior to leaving on the bus Chris wanted to walk to where he would to go a week later to head back to the airport on his way home. So here I am left with a decision, do I leave my baggage on the bus and hope it is okay and go with Chris and Kevin, or do I stay with my baggage by myself. Kevin assured me my things would be safe if I left them there, but I was feeling a bit uneasy because Madison had things stolen from her and I was two days late because things of mine were stolen at the airport. Well I decided to start my adventures the right way and just go with the flow and leave my things there. What’s the worse that could happen? My things get stolen, as long as the most important things are with me then no use in fretting over it. So I leave my things and walk through Kampala and come back to the bus park. The driver of the bus assured me he would stay by the bus and watch my things, and when we arrive he is no where in sight but my things are all there safe and sound. Once we finally leave it was the bumpiest ride that I at that time had experienced. It was bizarre stopping in small villages and people where shoving meat on sticks through the window wanting us to buy it, that in itself was an experience unlike any other. 6 or so hours later we finally arrive in Gulu to be greeted by both Madison and Megan.

-My second experience on the buses was my travels to Pabo. If I never take that trip on a bus again I will be happy. First things first we waited over 2 hours for the bus, which itself was not too bad. However, when we walked on the bus we noticed large bags of cabbage blocking the aisle way. What to do? The only seats open where in the back. So we take it like champs and start crawling over them, it was like an obstacle course, and to no surprise to me the next day I had a wonderful bruise on my knee to mark my experiences on the bus. The bus ride was not nearly as long as the one to Gulu from Kampala however, I have never felt so sick to my stomach as I did on that bus. It took all the self control that I possess not to get sick while on the bus. To make matters even worse I had the window that was about to fall out of the bus and kept rattling, I couldn’t even enjoy the scenery. But all was well we arrived in Pabo safe and sound, even if a little nauseated.

BodaBoda (Border to Border, motor bikes)
- This is perhaps my favorite way to get around Uganda and the one I take most often. My first experience was just fine except that Megan was on a bike behind me and they ran out of gas and I of course had no idea where I was going or if I was even going the right direction.

-My favorite Boda experience was one morning when Diana and I were on our way to the office. I got on my boda and he started going the way we always go to Lacor, but then he makes a turn. I am completely and utterly confused as to where I am, so where do we go? Gulu University Hospital. I explain I want to go to Lacor, and he acknowledges that he knows where that is. So were off to Lacor, or so I thought. Again we are on roads I am not familiar with and have no clue as to where I am, next thing I know I am at Gulu Independence Hospital, on the opposite side of Gulu. At this point I am ready to hop off my boda and get on a new one, because who knows where I might end up next, but I decide we will give it one more shot. How many more hospitals can be in the area? Well it all worked out because the next hospital he took me to was Lacor, and I finally made it to Diana’s relief.

-Another great story concerning bodas happened about a week or so ago. We were all leaving the office and got on some bodas and where on our way home. Megan and Laura left before Diana and myself, and as soon as they pulled away it started to rain. All I could think was crap, now I am here in Lacor and I need to wait for the rain to pass. Luckily there were two brave souls that agreed to take Diana and I through the rain. We somehow catch up to and pass Laura and Megan. Diana is in front of me and her boda driver misses the turn and so do I. So what does her boda driver do? He takes a right onto a random tiny path way that goes through a corn field to get back to the main road that we needed to turn onto…my boda driver follows. We eventually got home safe and sound, fairly dry and without corn husks in our hair.

Car/Truck:
-This is a form of transportation I have only taken twice but both have been quite the experiences. My first journey that took place was the night of my arrival at the airport. Once greeted by a familiar face in the form of Chris Walker we needed to get back to the place in which we were going to be sleeping for the night. Now Chris warned me before we even pulled out of the parking lot that the driving here was different and to try and suppress any screams or shouts, I could not help but think what am I doing in this car. Overall it was a fairly good experience, nothing to scary only a few times that I closed my eyes and went to my happy place.

-My favorite travel experience thus far on this entire trip was the one that took place on my way back from Pabo in the back of a white pick up truck. I am sitting on bags of salt, next to a lady sitting on top of boxes filled with curry powder and Diana sits across from me on the tire cut out in the back of the truck. We are surrounded by other boxes of items such as sugary drinks and more curry powder, along with tires, and some machine tied down at the end of the truck bed, not exactly the roomiest of places but by far one of the most fun. The bumps where still there, but I didn’t really notice them with the wind in my hair and the most gorgeous scenery I have ever seen in my entire life. Plush trees ranging in every shade of green imaginable, hills rolling covered in grasses, absolute gorgeousness. I could not stop smiling and laughing, I was having the time of my life. Our truck was literally being chased by small children as we stopped in villages along the way to drop off all the goodies surrounding us. Once everything was dropped off, including my seat the ride was much more roomier, and I found myself sitting on top of a bag filled with I don’t know what, though I am sure there were a few pairs of flip flops shoved in there, which was place on the tire. I wish I could travel to and from every place this way, I felt totally free and at peace, it was amazing.
Taxi:
- This is my least favorite form of transportation, but I do occasionally find myself sitting in one. The taxis here are a bit different from the ones back at home. Here they are white vans with seats covered in animal print fabric and windows tapped around the edges. Taxis here also have seats that can be lifted up and then put back down to help accommodate more people. In Kampala we needed to go to the United States Embassy before heading back to Gulu so a taxi it was. There ride there was not too bad, however, the one back was one to remember. Kevin, Chris and myself were in the last row of seats in the back of the taxi driving around Kampala. Kevin fell asleep momentarily and of course I had no idea where I was and Chris wasn’t quite sure. Well when Kevin woke up he thought we had passed where we needed to get off so we got out of the taxi immediately after Kevin woke up. Well it turns out we go out of the taxi just a little to soon and ended up walking away from where we needed to be until we finally figured out we were a good ways away and it was time to walk.

- The night of the welcoming ceremony, the one filled with rain and leaking tarps. After speaking with some folks back home on Skype Kevin managed to snag the last taxi in Lacor for us to get back home in. So we pile in, I am still fairly soaked from pushing water off the tarp where I happened to be in the worse spot possible and I think I managed to get more water on my than off the tarp. So we are driving along, in the dark on bumpy roads and I begin to get a headache. Now this headache was not brought on due to the bumps or the loud noise, it was from the fumes inside the taxi from the car. I was not the only one to be bothered by them and finally windows were opened up to let some much needed and desired fresh air in the taxi

So there you have it. Some of the experiences I have had getting around Uganda. Though not all of the trips have been the best on my stomach and or brain cells. Every trip has been an experience different from anything I could ever imagine, and I have loved every minute of it. I hope you all think about riding on the back of motor bike with the wind and your hair and more than likely dust in your eyes next time you are on your travels, because believe me it is an incredible feeling, and something I know I will miss.