Oct. 20 - 23: From Uganda to Burundi, Condo sales and pedicures

Well hello there...it's been a while. I am going to attempt to summarize the events of the past week. Last Tuesday (the day after my intense day of visiting the village where Anna and her family live) was quite different than the previous day's experiences. Lizanne and her father and I joined some old friends of theirs for lunch at a very good Chinese restaurant (see photo). Afterwards, we drove one of our lunch guests home so I got to see a little bit of the outskirts of Kampala, including a view of lake Victoria (see photo). There was an important conference going on at a resort on the lake, so lots of security. Our taxi had to drive up onto a contraption of some sort which had a mirror to see underneath the car to make sure there were no weapons or bombs...yikes!

We then dropped our guest off at her home. What really stands out for me is the overwhelming presence of walls, gates and barbed wire. I included a photo of a gate that I thought was interesting and creative. If a person lives in a home that is considered even remotely well-off, walls, barbed wire, etc. are the norm. In a part of the world where poverty and desperation are so widespread, property crime is rampant and therefore these measures are necessary. I could not imagine living this way. The other adjustment that I am finding difficult is having to get from A to B before dark (if we are walking). Being close to the equator means the sun goes down at around 7:00 all year round. I really dislike having to arrange my life around the sun's schedule. Now I know how vampires feel when they have to make sure they are back in their coffins before the sun comes up!

Wednesday was spent lounging by the pool and preparing for our departure the next morning (that night) at 2:30 am. Lizanne and I went out for a taste-bud-blowing Indian dinner for our last night in Kampala. After a 5:00am flight from Kampala to Nairobi (Kenya) and then to Bujumbura (Burundi), we were happy to arrive at our guest house in the centre of town. Morag had reserved a room for Lizanne (see photos). Crossing the street was always a test of speed, coordination and bravery. We both slept like logs that night, after having barely slept the night before. The next day we took our lives in our hands once again in order to go to the internet cafe. This is when (at approx. 10:00 am on Friday morning) I found out that my condo had finally sold - for real this time!!! I was hit with a potent mixture of relief and more than a little bit of sorrow. Even Lizanne had tears in her eyes. After all, she had been with me through the whole intense journey right form the start. Before heading for the beach, where we would meet Morag, we decided to have pedicures and manicures done...by men...a first for me. It was Lizanne's first pedicure ever! Apparently, in Burundi, this is a "thing". Young men do pedicures and manicures. They did a good job of removing the nasty dry skin and all, but an Aveda (read: high-end eco-spa) experience, it wasn't!

I will have to continue the summary in my next post. Stay-tuned for hair-raising tales of biting monkeys, hippos in the lake, food poisoning and a nerve shattering journey into hell, i.e. The Congo. In the meantime, please enjoy the video of Morag's big surprise, which happened on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 5:00 pm Burundi time.