not entirely eco-friendly…

Back again in Uganda, or I should say more correctly East Africa, as I will be again spending a fair few days in South Sudan this trip, before heading home in mid-late January.  So a short trip of only 10-ish weeks.

The trip in was pretty good actually, on both my Emirates flights, 7 and 6 hours respectively, I had the central row of 4 seats to myself, so I got the chance to get some actual sleep, rather than whiplash-inducing upright dozing.  And with a 9 hour layover in Dubai, I put myself into a sleep-pod (or coffin as my colleague likes to say).  It was pretty good actually and I as arrived there around 0200 (body clock) it was ideal timing!

As always there is an overnight stop in Kampala before an early flight in a 15-seater, single prop plane up North before really hitting the climate.  Just about in the Northern Hemisphere, in fact I’m now about 500km north of the equator, it was neither summer nor winter, but end of the second rainy season going into the hot season.  At the moment its very early 30s, but I’m told it can hit 40°C.  And earlier this year I oversaw the opening of a new staff accommodation block – so nobody now shares.  But as a result the batteries run out somewhere between 0200 and 0400, so the fan stops.  The first night that happened was a bit “mmm”, the second night “oof, hmm”, the third night, I had to have a word with myself.  I am very lucky to know there is food every day, clean water and I enjoy power (almost) 24×7.  So many do not have any of these basics.

Another project I oversaw last trip was water.  A new borehole, a new distribution system, and so in the Centre we now have running water, which means showers, and thankfully a ‘sitting toilet’.  It’s great, I no longer have to go fetch water before going for a pee.  But I do not use the showers.  No, I’m not permanently smelly, but if you leave a jerry can of water in the sun in the morning, by mid afternoon its delicious hot, yes to the point of needing to add a little cold water sometimes.  So, I am still wedded to my beloved bucket wash.  So good, and so environmentally friendly too – offsets some of the 6,000 air miles I just travelled.