Today, I decided it was time to take the plunge, so I caught a lift into the city with Sam on his way to work. I needed to get maps. A-Zs and sims cards etc. So he dropped me at one of Kampala's two shopping malls which are interestingly next to each other. I found everything I needed then went off for a wonder before starting to head back. I spent a lot of my time fending off Boda-boda drivers (a man on a taxi-bike) who didn't seem to understand why someone like me who clearly didn't know what they where doing was wondering round on foot.
However this proved incredible fruitfull as I happened to wonder past a street, which was a street I had been trying to find for sometime. This is because it supposedly had the Ugandan branch of Transparency International (an organisation I desperately want to talk to for my research). Eventually I found the tiny sign and then the office. I introduced myself and made an appointment for next week. The most useful thing was the education officer gave me five contacts I would have never found by myself, which I am currently chasing up.
The best part of day was finding my way home, I walked to find a Matatu (crazy crammed with people mini-van) to the old taxi park. I found one and then encountered the most honest matatu driver in Uganda because I gave him a 10 000 note by accident when I meant to give him 1000. He chased me down the street to give me me my money back. Then I discovered the taxi park and I have never seen so many matatu's in one such small place (or ant type of vehicle). Becky will be pleased to hear that just before this sight yet again I was crossed over the road safely by a little old lady taking my hand just like Hanoi. Not surprisingly it took me about half an hour to find a Matutu to Muyeng. On the next leg of the journey home. I was sat next a Zimbabwean man who had moved to the USA and was a uni proffessor on a 10 month exchange. We discussed governance and my research and he has got some stuff to send me. Eventually the Matutu wound its way back to Tank Hill and after some further negotiation I managed to get back to Cafe Roma and walk the rest of the way home.
I spent the rest of the day working and emailing, making the most of Sam and Abby's wireless broadband before I move tomorrow. I have quite a few appointments now and leads to chase up this week, so things are looking up. Tomorrow, I am going to stay with my friend Rachel, who I know from my Raggie Carnival days. It seems the RAG network is going strong, she was part of Sheffield Rag and we hitched to Bucharest, Romania together. I had no idea she was in Kampala, so it was a total bonus and very kind of her to offer to put me up at no notice. Rachel house is only five mins from here, so its not too much of a move.
My blogs may get more sporadic as of now because I lose my access to quick, free internet!
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