frustrating and scary

The most frustrating time so far has to be going to a coffee shop to use the steady internet. After dark I grabbed a boda to take me to nakumatt (a main mall). He got lost. Inconceivable. Bodas always know places like nakumatt cuz that’s a main hangout of mzungus. He stopped to ask directions from another boda. A 5 minute trip took 20+ minutes by the time we got there. Then he didn’t have change. Ok, wait here. I go in, get change, pay him, go back in and find the perfect spot to sit and talk online. I open up the computer, order internet, get all set up and the waitress comes back to report the server is down. Ok, go to the next coffee shop. The internet is free there with purchase. Ok, order a mountain dew (yes I drink that here, so different with real sugar), and get set up again. Little waiter dude inputs the secret internet code and away I go, right? Of course not. Why? This is Africa. The internet is so slow I cant even load basic google. I wait a few minutes so I don’t throw the laptop. It is not my laptop’s fault afterall. Pack up, and slump on home. Excited expectations dashed. I was really looking forward to seeing familiar faces on the laptop. Get home, Bryce asks if I want to get beat at settlers of catan again. Not exactly. Go up to my room, wait for a better day to dawn. Thankfully next it was Sunday.

The scariest boda ride was at about 10pm returning from the same coffee shop a previous day. Bodas charge more the later it gets. I get on the expensive boda headed for ntinda. For some reason the boda takes a turn I don’t recognize, but I soon figure out what is wrong when we pull into a petrol station. The other bodas finish and my driver orders some gas from the attendant. I can sense something else is wrong cuz the voices get heated. The attendant just sits down and stares at my driver who is angry. I hear something in the periphery so I turn to see the guard with the ever-present AK-47 step out of the shadows. So I just smile big and exchange the regular greetings. He calms down and smiles at me. I motion towards my driver and shrug, still grinning. Finally my driver gives in and pays a full 1000 shillings for gas. The attendant had refused to give him less than that. Americans listen; 1000 shillings is 50 cents. These people were ready to fight over that little. We drove off again and I got home safely. I had him drive me right to the gate.