013 – African Road Trip – Leisure

Having successfully secured comfortable accommodation, it was time to eat. Carla, the one of the pair who did not mind talking to strangers, asked an elderly  man who was shining shoes on the street, where they could get good food.
The old man directed them to a restaurant on the next street. The restaurant was busy, with people seated around large tables having meals, drinks and conversation. Carla and Absalom selected a table and looked at the menu that was on the wall. Absalom, the more mathematically inclined of the couple, did quick calculations to convert the listed menu item prices to Kenya Shillings. The prices seemed fair. The menu offered plenty of options- matoke, rice, posho, chapati, beef, goat, beans, chicken, fish, liver and so on.

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African Road Trip – Check-In

The sky was overcast and Carla was concerned about the rain, chiefly because of the couple’s backpacks that were on top of the vehicle.
“Tuingizie bag zetu ndani,” she called out to the conductor, who, thankfully, spoke Swahili.
“Mvua bado mbali, Madam” he responded. The vehicle sped on on the not-so-well-maintained country-side road
The man seated next to Carla said “Mmetoka Kenya?”
“Ndio,” she replied, and her response immediately triggered a torrent of unsolicited tour-guide information on the places zooming by.

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African Road Trip – Takeoff

“I think this bus is going to Mbale in Kenya”, Carla said with concern, looking around the bus.
“Why?” Absalom asked, awakening fully from his doze.
“Coz guys are getting off!”
Absalom looked around, and indeed the bus had largely emptied during their journey.

A short while later, the bus came to a final stop and the young couple got off.
A few inquiries confirmed their fears. They were in Mbale, Kenya and not Mbale Uganda. It was maybe 4:30 a.m.

“Hufanyika mara mingi sana,” a watchman told them helpfully.
“The bus company should inform passengers that this bus is going to Mbale in Kenya!” Carla said.

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