Sam's Uganda Trip - The Airport and Plane

During my trip to Uganda, I took as detailed a journal as possible, with the aim of sharing it here on the missions blog. This will take place over a variety of posts – it’s MUCH too long for one or two posts. Other posts (reviews, quotes, prayer points, etc) will continue in the mean time, but I hope that you all find the details recorded here useful.


Saturday 5th November, 2011. At the airport, 10:15PM Australian time
The bit that has always worried me most about this trip was the airport. Not being in Uganda, not flying, but the being in the airport. If something goes wrong, it is here that it will happen. And this is the place I can’t control things as much, but will want to the most.

The initial stages went well. We got to the airport fine, checked on my luggage fine, and all that. We played a game for a gin company, and I won, and got a pack of cards. Mum got a shot of gin. (Julie and I don’t drink – her at all, me much.) We got a photo taken, dressed up in funny hats, with me having a trophy.


Then it came to entering the security, so I had to say goodbye. I went in, they took photos. I forgot my jacket. It’s my only warm one, but the weather should be ok. I have some rain macs in my luggage.


Then I had to get rid of my chocolate spread. I was so sad – it’s GF/CF, vegan, organic, etc, and amazing. I seriously nearly cried. Especially as they don’t have any food on the plane for me – they lost that information. So I now have half a packet of rice chips and some GF/CF cookies for a 14 ½ hour flight. They are sorting out the other end.

What’s worse is I don’t have my phone. Mum said to just leave it at home, so I did. So I couldn’t give them my coco-choc spread or get back my jacket. Sad.

I have about 1 hour til boarding.

Sunday 6th November, 2011. 10:10AM Aussie time.Dark outside. On the plane.

Well, I boarded the plane well, but completely forgot to take a photo of the take-off. I’ve got a spare seat next to me, and Geoff, the boy of the aisle seat is friendly. He’s going to Tanzania to climb a mountain, and then is going on safari. I was tempted to evangelise and say, as Ray Comfort says he does “Don’t like, there’s the door.”

I was able to eat about half the meal, but I completely forgot to keep the things I can’t eat that were in packaging. There are a lot of beggar street children in Kampala, and I was planning to save stuff for them. But I saved me snack, choosing the biscuits I can’t eat over the ice-cream I can’t eat.

Aside from that, I’ve napped, watched House, Super 8, and started a few other movies that weren’t that good, and done a little reading (Desiring God, by John Piper). I should probably get out my Swahili language book and ipod. Swahili is the 2nd national language of Uganda (the 1st is English). The thing is, most people speak neither language as a first language, instead speaking Luganda. I have a Luganda music CD on my ipod, along with the words in both English and Luganda. It’s a praise and worship CD, so I can learn a bit about Jesus in their native tongue. Back to my reading and music.