Dancing, dodging & doctoring

Davis picks us up at 8:45 sharp and we drop by the clinic to pick up Rose and Angel.  The next stop is Davis' home which is nearby in Kisubi.  We are thrilled to meet his wife, Kate and the children, Alexandria and Einstein.  We are treated to delicious watermelon while we're entranced by this lovely family.

roadside traveling to Davis' home

Davis holds Einstein outside his home

Kate, Carly, Davis with Einstein, Sue, Rose, two housegirls in back.  Alexandria & Angel in front.

enjoying the hospitality of Davis' family

Jackie has arrived early at Namasuba, a village on the outskirts of Kampala, and we progress up the very bumpy climb to the peak of a ridge which is densely populated.  The street here is subject to erosion, and we're happy to see stonework retaining walls under construction along the main road.

Angel entertains us in the van

village scenes

the reeds will be used to weave mats

roadway infrastructure upgrades

local shops

Brenda looks very much like her mother, Joyce, and we reconnect with the remainder of the family, including Jackson.  We're also introduced to Florence, the eldest sibling, and we retire to the home for a business discussion.  The fresh water supply system is working well, but profit has been much less than forecast.  Joyce tells us she has had to reduce her prices because of competition from neighbours who have also recently had lines installed.  Joyce reports the children are doing well.  She is contemplating adding a new business.  She has experience raising and selling chickens, and there is a partly constructed room attached to her home which could possibly be renovated for that purpose.  Another possibility would be selling charcoal.

Brenda welcomes us to her neighbourhood

social and business discussion in Joyce's home

neighbourhood kids enjoy the shade

Florence, another brother, Jackson

neighbourhood kids gather outside the threshold to watch the spectacle

Joyce

beautiful family

Joyce shows off the water tap which generates income

Sue & Carly outside the adjoining room which could serve as chicken coop

Scott makes new friends

The neighbourhood kids gather as Brenda, Jackson, and two others of their dance troup give a short performance outside their home.

neighbour kids

Traffic is moderately heavy driving into Kampala, where we stop at a bank to exchange some US dollars.  Alan waits in line for 20 minutes before being advised by the teller that they only provide that service for clients with existing accounts.  He is directed to a foreign exchange office across the road, which has much better exchange rates but still moderately long queues.

We drive to Abacus Pharmacy and drop off Alan, Rose and Angel while the others hit some local dress shops and make several purchases.  Scott is warned by a local fellow on the street that his wife is in danger of having the gold chain ripped off her neck and stolen, so Carly pockets her necklace.  The pharmacy is busy, and Angel behaves very well during the several hour wait.  We are amazed to see the clerk pack the very large order into a single large box, then call Davis to confirm his location before heading out.  Fortunately, the pharmacy clerk carries the heavy box for us.

walking to Abacus Pharmacy

morning traffic in Kampala

busy roadside market

Abacus

Carly shows off her new purchase

Angel entertains everyone in the pharmacy

Things get a little crazy in the back alley looking for Davis, and Alan is nearly clipped by a boda as he unwisely sidesteps onto the alley corridor.  A couple of people try to grab a water bottle out of Scott's grip, and the plastic bag holding the dresses which he is carrying is ripped by another person trying to snatch his load.  We are very much relieved to jump back into the van and head to the craft market.

street scene outside Abacus

the clerk packs our supplies

busy back alley - trying to find our van

streetside preachers are common in the city

We only make a few purchases at the craft market which is surprisingly neat and quiet.  By now everyone is very hungry, having only eaten watermelon since breakfast, so we are happy to arrive at the Mediterraneo Restaurant, which proves to be a spectacular dining venue.  We are amazed at the quality of service, food and ambiance which rivals that of any restaurant we have experienced in North American or European cities.

viewing wares

Angel is not much of a shopper

she does like art, apparently

Mediterraneo

Rose receives a phone call from Victoria, who is concerned about baby Moses.  He's had a fever and congestion since the morning, and does not seem to be getting any better.  Unfortunately, we are now stuck in the infamous evening traffic jam leaving Kampala, so we inch along in traffic, warding off street vendors.  It is close to 10 pm by the time we arrive at BKU.  Rose measures Moses' axillary temperature at 104.4 degrees farenheit, which is very high indeed.  The baby is visibly distressed with nasal congestion and misery.  His malaria test is negative, and we conclude this is a reaction to his vaccination from yesterday.  Alan, Rose and Carly spend over an hour administering acetaminophen, sponge baths and oral hydration before he finally improves and his temperature drops below 101 degrees.

Victoria reassures us that she will monitor him closely overnight, keep a fan on him, and administer his acetaminophen regularly, so we depart to deliver a very tired Rose and Angel home before returning to BV.