::::I've Left Copenhagen for Uganda::::

A Jo'burg Image

Most people think northern Uganda is hectic regarding security and health risks in general. I think it is a matter of perspective and context. Many other places in Africa make northern Uganda look like a safe haven. Like Jo'burg. Last night we drove through the suburbs in the darkness. In the distance we spotted something lying on the road, and it soon became clear what it was. At the road side at least two cars were crashed, ambulances gathered, trying litterally to collect the pieces. The things we saw on the road were body parts from an accident which had just happened. I still can get the image out of my head.

Introducing The South Africans To Ugandan Waragi

In spite of this particular South African's (for the occasion adopted) sceptical expression, it wasn't really any difficult to persuade the guests around the Christmas dinner table to drink Ugandan waragi yesterday.

Ugandan waragi was originally called 'war gin', a title given by the British colonisers around 1950-1960. It is produced by millet, holds about 40%, and gives a strong, burning sensation to your stomach if you drink it neat.

The producers recommend five ways to drink waragi: on ice, in cola, with lime, with ginger ale, or with tonic. We drank it yesterday in huge quantities, as you would drink Serbian rakija in Serbia. No fuss, just down it and be happy.

African Sky

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

Get the rest of the South African national anthem here.

Everyone Else Does It

So will I -  send you my Christmas greetings.

At this moment from Kampala, where I am heading to the final Christmas lunch in an hour. Which I believe I have timed well with the risk of waking up tomorrow with a hangover. I will spent Sunday at the pool at the Entebbe Botanical Resort Hotel. Depart for Jo'burg early Monday morning, right in time for the Christmas lunch with the Slacks.

New Year I should find myself in a safari lodge in Swaziland. And returning to Uganda on January 5, I have Danish guests arrriving, coming along to Arua.

As some of you know, I don't care wether it's Easter or Christmas. I appriciate the time off, the absence from the Sudanese/Ugandan/MS workosphere, the distance to the Scandinavian cold and the chance to meet friends. But to the ones of you celebrating Christmas, Slavija, or Eid ul-Adha - I wish you a good one and a happy next year. Be aware that greetings the other way always are highly appriciated, and that even though I didn't get to write each of you individually, my thoughts are with you in Iceland, Denmark, Norway, England, Scotland, Australia, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Zambia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia - and well, Uganda (who did I forget...?)

Contributions

I got two of my 'old' Balkan photos from Croatia shortlisted in Bradt's Travel Guide Photo Competition for the Croatia travel guide. The first one is a green door with a broken window in the old town in Dubrovnik. One of my favorites. The other one is from the small town Veli Losinj on the island Losinj - another green door (note the faint  swastika grafitti), in Veli Losinj the Croatian government accommodated a lot of Croatian refugees, especially children, from i.e. Slavonia. This was also the place where I went with the South East European Youth Network to carry out training in work camp management in 2001 and 2002. One of the most beautifull places under the sun.

A month ago I also ended up interferring with Bradt's Guide on Uganda, intending to hightlight north western Uganda. I was really surprised when the author, Phillip Briggs, in spite of being almost at the closure of the coming edition, welcomed me to comment. Well, basically, I got a few sentences added on what do to and where to eat in Arua - and the Sudanese refugees in Rhino Camp are also now mentioned. Important stuff, though.

If Bradt's find you worthy to contribute to the their travel guide, you receive a free copy and your name will be mentioned. Concerning photos for the Croatia travel guide you join a competition. Bradt's Travel Guide on Uganda is one of the best (so in my case, it's all about the honour).

Christmas Shopping

- This belt has all the African flags, the woman at the Friday market opposite the railway station postulates, while trying to convince me into bying a typical East African leather belt with beads.

- I'm sorry, but you can't convince me. Besides, the blue is for Iceland. At that one, the red one, that is for Norway, I try to give back.

Somehow  the beading on leather belts has gone a little out of hand. The Scandinavian flags pop up in between the Africans. Nevertheless, the lady and I end up in an engaged discussion on flags and countries. I.e. like in where is Iceland , and why I find this thing funny. 

Nothing wrong with that. And I must admit that for a weak moment I did consider the belt with the Icelandic flag a gift for my Icelandic brother-in-law. Thinking it would highlight his black, national costume a bit.

Conversation During A Game Drive

Me: (getting out the car in Murchinson Falls National Park, thinking I can do a close-up of a giraffe with my useless camera zoom): Argh, they move...!

My passenger: - Be carefull, the giraffe might attack!

Me: - Have you ever heard of someone being attacked by a giraffe?!! Wouldn't that be ridiculous?!

My passenger: - Yes, and if it happens I will record it...!

The Play Pump

Some ideas are better and simpler than others. Jackfruity mentions the Play Pump supplying Africans with clean water - while children play, they pump clean water:

When the merry-go-round spins, it pumps uncontaminated drinking water from deep below the ground into a secure and clean 2,500-liter water tank. A simple tap provides easy access for women and children drawing water.

The Doctor's Final Diagnosis

Over the past three weeks I have been visiting Dr. Stockley's surgery in Kampala quite a few times. I have suffered from severe head aches and weekly fits of stomach cramps, fever and diarrhea. At some point you learn to live with it, everyone around has the symptoms at one point. More than once I have found detailed experience of giardia, bilharzia, amaeba or malaria shared over dinner - as one of the most common things. But finally I had had enough when I thought of the alternative. So, after measurements of blood pressure, and other vital tests (I won't go into details with here) it indicated that I had some sort of an infection, which the doctor tried to diagnose more closely by asking the following:

a) Do you drink a bottle of gin a day?

b) Is your work stressfull?

d) Do you smoke?

e) Are you pregnant?

f) Have you had unprotected sex with a local?

g) Do you swim in the Lake or the Nile?

As I could only answer no to all of them, he opted for a CT scan of my brain, which left me sort of concerned. Hence, he suggested that I should go for a beer and return some days later in order to take the tests all over. After the sixth visit the doctor finally diagnosed me with giardia. So now,  fortunately, five days before Christmas, I'm eating tablets with a note saying 'drinking alcohol while taking tinidazole will make you violently ill'. Luckily, the treatment is limited to three days, and for lots of reasons I do hope we are dealing with giardia.

MS Uganda Calendar 2007

The MS Uganda Calendar 2007 with my photos all the way through just came out of the printing press.

The result is just great. A weird sort of relief - nothing (big) has gone wrong in the process from layout to print. I still can't believe it.