Independence Hall

The other day I toured Independence Hall, the birth place of "These United States of America. It's the historic site where delegates from all of 13 colonies (of America) met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State house to create the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

The site was flooded with a constant flow of tourists, my group consisted of about 35 people. Before we could start ogling around we were given a brief run down of the events that took place here.

As the tour guide wrapped up he asked from where we had travelled- Ohio, Denver, Colorado e.t.c, when I said Uganda I nearly got a standing ovation. They probably thought I had come all the way just for this, I simply basked in their amazement.

As usual I was with my buddy Mich who was quite at home moving around probably wondering why people were walking in and out of rooms.

Our first stop the “Congress Hall”.



Then Mich tells me he needs to go to the rest room, there couldn't have been worse timing. I started looking around to see where we could go, then I saw an officer at the door and asked him, to my horror he said there was none in the building, he then went on to explain how if we went out we couldn't come back in until the next group was due, like in another 45 minutes.

I’m thinking that will not work.

He very slowly describes directions to the nearest conveniences, by this time Mich is wriggling and saying he has to go but the dude is not letting us out. Then he motions me take a look at a room, so I’m thinking okay, may be there is a loo in here, well there wasn’t, he was showing me the Supreme Court Chamber, aaaahhhh!!!!!
The details of what transpired after that are for another day.

But what sent chills down my spine is the manner with which this building and it's artifacts were held so much reverence.

The table clothes, the pens, the books, the furniture, the guns all intact and made to appear as though the guys had just walked out for a break from signing the constitution. That takes some serious patriotism. My dear Ugandans can we even try to fathom this?

After that we went to see the Liberty bell which is an International symbol of freedom, it hung in the State House in 1753 and summoned the Pennsylvania Assembly to debate the Stamp Act and other burdensome actions by the British Parliament.

All this history and preservation of sites has a very powerful effect on me.

I get emotional.