Getting There

Tuesday, December 18 – On the Way Again

Jerry, a friend from church, and George, a friend from my insurance days, were scheduled to pick us up at 10:00. We were up at 6:30 with 3 of 4 bags packed and a bunch of printing to go. I got an email that changed the amount of cash we needed by a bit, so we added a trip to the bank to our hurried morning.

I kept writing and printing letters until Lisa came in and told me I had to let it go. I went up and started helping her pack, and we had almost everything sorted when Jerry and George arrived right on time. That meant there was still SOME to sort, and everything to pack, and when we packed it the first time, we found we were nearly 15 pounds over the limit. We started out packing for the kids, so there was no extra space anywhere. So Lisa and I started sorting the “would like to have” from the “need to have,” then the “need to have” from the “have to have,” and finally even the “have to have” from the “ no need to go unless this is in the bag!”

That took a while in a bag that started out nearly 65 pounds with a limit of 50! And there were terrible casualties – all but two voltage regulators, back-up medicines, some clothing, but worst of all, our food! Only a single can of nuts made the trip!

Only an hour late, we quickly loaded the car. We loaded two large envelope boxes full of Uganda statements in the back seat. We hurried to the bank, where the teller gladly collected the new $100 bills only, then headed for the Interstate. While Jerry drove, Lisa, George, and I worked on collating the letters I’d written into the sponsor envelopes which already contained letters and statements thanks to Kim and Donna. We worked until Marrieta where we hoped off the freeway for Chick Fillet. When we got back on the Interstate, we had 25 minutes to get to the airport! We finished the statements about 10 miles from the airport, and I immediately went to sleep!

We were hoping to arrive three hours before the flight, but we had only 2.5 when we finally got there. We jumped out at the Northwest curbside counter, and I ran up to make arrangements while everyone else unloaded bags, but they wouldn’t take luggage for KLM International. So I grabbed a luggage cart and everyone loaded. Jerry circled in the car while George came in with us. We found that the KLM counter was at the far end, so since my cane was working okay and Lisa was handling the cart, George left us.

We found a bit of a line at the counter, but not too bad. The lady at check-in was very nice and didn’t say anything about the 1-2 pounds we missed on a bag or two. She directed us to our gate and we started through the airport. A nice lady in security showed us to a short line for people needing extra assistance. I hobbled right on through and we quickly unpacked our back packs. I had this computer and a video camera. Lisa had another computer and a personal DVD player. We had assorted other metal things on us, like my Blackberry, and we had to take off our shoes. Now one of our final sacrifices in making weight had been that both of us had to remove our nice, easy to take off, comfy shoes in exchange for our Uganda boots which way several pounds each. I’m pretty sure that watching me getting out of a pair of over-the-ankle boots while hopping on one foot and holding a cane was a bit of a show! But we finally cleared security and went to the subway. We had to go to the last terminal, and the train broke down before we got there. We didn’t have to wait too long, but we were beginning to cut it close when we finally came up out of the subway. A man on a golf cart picked us up and drove us to the gait. Within 15 minutes, they called for those needing a little extra time.

I’d never been one of “those” before, but I hurried past the glares of the trying-to-be-first passengers with my trusty cane tapping away. I couldn’t believe it when I got on board. There were ladies trying to transfer babies from strollers and stow the strollers. There were people moving incredibly slowly for no apparent reason. There was even a lady with crutches who had two small kids. She had quite a time trying to corral them and put her crutches up without toppling over. In other words, every single one of the folks getting on the plane was like me – needing a bit of extra time to board.

I suppose we left on time. I wouldn’t know, I was sound asleep before the trying-to-be-first-in-lines boarded!

KLM is a very good airline. The pasta and taboule salad were outstanding, two dishes I would have actually ordered if I had a choice. The personal movie system had a huge number of movies, from recent releases to classics to television. Even though I felt very tired, I ended up watching through most of the night.

Wednesday, December 19 – Arriving in Uganda

First, we arrived in Amsterdam right on time! KLM had someone waiting to take me and the lady with the crutches to a waiting area. The driver of the golf cart let Lisa ride with me, but she told the lady that her kids couldn’t ride! So the three of us rode through the relatively quite airport while two little girls, one about ten and the other eight, chased behind us!

I worked on my phone while Lisa went to get her ticket fixed. I couldn’t get my phone to work, but I soon found that Verizon had loaded the SIM chip upside down. Lisa had no trouble getting her boarding pass for the next flight, but she found that her luggage had not been checked to Uganda. She had to get our baggage claim tickets and let the agent change things.

We ate a pastry and drank coffee for a while, then it was time to board again. Another golf cart picked us up within five minutes of our return from breakfast. She drove us through Schippel Airport, now much more crowded with a mix of holiday and business travelers. The airport was beautifully decorated for Christmas and most of the waiting passengers seemed to be shopping, but we sped right on past everyone.

Our gate was already packed with anxiously waiting passengers, but our driver didn’t even slow down. She took us to the front of the line (more incredibly hostile stares). We didn’t have to remove shoes, but we still had to remove the laptops and DVD player. We finished unpacking everything before the security people were ready for us so we went right through. I forgot and took my cane through, which set off everything and resulted in a very personal search by a small man. We moved into a second waiting area within moments of clearing security, then on to the plane. Again, I was asleep through nearly an hour’s delay and didn’t know when we took off.

We spent the day watching movies and napping. This flight ran from about 11 until 7, but with a two hour time change, it was quite dark when we got to Kampala. The changes were evident even from the runway. First, there were several planes parked there including another KLM jet. There was also a new Air Uganda plane, evidence of the tiny new airline struggling to emerge. There were probably 10 planes in all, mostly from regional African carriers, but never there before. There were two boarding docks instead of one, and we weren’t really surprised (though I was disappointed) that both were blocked by equipment. We had to disembark down steep stairs then cross the tarmac as we’ve always done here.

There was a wheel chair waiting at the bottom of the steps. The steep stairs were a bit of a challenge after sitting all day, but I made it okay and climbed in. Ugandans are small people, and I am not! The young man struggled to push me up the slight incline to the arrival lounge.

Here, everything was new! This was under construction when we entered last. Now, it was complete, a huge, brightly lit, everything white area with more posts for Immigration worker. Although most were empty, there were four lines rather than two. I was rolled to the front of the passport line I guess I’ve always been one of those who glares at the Specially Assisted, then quickly through the gate without any question or comment. So we were among the very first through Immigration but getting finished first didn’t help at all. Our luggage was very late coming off the plane, giving us both a moment of panic!

I was rolled through the Green Line and no one slowed us down or asked any questions at all! On the other side of a glass window, a huge mass of Ugandans waited reasonably patiently for passengers. We found Vincent immediately, and Joseph, Grace, Dan, Lydia and baby Lisa were close by. But Michael and Mabel were missing and we soon learned the difficult news. Michael’s father, who had been battling esophageal cancer, had died earlier that day.

I detoured through the crowd to the Currency Exchange. The rate seemed low to me so I only exchanged $100, an amount that can evaporate in seconds here! I started back through the crowd and immediately noted something that surprised me: Ugandans were reluctant to give me room for my cane. They would whip around and stare a whole through me when I asked to pass. They would move, but not willingly!

We hurried through the crowd and out into the Entebbe night. It was warm, but there was a nice breeze coming in off Lake Victoria. It was incredibly dark and bugless! Lisa had never arrived at night. She had always taken a British Air flight that arrived in the early morning. It is a lot different to arrive in the evening because you can’t get your bearings. A lot of things look sort of familiar, but not that familiar in the dark! And the Queen’s recent visit had changed much. We passed a sparkling new Parliament House near the airport, a massive, white structure that would have looked at home in Washington. The building was brilliantly lit, and it would have seemed large even in D.C. I asked Joseph if Parliament now met there, but he gave a simple “No.”

“Do they still meet downtown?” I asked.

“Yes, they meet where they have always met.”

“So how is this building used?”

“It was built to receive the Queen.” I could get no further! It appears that the building was being used for much of anything now.

We pulled into a brand new hotel, the Metropole. According to the signs, it overlooked the golf course, but outside the parking lot and tiny garden, the world was totally blackness. Vincent had found a very good deal for us at this place since we were staying through Christmas. At least this Ugandan tradition held: hotel guests who stay Christmas Day get a huge discount!

The lobby was gorgeous, an ultramodern, understated, mostly white space with marble floors. The workers were Ugandans. The men were decked out like door keepers in old London. The women wore deep purple kimono-like dresses. Everything was in order: a quick signature and passport number and we were in!

We walked passed tables set for tomorrow’s breakfast to a tiny elevator. There was only one, and it was barely larger than a closet! Everyone wanted to come upstairs, so we overloaded the closet with people and bags. It wouldn’t go up, but they kept pushing the button. Finally, the tired closet gave in, it rose slowly past 1 to 2, then returned for the rest of us! Lisa and I rode to the second floor with six others and found 201 at the very end of the hall. It was a large, new room with a king-size bed, a desk/table, and a shelf with a tv and refrigerator. The bath was also very nice. There was a place by the door for your key. None of the electricity worked unless the key was in the holder.

We said goodnight to everyone and hurried to bed. We were both exhausted, asleep before the plane took off!