Crossing the equator and breaking down on our way back to Kampala

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Uganda day 9
Crossing the equator and breaking down on the way back to Kampala

Zedius was up early today and even joined us before we’d finished breakfast. Mind you, breakfast was more leisurely than it should have been. We’d said we were leaving at 8 but some things hadn’t arrived by then but, as always, things are a bit more relaxed here. Mind you we did have a 9-10 hour drive ahead of us. And it did turn out to be 10 despite all that follows….
We said goodbye to the very helpful and friendly staff (leaving a tip too of course) and then drove a few miles to a petrol station where we also said goodbye to Didan. We said we hoped to come back one day to stay in the lodge and see how the tree we planted is getting along.
Whether we got special treatment or not with the private gorilla tour and tree planting, I don’t know. It could have been to do with him seeing Claire’s camera and gadgets at the start and he wants some pictures to use, which is fine!
Thankfully the rude South African woman had left. Did I not mention her? Let’s call her a peckerhead for starters. She had to be up at 5 this morning and, instead of asking someone nicely, she said ‘are you going to wake me up?’ First off, set an alarm, second, have some manners, third, wake up a lot quicker when someone knocks on your door (she was next door) and finally, calling someone ‘dear’ when they (Claire) offer you cake didn’t go down well at all.
And let’s not even start on the other guy who stayed last night…….
On to Kampala…..
Driving in Africa is always, hmmm, let’s call it interesting and Uganda is no exception. Overtaking and driving very close to whoever or whatever you are overtaking is normal. You must weave in and out and just go whenever because waiting for a gap is a sign of weakness; just go. Something coming? Meh. Need to park on the opposite side of the road, just flash your headlights because people will know you’re going to do something….different. Drive without being on the phone? Madness. I’m not sure I’d like to do it myself but I’m sure I’d get used to it….eventually…. Use the motto ‘expect the unexpected’ and you’ll be fine.
The main form of transport here are mutatus of course which are minibuses that tear-arse along, stopping whenever someone hails them and packing people in. There are boda-bodas which are motorcycle taxis who can carry up to 3 people if one is a small child. A lot of people have motorbikes and they speed down hills with their engines switched off to save fuel. In every town there are always groups of disaffected-looking youths just sitting around on them just glaring at all and sundry.
A lot of the mutatus and lorries have colourful religious messages painted on them as Uganda is a very Christian country. A lot of what we were told yesterday is far from what Christianity is supposed to be though. There are a few full size buses but not many, a few people have cars and also not many and then there are tourist vehicles, which stand out a mile. Kids at the side of tne road can spot us a mile off….unless tney really do just stand tnere all day….
On the way we stopped off to take some quick photos of a large group of maribou storks that were just standing at the side of the road. A few of them spread their wings to show off. Which was nice. Then we stopped by some long-horned cattle, then by some crested cranes, then we broke down.
Yes we’re back in our usual vehicle….
Zed was pointing out gates to a national park and tellingus about the park but then drove past the gate that we think he was intending to drive in. He then decided to turn around on a main road and stalled the engine, meaning we were blocking the main road. He rolled backwards and ended up at a bad angle on an incline so we got out sharpish.
There was a lot of head-scratching going on and we had gained some observers. I saw a woman throw a stone at a child who didn’t seem to be doing anything wrong and that whole group just stared the whole time. They weren’t the only ones. People came ambling along, some offered advice, one went to get a rope and Mr Yellow T-shirt just came to be useless.
We tried to push the car of the ditch with Claire in the driver’s seat but it started rolling backwards and I had to run out of the way before I got flattened. The car was straighter now but leaning pretty badly. Mr Yellow T-shirt watched on.
Then one, then about four tourist vehicles stopped and Mr Whitey got out of one of them looking like he could help but he sparked a cigarette up instead.
I’ve no idea what language the whiteys were speaking but they did crack some jokes in English. Mr Yellow T-shirt still watched, Mr Whitey smoked on. A rope was found and, after quadrupling it, it was attached to one of the other jeeps and ours but it wouldn’t pull our car out. So now two jeeps tried at the same time, one with a metal tow thing already on it-not sure why that wasn’t used first but hey-ho.
After Mr Whitey had shouted at Zed and got him to straighten up his front wheels, our car was eventually on the road again. And not at an angle either. Some of us tried to bump-start the car but it didn’t work. Mr Yellow T-shirt still watched on.
Then they decided to reverse a jeep behind ours and push it, spare tyre to spare tyre, and try and get it started that way. And it worked! We jumped in so quickly that I didn’t have time to thank Mr Yellow T-shirt. Zed was sorry that we had to miss out a small drive through that park but we needed to get on and obviously not break down in a national park….again…. There was nothing in there that we hadn’t been lucky enough to see before so on we went.
We were thinking that this was maybe the first time this had happened but Zed said he once had to leave clients somewhere and go and get another car. At least we were moving….eventually….
But for how long?
We were supposed to be stopping for lunch a way before the equator but aparently there was nowhere to park that would enable us to bump-start the car. So on we went.
At the equator there was a restaurant with tourist vehicles outside and the jeeps that had towed us earler were there too. The car stalled as Zed was reversing it and he just left it a jaunty angle while we went in and ate. The food was good and the toilets clean, always a bonus.
Not good enough for one lady though who was shown to a table upstairs, that had a roof I should point out, and said it was too hot. Too hot!?!? You’re at the equator numbnuts, what do you expect??
There were a number of shops before we reached the equator sign and I finally managed to get a carved gorilla mask for my collection. There were no thimbles though , sorry Mum!
We stood very impatiently while some selfish tourists took about 1000 photos at the equator sign….does rolling your sleeves up really warrant yet another picture!? But then Zed pointed out there was another sign across the road, so across we trooped. There should be a picture included, but basically it’s a circular thingymabob with N & S marked on it. We had crossed the eauqtor on the way down but at quite a boring place which just had a small wooden sign. We took pictures of course but eschewed different ones with slightly altered clothing.
When we had come out of the restaurant our car was running as some people had helped Zed bump-start it. Zed didn’t seem concerned that it was left running and unwatched for most of that time. It’s not like we had most of our stuff in tnere or anything…. All was fine though and off we set for the final leg back to Kampala.
Kampala is hectic and it became even more important to peep your horn as you drove. Lots of traffic and a warning from Zed to close our windows so someone didn’t snatch our phones through them. At junctions there would be people selling you all manner of things, usually food but some things that looked like small toy drums. You could pretty much do all your shopping here without getting out of your car as we’d passed many stalls selling sweet potatoes, tomatoes, various fruits etc, most of them wonderfully balanced. As we passed near Lake Victoria there were people waving freshly caught and dried fish at us for those of you who eat dead things.
So then we’re in a busy queue of traffic in the mdiddle of rush hour in Kampala, in the middle lane facing uphill.
So obviously the car breaks down.
Zed says he doesn’t need us to push and somehow manages to clear a path behind us to try and do a bump-start. After a while he engages someone to push and he does get it going until we reach our accommodation. In the middle of a small car park.
He insisted we should check in and we found ourselves in quite a posh place with a really nice room. It even has a fridge! And a pool! The latter was closing soon so we went and sat in the outside restaurant after Claire had finished messing about with some kittens. I saw a baboon on the roof so there are some interesting animals here too.
Tomorrow Zed will hopefully make it back to pick us up at 7:30 but we shall see! Either way we have another lie in, this time till 6. Happy days.

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