Escaping the Riot in Kampala!

So – we escaped from the riot in Kampala! It was the real thing – burning buildings, police, riot gear, people running, road blocks, thick black smoke. What was really crazy is that we actually missed the whole thing. Yup. Went to the hospital, did our usual catch a few babies thing, walked back home (we are actually calling the Modest Inn – home), packed up and hopped into our Matatu (big van that can seat around 14 people) for our trip to Masaka with our preceptors Angela and Grace. That is when we found out about the riot happening in the city. The most exciting thing about the riot for us is that we got to do this crazy detour. Our driver and our personal-door-opener took handfuls of change. Then they took us to this new, just finished road. It had about 7 different road blocks on its length. The road blocks consisted of logs with big spikes driven into them. Different people manned these road blocks. They each had to be bribed. Some with the coins, some with the information that the Matatu was carrying “white doctors that deliver babies”. Then Angela would gracefully stick her head with its lovely white hair out the window, wave elegantly like Queen Elizabeth and yell “Webale” (thank-you) at the road blockers. She got so carried away with her role that at one point she forgot what country she was in and yelled “Gracias”! We ended up detouring the riot and had a wonderful drive to Masaka. We stopped at the Equator so we could straddle the north and south hemispheres! I know it seems kinda silly, but it was actually pretty amazing! Now we help with the Emergency Obstetrical Skills Course (that teaches emergency obstetrics like haemorrhage, breech birth, neonatal resuscitation, etc) here in Masaka for the next 2 days before we start going to the Labour and Delivery ward here. Still can't believe that WE ARE IN AFRICA!!!

Jody and Tina