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Mount Kilimanjaro
From my flight to Uganda, I got a great view of Kili after missing on on it from Arusha due to the cloud cover.Took a morning flight from Kilimanjaro airport to Nairobi, Kenya and then caught a connection to Entebbe. The one thing on my mind was the Israeli rescue operation years ago in Entebbe. Other than that, I did not know what to expect from this African country...although if it is anything like the others I had visited, I was going to find a mixture of modern living with the poverty one expects in Africa.
Upon landing, I met a lady at the cab stand and, as she was speaking English, we decided to share a cab towards Kampala (which was 20 minutes away). She mentioned a friend of hers rented rooms a house about 2-minutes outside the city and I agreed to check it out. I ended up staying there a few nights (it was in the Machindye section of town).
Kampala did not let my limited expecations down. More than any other place I have been, Africa seems to have the greatest combination of wealthy and poor sections immediately adjacent to each other. One moment you are on a dusty dirt road with wooden shacks for stores...and the next you are on a newly paved road with top-end stores.
Pterodactyls?
Almost..these very large storks patrol the skies above Kampla....I kept waiting to see them snatch up a small child and fly away. It can be a bit confusing.
I had arrived in Uganda on Easter Sunday which was my plan (good day to travel as most things are closed). What I did not plan for was Easter Monday...we do not have this in the States. So, I spent Monday touring around Kampala and getting the lay of the land on the back of a Boda Boda (scooter). Then I spent the afternoon at the American Recreation Association club, an American Embassy-run club that features tennis courts, a pool and other amenities that a white family in Uganda needs to live like they are "back home".
That night, after reading another traveler's blog about watching a movie in Kampala, I set out to see a movie (as I had not seen one in many months). I found Derailed with Jenn Aniston and Clive Owens. Good movie but predictable. The one thing about seeing movies in a theater is that, no matter where you are in the world, you are transported to another place for the duration of the film. The one reminder that I was in Uganda was that the electricty went out a few times but returned within a few
Rafting the Nile
Our courageous group consists of a few Aussie guys, a mother/daughter team from the UK, a Canadian girl and myself. seconds. Since the water level in the nearby lake is low, the turbines at the dam are not producing enough electricity for all of Kampala to have 24/7. Thus, sections get electricity every other day. So is life in Africa.
The next day I made my way to British Airways to set up my next flights (to Morocco). They were extremely unhelpful and said I could not fly to Morocco on any One World airlines... but I did not give up hope. I found a recommend travel agent who told me about flights via London and Madrid that I could use to get to Marrakech, Morocco. Armed with my new information, I swaggered back to British Airways and made them change my tickets to meet this new flight plan. HA!!
The helpful travel agent was Mahrit at GLOBAL INTERLINK in Kampala....I highly recommend him to anyone going to Kampala. In his debt, I signed up with him to see the gorillas in Bwindi (as I was told by a few people that public transport to Bwindi can be unrealiable and play havoc with official gorilla tracking permits).
I spent the rest of the day walking around Kampala
First set of Rapids
Our boat goes nose first into the first rapids...it would eventually flip and toss us all into the raging waters. city. Like many Afican cities, the streets are conjested with mini vans, people and scooters. In addition, there are people selling almost everything on the street (sidewalk stands or just carrying stuff around in their hands).
I spent the next day rafting the Nile River rapids with the Adrift company in the Jinja region of Uganda. The 5+ rapids were rough but only for 30 seconds at a time...good nonetheless.
Upon returning to Kampala, I decided to shack up at the Blue Mango for an evening (the place is highly recommended among travelers). I checked into the Dorm Room and I bump into Daniel Green, a Canadian I had met four months ago on a boat to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. Small world...I surely thought that once I left SE Asia, I would not see anyone I had met there in Africa.....wrong! As for the Blue Mango, the very relaxed retreat within Kampala featured lots of cushioned couches were many of the white local community came to eat and chat. It had the feeling of a the backpackers I had experienced in South Africa.
The next day I left for my 3 day/2 night gorilla tracking
Another Flip
That is me on the boat still with the Guide on the back. adventure in Bwindi National Park located 10 hours drive from Kampala. I had also gotten a case of bed bug bites from the bed at the Blue Mango. Nice! My partner for the trip was a Swiss guy (forgot his name) who works for a NGO helping negotiate trade relations between the EU and 3rd World Countries.
The ride to Bwindi was uneventful except for crossing of the Equator where a local shows how water drains in different directions on each side of the equator. We arrived in Bwindi on time and spent our night at the Mantana Tented Camp (very nice...) and ate with a retired US Force Col. and his wife (when I asked what he had did in the Air Force, he said it was classified). Great.
The next morning we went to the Impenetrable Forest and we were put into three groups to track the mountain gorillas. My group consisted of me and an Aussie couple (we would track the H-group of gorillas)...while the other two groups were 8-people deep. We only had to trek for about 20-minutes when we found the H-group of gorillas eating on a nearby hillside. As the rules stated,
Not This Time...
Even though our guide tried to flip it, I held my position and kept the raft from going over. we were only allowed one hour with the gorillas. But in that brief time, I had one of the more memorable experiences of this journey. To be so close to the human-like beasts....it was amazing...their eyes and their expressions are imprinted on my mind.
In the afternoon, I found a pick-up volleyball game in town (I use the word 'town' loosely as it was only a dirt road) and played two games with the locals during which I taught them how to properly rotate positions, Afterwards, I refereed two more games.
The next day was the 10-hour drive back to Kampala. We stopped for food/bathroom in Mbarara and I set out to explore the small city. Within a few minutes of walking down the main drag I heard singing and followed the voices. I walked up the stairs of a small building and into a room of religious celebration. I was welcomed in and I stood clapping while the singing continued. 10 minutes later the singing ended and I bowed out smiling.
We arrived back in Kampala around 6:30pm and I found Daniel back in the dorm room of the Blue Mango. I of course took another
All Survive
A shot of all the rafters with some local children at the drop out point. bed instead of the "bed bug" one. That night, we caught V for Vandetta at the Garden City Cinema. Good movie.
The following day I departed to Murchinson Falls with the Red Chilli Group (having gotten a recommendation from other travelers at the Blue Mango). The van was full with eight people including a few Canadians and Brits. Once again my "Audio bug" came in handy as we all sang to one-hit wonders as we toured the Ugandan countryside on our 4-hour journey to Murchinson. Upon arriving at the falls, we took a short hike to see the falls from different spots. I spent the night in a tent while eveyone else upgraded to nicer accomodations.
The following morning, while the others went on a game drive (I had enough animal sighting drives for a while), I sat and spoke with two Ugandans who worked for relief organizations. They were very happy with the work they were doing but were simultaneously frustrated with the red-tape and corruption in their government. After all the discussions I've had with volunteers and aid workers in both Asia and Africa, I find it mind-boggling how difficult a time they have with the
Equator
I pose at the equator on the way to Bwindi. local authorities. These volunteers have my utmost respect for the work they do and the patience they possess.
In the afternoon, the group went on a boat ride up the Nile. Crocks, hippos and various birds were the sights to be seen as well as a river-view spotting of the falls. The following morning (really early), the group departed in darkness to a nearby national park to go chimpanzee tracking. We walked through the forest for about an hour before finding the elusive creatures frolicking overhead. Unfortunately I was unable to capture a good photo of the shy anthropoid apes but I got a few good glimpses through the branches.
It was back to Kampala for one more night at the Blue Mango before I caught my flight the following morning to Morocco (via London and Madrid). That evening, the Canadians at the Blue Mango were all abuzz as Michael "Pinball" Clemens, the hall-of-fame Toronto Argonauts football player and now coach, was in Kampala for his work with World Vision. I shook hands with the Tiki Barber-esque built man and said "it is a pleasure to meet you but I don't know who you are as I am
Did You Know?
A local makes money by demonstrating how water moves differently in a bowl on the each side of the equator. from the United States." He laughed and said "well, it is nice to meet you anyway."
Well, it's off to merry England for a day of 'civilization' before getting to the exotic scene of Morocco.
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airy cleere(irish)
non-member comment
hey
ur pics look amazing, sounds like ur having a ball. im over in argentina now, heading to brazil soon. take care and watch out for those bed bugs!!