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Published: September 23rd 2009
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31st July Monday DAY 10 NKURINGO to LAKE BUNYONYI
Left Nkuringo around 9am to head back down the winding mountainous bumpy road. We saw the crested crane in some paddocks, the national bird of Uganda. Once back with the truck Chobe I washed all the dishes that we took with us and cleaned out all the food crates. Cat and I then went for a refreshing swim in the lake, which was cold and it was hard not to scream as our feet touched the slimy lake floor. We had a little bitch about the lazy people of the tour, then sunbaked for a while. We even saw some sea otters in the water. We had a buffet dinner again and Dave came to sit with us later. He had yet another girly moment when he got scared by a bug, then almost swallowed one. I was last one to bed and I talked pretty loudly about some of my travel experiences (I think other people may have heard; I really need to learn the art of whispering!)
1st August Tuesday DAY 11 LAKE BUNYONYI to KAMPALA
Left Kampala early (do you see a trend here?) and had a fair
amount of traffic. We again crossed over the equator, this time we got a nice water trick when we stopped. The water in the north swirling clockwise, in the south, anticlockwise and on the border the water went straight down. Also if you stand on the equator your apparently 3% lighter!
We headed to a shopping centre to stock up on supplies. As I still owe local payment (still having card issues) Helen asked me to get out some Ugandan Shillings for her. I tried all of the banks and none of them took my card, so I had to go back to Helen cashless. She cracked the shits and said “well we can’t eat dinner now” making me feel like shit and mad at her for her comment.
We get to Red Chilli Hideaway Camping Ground, set up camp and I am on cooking again tonight
Injury no 4: Cut my nail whilst peeling potatoes. Idiot!
Some of the group decided they wanted to go out tonight into Kampala. At first I didn’t really want to go but Cat said she was going and kinda convinced me join her, Dave, Oli and Paul. We cabbed it
to Al’s Bar, with the driver recommending Capital on the way. We head in; getting checked for weapons and inside there is no roof, but also no crowd. The bar tender tells us it will pick up at 12. So we play a few games of pool, I recommend some songs from their huge collection, classics like John Farnham and INXS. When it reached 12 with still no crowd we walked down the road to Capital. It was much better and the music was pumping. Whilst getting a drink there was a preying mantis on the straws so I gave him a little pat. The boys started to get harassed by the girls and so I took it upon myself to look after them saying to all the girls that they were my boyfriends. The boys thanked me as some of these girls were quite scary and full on. I got to dance on the table and Paul had to literally drag me out when it was time to go, as usual I wasn't ready. Back at camp I literally sat on Robin by accident when I got into the tent. It was 4am and apparently I laughed for about
2 minutes then instantly started to snore, sorry Robin!
2nd August Wednesday DAY 12 KAMPALA
Woke up feeling very hot and hung over in the tent, couldn’t sleep anymore so I headed into town with Robin and Cat. We caught a Matatu (their buses which are really just a van with extra seats (14) to fit as many people in as possible) in but we had to wait for one that had 3 seats for us. The guy sits in the back at the sliding door, letting you in or out and also hangs out the door yelling out to people where the bus is going. The streets are packed with them. I managed to get some money out at Barclays (thank you), we go on the net, walk for a bit, and pass a newspaper stand with the headlines “Kampala Bomb Alert” (What the?) I am feeling very hung over and sorry for myself so I leave the guys who are going to a market to head back to camp. I see a Matatu and head over to it asking if he went to Red Chilli, the guy says yes so I get in. After making our way
through the city, going on the same route we did coming in, I notice something different, but I decided not to say anything thinking we were just going a different way. After some kids get on and sit behind me and play with my hair I check my watch and think I must have gone too far and I ask the driver. After trying to explain Red Chilli they figure out what I mean and I am on the wrong bus. I end up getting off with a guy who ends up trying to help me. I cross to the other side of the road with him and there is a Matatu waiting, but the guy trys to get me to go down another street. I thank him for his help but this Matatu is heading back into town so I get on it. While in the Matatu I hear people behind me talking English and they know about Red Chilli and draw me a map and write it out on some paper to help me out. I change Matatu’s and before it takes off it stalls, and they have to push start it with all of us in it
hihihi! I make it back eventually and do some washing, with the water turning brown instantly! A chilled out night and Robin and I checked our emails and Nina and Steve’s travel blog to find that they are having a ball and also engaged. Oh my gosh!!! I couldn’t believe it, I was sooo happy for them and a little shocked, but in a good way; and they're in Mongolia, how awesome.
UGANDAN BEER: Nile Special ***½. Club *** Bell ***½
3rd August Thursday DAY 13 UGANDA, KAMPALA to KENYA, ELDORET
A crappy rainy day so lots of reading was done. At lunch the ground was all muddy so everyone put shoes on but me, keeping to my thongs. We had another border crossing, heading back to Kenya and we again had locals trying to sell us things like soda yelling “lunchtime announcement, soft drink, new flavours, old flavours, for a book, end of announcement”. Robin was also offered 100 cows. I was feeling very irritable in the heat and I noticed that I actually had a rash on my left ankle. It was unlike any rash I had ever seen and really big. We were back at
Bananamobile
Copyright Robin Eldoret and Robin decided to upgrade into a dorm, however I was here to camp so I stuck with the tent and Bron shared with me to save her putting up her tent. Not much else happened today…
Book 2: Born Free (few tears shed, and a perfect time to read it)
Injury No 5: Rash on left ankle
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