I’ll take… that inflated paddling pool thanks

In some countries, late night shopping channels offer a wide range of goods for sale – much wider than you could possibly imagine. Of course the stereotype steak knives jumps to mind, along with the perfumes, handbags, and hair accessories (clearly I wasn’t that addicted).

But what’s the Ugandan equivalent? Street vendors who pass by your vehicle through the streets of busy Kampala. Way more convenient. No dialling. No waiting on hold. Just wind down your window and buy what is for sale literally right out the driver or passenger door. And what’s even better? The banter and haggling. The traffic jams make this a perfect opportunity for shoppers. I don’t know why we even bothered going to a supermarket on the eve of President Museveni’s swearing in ceremony; we should have just waited for all the goods to walk past our window during our eight-hour traffic jam.

From fresh fruit and vegetables to windscreen wipers (fitted straight away) and inflatable children’s paddling pools (already pumped up) we could just reach out our hand for these transactions, that’s all the effort it required.

To keep us from going insane during the longest jam of our lives, we recorded every item that went past our vehicle. In no particular order, they were: