Travel Drama, Round... Oh Who Can Count?

This morning I got up earlier than I should have probably and showered and attempted to eat some unit that I bought last night (guavas, passion fruit, and pineapple). I didn't eat as much of it as I thought I would but it was still good. I finished getting everything packed and ready and then headed to the Waterfront to get the vest the employee at Old Khaki had personally gone to pick up at another store for me. I also went to a Bavarian bakery and got a sandwich for the plane and a tomato basil quiche for breakfast. I had some time to kill before the shuttle would come so I went to the craft center and found the coolest ornament in the shape of Africa mosaiced with ostrich egg. I'm in love with it. I eventually went back to the shuttle and went back to the Westin.

When I got back my key had stopped working, and I know it wasn't demagnetized because it worked on the door the get onto the floor but not to my actual room. I had to go back downstairs to reactivate it and. I was really worried that I was going to be late. I decided to trust take a cab to the airport to be safe and ended up being too early, figures. The airport was fine and the flight to Joburg was good to, though I couldn't eat the food they gave because it all had mayonnaise. Even worse one of the options had a mustard mayo mix, two of my least favorite things. I got to Joburg fine and got my bag (though the claim closed at one point and I thought they had lost it again) and went to check my bag of things I don't need for this week (mostly things I've purchased along the way). They took my passport to make a copy and I paid the rather hefty fee equaling about $50 and was on my way to meet my ride.

I was supposed to be picked up at 3:45pm, but I ended up sitting there with my backpack on until around 5pm, maybe even later. When the driver came we waited for a bunch of people and then finally made our way from the airport around 5:30p. I got to the hostel just in time for the tour meeting and out my stuff down. I then realized that my passport had never been returned to me at the bag storage place. Commence minor panic. The meeting was okay, though I kind of had another moment of "what have I gotten myself into" panic as I looked around at the other people on the tour and heard that we all will participate in cleaning and whatnot along the way. I knew about cooking, but I hate cleaning buses and dishes etc. Oh well, least of my worries. 

After the meeting I tried to call the bag place, but no one answered and my phone died (even though it said 66%) so I decided to go back to the airport. I took a ride with the shuttle to the partner hotel and from there they got me a ride to and from the airport. The lady at the front desk even gave me her cell phone to use to contact the driver when everything was worked out so we could meet up again to go back. He also took me both ways and waited for me for $20. So amazing. Anyways I went straight to the baggage place and the lady there had gotten in two hours after I stored my bag and said she didn't see a passport and sent me to the airport police station. At the police station they had one USA passport, but it wasn't mine and they sent me back to the baggage place. When I got back there a man was there who had been there at 4pm and he said he didn't know anything about it, but then began to remember me and he knew exactly where it was! Crisis averted! It had been out with my bag in storage instead of being returned to me. I was so so happy and so thankful for that man. Thank goodness that every time my passport isn't on me and is almost lost I actually know exactly where it is. I then went to the ATM since I had no cash to pay the driver and then went back to MoAfrika Lodge.

Once at the lodge I met some of the people on the tour and I think now that it is going to be a fun week. I was skeptical at first, but I'm much more excited now. Hopefully all will go well! There is a girl from England, a guy from Singapore, and myself from the US, and everyone else is from Australia. Literally everyone. I was expecting that though as TopDeck let's you book this tour and those tours are generally Aussies. We chatted for a while and now I'm going to bed since we have to be up for 7am breakfast. I have my bags, my passport, my money, my sanity. No idea what to expect this week so here's to adventure!

Surfs Up

Today was quite a fun day, and a great way to end my much too short time in Cape Town. I was awoken much earlier than anticipated by numerous texts and a phone call enquiring why I wasn't up yet (it was before 6am when said texts arrived, and only 7:45am when I got the frantic phone call, thanks Mom). So after the phone call I wasn't able to go back to sleep and I started playing with some thing on my computer, freeing up some space for more photos and whatnot. I spent the morning doing not a whole lot as I enjoyed the view from my amazing hotel room and relaxed a bit. 

Around 11:45am I set out to walk to Gavin's apartment where Joan is staying since it was less that 1km from my hotel down just one street. I ended up going two blocks too far somehow, but quickly realized it and made it back to where the actual building was. I saw his apartment and met up with Joan and then we left (Gavin left us his car for the day). We headed out of Cape Town to Muizenberg where we were having a 1pm surf lesson! I braved the waters of shark infested False Bay and went for it on the surfing. I really didn't need to pay for the lesson since the waves were small, but it wasn't too expensive at least. It was weird to be surfing there since Muizenberg Beach is literally profiled in every single Shark Week. It is the beach that has the shark spotter up on the hill and I absolutely recognize it, which is so strange. Anyways, we had a great time! After the first hour I went in and switched boards to a smaller board and I have such a great time using a bit shorter board that was easier to use in the waves and easier to maneuver once up. It was a bit less stable, but I still got up a ton.

After surfing we rinsed off and got dressed and stopped at a place to get some sandwiches before heading out again. We drove to near a town called Sommerset West where there is a cheetah outreach place where you can do cheetah encounters. Unfortunately we got there ten minutes before closing and weren't able to actually pet the cheetahs (total bummer), but we still went in and had a look at the awesome animals. 

After Cheetah Outreach we tried to find a winery that might be open, but they were all closed so we headed back into Cape Town. Along the N2 to Cape Town you pass some of the townships, which are home to the poorest people in Cape Town. It is crazy to see how these people live. There is so uch more crime and inequality here compared to Uganda, which makes these informal settlements look much worse in context. It is really sad to see. We got back to Cape Town with no problems and I said goodbye to Joan and went back up to my room. I had some things I wanted to get at the shops at the Waterfront, so I took the shuttle over there and got a duffel bag to house all the souvenirs I have accumulated and the present for an M3 I have to bring back to her and I got a few other things as well.

After the Waterfront I came back to the Westin and ordered room service as I packed up my things. I had such delicious food and I am now very happy and full. I also am attempting to wash my underwear very quickly, so hopefully they dry overnight. The bathroom is very warm due to the heated floors so we will see if they are still wet she I wake up, fingers crossed. Now I'm just watching some TV and getting ready for bed. I didn't realize how late it has already gotten, eek!

The beach in Muizenberg

Joan and I post surfing

The cheetah I didn't get to pet :(

Sunset on the drive back to Cape Town

Chicken sandwich with mozzarella, avocado, and mango salsa

Roasted banana and run tiramisu

Exploring the Cape

Today I decided to rent a car and head out to see some of the main attractions the cape has to offer. Luckily there is a rental car agency literally inside my hotel and I got everything worked out, including a GPS, and they brought the car right to the front valet. Amazing easy. I hopped in my car and set out on my adventure. The GPS doesn't pick up a signal right at the hotel because of the hotel and convention center buildings, so I drove a few blocks away and parked and set it. It took a few minutes for me to get used to driving on the left side of the road again, but it came back to me and it was the most comfortable I have ever been keeping left. Maybe it is because I have been a passenger on the left for seven weeks this summer or maybe its because this is the third country I have kept left in, but it worked. Its actually kind of fun and sometimes feels more right than keeping right right now since I've been here for so long. Anyways, I set the GPS and got on my way, but who would have known that I basically could have gotten around without the GPS better than the way it tried to take me.

I followed the GPS instructions for a bit until I realized it was taking me on a ridiculously time inefficient route. I eventually found the freeway on my own and ignored the GPSs instructions to exit the freeway. And guess what happened? Each time I ignored those instructions to get off the freeway my time to destination would decrease. Imagine that. I ended up arriving 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Thank goodness for my good sense of direction!

My first stop of the day was Boulder's Beach. I wanted to go there to see the African Penguins, but found it to be so much more. Boulder's was literally one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life. Add on top of that the fact that there are a a bunch of penguins you can see from the paths, on the beach, and even swimming in the water and it makes for quite a magical experience. It is also the middle of winter here and therefore the low season. I was basically the only one on the section of the beach and I was alone in paradise! I could have stayed there forever and ever. I hope to be able to come back someday because it is truly amazing. After hanging out on the beach a bit I walked over the the penguin viewing platform and saw the main group of penguins on the beach. They were so cute! There were even some babies and juveniles who hadn't yet molted woo! I hung out for a bit and took some pictures and then walked back to my rental car.

The next stop I made was the Cape Point Ostrich Farm to see the ostriches. There were a ton and very cute, but I probably could have bypassed this step on my journey. The tour was interesting and it was a private tour since it's the low season, but it really didn't see much. I didn't even walk around the farm to see the adult ostriches. I saw a skeleton, a hollowed egg (wow they are thick), some ostrich leather (who knew it was so strong and durable and beautiful), and some feathers. There may have been another thing or two that I am forgetting. I learned that a baby ostrich can't break out of the shell on its own and the mother has to crack the egg with its breast plate. Pretty interesting. After that I saw some baby ostriches, but since the breeding season ended in April and the new one is set to start in September the baby were 4-5 months old and not egg sized. Apparently in the breeding season you can watch them help hatch the eggs and see the ostriches being born. That sounds pretty cool. After the babies we walked back outside and looked at the adult pair right in front of the office and that was it. I had my free cup of tea and then walked around in the shop. There were so many beautiful purses made out of ostrich leather and I was dying to buy one (literally some of the prettiest purses I have ever seen), but they were all expensive! The cheapest one that I liked was over $300! So much for having a beautiful ostrich purse. After the shop I walked back to my car and set off to my next destination.

The next place I went was Cape Point. The drive out to the point was absolutely beautiful and I only wish someone else had been with me so we could have switched off driving and enjoyed the view. I got out to Cape Point and decided to have lunch at the restaurant there called Two Oceans (Cape Point is the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet). The restaurant had an amazing view and delicious food. For a starter I had a fried goat cheese with some onion and tomato stuff and OMG it was one of the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in my entire life! I only wish I could eat it every single day for every single meal. So yummy! For my main course I tried an ostrich burger and it was pretty good. I couldn't describe to you what it tasted like because it was similar to other burgers and had a medley of delicious toppings included marinated onions, mango chili sauce, tomato, and arugula all on a ciabatta roll. Yummy! It also came with chips which were okay. Still delicious, just nothing special like the rest of the food. It was so nice to have some different food after eating the same lunches over and over again for the last two months. After lunch I took the funicular called the Flying Dutchman up to the lighthouse of Cape Point. There were some spectacular views up there and it was lovely. I walked up to the lighthouse and took in some views for a bit and then headed back down to my car.

I was planning to drive out of the park (Cape Point is part of the Table Mountain National Park), but I detoured to the beach at the Cape of Good Hope nearby. It was also really beautiful and the drive along the water was wonderful. I am kind of obsessed with this area of the world. After marveling a bit I got back in my car and drove back to Simon's Town because I wanted to get some small pictures I saw after shark diving yesterday that I thought would look great in my bathroom. I got four small pictures, one each of penguins, and elephant, a giraffe, and two rhinos. The four will go side by side in my bathroom when I get back to Ann Arbor! When I was about to leave Simon's Town and about to call Joan to figure out when we would be meeting up my phone died which sucked. I hoped she would call before I got back and think I was avoiding her. I set my GPS (why?) and headed back.

The GPS once again tried to make me avoid the freeway and I ignored it and got back a full 30 minutes before its intended route. I don't know why that GPS was so intent on avoiding the freeway. When I got back I plugged in my phone and saw Joan had texted less than 10 minutes before, thank goodness, so we figured out the plan and I had some relaxation time. At 7:45 Joan and Gavin picked me up and we went out for some delicious pizza! It was so good and such a happy end to my lovely day. I got back to the hotel around 10pm and was so ridiculously tired, so now it's time for bed!

Penguins!

Boulder's Beach

Swimming penguin!

This lovely rodent is locally called a Dassie, though it is more commonly known worldwide as the Rock Hyrax or the Cape Hyrax. According to Wikipedia the closest living relatives to hyraxes are elephants and manatees. This seems rather odd, but is an interesting fact I think. They are also reservoirs for leishmaniasis in Ethiopia, Israel, and Jordan.

Probably one of my favorite all time pictures

Baby ostrich!

The Cape Point Lighthouse

The view from the lighthouse at Cape Point

My little rental car

At the Cape of Good Hope

The Illustrious Great White Shark

Today was one of the all time coolest days of my life. I finally got to check off the number one item on my life's bucket list and saw the Great White Sharks in South Africa! They are truly amazing animals and I can't believe I actually got to them them in person.

The morning began very, very early with a 5:15am wake up to get ready for the trip. I was still a little nervous that it may be canceled due to the insistence of the concierge last night, but I was met by the shuttle driver the minute I walked out of the elevator and into the lobby. The ride to Simon's Town wasn't so bad, but it was dark so I couldn't see a thing. The van had seven other people in in and four of them were from California. One was even a water polo player from Santa Cruz and we happen to know a lot of people in common since he played for the national B team and a lot of the national team players play for NYAC. We arrived at the launch point without any issues and met one of the crew members for our boat, and low and behold, she too was from California. Us Californians definitely outnumbered any other nationality by far. There were a few Canadians and some South Africans on our boat as well.

The boat ride out to Seal Island was fine. It was dark so it was hard to see anything. I forgot to take a dramamine, but a man on the boat had a whole thing of sea sickness tablets so I took one just in case since the water was forecasted to be a bit choppy due to all the wind. The boat definitely rocked a lot, and it was raining a bit (as it did off and on for most of the day). I eventually went to the upstairs deck of the boat to be able to see better. 

We reached Seal Island and it was amazing. There are a ridiculous number of Cape Fur Seals that live on the island also with many birds, including a few penguins! We dropped the cage at anchor to make a little more space on the boat and set out to look for some natural predation. We tried to look out for sharks by tracking some seals swimming back towards the island, but did really see much. We eventually saw a fin come and hit something between our boat and another boat (there were a few boats out there but no more than four). Our drew decided to put the decoy in at some point in order to try to get a shark to breach and we actually got a hit on decoy. The shark didn't jump all the way out of the water but we saw a good portion of the shark and it was really cool! It is amazing how fast it all happens, and unlike with the humpbacks it is usually a singular hit and then they disappear. 

I kind of resolved myself to the fact that I likely wouldn't see a full jump, but it was still pretty cool. We saw a bunch of birds hovering over a patch of ocean, which generally indicates there has been a kill, so we started heading that way. We were going towards it and I was sitting upstairs with a few other people and out of nowhere a shark breached right in front of our boat and the few of us that were upstairs were the only ones to see it. I am usually the one to miss stuff like that so I was pretty stoked to finally see a white shark jump out of the water!! It was over before I knew what hit me but so so cool. The area we were heading to initially we eventually reached and there wasn't much to see there. We did get to see the slick that is formed from the leaking juices of the seal though so that was kind of interesting. 

For the rest of the early morning we towed the decoy and didn't really get any hits. One shark came near it, but realized it was a fake and left before trying to hunt it. We drove around Seal Island and I learned a little about the island from one of the crew members. It is a really neat place as I said before. we looked at the for a little bit and then retrieved our cage for the diving portion of the morning.

The cage is just as you'd expect, a metal cage that hangs on the side of the boat. I was upstairs when the first people got ready so I wasn't in the first group, but I think that worked towards my advantage. We waited about 30-40 minutes to attract a shark and then when one came the first group hopped in the cage. The company I went with, African Shark Eco Charters, gives you regulators so you can stay underwater the entire time you are in the cage and you done miss much at all. They are the only company who does this and I think it really made for an amazing experience! I watched the shark from the boat and then when it came time I volunteered to go in the second group. When I got in the cage there was an enormous and active shark around and we got quite the show! Even other people were saying that the second group got the best experience. The shark hung out around and we saw him many times, as close as a foot from the cage! It is absolutely amazing to be so close to those magnificent and terrifying creatures, but for some reason I was not frightened at all. I was more scared of the small jellyfish I saw because they could actually get in the cage, haha.

When I was getting out of the cage on of the crew members exclaimed something and I looked to my right and the shark was right there. It totally startled me since I wasn't really in the cage anymore (but also not in the water outside the cage; I was like half in the cage, half on the boat). I was really surprised that I wasn't freezing, but the wetsuit kept me quite comfortable and I was very happy. I watched as the third group went and then hopped in the cage one last time to see one more shark, and that was literally all I saw the second time, one more shark. We got out and then started heading back to Simon's Town. It was an amazing day and I am so so happy I went! I feel very lucky since the two previous day's trip had been canceled due to weather and they werent sure they were going to be able to put the cage in today, but I got to do everything I wanted to do. Cape Town trip can now be considered a total and complete success.

After the trip I paid for my tour and the shuttle took up back to Cape Town. Once back at the hotel I went to the hot tub on the 19th floor. The pool is an infinity pool that looks over the water front and it is beautiful! The hot tub however, while having a beautiful view as well, was not nearly hot enough. I was so cold that my joints hurt and I just needed to warm up! There were also two girls in there who were talking so loudly and it was very annoying in the spa atmosphere. I started falling asleep at one point so I got out and put on my robe and took a nap on the most comfortable pool deck chair ever.

After my nap I went and rested some more in my room and watched an episode of Body of Proof that was on. There was also a random old episode of American Idol one from season 11 which was funny I thought. I took the time to start thinking about what I wanted to do while here and rested up since I was so tired still. I ended up renting a car for tomorrow to go see Cape Point and some things along the way. It should be a fun day and the roads are good and not too many drivers, which is really nice.

At 6:30pm I took the shuttle to the waterfront for dinner and to shop around again. I am trying to figure out what I may want to buy here before I actually buy anything, but I found some clothes at an REI like store that I think I may just have to get. I had fish and chips at a restaurant called Quay Four for dinner and it was yummy and then I just wandered a bit. I got some candy at the super market (man how I missed sugar and a little something sweet after dinner) and I saw amazing looking queen pineapple and guavas so I may have to buy some for another day. I stayed at the mall until it closed and then took the shuttle back to the Westin. I am so tired still and ready for bed! Im watching the USA-Panama Gold Cup Final as I get ready for and sit in bed. It's been a great day :)

Oh and unrelated to my day, but my bathroom floor here is heated and it is amazing. I need to learn how to work my heated floors in Ann Arbor. This room is so nice.

Headed out to Seal Island

Sunrise on the bay

Seal Island

Seal Island

Seals in the water

Seals on the island with two African penguins

Ready to hop in the cage

Getting in the cage

Coming back into Simon's Town

Onto South Africa!

I didn't sleep very well last night, but I at least got some sleep. I woke up around 4:40 and got ready to leave for the airport. Phidelis drove me and I got to Entebbe without any stress. I said goodbye to Phidelis and got myself checked in and through passport control. I went to the business class lounge and had some fresh fruit grabbed a water, only to have the water taken away when I went through security again at the gate (we went through security before checking bags as well). I chugged the entire bottle so as not to waste water and immediately regretted it. My early morning stomach did not enjoy being so overloaded.

I got on the plane just fine and the business class section was super empty. There was no one next to me so I had lots of space. It was a fairly small business class section (not in number of seats, but in seat size) and definitely more like US domestic business than international business. It was still nice and I had a great pillow and we very comfortable. I had a delicious quiche with vegetables (OMG vegetables!!) and a warm croissant and was very pleased. The flight was other wise uneventful and I got some more sleep.

Arriving at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport was fairly easy, though the line at passport control was super long. I am not looking forward to having to do that again when I fly back from Livingstone, Zambia on my way back to the US in a week and a half-ish. I eventually got through and got my stamp (I officially only have one page with zero stamps now, and only one other page that has any room for any stamps woo) and rechecked my luggage onto Cape Town. The Joburg airport is quite nice and has some great shopping and so much candy and food. I think I'm going to like being in South Africa if only because I miss western food so much at this point. I decided not to but things now since I will be here two more times before I head back to the US. I only had about 30 minutes before my flight was supposed to board so instead of searching for the lounge (so bummed to miss out, stupid customs lines) I went straight to the gate. I used the Internet a bit with my Boingo account and wow is it fast. I have also dearly missed quick Internet connections. It was wonderful.

I got on the plane to Cape Town for an on time departure and this plane was equally as empty. So strange. I was hoping they would be serving lunch because I was starving, but they served an "afternoon snack" instead. Luckily this snack was pretty delicious and full of vegetables again! I had some potatoes things, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, feta cheese, and a delicious lemon merengue tart. So delicious. No posho, no matoke, no completey starched filled day. Wow. The rest of the flight was uneventful until I got off the plane.

I went to baggage claim and waited, and waited, and waited, and no bag ever came for me. I went to the baggage counter and found out my bag was still in Johannesburg so I gave them my information and headed out of the airport. It was a bit stressful, but also kind of nice because I didn't particularly want to carry it anyways haha. I got on the bus and headed into the city center. I was one of two people on the bus and e other was a guy named Stewart. He was really helpful and made sure I knew where I was going. When I got off the second bus (I had to transfer once) the tap out function was off line so I was unable to really pay for my trip and I will likely be charged the max amount, ugh. I'm trying to work that out. I got off and walked the short distance to the hotel and checked in. 

The Westin in Cape Town is amazing and the people who work here are great (except one lady I met but whatever). The room is amazing and on the 17th floor overlooking the waterfront area, harbor, and ocean in the distance. Quite lovely indeed and a major upgrade from my digs in Uganda. I rested for a few minutes and then walked to the Waterfront area. On the way I made one wrong turn, but quickly figured it out and got back on track. I saw a few seals playing in the harbor which was really cute. The Waterfront area was really nice with lots of shopping and places to eat. I spent a lot of the time figuring out how to get a new SIM card (I know have a South African phone number) and figuring out how to get money since my ATM card was again declined. I eventually got things figured out with the help of my parents in Hawaii, but it felt like a bit of a mess. I had some really good rotisserie chicken breast ad roast vegetables for dinner and some after eight gelato for dessert before heading back to the hotel on the shuttle.

Once back I spent some time in the lobby trying to get my conformation for my tour in the morning. My conformation says the trip is a go, but the concierge lady (the one I do not find so nice) insists it is canceled. I will go with what my document says and what they told my mom only two hours before. I hope she is very very wrong, or I will be very very sad. I went back upstairs and sat down to realize that I was exhausted. I went online for a bit and then finally took a shower. When I was just about to hop in I realized my bag had mysteriously appeared in my room yay! I am no longer clothes-less! My shower was AMAZING. Now I am so so tired so I must go to bed. Hoping the tour goes off in the morning!

Breakfast in the lounge at Entebbe

Flying into Cape Town

Flying into Cape Town

View from my hotel (ocean is to the right not in this pic)

Leaving Uganda

Such a bittersweet day. I am excited for the vacation I have planned, both in Africa and in California, but saying goodbye to Tororo and all of the people there who have become so close over the past six weeks was very challenging. After the drama of last night as well it felt a bit off. I woke up and finished packing everything together and then ate breakfast as usual. I left everything in the guest house so I could come back and say goodbye later and went into the office.

Once in the office I worked as usual, finishing as much as I could get done on the screening log and completing and emailing off my final report. Besides that I just used the Internet when it wasn't thoroughly angering me with its inherent slowness. Once Phidelis got back from the field we went to go pick up the car from Dr. Tom and then got my things from Pecos. I said goodbye to the staff there, which was really sad too since they have been incredibly helpful to me and then went back towards the office. I stopped to say goodbye to the testers in the house they are using this months due to the noise of the roof repair and then went back to main GHU Tororo. 

Once in the office I delayed saying goodbye until the last possible second. I thought we would leave straight away but we ended up delaying quite a bit. Around 12:40 we went to lunch and I ate with some of the guys at Nankoma's and then finally got to saying my goodbyes. I wasn't able to say goodbye to everyone since a few people left for lunch and a few were on leave today that I didn't know about. It was hard, but I mostly kept it together. After the goodbyes we were off.

Before leaving town we stopped to take a few pictures and fuel the car and then we got to Jinja-Kampala road. We had an uneventful ride (although we did pick up a hitchhiker, but it's normal here and they pay) and stopped in Jinja to see his friend who is Dr. Tom's relative. Ate Jinja we went to Mukono outside of Kampala to pick up Phidelis's shoes and ended up staying there for a while. I wasn't too happy at first until the tea we had. Been waiting for was accompanied by super delicious bread rolls! After we finished eating and drinking our tea we were off once again. Our final detour was to see the Univeristy in Mukono where Ethan went to university and then we headed to Kampala. 

We avoided a lot of traffic by not going through the city center, but we still hit some pretty significant traffic through Kampala and on Entebbe road. It took forever, but I was singing to my music and we got through it. We finally reached Entebbe Backpakers around 10pm and I checked into my room before going out to get some food since we hadn't eaten since Nankoma's. we tried to go to a hotel called The Gately, but the kitchen was closed so we went to a place called Nicky's Pizza which turned out to be pretty good (albeit expensive by Ugandan standards). I bought Phidelis dinner for taking me on such a long journey and we ate and it was delicious. 

Phidelis couldn't drive all the way back to Tororo since it was already almost midnight by the time we were done eating, so he decided to stay in Entebbe and drive me to the airport in the morning. This proved to be very good since I ran out of money after dinner and there was no way I could pay for the shuttle to the airport!

All in all I have really loved my time in Uganda and I hope to come back to see my friends again someday, hopefully in the not to distant future. It has been a great experience and I'm sad to have it come to an end.

The things I will miss most about Uganda:

- the people

- the incredible hospitality

- the g nut sauce

- the laid back mentality

- baby animals everywhere

- my celebrity status as a Muzungo (who will wave to me/be excited to see me when I walk down the street at home?)

- probably much much more!

Things I will NOT miss about Uganda:

- the Internet speed

- the speed of service for food (1.5-2 hours for French fries at the guest house?)

- the ants, though they have been absent for the last few weeks yay!

- young children crying when I try to say hello to them

- the Internet speed (did I mention that already? Ugh)

There are probably more things that should be added to those lists, but it's hard to think of everything at once. Here's to the great times I have had here and to the great times to come as I move on to Southern Africa.

Me and Ethan

The staff at the guest house (minus Martin and Suzan)

The guest house

Lunch with some of my co-workers in Uganda

Last view of Tororo Rock

Baboons! They are always on the road between Tororo and Jinja.

Last (drama filled) Night in Tororo

Today was my last full day in Tororo. Work was pretty boring since everyone was in a SOP review meeting the entire day. I basically sat alone in the office all day and worked a little on the screening log, wrote my report, and played many a card game on my computer. At the end of the day I said goodbye to Roland since he was leaving for Kampala quite early in the morning and I left the office with Linda and Joshua,

Linda and Joshua walked me to a salon in town near the big trash dump pile thing. I waited for a bit and then William came and got me to get my hair done! I got my hair washed and blow dryed and straightened and it was glorious. It did however take way longer than expected. When they washed my hair I was a bit low so my neck hurts a bit, but they massage your scalp so nicely! When I got my hair done I sat in a chair shaped like Santa Claus which was ridiculous and funny. Blow drying was normal, but straightening took forever. You can tell he is used to African hair because he did the tiniest sections ever like he was doing foils. I think it took almost an hour to do the flat ironing! Anyways. After I was done it was nice to have straight hair for the first time since I arrived in Africa just about seven weeks ago. I walked back to the guest house to wait for Emma and maybe start packing a little.

When I was waiting on the porch for Emma Roland came driving up in the GHU car. He told me that Sarah had been talking to James and that he would not be picking me up tomorrow and I was to go with Roland at 6am. Needless to say I was pretty pissed since my pickup has been arranged for almost the entire time I have been in this country. I wouldn't have minded going with Roland so much, but the ten hours notice and the fact that I have literally not said goodbye to a single person here made me fairly furious. I talk to Roland for a bit and basically decided that I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye to anyone and it was worth it to pay for transportation to Kampala. Phidelis called around the same time and told me to meet him in town, so Roland drove me to meet Phidelis. 

In town I met Phidelis and Dr. Tom at Blue Mountain Inn. I explained my situation and Phidelis offered to drive me in Tom's car so long as I payed the fuel costs. I talked to Roland and Caesar and got it cleared with then to take Phidelis away from work for the second half of the day and it was all settled. Emma met us there as well and we all hung out and chatted for a bit until eventually they drove me home to pack. 

When I got back to the guest house James called me and tried to explain the situation, but I was too angry to care at that point. I think he was getting all chummy because I had called Bruno freaking out a little and he is so different around Bruno (and apparently Mike too) than he is around anyone else. I ran out of airtime in the middle of the fiasco so I couldn't finish my conversation with Bruno, but luckily Internet airtime is different so I sent him an email. I ate chips for dinner which took an hour and a half (I will not miss the speed of service here) and slowly packed since I was in a super bad mood. This is not the farewell I had hoped to have in Tororo. Now I think I am mostly packed and ready to go and I will be leaving tomorrow for good this trip. I know I'm going to loose it tomorrow, but hopefully I can just think that I will be back here to see everyone again someday.

Santa chair at the salon!

The First Goodbyes

Today was again a very typical day at work. I worked on the study participant screening log, consents, and GPS map training. I also did a lot of interneting, but it's so slow here. I found out that two of the people at GHU Tororo are taking the next two days off so I was blindsided by having to say goodbye to them today. Alex was one of the ones who left today and we have been sharing a desk for the last six weeks, so that was sad. I wish I had said a more proper goodbye but he left before the work day was over. So sad to think that there are already people I may not see again for a very long time, if ever. Thank goodness for Facebook! 

After work I thought I was going to spend some time with Emma at his parents home, but he didn't answer his phone. Instead I hung out at the guest house for a while and went to the supermarket. I got some pasta and cheese and garlic powder so I could have pasta and garlic bread for dinner. The pasta I had someone cook here and was very clear about it being al dente, and I even made sure to ask if she knew what that was, but it came incredibly over cooked. They over cook pasta so intensely here it's crazy. If I have more for dinner tomorrow I will have to specify very clearly that it needs to be cooked way less. Other than that it was fine. The garlic toast ended up being pretty good, but the cheese I was so excited about ended up being kind of blah. Bummer. That's about all. Tomorrow is my last full day at GHU, which is so weird to think about. This is my last night in Tororo where I will wake up and not be leaving. I can't believe it's almost over!

Oh, and have a good flight to Hawaii mom and dad. I am supremely jealous that you are heading to island weather as I prepare for the 59F and rainy forecasted in Cape Town this weekend. 

Banana Boats

This morning I frosted the cake with an entire jar of Nutella and then went to work think I was going back into the field today to do GPS trainings. The cars had all gone out and then person I was supposed to go into the field with was taking a motorcycle so I couldn't go with and instead end up staying in the office. I did mostly bring work that involved checking things and all was not so exciting. I spent a lot of time on the Internet today as well looking at results from FINA world championships for water polo and synchro and diving. I also "watched" the USA-Canada women's water polo game on twitter since the Internet connection is too slow here to actually stream it.

I did get to go learn about the neurocognitive testing the testers do on the kids in the studies here. It was pretty interesting and I think tomorrow I will watch a testing video from one of the kids to see how it actually goes. After learning about testing we went back and had cake, which turned out lovely. We saved some pieces for a group that was in a meeting, but someone took all their pieces and the entire group of TAU trainers didn't get any cake. I was so sad because we were so good to name everyone who wasn't there and put some aside for each of them. Sucks when people take more than their share. Oh well, there's not much I can do.

After work I went with Irene to her home to meet her youngest daughter Josette (her older daughter who is four lives in Kampala with a relative because the schools are better there) and to make banana boats and watch some tv. We stopped along the way and bought chocolate, aluminum foil, cinnamon, and bananas and then went to her apartment. Apartments in Tororo are quite different than at home. There was really just a few small bedrooms, a toilet with a shower over it almost, and a small kitchen with a sink and a charcoal stove on the ground. Very barebones, but nice and quaint minus the huge spiders I saw on the ceiling that freaked me out as usual. We watched some SpongeBob and then E! News (didn't realize how much I missed American programming, I saw a commercial for Chelsea Lately and craved it so much! I even was desperate for Fashion Police). We mad our banana boats and put them in the charcoal fire and then I had some dinner she made me of rice, beans and greens, and avocado. It was the first time here I have actually liked beans. They were really good. 

I had a wonderful time at Irene's and her daughter is adorable. We ate our banana boats for dessert and then she gave me a beautiful necklace she had made. She walked me halfway home and then I walked the rest of the way in the dark. I called my mother just to give myself peace of mind that should nothing happen someone would know and could do something. I don't love to walk in the dark alone at night here, especially because I stand out so much with my almost glow in the dark skin color comparatively. All went well though and I made it home with no problems. Now I've just been hanging out and getting a little relaxation time in since I haven't had much lately. Just two and a half days in Tororo left, can't believe it! 

The birthday boy cutting the cake I made

Josette

Cake, round 2

Today was another field day for me. I went to some MISC homes with Fiona, Phidelis, and Joseph the translator. I had been to three of the four homes four weeks ago on my first field day, so it was nice to see some familiar faces. This one kid is absolutely adorable and so sweet. It all went well and I trained Fiona on the GPS some more and taught Phidelis how to track a path. Hopefully a few people are getting it enough that there will be no problems when I leave. When we got back to the office I ate lunch with Fiona and then we used the map data we collected to make a google map. The data was a bit weird, but it mostly worked out. That basically took us until almost five so we just kind of messed around and played solitaire until the day was over.

After work I spent the evening with who? With Phidelis of course. We went into town and I gave some photos to the photo shop to print for me so I old leave some pictures for Phidelis of our travels together and for Emma from when we visited his family and his monkey. We then went to collect the ingredients to make another cake. We also tried to find a cake pan but were unsuccessful, but it didn't matter in the end. After collecting the ingredients we went back to the guest house and had a soda and relaxed for a minute.

We didn't stay too long at the guest house before we headed back to town. I went to the bank and then picked up my photos. They turned out nicely and I was quite pleased. We then got a special to Prime Hotel to bake the cake. Phidelis's friend Susan own the Prime and it's quite a nice place in Tororo. We successfully baked a lovely cake and Susan even had real where sugar (Uganda is mostly unrefined cane sugar which isn't always great for baking). It went well and Susan is great. While we baked she got me two sodas and a mushroom soup and got Phidelis two beers and wouldn't let us pay at all. I also bought a necklace from Susan that she made. I was an overall really nice evening and I can't wait to frost the cake (with Nutella since there is no frosting here and I don't want to attempt to make it) and have people eat it. I hope it tastes good; it sure smelled nice!

After baking the cake and hanging out for a bit Susan drove us back to the guest house. Phidelis wanted to hang out a bit more but it was after 10pm so I told him I was very tired (which I was) and went to bed. I have now finished getting ready for bed and I can't wait to go to sleep. So tired tonight!

Cake baking!

With Susan, owner of Prime Hotel and maker of my necklace

The Rock

Today was finally the day I hiked up Tororo Rock, and it was my last day to even try since the rest of my day time here will be spent at the office. I woke up and got ready to head out to the rock at 9am, but Phidelis said the guide wanted to take us at 4pm. I didn't want to waste the whole day so I told him I needed to go earlier and we worked it out to be 11am (which ended up being more like 11:40am). I hung out and watched The Lion King on my computer while I waited for Phidelis to work everything out and we eventually set out to hike. 

I didn't want to bring a purse so I shoved everything I needed in my money belt and used it as a fanny pack to carry my money and camera. It felt a bit ridiculous, but it worked. We stopped at the supermarket to buy some water and then took a special hire to where we would start hiking. The hike to the top was tough and for some reason my lungs and body have not tolerated uphill climbs too well lately. I had a rough time, but I made it up in 40 minutes which was pretty good. The guid was so ridiculously fast and made it up way before me. The climb consists of lots of rocky uphill parts and some ladders you have to climb up. Some parts have a steep cliff next to them, but I was never really that scared. 

Once we got to the top the views were incredible. The views were even nice as we climbed up. Since it is a singular rock in an otherwise pretty flat area you can see all of Tororo which is pretty cool. I explored the top and looked at the views from all sides and we just hung out up there for a bit. After sufficiently taking in the views we hiked down. Right as we began the descent Phidelis and the guide decided it was a good time to talk about the cobras that live on the rock. Terrifying. They said they only come out in the early morning and when it gets dark, but still redrafting to know I was hiking in cobra territory. I guess it's not so different than hiking in the open space at home where there are rattlesnakes, but for some reason cobras just sound way more terrifying.

Once we got down the rock we started walking to Phidelis's home and it started raining. Good thing we didn't wait until 4pm to hike or I would have missed out on my chance to hike the Rock! We stopped to have a soda because I was so thirsty and it started raining harder. Engineer Charles picked us up and I thought we were just going to Phidelis's home around the corner, but of course in typical fashion we drove the opposite way and went to Mzuri to have lunch. I will never get used to be taken places without having been asked, especially when I'm so tired. We ate some pork and I was freezing because of the rain and the fact I was drenched with sweat. We hung out at Mzuri for a bit and then they drove me back to the guest house to change into warmer clothes.

I was suppose to then go meet up with Emma, but his brother has cerebral malaria and is in the hospital not doing very well, so Phidelis and Charles brought me to Emma's parents house were I got to see the piglets that are just one week old. I am so in love with the constant supply of baby animals in this country. There is no need to have seasonal animal breeding since the weather is fairly constant, so there are just babies born whenever. Anyways, these piglets were adorable and I was in love. Eight little ones and an incredibly huge mom made for some joyful moments. I caught one of them and held her for a minute (mom wasn't super thrilled and grunted a bunch) and it was great. I then went to see Monkey in the plumeria tree and low and behold Monkey actually liked me today! He didn't run away and came close to me and held my hand and came close for a belly run. So in love with that experience too. I wish I could have an awesome pet monkey, though I know when they get older they aren't always the best pets to keep. 

After Emma's parents house I though we were going home, but no, we headed out to Malaba town at the Kenyan border  in the opposite direction. When we got there we had to sit and wait for Charles to go do something and we had another two sodas (they literally can't deal with it if you won't take sodas or beers, so I've had my fair share of Fanta and Sprite). We hung out for a while and then finally left Malaba to head back to Tororo. They wanted to take me with them to the village another 6km past Tororo to the west, but when we wast through town I said I needed to get home since it was already 6pm and I was tired and had things to do.

I got back to the guest house and my friend Steven was there with a friend so I chatted with him for a bit and made a dinner order. I then took some time to get some things done finally since I basically lost my entire last weekend to random pursuits of Phidelis that silly guy. He feels so responsible for us, but more so he is really sad that I am leaving and wants to spend every moment possible together before that happens. I took a shower and got some laundry together to give Anna (actually basically every clothing item I have since it is all very dusty and dirty), washed my underwear, cleaned and organized a bit, and just generally got life organized before my last week. I want to try to make sure packing is as easy as possible so I don't loose any time this week that I don't have to. 

Also, I finally got my cooked banana, but it wasn't as warm as I would have liked, so I'm still craving really hot bananas! Tuesday I think I will make banana boats with Irene though so hopefully my craving will finally be satisfied. I am so so tired now and so ready for bed. Can't believe it's already my last week in Uganda and I've been here over six weeks. Time moved so slowly at first and now feels as though its going by very quickly. That's how it always goes though.