Cranes and heavy containers

Getting the container from Amersfoort to Kampala took us 2.5 month. We have heard many bad stories to get it through customs but managed to do this in a couple of days. Getting the container to be placed next to our house, seemed to be more difficult. The transporter is suddenly being difficult about placing the container on the ground, so we look for a crane in Fort Portal. After 3 days we have found a man who says he can place the container, if it is empty. We get a transporter to bring then container to Fort Portal and arrange some help to unload. The truck with container went to the lunchroom to be. While our caretaker was preparing lunch for the helpers and the truck drivers, Michel tried to find the guy, who was suppose to take the container of the truck. After literally following the bulldozer with the man, it turned out that the proposed solution was not possible. In three days time he would make time, but would place it without a crane. Michel had only to make a special talus en get some poles. (The cheapest solution for this was to just cut a tree). In the meantime the truckdrivers needed to head back to Kampala. The truck luckily had a small crane so he could unload it just on the side of the truck, everybody thought…. It turned out that the container was too heavy. With a lot of patience it took the drivers one and a half hour to put it down by tilting it to it’s back and then move the truck centimeter for centimeter. A weak heart is not recommended for this method.




The next move a couple of days later looked even worse. A bulldozer scoped the container placed it on a special prepared driveway. For 15 meters the container was pulled by a winch rolling on 4 logs. The pictures tell the story.

Boxes and more boxes

The container has arrived, after problems with the work permit, we had some problems with the transporter, which is a weblog story on its own. But finally the container arrived in front of our rental house; not really in front, more against the gate of the house. Damage of one bag of cement... Because the crane was not strong enough to unload a full container, we unloaded it on top of the truck. We had arranged a couple of people to help us. Every item had a sticker and every room had a label. What can go wrong?

Unbelievable, while opening the container, it looked exactly the same as when we closed it. No items where moved, so far nothing is broken. We only have some water damage, since the container roof was hit by large object probably a hook of a big chain. After two hours with 8 people the container was unloaded. some items were placed in the garden, most rooms including the garage were unreachable because of the number of boxes and items laying all around. Michel went off to our house on Mugurusi road, the place where the container needed to be offloaded. Heleen stayed behind to create some order in the house. Boxes labelled kitchen turn up in the master bedroom and so on. But still one week later we have too many items, too little cupboards and continuously essential screws missing to put things together.


To put as many items in the container as possible everything was taken apart. Even the legs of the sofa’s were taken off. This means a challenge when putting things together. The legs of the sofa’s were separated in three different boxes. The screws for the television cupboard only showed up in one of the boxes after a week unpacking. Now, after a week of unpacking the house is liveable. The kitchen and living room do not contain anyboxes. All the other rooms still have.

But the pleasure of sitting on a sofa, specific your own sofa, drinking espresso, having good kitchen tools is unbeatable. The biggest joy is too see Couda, the oldest dog to wag her tail fanatically, when she discovers her eating bowl somewhere between the boxes and the first week playing with a different toy every day.