Masaka

 It’s the things that I don’t plan for that amaze me the most. It was cold, dark and rainy. We – Yiyi and I –  were riding on the back of a boda boda we’d jumped onto in Masaka town, heading down the road to Kyotera. Our pilot slowed down, turned off the paved road and onto a dirt path that wound around a seemingly uninhabited hill. At this point, I remembered all the warnings I was given about wandering off into unfamiliar towns and about how we might end up on an altar in some bush on a hill in the countryside. We saw a dim light in the distance and I could feel the bike slowing down. I expected an ambush, complete with men in animal skin costumes, playing little drums, shaking gourd rattles and chanting in a strange language. Instead, and much to my relief, the light, I noticed, was a sign for Masaka Backpackers – not a group of men waiting to attack us. We would live to see another day! It seems that there is more than one backpacker service in Masaka – and this was the wrong one! The boda guy was actually quite polite about our confusion. He waited patiently while we got directions to the right place – Elite Backpackers Service (EBS) – and, two hours later, he charged us only 6,000/-.

Masaka turned out to be a very serene place. It’s been a while since I’ve fallen asleep to the sound of nature. It was immensely peaceful to have birds and crickets chirping as I nodded off. We arrived at Elite somewhere close to 9 pm. I think they had given up on us showing up. Who would expect a mother and child to show up on a motorcycle in the dark and cold? Despite the late hour, we were warmly received by Hope, the lovely receptionist – except that it seemed like the staff were more like family than just employees. The chef, a very talented young man, stayed out late, making sure we had something for dinner.

 

Even though they call it a backpackers’ service, it is much classier than the few I’ve ventured into in Europe. They chose an African theme, with cozy grass thatched huts, rustic wooden furniture and African print cushions and table clothes. Gladly, they did not sacrifice modern conveniences like hot water and free wifi. On a fuzzier note, it’s nice to know that the owners of Elite are deeply committed to developing their communities and that a portion of what we paid was going to support their various community programs. I’m all about warm fuzzy feelings.

 

However, the most amazing thing was seeing my Yiyi thrive in a foreign space. I am always worried that as an only child who spends most of his time amongst adults, he might not know what to do when he encounters other children. I worry that he will either cower or that he would be a total bully. There was this little boy, about three or four years old, at Elite – the owners’ grandson. He had come in with his dad – I guess to make sure things were in tip top shape. Having grown up in Masaka, he spoke mostly Luganda. So, it was quite fascinating to watch the two littles toss a football back and forth. They were even able to communicate verbally, which was surprising given Yiyi’s very limited one-and-a-half-year-old vocabulary.

I think I like the quiet and peace of life outside the bright lights of the city. Where to next?

Yours 

Yidi and Dada

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