Sunburn, Aaron Ramsey and boda bodas

Well, I've had a really lovely and relaxing day today.
Mostly.
I was really, really looking forward to a nice long lie in, but the cheeping crickets, loud builders, trucks delivering what sounds like boulders to the side of my room and dawn morning prayer that begins at 5.30am at the mosque behind the guest house saw to it that that didn't happen. I'm wearing ear plugs tonight.

So after my plans of a lie in were thwarted, I made my way to Mount Elgon Hotel, one of the local hotels with a pool. So I diligently applied my factor 30 'Once' sun tan lotion before leaving the hospital.

Once, ONCE my arse! I put it on about four times during the day and still burned to a crisp. Apparently, these malaria tablets I'm taking can increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight - and boy have I found that out the hard way today!

On the way there, I stopped off at the sports fields at the top of town to watch a game of football. When I say I stopped to watch, what I mean is I was hot, knackered, my shoes hurt and I wanted to stop walking so used the game as a valid excuse to stop.

A bloke with perfect English came up to me and started talking to me asking me if I was ok, if I was lost, did I need help? Despite not actually saying it, I assume what he actually meant was it's really weird to see a white person here, let alone a white woman watching a local football game alone and taking photos.

So Ken and I started talking and he asked me which football team I support (that's a question a lot of people ask. I think I should start to make something up soon as the incredulous look on their face suggests not liking football isn't the done thing here!).
When I told him I didn't like football because I am from Wales and a lot of Welsh people prefer rugby, he responded, "but isn't your team good? With Aaron Ramsay as your captain, and so young." The best and most informed response I could give him was to shrug my shoulders and say "Meh. But my friend taught him French."

Think that confused him more.

Did you teach him Rach? That'll be another way out of future awkward football-related questions.

Alternatively, if anyone would like to provide me with a brief summary (no more than 250 words) of the current state of Welsh football, that would be very much appreciated.

Anyway, by the time I arrived at the hotel, I was knackered as it was SERIOUSLY hot today, even the locals were saying so, including Ken.

It was so weird being in there as it was like a tiny little ex pat community, full of white people. After only seeing five other white people since being here (and two of those were Sue and Alex!), it was just really, really odd to be in the majority again.
I did meet some lovely girls though who I swapped numbers with. I think a few of them are working in local schools here, and one works for an NGO who has been in Mbale for three years now. It would be nice to make friends here.

I had planned on being there pretty much all day but had to come back as there weren't any loungers in the shade and my skin was on fire.
'Once' suntan lotion indeed!
Should be called Three Full Applications Plus Top Ups To Face, Feet, Ears And Shoulders And You'll Still Bloody Burn.
(I look like "hey, you - red lobster" night in Hawaii Hels!)

I face timed my friend Cath earlier, who didn't deny my new temporary body art looked utterly ridiculous. That's the thing about friends, eh? Their brutal honesty and willingness to laugh at your misfortune!

And then on the way back, I went on my first ever boda boda!

Ugandan women ride side saddle style but my instinct was to full on straddle and grab onto the bloke. However, but after some advice from one of the girls I'd met earlier, I decided to go down the side saddle route as she wisely advised me, "it's easier to jump of if you sense something's going wrong". Eek!
She also advised me to tell him very clearly to go slow. The roads in Mbale are not great by any means. Even the tarmac roads having huge gaping potholes that sometimes take up half of the road. The dust track roads are even worse.

However, my driver seemed quite adept at avoiding death by taxi-bike. I'd have preferred it if he'd have avoided them a bit wider, but I'm here to tell (you) the tale so can't complain suppose.

Enjoy the frost people!

Cam bisni
(That's good night in a local Mali language.
You know the saying, when in Uganda, learn Mali!)

Photos :
The view from the Mount Elgon hotel
Local football teams playing the Ugandan Coca Cola league (so says Ken)
My bedroom and tasteful fleece blanket I've never use.