Walking out of the small terminal with my luggage, I was spotted and picked up by embassy drivers who took me to my hotel to stay for the night. First impressions of the country were the heat, the intense human smells and the relaxed chaos of the crowds. While I was waiting for another embassy employee to emerge, I waited with my luggage and was approached by many taxi drivers who called me "Sister" and "Friend" and wondered if I needed a ride. When I said that I didn't they left me alone but not before saying something along the lines of, "Welcome to Uganda!"
The two drivers were wearing white shirts with white ties and led me to a shining white SUV. Although the airport isn't too far from the city, because of traffic the drive took about two hours during which they wanted to talk about the recent Las Vegas shooting in the U.S and gun control in general.
The hotel where I stayed was right next to the U.S. Embassy and was beautiful. It was great to take a hot shower and Skype with Sean and my family to let them know that I had made it safely. I had no problem falling asleep after about a day and a half in transit and with the promise of another day of driving ahead of me tomorrow. And just like that, a new journey begins.
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