The First Night: Reflections from the Red Chili Hideaway

Wednesday June 23^rd, 2010

1:33 a.m.

Kampala, Uganda

Reflections at the Red Chili Hotel Hideaway

Leaving home I had no fears, no expectations. The only thing that felt out of place was the continual goodbyes between friends and family. As I hugged all of my loved ones goodbye, it truly felt as if I would never be seeing them again. I became overcome with this emotion of loss. When leaving to venture the developing world, the uncertainty truly makes you realize the people that you love and the aspects of your life that matter most. I have an emotional and mental connection with all my friends and family and have established a set of the strongest relationships imaginable. By leaving on this journey I feel as if I have been able to connect at an even deeper level with the intensity of the connections that people have with each other. Even though I would be gone for only two months, the uncertainty that I felt within myself had shown through in my goodbyes. .

As we took off from Logan at 7 p.m. on June 21, we flew off into the soon to become night sky. The sun fell into the ocean, and as we traveled East the sun stayed with us. A dark red sliver floated on the horizon, and before I knew it the light began to expand as the sun rose once again.

In Amsterdam, not only was there no place to sit in this enormous airport, but we were ready to feast on a delicious lunch not realizing that it was 7 a.m. We wandered the airport admiring the huge difference in attraction between American and European flight attendants and as we continued to walk my tongue dragged behind me as I ogled at the 45 year old European women. They are gorgeous! We finally found a bench and some tables to sit at within an eating area. Evan lay down across the bench, with me at his feet and Brendan at his head. Within ten minutes Evan was fast asleep, and Brendan and I both had our faces pressed firmly against the tables. What I sight we must have been! We abruptly woke up, realizing that our flight was leaving in 30 minutes, and we rushed down the terminal, taking our final glances at the European women of course, and prepared to board.

We landed in Entebbe at 8 p.m. on June 22, 2010. Looking out the window, the African landscape was hidden by darkness, and all you could see where a few scattered lights across the land. Greeted by Hannah and Davids, I caught them from a mile away. Hannah, a 28 year old New Yorker that has lived in Uganda for 5 years, is our coordinator who matched us with Davids and the Busoni Project. Davids is a local Ugandan who just graduated from Exeter in the UK. Davids is local to Jinja, where the Busoona Primary School is located. I have never been happier to meet two people in my life. Months of anticipation had built up to this moment.

Evan, Brendan, and I were joined with our new friends. Davids was significantly taller than I imagined, and his joy and love for Uganda was even more contagious than over the phone. Hannah had brought us sugar cane. We bit in for the first time, and I couldn’t believe the sweet juices that poured into my mouth. As you continue to chew, the cane turns to a rubbery substance that you spit out before you bite in again for the sugary high.

Andrew, a friend of Davids, drove us down the long trek of Entebbe Road to Kampala. Through the dark, we could not make out much of Africa. People lined the sides of the roads, and as we drove we flew by hundreds of boda-boda’s (motorcycle’s used as a typical mode of transportation). The little bike’s that carried passengers weaved in and out of traffic. The very first thing I noticed about Uganda is the traffic itself. If you thought driving through New York City was hectic, try a day on the roads in Uganda! Some of the roads are paved, especially in Kampala, but through Jinja they are dirt. The rules of the road are limited, to say the least. With pot holes the size of a kiddy-pool, the cars swerve all over to avoid them. There is also no such thing as ‘passing zones’ – vehicles quickly and violently swerve around each other into oncoming traffic. As Andrew said, “It is so easy to drive drunk, because the police can never tell the difference!” Ugandans put New “Yahkers” and Massholes to shame.

Hannah and Davids took us to Bungaloo, a popular barbeque restaurant in Kampala. There were no menus and we learned quickly that it is disrespectful to drink out of the bottle; you must pour it into a glass. The food arrived; a range of chicken, goat, and pork were ordered. The first taste of Uganda was incredible! All of the food in Uganda is completely organic and the flavors are incredible. Nothing is processed, and no chemicals are used in the local crops. As I would soon find out, the food and flavors keep delivering the greatest sensation my taste buds have ever had. Returning to the food at home will be simply, disappointing.

We ended our night settling into the Red Chili Hideaway. We had one room and one bed to ourselves. Outside, you could hear the goats eating the grass as the dogs howled in the distance. The one pig that scavenged the grounds lay fast asleep near the supposedly infamous 3 legged cat.

Under the safety of my mosquito net, a good night’s rest will do for now. It has been lovely Uganda. See you in the morning.

P.S. There is currently a mosquito in the mosquito net around my bed. Shit