Here's a little story of African hospitality.

I left Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) for Kampala (Uganda) in the early hours of the morning, on a coach that was not the one that was on my ticket. I had been told that the coach I was supposed to be on wasn't coming, and I should get this one and change in Nairobi (Kenya). What can you do? Trust! So on the bus I got and hoped for the best.

As the sun began to rise and the vast plains turned into desert, the bus began to warm up and a man got on, next to me. He told me his name was Brian and we exchanged pleasantries. I was tired and I had plenty of thoughts to keep my mind busy, so we didn't speak much, but he offered me biscuits and he made sure I was ok at the border and got back on the right bus. By now, I was quite familiar with border crossings, but it was nice to have a friendly face looking out for me.

In Nairobi, once again, he made sure I changed to the right bus, and at the next border to Uganda, he again looked out for me.

By the time we arrived in Kampala, we had been travelling together for 30 hours or so and I thanked this kind gentle unassuming man for his help. He then asked me quietly whether I would mind if he could host me for a night. He could show me where the internet was and make sure I got the right dala-dala the next day. There are so many warnings against strangers in our lives, particularly men, when you're female, alone and in Africa. But, at some point you also have to be able to trust your instinct, and my instinct told me Brian was a good guy.

He took me back to his home; a two roomed place with a padlocked toilet cubicle outside. It was lovely. He ironed his shirt on a blanket in his living room and made us porridge in the morning on a little electric hob on the floor. He took me around his neighbourhood, bought me lunch and refused to let me pay for anything. He helped me in every way he could, and when I left the following morning, he thanked me for my company.

Here is a man who lives a modest life, struggles to get by on his taxi wage, but still offers all he has to me; a stranger from a foreign land. He didn't expect or assume anything in return, and I left feeling very warm towards the people of Uganda.

Brian, if you are reading this, thank you! Until next time.