Rollercoaster Rides

Well, okay, I didn't literally ride on any rollercoasters, at least not the sort that you find at the PNE and suburban carnivals. But some of the minibuses (matatus) that I ventured forth in across the Ugandan countryside perhaps shared some characteristics with the traditional rollercoaster. Sure, they look different, they only have four wheels, they don't do loop-de-loops (if you're lucky) but they can very effectively evoke that freaky feeling in the pit of your stomach that rollercoasters tend to elicit when you're hanging suspended upside down forty feet above the ground. The minibuses that transport people (and goods, don't forget the goods) around Uganda are designed to carry 14 passengers. In Kampala, that's generally the case - 14 people plus the driver. Not too squishy. Room to reposition your legs, ensure some blood flow to the extremities, shift your bum when it starts to go numb. The countryside is a different story. When it comes to matatus, more people means more money for the driver and conductor. And often the matatu you're in is the only one that will be through that area for a number of hours. The local people who live in that area have no other means of transportation so the conductor does his best to get everyone in who needs a ride. You quickly learn that to get anywhere in a rural region of Uganda, you'd best be prepared to get cozy with your seat mates. I was commonly in matatus with 22-24 people, plus livestock (chickens, no goats), produce (pineapples, matoke, onions, jackfruit), and belongings. Some of the buses have racks on the top for the myriad mattresses, bags, and shopping. Some don't. I spoke with a traveller who had been in a matatu with 32 people. This basically means that a third of the passengers are sitting on top of the other passengers. Fun way to meet new people. Generally these hardy vehicles are travelling on dirt roads or paved roads that haven't seen new asphalt for quite some time - lots of potholes, lots of washouts. The terrain definitely contributes to the sense of riding a rollercoaster, as does the somewhat erratic driving behaviours of many matatu drivers. But you know, pretty cheap carnival ride, compared to what you'll pay at the PNE. Once I managed to silence (or at least generally ignore) that little voice in my head making comments like "no seatbelts", "trapped inside", "when were the brakes last serviced?", I found myself thoroughly enjoying the chaotic nature of transportation in Uganda. A comraderie seems to develop among the passengers as we shift and shuffle to take on yet another person, children on laps, adults sitting on one bum-cheek, chickens squawking from beneath our feet.

I'm on another sort of rollercoaster ride now, that of readjusting to life at home. This ride is more emotional than physical, more theoretical than tangible. I arrived home in Victoria on August 6, having flown into Vancouver International Airport and then hopped aboard BC Ferries for the ever-beautiful crossing to Swartz Bay, where I was met by my lovely Mom. I am happy to be home. I'm so pleased to have much of the month of August to readjust to life in Canada before starting my fourth and final year of midwifery school. But I am certainly feeling the confusion and imbalance that comes with shift of place, shift of reality, shift of economics. Our privilege and wealth (on a general scale, as a society) is at times overwhelming, at times comforting. It's going to take some time to find my balance.

There's more to come.

Heather

Some photos at last!

A Ugandan mama and baby of the pachaderm tribe in Queen Elizabeth National Park.







Signpost at the entrance to the Masaka Hospital




Entrance way into the maternity ward at Masaka Hospital





One of the four beds in the delivery room




This is me with one of our mamas in Masaka - this baby was the woman's fifth. We had expected a fast pushing stage because she was a gravida 5, but the baby's head was asynclitic - he was born with a lot of moulding on the right parietal bone. Came through in a very difficult position. What a strong mama and baby!


The view from our hostel in Kampala - looking out over the slum/shanty town towards Mulago Hospital. The heavy pollution is standard in Kampala. Most of the vehicles run on diesel, and it's common to see heavy black exhaust pouring out of the tailpipes of vans, trucks, and boda boda (motorcycles).



Anne-Marie on our walk home from the hospital. Coffin makers are a common sight in Uganda - there's a steady demand for their merchandise.




Sarah, me, and Florence. Sarah is the Senior In-Charge midwife at Upper Mulago and was incredibly welcoming and encouraging. Florence was one of the regular midwives on the ward.


Boda boda drivers on Kampala streets. While we were wearing light t-shirts, they were dressed in down jackets. These motorcycle taxis are a common mode of transport in the city and the fastest way to get around during "jam" (daily morning and evening traffic snarls) because they never hesitate to weave their way through the bigger vehicles on the road.


Selling matoke at Owina Market in Kampala. Matoke, made from these green plantain, is the staple starch food in Uganda.


Women selling spices at Owina Market.


You just can't imagine how excited I was to see giraffes, up close. They're so amazingly cool! This was in Murchison Falls National Park.