Entebbe Airport

I wonder how many blog posts are written from airport waiting rooms? Here I sit at the Entebbe airport in Uganda. No, we didn't just arrive...we've been in Uganda for 5 days now, and I'm already on my way out again. This time I'm bound for Johannesburg, South Africa via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The flight leaves here at 01:40 and arrives in South Africa 12 hours later. If you figured out that those destinations aren't exactly in a straight line either, then extra geography points to you. There was a flight booking complication, but then there's always something. I guess it will give me extra time to study for the next two weeks of intensive Cessna 208 Caravan training. And, as someone who likes to spend time in the air, the longer route is just fine. At least I didn't have to make the trip by bus either.

Our first five days in Uganda have consisted of getting the guest house we're staying in set up with groceries and essential living stuff, meeting the MAF Uganda team and ensuring that Merilee is set up to live by herself with the kids for two weeks. Everyone has been very welcoming and we've been hosted at a different house each night for dinner. We're living on the side of one of the 21 hills on which Kampala is built - Makindye is the name of the neighbourhood - and we're a 5 minute drive from most of the other MAF families. This has meant that we've been borrowing one of the MAF vehicles when they are available. We've both been having a go at driving on the wrong side of the roads which are mostly in bad shape with a few in amazingly terrible shape. Merilee has taken the bull by the horns and has been doing most of the driving to prepare for these next two weeks while I'm away. Not only is she conquering the crazy roads and hills and being on the wrong side but she is doing it all with a stick shift! I'm immensely proud of her and how she's adapting to it all. And if you know Merilee you know she possesses a natural ability when it comes to relating to others so she's miles ahead of me and I'll always be playing catch-up when it comes to the all-important relationships here in Uganda and then in Chad.

There are plenty of observations, stories and details to share...we're writing them down and will share them when we don't have flights to at catch.

For my part, I've been along on two MAF flights in the Caravan to get a feel for the plane. Got to fly a little too. I found these to be a ton of fun and a very useful precursor to what I'll be doing in South Africa. I wish I had access to some photos to add to this post but they will have to come with a later one. I'm told I'll have lots of homework each night in South Africa but I'll try to squeeze an update in there somewhere.