Jose Marti'inn

This blog about my time in Africa would not be complete without a post dedicated to Jose Marti'inn. I believe it's one of my favorite places here. This is where I have spent almost every Friday night (and some other nights) during the past 4 months that I've been in Soroti. I was fortunate to be invited to hang out with a group that consists of the Soroti area Peace Corps volunteers and a PhD student that was here doing anthropological work. 

Even after many visits, I'm still not quite sure how to pronounce it. I've heard a Hispanic sounding version (Ho-zay Mar-teen) and also what I think is the local pronunciation (Joe-zay Mar-T-in).  

I think I may have mentioned JM in prior posts.  This is the place where tables are set up in a little dirt and grass palm-tree lined alley situated between two 1-2 story buildings in town. It is technically a bar, but there are street food vendors positioned outside on the street to take your order.  Your options for street food are chicken and chips or fish and chips, unless you want to walk a block or two away to find a rolex (eggs rolled up in chapatti) or some fried cassava. 

The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of East African music, current-ish pop and random stuff from the 80's.  Its often too loud but always entertaining.

My typical routine is:

• Show up sometime between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m.  
• Join the group at a table and order a Club (my favorite Ugandan beer).  
• Then at some point, meander to the street and cross to the other side to see Patience, who is my favorite street food vendor.  She is very nice, has a kind smile and appears to be in her mid 20's. She sells fried whole tilapia, and it is unanimous that she has the best chips (french fries) of all of the vendors.
• After placing my order, I return to the table and continue conversing and enjoying my Club
• At some point, Patience will come to the table with food for those who have ordered from her and a pitcher of water (made from an old cooking oil container) with a bucket with some soap. 
• She will then pour water on our hands, and we'll wash them in preparation for our meal. 
• We then eat our meals with our hands in semi darkness (depending on how close you are to one of the few standing lanterns.
• I make sure to apply plenty of Top Up sauce, which is kind of like ketchup, but runnier, and maybe a little sweeter and less tomatoey.
• Once done, we just kind of chill and wait with our greasy hands until she returns again with the water, soap and bucket to wash up. 
• Then, within the next 30 minutes or hour, she'll return to collect payment.  For the small fish, which I always get, and chips, it is 5,500 shillings (or about $2.00)
• Depending on how tired I am, I'll stay for a little while longer, and maybe enjoy another Club, and then head home. 

Fish & Chips with Top Up sauce. Delicious!! 

View of fish & chips with Club and Top Up bottle, and eating by hand 

JM at night with a view of its characteristic palm trees 

There are a lot of things I'll miss about Africa when I leave in a couple weeks. Jose Marti'inn is definitely one of them, along with all of the friends I've made here--expat and East African.