Scarves, Anyone?

We started off Day 2 with a trip to Sue’s Market in Kampala where we were advised to finish a significant amount of souvenir shopping as the selection of crafts would be larger than anything we will see in Gulu. I think the entire group was overwhelmed a bit to think that we had to do all of our shopping a) so early on and b) all in one place. We had a little over an hour and there was major over-stimulation happening in the African Souvenir Department. If I saw something cool, I bought 17 of whatever it was.

Additionally, I have absolutely no idea how much money I spent. One American dollar is worth between 1700-2200 Ugandan shillings, depending on whether you take money from an ATM or whether you exchange cash, and whether said cash is dated before or after 2003. I went to the money exchange with a few hundred-dollar bills and came out with two wads of bills that I stuffed in the provided super-shady envelopes. If you were to look in my purse, you’d think I was involved in something illegal. Heck, maybe I unknowingly am!

It’s typical in Ugandan marketplaces, as in many other countries, to bargain with the sellers. If you pay the sticker price, you come across to the locals as being both moronic and arrogant. However, when the awesome elephant statue you’re admiring costs less than a Coke, you feel like kind of a jerk fighting for that extra 13 cents off. (If you happen to receive an elephant statue from me when I return from this trip, please note it is in fact a different, much more expensive elephant than the one mentioned in this entry.)

Toward the end of our time at the market, you could feel the panic rising among the group, and we all began a purchasing frenzy, making deals left and right for that one last pair of sandals or that 27th scarf. As we ran to meet the bus, the skies opened and it began to pour. We jumped on the bus as the Ugandan sellers threw tarps over their merchandise set up outside and sought shelter in their tiny stalls.

Hours and hours later, at our hotel in Gulu, we took turns having “craft shows” – under the guise of wanting to “see what others bought” but really because none of us actually had a clue what we even ended up with ourselves. My roommate Brit and I trumped all other craft show participants by serving appetizers (a chocolate/caramel candy bar) as part of our exhibition. We’re keeping it classy, Uganda style.

And Dad, Mike, Scott – I hope you like decorative scarves. I seemed to end up with a lot of them… And I think I’m keeping the elephant.