Looks like the rain clouds are looming in over the mountains...however it is currently very warm with a very slight cooling breeze, so I sit in the guest house garden to write this update.  A strange creature is flying around the garden sounding like those wooden blocks that are whirred around on a stick (I have no idea what they are called - neither the blocks nor the flying beastie).  For a small thing it's making a heck of a racket.

Another Indian last Friday - and I met some more ex-pats. A pleasant way to round off the week, and my last working Friday in Uganda.

I've been battling the banks for the last few days to try to withdraw sufficient funds to pay for my forthcoming trip.  I have now discovered it's all a total gamble, it is impossible to tell how much can be withdrawn on any one day.  One day it is possible to withdraw UGX 1m (approx £230) the next day the limit is UGX 400,000.  On Saturday, having amassed sufficient funds and with a bulging money belt I set off for Jinja to pay for my trip.  The only other method to pay for the trip was a money transfer which would have taken too long.  This is very much a cash economy although I did discover recently 'mobile money' where money can be sent/transfered/retrieved via the mobile phone. 

The banking system here is still fairly basic.  Not everyone has a bank account and apparently the banks are not linked together - so you can go from one ATM to another re-drawing your daily limit.  We got on to the subject of banking matters during our Friday Indian. When one person lost their card the details of the loss were logged in a book (rather than being recorded on the electronic system). Another waited only 10 mins for a new card to be produced - along with a slightly different name!  I think this is banking African style.

I thought I would try to get a bus to Jinja after my experience last time in the minibus taxis.  I managed to get a seat on a bright yellow and red bus.  The bonus was that I had a seat to myself; albeit rather a narrow one.  As we travelled along I got a better view of the things that I had seen last time as I was much higher up. It was also a lot faster because there was less stopping to drop people off and squeeze more people in.  It only took 1.5hrs. One of the towns that we passed,  Namutumba, was twinned with Ross-on-Wye!

Spent a few hours pootling around Jinja and handing over the bundles of notes, then after a bit of sustinance (Spanish omelette - listed under 'African food) I decided to head back.  The buses hurtling past the bus stop didn't bother stopping as they were full of passengers travelling from Kampala. So a minibus taxi it was to be.  There were lots of children in the bus - even though there were some small babies they were all very quiet.  I turned around at one point to discover a woman sitting behind me with a child clamped on to each breast. It was almost as if children were treated like bits of luggage. For part of the journey I had a little girl wedged between me and the woman sitting next to me - her nose almost pressed against the seat in front; her mother sitting in a row further behind following a reshuffle.  Children were lifted on and off the vehicle by someone grabbing one arm  - a bit like you might lift a cat by the scruff of the neck.  We nearly drove off without one girl at one point. 

There were also a few kerfuffles.  One very smart lady scuffling to get on the bus in one town pushing back a couple of men - I don't know if she beat the men to the seat or whether they were trying to stop her getting on - they were trying to pull her off - but she soon sorted them out - the door was closed with a snap and we were off.  20m further down the road and we stopped to take onboard another woman and child - after they were on the two men that were with her also kicked off and ripped the shirt of the boy who sorts out the passengers.  There must have been something up with the men in that town.....

In the middle of nowhere we stopped to let one woman and her husband off - then we heard some loud whooping and screaming and a woman running across the field - I think she was definitely pleased to see her visitors, the whole bus was laughing at her excitement.

After one bout of reshuffling the driver tried to drive off whilst I was half out of the minibus and the door slammed into my shoulder - I didn't know what was going on!  3 hours later I was glad to finally get off - in one piece, but absolutely filthy (never wear white).  A beer and a shower soon sorted me out though.

Have had to retreat indoors as the rain has started - big fat splots coming down thick and fast.  This time in 2 weeks I should be somewhere in the air  - heading back to a lot more rain by the sound of reports!