Off to Nairobi

After eating some yummy, freshly baked beer bread, it was off to the airport (for the third time in a week!). There was a crowd outside the terminal and only the passengers were allowed in, so T and I said our good-byes at the door to the airport. Again, the airport in Juba is not your normal airport, and it doesn't help that all the flights depart at the same time, so it is chaos in there! I put my bags through the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector (which I'm pretty sure wasn't even on), then pushed my way through the mass of people and bags to get my bags as they came through the x-ray machine.

I stood in what I thought was a line for a few minutes, then when it still hadn't moved (and I didn't even know if the "line" was for the right airline), I gave up and climbed over some luggage and shoved my way around the crowd of people weighing and packaging luggage, until I eventually found the Jetlink desk. I should also note that unlike most airports that have big signs behind them displaying the airline name and logo, in Juba, it's just a small name card at waist height - not much use when there's a crowd! I got checked in, handed my bag to them over the desk, then made my way over to the immigration desk.

After shoving myself over to the immigration desk, I showed my passport and travel permit, and both got stamped without me having to say a thing. I made my way over to the not so clean bathroom (T warned me that the one in the lounge area was even worse, so I figured I should probably go while I could) then to the "security" area. I pushed my way through the guys into the women's line, where a female security officer first couldn't find the stamp she was looking for in my passport, then hand searched part of my backpack and gave me a quick pat-down. I found a seat in the lounge (there aren't any gates, just door leading to the ramp) and read for a while waiting for my flight.

Another different thing about Juba is that they don't announce when flights are departing, you just have to KNOW when your flight is boarding! I saw a group of people suddenly stand and walk to the door so followed, but was met by an older lady who asked which flight I was on. Turns out that we were on the same flight and this wasn't it, so we sat down together and chatted for a while. The second time a group surged for the door (there isn't any assigned seating on the plane, so everyone makes a run for it so they can get a good seat) it was our flight, so off we went, pointing to our bags on the tarmac to identify them and get them loaded on the plane.

It was an uneventful flight to Nairobi, but I got a small meal and the plane seemed relatively new! In Nairobi I went to the Kenyan Airways desk to see if I could change my flights home, but they couldn't do anything about it. Getting into Kenya was simple - I already had my visa, so just needed to be fingerprinted and photographed. I took a taxi to the hotel, checked-in, sent an email home, then relaxed and read in the room, waiting for the group meeting. I had planned on taking a nice, relaxing, WARM shower, but there weren't any towels (I eventually got them later that evening, after calling the desk twice and then going downstairs to ask again) and there wasn't any hot water (that eventually got sorted out, too)!

Dinka Literacy Day?

There was supposed to be a literacy celebration at the local Dinka church this morning, but when T and I, along with the Dinka translation team, showed up at the church, we found that the church was under renovations, so there was no service that morning, so there was no literacy day - it was postponed to the next day! We left some books and tables at the church, walked through the building, then headed back to the compound.

Just before lunch, we drove over to another Dinka church to drop off some books for their literacy celebration. The visit was only going to take 15 minutes ... yeah, right! Once 2 white girls showed up (and one just on a visit to Juba!), we had to be shown around the church, we had to meet the arch deacon, and he had to give an hour "sermon" on the importance of literacy, especially in the mother tongue. It was interesting to hear first hand the importance of the work being done, but I was glad when they came around with bottles of cold water for us ... sitting in a hot room full of people in a country where deodorant isn't often used can be a bit overwhelming after a while!

They had saved our lunch for us at the guest house, and once we finished, we headed with S to the Juba Bridge Hotel for a drink. The hotel is one the edge of the Nile and the Juba Bridge can be seen from the patio where we had our drinks. It's the only bridge between Khartoum and Uganda, so is pretty strategic and therefore, no pictures! It's a pretty normal looking steel bridge.

Back on the compound, I loaded up some pictures onto facebook while T baked banana bread, then it was off for pizza with all the expates from the compound to say goodbye to S (he was heading back to Canada the day after I left). We had cake and coffee back on the compound, then T and I escaped the missionary stories so that I could pack and get ready to leave the next day.

Exploring Juba - Day 5

Beer bread for breakfast again! (I still have to get that recipe) After filling our tummies, it was off to the airport with R to register with the government and get another stamp in my passport. Why they don't do this when I entered the country, I don't know!

Back on the compound, I spent a while working on the primers before we loaded up the truck again and headed out to the "mountain" to price some rocks (needed for the foundation of some new buildings being built on the compound). Until two weeks before my trip, people were allowed to hike up the mountain, which apparently has great views of the city and surrounding countryside. Unfortunately, the SPLA now has it surrounded and has anti-aircraft weapons installed on it, so you need a pretty good reason to be on that mountain in order to get past them. We got the price for rocks at two places - one where the rocks are split by machine, the other where the rocks are split by people hammering the rocks. (Not a job I'm interested in doing!)

After a game of badminton on the compound, R, S, T and I went out to the Ethiopian restaurant for supper. It was my first experience with Ethiopian food and definitely won't be my last!

Flying with MAF in South Sudan

I was up and ready early, hoping to get the "go" call for my MAF flight. It took until 8:30 for the call to be made and even then it was "come to the compound and we'll decide then." At the MAF compound, I met the pilot, D, and the rest of the MAF staff before driving to the airport.

MAF doesn't have a building on the airport, so they dropped me off at the terminal while they took the truck around to the plane. So, with my Juba to Juba plane ticket, I had to go through security and sit in the lounge and wait for them to send someone over to pick me up. The flight was supposed to be a cargo run/passenger pick-up flight, so it was only me, the pilot, and a bunch of satellite equipment loaded into the Cessna Caravan.

We finally left Juba around 10:10. The first stop of the day was Pibor - about 90 minutes north east of Juba and FULL of SPLA (Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army) soldiers. We did a low pass over the field (and I do mean low ... about 5 feet off the ground) to inspect the runway and most of it looked alright. So, we landed, avoided the soft spots as we slowed, then got the right wheel stuck in the mud as we turned around. Uh oh! The mud in this place is super sticky and our wheel was about 6 inches down.

Some men from the town quickly dug out the tire, attached some straps to the strut, and about 15 guys worked together to pull the plane out - all while I watched and took pictures. D was able to taxi the plane to the "ramp" using high power while I walked to the "ramp" surrounded by most of the young men from the village ... and I have NO idea what there were saying to me, but apparently some of the things were pretty funny. Hopefully I didn't agree to marry anybody! The runway was really soft in spots and I got pretty muddy boots walking to the plane so I was worried that we wouldn't be able to get out of there that night. After unloading part of the cargo, we got back in the plane, did a fast taxi onto the runway, and D gunned the engine, hoping to get off the ground. I think we were both praying pretty hard as we bumped down the runway and we both breathed a sigh of relief when we finally got off the ground!

Stop number 2 was another 30 minutes northeast at Pochalla, which is right on the boarder with Ethiopia. This runway was a stone-sand surface so had much better drainage that the dirt runway at Pibor so we didn't have any problems landing or taxiing. We finally found someone who wanted to sign for the cargo, then took a short walk down to the river. It was really pretty, but I couldn't take any pictures ... the river was full of villagers swimming naked and I didn't think they would appreciate it if I started snapping pictures of them! But, I was able to see Ethiopia! The river is maybe 30ft wide, so I could have swum over if I really wanted to, but considering that there was a truck of SPLA soldiers following us, I probably wouldn't have made it back into Sudan. We walked back through the village to the plane, sweating all the way, which isn't too surprising ... it was 42 degrees! Up at our cruising altitude of 12,500 ft, it was still 10 degrees!

The third stop was supposed to be Ayod, about an hour west of Pochalla, where we were supposed to drop off more equipment and pick up a few passengers who missed the UN flight on Monday (the plane couldn't land because of the wet runway). We overflew the runway twice and it looked dry and sandy in some places but wet with standing water in others. I got a neat video of all the cows and goats and dogs scattering as we buzzed the field, but D decided not to risk landing there, and off we went to stop number 4.

Duk Padiet was only 15 minutes past Ayod and the runway looked much better. We overflew it twice, noticing where the softer looking spots were and the giant tree branch on the runway about 50 feet from the end. Our first attempt to land became on overshoot when a dog decided to run down the runway ... with the branch and the soft spots to worry about, the dog was too much of an added distraction. On the second attempt we landed, used a LOT of power to taxi to the "ramp" area, then had to do a quick stop when we realized that we weren't going to make it there ... but would get stuck if we tried. We almost stopped in time, but got the left wheel stuck in the soft sand. Again, the villagers helped us get the plane unstuck, then unloaded the cargo. They didn't want Ayod's cargo, so D reloaded the plane.

While he was doing that, I walked a bit away from the plane to get a picture of all the people surrounding it - I think the whole town was out! Of course, after I took one picture, the kids noticed and came RUNNING! The were so excited to be able to see a picture of themselves and probably would have stayed there, jumping up and down all day if some older guy hadn't come and chased them away with a stick.

We ended up loading 2 patients and their husbands from Duk Padiet to take to Juba - the community health worker asked us to take them anywhere with a medical facility. There were only 3 seats in the back of the plane, so one of the patients, a 22 year old, 7 month pregnant lady (though she was so skinny I would have guessed 4 months) laid on the floor of the plane for the flight home. They didn't know what was wrong with her, probably a complication with the pregnancy, but she didn't even have the strength to lift an arm. The other patient was a 40 year old woman who had been sick for 4 months - again, no idea what was wrong with her, and while she had a bit more energy than the pregnant lady, didn't have the strength to walk and looked more like a 70 year old that a 40 year old.

It took a long time to get them organized, and the fact that they didn't speak English didn't help much. It also didn't help that we had to get back to Juba before 5:30, which is the time the airport closes (they are repainting the lines on the runway, and there aren't any lights, so no night-ops!) We got off the ground without problems and made it back to Juba at 5:20.

The organization that we were delivering the satellite equipment for and who we thought we were transporting the patients for, apparently didn't want anything to do with the patients and wouldn't come pick them up at the airport, so after tying down the plane and doing the final paperwork, we loaded everyone into the landcruiser and went of to the Juba Teaching Hospital - probably the best hospital in this part of the country, but a place where, on the first day, I was told I would NOT be taken if I got hurt ... no matter what's wrong with you, you'll be diagnosed as having malaria and typhoid and if the treatment doesn't kill you, you'll probably pick up something else that will. After dropping off the two ladies, D asked the MAF director (who had picked us up) how they would get home considering the other organization didn't want anything to do with them. His answer, "Honestly, they'll be lucky to survive." He then proceeded to tell us about how last week, and 18 year old boy had been brought into the emergency room in severe pain and died 15 hours later, still waiting to see a doctor.

So, that was my day with MAF - T picked me up at their compound and then we went back to the SIL compound to eat supper in the dark - no power! The generator kicked in later that evening, and city power came back about a half and hour later.

Exploring Juba - Day 3

Another day spend exploring Juba - though off the compound this time! After morning tea, we went with the newbies to a plant nursery by the Nile. The newbies are planning a garden, complete with fruit trees, so wanted to check out what was available. They bought 4 papaya trees to plant on the compound and hopefully they survived after being planted, dug up, moved, and planted again ... more than once for one of them, I think!

After lunch, T and I went with S to a large market near the mountain to look for cloth. The selection of colourful cloth was impressive! Our next stop was at the Catholic mission to pick up some prayer booklets and bookmarks. They are organizing "101 Days of Prayer for Peace", praying that the separation referendum taking place in South Sudan in January will come to a peaceful resolution. After going home and showering (it was hot and we were sweaty!), we went with R in his "missionary car" to the grocery store to pick up supplies for supper. R then gave us a lesson in cooking fool (or is it spelt foul?) and then gave me a lesson in how to eat with my fingers. My dad would be so proud!

After cleaning up, I packed an overnight bag in case I was able to go flying with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) - there was about a 50/50 chance the flight would take place, as long as it didn't rain! We weren't intended to be gone overnight, but I had to be prepared to spend the night in a little village in case of any problems.

Exploring Juba - Day 2

I woke up to rain! Of course, that means that nothing happens because nobody goes to work if it's raining! I read my book for a bit, then got put to work assembling primers ("learn to read" books) in Tennet (one of the Sudanese language groups). Not an overly exciting activity, except when the stapler exploded, almost hitting S - luckily his laptop deflected the flying staples! There were no large pieces of staples, so I had filled the stapler with smaller pieces ... guess you aren't supposed to do that. We had lunch in the guest house again, this time it was green bean stew, then it was back to stapling and cutting.

We had a house-full over for supper - T and I, R, S, and 5 "newbies" who had just moved to Juba. Two of the newbies were from Kenya, so showed us how to make ugali (corn flour mixed with water and cooked), greens, and lentils which we had along with salad and guavas. You're supposed to eat ugali with your hands, but I'm not too good at that and used a fork, instead!

Exploring Juba - Day 1

After breakfast, T had a prayer meeting, so I sat on her veranda and sorted through pictures to post on facebook. She came back to collect me for tea time at the guest house (everyone here stops for a tea break at 10:30), then she went to teach a class while I relaxed. After a while, I started wandering around the compound, and S, a Canadian guy volunteering there for 6 months, gave me a guided tour. We ate lunch at the guest house (yummy beef stew on rice with fresh pineapple on the side), then lazed around until 4.

Then it was off shopping. We went to a few stores, then into the market ... the part not many "khawaija" (white people) venture into! The smell of fish and meat that's been sitting in the heat all day can't be described, nor can the piles of garbage in every corner. I guess that's why T doesn't eat much meat!

Off to Juba

We spent the morning lazing around G's place, packing and just relaxing. We had some more yummy beer bread for breakfast (I have GOT to get that recipe) and lentils and dodo for lunch. Then it was off to the airport.

The Entebbe airport was (according to T) really busy - lines everywhere! The process was a bit different than other airports I've been through:

1. line up outside the airport
2. show boarding pass at door into terminal
3. go through metal detectors
4. line up to show person passport and travel permit
5. check into flight and check bags
6. go through immigration (for some reason, I got 2 identical exit stamps)
7. meet other NGO worker and compare flight departure times (his = 3:30pm, ours = 3:15pm, actual departure time = 3:00 pm!)
8. go through security
9. show boarding pass, passport to gate agent
10. wait in lounge
11. get on bus
12. get on plane
13. go flying! (only a 50 minute flight, but we got a meal!)
14. arrive in Juba
15. walk as fast as possible to terminal to beat the crowd
16. read the huge billboard saying "Vote NO for war, YES for peace"
17. enter large room with no internal walls or doors to separate passengers from people picking up passengers
18. line up at table near the wall and sign name on list
19. hand over passport, travel permit and yellow fever card to be checked
20. walk over to a table in the middle of the room to have hand luggage "inspected" and marked with chalk X (though I'm not sure what they were checking for because they only take a quick glance in the main pocket)
21. go over to the people who were meeting us
22. watch as T gets our checked bags and has them inspected and marked

I'm glad T was there to follow, there are no signs about where to go or what to do. Even leaving the plane to go to the terminal I was lost - the VIPs have a separate entrance and neither are marked!

We picked up some bread and chicken for supper on the way home, an important task since T had 5 people besides us to feed. It was a late supper, so once we finished the dishes, it was shower and bed time.

Saturday in Entebbe

My final day in Uganda, so our last chance to see the town and run a few errands. We started with the Saturday Market in Entebbe. There was lots of cheap fruit and vegetables, all so colourful and delicious looking. T was loving it and bought a load of avocados to bring back to Juba with her (everything in Juba is about 4x the cost). Then it was off to John's shop (the local "supermarket"), the pharmacy, and home to do some laundry. After lunch, T and I went to the botanical gardens. It's a really beautiful and relaxing place to spend a few hours. We walked most of the paths, sat and looked at Lake Victoria, had our snack (bananas), and got chased away by the monkey who wanted our banana peels (we let him keep them).

Later, we headed to the SIL office so that I could pick up my passport and GOSS (Government of South Sudan) travel permit, and T could sign a few papers for someone. The evening was spent enjoying some delicious teriyaki beef watched Avatar.

164 Speed Bumps

After 2 days exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, it was time to head back to Entebbe. We loaded up the car and set off through the countryside. After stopping for samosas at the "fart food" place, we stopped for a few minutes at the equator so T could go shopping ... again! We also made sure to count the speed bumps on the way home. The Ugandans build speed bumps in construction zones to slow down traffic (it's pretty effective!) - we managed to avoid at least 40 and bounced over 164!

We arrived back at G's around 5:50, then went out for supper at the Golf Nest.

Maramagambo Forest

Day number 2 of exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, and this time we paid to go in! Out first activity of the day was a hike around Lake Kyasandula in Maramagambo Forest. They must be worried about tourists being eaten by animals, because we were required to take a guide along for our hike. There weren't any guides available when we arrived, so we were told that we could hang out at the super fancy lodge along the lake while we waited. After about 1/2 an hour, we drove back to the gate and met our guide. He seemed surprised that we wanted to go for a hike with two kids (wearing plastic shoes), but agreed to take us. There was another couple there also waiting, all decked out in safari gear with binoculars around their necks - they seemed relieved to discover that they had a different guide who took them in a different direction than us! There are supposed to be numerous monkeys and birds in this area, but with the 5 of us stomping through the forest (not very quietly), most things were long gone by the time we got there! We managed to see a few colobus monkeys and hippo trails and the hike was great. Our guide was super friendly (I don't think we ever met a Ugandan who wasn't friendly) and the kids loved to walk along side him. Of course, they always seemed to go for the gun side, but he gently moved them over to his other side ... so they didn't have a rifle pointed at their heads!

After hiking around the lake, we asked him how far it was to the bat cave. We understood his answer as 150 m ... it ended up being another 90 minute hike through the woods! The cave was amazing and worth the walk - filled with thousands of bats. We didn't get to see the snake that lives there, though.

Back in the car, we headed to the town of Mweya where we went through the visitor centre and had lunch. I finally got to try matoke! It was a lot like sticky potatoes, not that great ... but it fills you up (until you pee, so they say). And we finally got a close-up look at some warthogs, including a baby close to the restaurant!

We spent the rest of the afternoon game driving, with T driving, and G and I hanging out the car, sitting on the doors. We saw a sleeping hippo, a lot more warthogs, and a herd of elephants with a baby! G also spotted the bones of a hippo which we then reassembled. Probably not the smartest thing to do in a game park, but an interesting experience!

It got dark by the time we left the park, and getting onto the highway we almost ran over a bush pig! (Our final bit of wildlife for the day) Back at the lodge, we ordered food, took showers, then STILL had to wait for our food to come! Who knew that it took 1 1/2 hours to make spaghetti?

Game Driving on the Highway to Congo

We were up for a 6:30 am breakfast, then headed down the road into Queen Elizabeth National Park. We didn't want to have to pay the park entrance fee, so stuck to the main roads which are free! A few kilometers down the "highway" to the Congo, we turned onto a small dirt road, hoping to find an elephant for F ... and we did! I saw something large in the bushes and didn't know what it was, so got G to slow down saying "There's something big and dark up there!" ... didn't want to get any one's hopes up. Two huge bull elephants that walked across the road right in front of us and then walked right past the car - only a few meters away! It was amazing and also a bit frightening ... especially as he turned to look at us and flapped his ears. With T saying "G____? G____?" and sounding pretty nervous about the situation, G stepped on the gas, which scared the elephant who then darted away from us towards the bushes.Soon after this, a guy on a motorbike and wearing a suit drove up behind us and asked up where we were going. We told him how we were just looking for animals and he invited us to come visit his village which was where the road led. We drove through the village, down a hill with lots of waterbuffalo, and down to the water where all the boats had just come in from fishing. One of the men gave us a tour and at the end, pointed to the hippos that live in the channel just past the fishing village! Waterbuffalo and hippos are two of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and here they are, living right along side people! Before leaving, we bought some bananas (the small, super sweet kind) and mendazi (fried dough balls) ... enough to feed 5 of us for about $1!

We drove back to the highway, stopping every few minutes to look at wildlife, and near the south end of the park saw a sign for what looked like a fancy lodge, complete with restaurant! We were all hot, tired, and in need of a cool drink, so started following the signs. The signs didn't lead to anything, though ... the dirt road became a dirt track which became a dirt path. We didn't see anything that could possibly be considered a lodge, so turned around and drove back to our own lodge. It was a very successful game viewing day - besides the elephants (we saw another group of 5 later in the day), hippos, and waterbuffalo, we also saw LOTS of kob, defassa waterbuck, a red-tail monkey, baboons, warthogs (though only a few and they were far away), and hartebeest. After a swim, shower, and supper, we looked through all the pictures we had taken that day, then went off to sleep.

Fueled by "Fart Foods"

We were up and out of Entebbe early this morning, eating our breakfast of yummy beer bread in the car on our way to Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda. It was a long drive, but it was interesting to see the villages and countryside and G's 2 kids are great travellers! For lunch, we stopped at a roadside takeaway place, now forever referred to as the "fart" food place, for samosas. We spent a few minutes at the equator, taking a few pictures and looking through the souvenir shops, before continuing west through the matoke (similar to plantain) fields. We arrived at our lodge in the afternoon, and after walking around enjoying the view, spend a while swimming in the pools. We had supper at the lodge, but learned that evening why they recommend that you order your meals ahead of time ... it took over an hour to arrive!

Relaxing in Entebbe

After a great night's sleep, we were treated to fresh pancakes on G's veranda/dining room. Then it was off to the grocery store and the bank where I took out the largest amount I have ever withdrawn from a bank - 400,000 shillings! (Which is equivalent to a bit less than $200). After shopping, G dropped T and I off at a restaurant for lunch, while she went back home to feed her kids (a girl E, 5 and a boy F, 2 1/2). We couldn't decide what to get, so split a plate of nachos and a steak sandwich, then walked back to G's. We spent the afternoon relaxing at G's, watching the kids bounce on the trampoline and feed the turtles, and watching a movie in the evening.

Off to Visit Some Missionaries

I had been dreaming about and planning this trip for years - 4 weeks in East Africa, exploring Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, and Tanzania!

My sister and her 3 kids brought me to the airport in Toronto, so we parked in the farthest parking lot and rode the monorail all the way to Terminal 1, then back again to Terminal 3. After some hugs, they left me to find the KLM desk where I was happy to find that my bags could be checked all the way through to Entebbe ... I, on the other hand, only had boarding passes to Nairobi!

The flight to Amsterdam was uneventful, but even with a boring movie, I didn't get any sleep. I had 3 1/2 hours to wander around Schipol, so went to the Rijksmuseum exhibit (cows in Holland), found the comfy seats (which were all taken), and bought a McKroket at McDonalds (amazing!).

For the flight to Nairobi I got a window seat - definitely worth the hassle of having to climb over people to get to the bathroom. The views of the Alps, the Mediterranean, the Sahara desert, the Nile river, and Khartoum were amazing! The Nairobi airport ... not so amazing. I found the transfer desk without any problems and got my boarding pass for the flight to Entebbe, but there isn't much seating in the airport, and not much ventilation either, so I was happy to get out of there!

The flight to Entebbe was a bit more "interesting". Probably because of my aviation background (and the fact that I like to watch "Mayday"), I was noticing things on the plane that wouldn't meet North American safety regulations. It didn't help that the lady to my left pulled out her rosary and the lady to the right, her bible, when we started to taxi! The flight wasn't that bad actually, and even though it was less than an hour, we got fed!

Getting through customs in Entebbe was easy, just had to pay for my visa and smile for the camera! The flight arrived early, so my cousin, T, wasn't there to meet me, but she had told me to wait outside the airport for her, so that's what I did. I think the taxi drivers were a bit concerned about me - a lone white girl standing around by herself at 11:30 at night - but they were very friendly and not at all intimidating! The checked a few times to see if I needed a ride, then one even gave me his cell phone so that I could call and make sure T was on route. He was pleased to hear that she was, then went back to the group to let them know.

T arrived soon after that and it was off to her friend G's place, where there was no city power so I got to shower by candlelight! After 30 hours without sleep, it felt awesome to be able to lay down in a bed.