Thursday, September 6

More Kampala

Kampala has been quite pleasant so far. Blue skies and warm, with some brief showers in the afternoon. It's similar to Nairobi, but smaller, and with redder soil, and fewer muggings, and more boda-bodas (motorbike taxis). Yesterday, we checked out the hip coffee place, 1000 Cups, which offers exotic brews from all over the world (for example, Starbucks); Garden City, Kampala's answer to Nairobi's Village Market shopping mall; an authentic-feeling Hare Krishna Indian restaurant (as in Nairobi, there's tons of Indians and tons of good Indian food).

Today's highlight was the Owimo market. I've been to some busy markets, but I don't think I've seen one with so many people jostling in such narrow alleys. Which makes for an interesting viewing experience, but an unpleasant shopping one. I did find a nice hat, which I'll post a picture of soon.

Meanwhile, as Ethiopia prepares for its Millenium, and South Africa gears up for the World Cup, Kampala is blanketed by anticipation for the upcoming CHOGM (that's the Commonwealth Heads of State meeting, if you've been living under a rock, or probably anywhere outside Kampala). Billboards exhort Kampala's citizenry to "embrace CHOGM, embrace the world", and ask repeatedly "are you ready for CHOGM?"

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