Way back in 1970, I started a journey to Uganda to take up a posting as a young doctor. My first air flight in life with strange feelings of going away from my own people and own country for an initial period of 2 years to an unknown country. At Bombay, I boarded the plane, the East African Airways, Super VC-10, and just before the take off, my name was announced in the plane and asked me to come down and identify my luggage before it could be taken to the hold, as a part of the security check.
It was at this stage one of the co-passengers interacted with me asking me where I was heading to. On informing her of my going to Uganda to take up the new assignment, she got interested more since she herself was a nurse in Mulago Hospital, the premier teaching hospital attached to the medical school. She asked if I knew anybody there or if somebody was going to receive me at Entebbe. I had already contacted Ministry of Health about it and they had promised to receive me at the airport, but she was not very hopeful of somebody coming over there. That made me a little anxious, but she offered to help in such an exigency.
The flight was a smooth one for a first time flier like me. A brief halt of one hour there in Nairobi was a pleasant surprise of cool weather there as the tarmac was wet after the rain, quite contrary to the belief in India about Africa and its climate.
On arrival at Entebbe airport past midnight, there was one Mr. D'mello from Ministry of Health to receive me and he lodged me in Lake Victoria Hotel. In the morning as I looked out of the window, it gave me a glimpse of the beauty of Uganda, lush green vegetation all around and a cool weather soaked in a rain drenched ground. That really gave the feeling of landing in 'Pearl of Africa', as Sir Winston Churchill had called the country, and that is how my journey of a chequered life started. No regrets after all that.
Can't wait to read more!
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