ice cream voyage. 12.20.09

On a hot day, when the sun is aggressively beating down from an open sky and blowing orange dry dust creates a thick layer of paste across a sweating forehead, one wants nothing more than to find relief. This liberation comes in a simple and tasty form- ice cream.

After attending Watoto’s Christmas Concert church service in downtown Kampala, Patrick, one of the Ugandans in the house, Beth, and I began a voyage with a few friends to find ice cream.

We first walked about forty minutes along uneven sidewalks, up and down sloping hills, through matatu traffic jams; while dodging speeding boda bodas and constantly refusing the most determined solicitors along the street markets. By the time we reached Garden City Shopping Mall, I could do nothing but anticipate the moment my tongue could slide across a cold layer of coconut ice cream.

Not yet desperate enough. The prices were outrageous [as I had expected], so we decided to venture to Santos, a reliable ice cream parlor and restaurant on Kampala Road. This is were the others decided it was not worth continuing, and so we were down to three.

The steep hills of Kampala create a challenge for me in transport. I fear and despise the stomach-dropping plunges while on the back of a motorcycle. By my usual request, Patrick surveyed the cluster of boda boda drives lounging on their bike to find one who was willing to ride “mpolampola” [slow] for a silly mzungu. Fred was not only a gentleman in accommodating my unique request as we wove through traffic, but turned out to be a fantastic conversationalist; impressed with my Luganda vocabulary and knowledge of Uganda’s capital layout.

Patrick and Beth followed on a second boda boda until we arrived to Santos. I was unwilling to wait for the other two to receive their milkshakes, and immediately drove my spoon between my scoop of pineapple and coconut ice cream. The painful contrast of cold was worth it. I endured the headache and burning cheeks until I tossed my spoon into an empty glass bowl and slumped back into my chair with a smile.