This one time, in Uganda...: Weekend in Kampala

Despite all our complaints about having nothing fun to do in Kampala, we actually had ourselves a great weekend around town. Earlier in the week our roommate Elly was out of commission due to a bout of malaria, despite taking malarone, considered to be the best (and most expensive) malaria prevention drug. We took her to the clinic on Monday thinking it would turn out to be a flu or food poisoning, but the malaria test quickly came back positive. After getting 2 IVs and re-hydrating, she returned home with us with 4 days worth of malaria medication. Though it was no fun being sick, it seemed to be a mild strain and by Friday when she went back to the doctor the test was negative again, and she recovered in time to enjoy the weekend.

On Saturday a bunch of us from the hostel went to watch a rugby World Cup qualifying semifinal match, where the Uganda national team faced off against Tunisia. Having only seen one rugby game in the past which left me very confused, it took me a little while to figure out what was going on. It was a fun experience, the crowd was really into it, blowing air horns and banging on the metal fence surrounding the field. Unfortunately the Tunisians dominated, and Uganda ended up losing, ending hopes of playing in the World Cup.

After the match most of the group headed off to a casino, but Elly, myself, and our friend Louise wanted to check out Bayimba, a free art and music festival that was happening at the National Theatre. I had seen a flyer in our hostel advertising the 3-day event that featured local artists and musicians, and thought it sounded like a great opportunity to get a taste of local music. It turned out to be great fun, we managed to catch an evening set that was a mix of local artists, each doing about 2 songs each.

On Sunday one of our friends Nicole, who had previously spent a year in Uganda and knows all the hidden secrets, took us to the Speke Resort Hotel about 20 minutes away. Its situated right by Lake Victoria, and for about $7 we had entry to the huge pool and gym area where we swam and lounged for a few hours. Then we went for a walk around the resort, down to the lake, at the exact time a giant brilliant rainbow appeared. Definitely the perfect end to a fantastic weekend!

This week I will finally be going on my first visit to the field, heading to a district called Tororo on Wednesday or Thursday. Its about 2.5 hours away, and I will hopefully get a chance to conduct a focus group or two with the women in the microfinance groups, interview community health workers, and visit some homes to get a sense of the sanitation situation and people's perceptions. Should be exciting!

Pictures from the weekend and other randoms in Kampala below: