Uganda 1, Madagascar 0

"Every nation will bow when they see Uganda Cranes."

Uganda Cranes Anthem

link: Uganda Cranes Anthem

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What a busy week! Luta took Tessa, Kathryn, and me to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, on Thursday; saying that that trip was hectic is an understatement. And that's coming from the girl who wants to move to NYC! I don't think there is a single square inch of unused space in that city.

After surviving a sudden downpour of rain, a couple of boda-boda (motorcycle) rides, a pick-pocketing attempt, and being constantly singled-out by the local vendors on Thursday, we returned to Kampala on Saturday to go to the football game. (Uganda is rubbing off on me. I now think of it as football, not soccer.) That was a wild ride from start to finish - and I mean that quite literally. We took a taxi up to Kampala, and the first thing you have to know about taxis is that they're not the small yellow sedans most Americans picture when they head the word "taxi." No, taxis here are 15-seater vans... but that doesn't mean they'll stop letting people in once you get 15 passengers. There are also no seat belts, and I'm convinced that there are no traffic laws. We ran into some road construction on the way to the game, but did that stop our driver? Absolutely not. We just wove in and out of impossibly tight spaces between cars, and we even went off-roading for a little while. Our driver ran over some guy's wheelbarrow. A big metal wheelbarrow! We drove right over it!

Seriously, no traffic laws! This guy is just hanging out in the back of a
dump truck while speeding down the highway.

I'm pretty sure I narrowly avoided several near-death experiences on that taxi ride. But we all made it to Kampala in one piece and headed to the stadium. It was my first time going to a professional football game, and I loved every second of it.

Supporting the Cranes!

Uganda in red, Madagascar in green

Everybody makes fun of football - I've heard several people say it's a really boring game where you're lucky to see just one goal made. I politely disagree. Uganda made their only goal of the game in the first half, but I was totally invested throughout the entire match. It probably didn't hurt that we were standing near the front with all the hardcore fans... most of whom were incredibly drunk and therefore incredibly entertaining. My fellow wazungu and I made so many new friends without even trying.

This is Hakuna. Unfortunately his last name isn't Matata.

Long story short, we won! The Cranes have never lost a single match on their own field, and this was no exception. The fans went crazy. I had the terrifyingly shocking experience of being lifted into the air by the stranger standing next to me for a good 30 seconds when the game ended.

Ugandans don't wear their favorite player's name on their jerseys.
They put on their own names. That's me, Kwagala :)

I've never been a sporty person, but I just may have to make an exception for this. I've been converted into a Cranes fan for life.