First Trip to Mbale

I took my first trip from Bumwalukani to Mbale, the closest city to our village this past Wednesday. We ran some errands, picked up some office supplies and ordered some medicine. We left everything at the pharmacy, David went on to Kampala, and I stayed in Mbale for a bit before returning to the pharmacy to get the medicine, the other items, and head back to the village. I paid a bicycle "boda" (taxi) about 25 cents to put the box on the back of his bike and walk with me to the Matatu (van/bus/taxi) park where I boarded and headed back towards the village. This is where the day got interesting...

First off, it was raining. When I got on the matatu, which generally sit three across, I was put in the far back and they were sitting FOUR across. Needless to say, it was tight. Add to the equation that I had a box of medicine about the size and weight of a microwave, plus a backpack and two other items. Even empty handed, it would have been a tight fit. The locals are used to this, and they held some of my things for me. Somehow, I managed to get situated in the middle of the back row with my box of drugs on my lap. my backpack behind my head while some kindly folks held my other things. Of course, I used my box as a head rest and fell asleep for the first leg of the hour and a half ride.

I woke up as my neighbors were getting off and more people got on.... I should mention that my village is the last stop for this matatu and that sometimes they turn around early. Needless to say, this particular matatu on this particular day turned around one village early. So here I was, stuck with more than I could carry by myself, one village away and another 10 minute walk uphill to the clinic. Luckily, one of the other matatu passengers was heading to my village, so we both got on a motorcycle "boda"... his hands full with some of my stuff, and I had the damn microwave-sized and weight box of drugs on my right shoulder like a boombox, holding on with my left hand. It had stopped raining, but the roads were muddly and slick. Challenging enough as it was, my right shoulder got so tired that I was going to drop the medicine if I had kept it on my right side, so I had to stop holding on with my other hand, throw the box on my head, and transfer the box to my left shoulder... boombox-stylie yet again. My left shoulder managed to hold out until we reached the village.

As soon as we stopped, an enterprising old villager ran up to me in bare feet and grabbed the box and started heading uphill. They've seen this routine before. They get 25 cents/trip for carrying stuff uphill to the clinic/school. So I paid the boda driver for both myself and the guy who helped me (total of 50 cents). I then had my hands full for my 10 minute walk up a muddy hill to the health clinic following Stephen as he slipped around barefoot carrying the heavy box of drugs. A solid two hours after leaving the pharmacy, dealing with rain, mud, and four different transportation methods, I made it to the clinic with some office supplies and medicine.

That's why I have my MBA, folks.... or as David put it, DESPITE the MBA, I still get to do this stuff. That's more like it.