text and photo © Jesús Montero
From my travels...
21st May 1996. Kampala, Uganda.
It’s my second day living in the house and almost five days since I first arrived in Kampala. The house is large, bright but still so empty. No beds, no furniture; so it’s kind of taking a while to get rid of the echo and build up the right atmosphere.
We live in Bugalovi, one of the areas for the ‘upper crust’ of Ugandan society. Mzungus mostly. There’s a reasonably large back and front garden which is looked after by Eloisus, a young lad who cleans the house, does the washing, ironing and all types of house chores for about $90 a month.
He is a very kind Ugandan. He told me yesterday that he comes from a little village far from Kampala. He has some plans for the future. He wants to buy a bicycle to deliver bread door to door. He also asked me if I ate insects, and that although it is not the season, he will try to get me some at the market. I can barely wait...
Last night I met a Dutch lady who left Holland some years ago to settle down in Africa. She lives in her dream home which she designed herself; her personal touch all through every corner of the compound. She has a swimming pool at the back and a little hut-cottage which she rents out to friends for some $500 a month. A lawyer, she has managed to secure the best possible contacts in Uganda. She owns two companies. She runs a travel agency, specializing in luxury safaris and also owns a legal & marketing business. She reminds me of Isak Dinesen.
Museveni, the President, a personal friend, once asked her: “Why don’t you work as a lawyer?” She replied: ‘Law? there’s not such a thing in Uganda”.
She’s throwing her birthday party on Friday and she very warmly invited us over. I very much look forward to it.
It’s early in the morning and it hasn’t stopped raining since 4.30. It’s the end of the rainy season, and when it rains here, it pours.
text and photo © Jesús Montero
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