Kampala, Uganda

 As I am going on and on about trying my best to connect you to my life here in Uganda, I have realized one important thing: You have no idea what Kampala is like! In my last post, I showed you a view from Google maps the path we take to and from school each day, but that does nothing to show you what my eyes see each morning and afternoon…which is a lot!

Kampala is just like any other city you have been to. There are roads, buildings – shopping centers, grocery stores, restaurants, furniture stores, etc. – and people. However, on the opposite side of the same coin, Kampala is nothing like any city you have ever been to. The roads are…somewhat paved. Rarely will you see a stoplight, and don’t ask if stop signs exist (they don’t). Pedestrians do NOT have the right-of-way (trust me, we know this all too well), and there might be 20 yards of sidewalk in the entire city.

The corner of our street and the main road, where we pick up the Matatu each morning.

This is our street! Most of it is paved, but this part is not.

Do not be fooled; this is not a side walk but rather a sewage drain covering. The wall is the outside wall of Kabira Country Club.

Despite all of these seemingly negative attributes of the city, Kampala is beautiful. Anywhere you can find an open field, you will almost always find people of all ages playing soccer football. [We had the amazing opportunity to play football with a group of boys last Thursday. It was an experience I will never forget and hope I get to have again while I am here.] While there may be people lining both sides of the street, walking to wherever, they are some of the nicest people I have ever come in contact with. The young children may call me ‘Mzungu’ from time to time, but they are all smiles and giggles when they do, and they LOVE to shake my hand and give me a hug and high fives.

Ugandans playing football.

The same field, just a few hours later. I thought this captured a very good view of Kampala.

 

Us playing football with the Ugandan boys!

Kampala offers 4 distinct types of transportation, each with its own pros and cons as well as price range.

1. Walking – Walking is one of the most common forms of transportation in Kampala. People walk to and from work, the grocery store, school, etc. Whenever my colleagues and I walk somewhere, no matter the time of day, we are never alone on the sides of the roads. The pros to walking are that it is free and you get great exercise. The cons are that it takes the longest of the 4 modes of transportation, and if you are walking any at time of day when the sun is out, you will sweat. 
2. Matatu – Matatus are like a combination of U.S taxis and buses. A Matatu is a 15-passenger van that, like a bus, goes from stage (stop) to stage, picking people up wherever they are, even if they are not at a stage, like a taxi. Any given time you hop on a Matatu, you will most likely be riding with up to 20 other passengers. Drivers, and their assistants (the guys who tell them when to stop and the people you pay), will pack their Matatus FULL of people. The pros are that rides are very cheap (500 shillings, which translates to 20 cents) and they are very common, so it is easy to get a ride. The cons are traffic – if there are a lot of cars on the road, you could be sitting for a little while, and you could be let off at the wrong stage due to a miscommunication error (this has happened too many times). Another con is that a Matatu will only take you from stage to stage, so you may still have to walk a distance to your destination.
   
   

   

   This is what a Matatu looks like
3. Boda Bodas – Boda Bodas, bodas, for short, are my personal favorite of this list. A boda is a motorcycle, to put it simply. The driver has room for 1-5 other people (yes, we have seen 5 people on the back before) on the back of his boda, and he will take you wherever you want to go. The pros to this are that the driver will weave in and out of traffic to cut down on travel time, and he will drop you off right at your door…or gate (every plot of land is walled and gated in Kampala). The cons are that they are not super safe. The driver rarely has an extra helmet, and he will weave RIGHT NEXT TO CARS to avoid waiting in traffic. Also, they are a little more expensive than Matatus, but you can negotiate the price. This is definitely the most fun mode of transportation in Kampala.

   

   And here is a Boda Boda

4. Private hire – Private hires are people who own cars and drive people around all day. If you are traveling long distances, or you have a group of people, private hires are the way to go. They are super flexible, and if you call them with enough time, they can pick you up whenever you need them to, and will even wait for you if you need to make several stops (for an added fee, of course). Pros to Private Hires are convenience – it is just like getting a ride from a friend. Also, they will give you their number so you can call them whenever you need to. Just give them enough notice. Cons are that they are the most expensive, by far. However, a way to cheat the system is to travel with a group. PH’s charge by distance, so 1 person or 5 people traveling the same distance pay the same total amount. Going with a group greatly cuts down costs for PH’s.

Each of my colleagues and I have a good deal of experience with each mode of transportation. When talking prices with boda drivers or PH’s, we are often given a higher rate because we are from the States, but we have learned to negotiate with them like locals to get a far price.

Until next time!

Cam

How are YOU? We are experiencing SO much here in Uganda, but I still want to stay connected with friends and family back home! Anything I can be praying for? Let's talk!

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