Aug 2006

From Jinja we headed to Lake Bunyoni where we spent the night. Another great campsite with views over the lake and a relaxed atmosphere. My tent buddy, Phillipa (from Scotland) and I have gotten pretty good at putting the tent up and down and already settled into routine like an old married couple with own sides of the tent and all!!

Had a swim in the lake just as a thunder and lightning storm hit which was hysterical and very wet as the rain was bouncing off the water into our faces. Early start the next day to head to Kisoro in the south-western corner of Uganda near the border of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The road was outrageously bad and nobody really enjoyed the 5 hour trip. Nothing much to say about Kisoro, it is a dusty border town and the campsite pretty average (but good hot shower!), however everyone was pretty hyped up as it meant being close to seeing the gorillas. Another early start and we did our border processing and through into DRC. Laughed at the border security – an old tire on the Ugandan side and two bamboo sticks on the DRC side, all aided by a tired looking guard with an ancient gun. Had to walk the no mans land in between.. must say it was the most unique border crossing I’ve ever done!!

As soon as you got into DRC could see that it was much poorer, and funnily enough the Congolese people also looked different, a bit shorter with rounder faces. We crammed into 4WD drive vehicles (9 to a car) and if we thought the roads the previous day were bad, we revised our opinion, as these were potholed beyond belief and we sashayed and side-winded all over the road with complete abandon. While we didn’t feel too safe it was the unfortunate people walking along the road that were really in danger as our driver seemed to completely disregard the fact that they had leapt to safety on the verges… in fact we did actually hit one person with the wing mirror and then we also crashed into a fence post when heading into the national park… not very inspiring!! The worst part was that we had to travel for 3 hours like this… each way… banged my head who knows how many times!! It was definitely a Grade 5 road! Almost forgot that we were in a country with a travel warning out and very fragile peace until we passed 3 UN vehicles, the last of which was carrying a massive gun mounted on the top…

Finally we arrived at Parc National des Virungas and were introduced to our guides and then off up the hill. Voted to go in the medium level group instead of trying to be a mountain goat with the fast and fit among us. In groups of 8 we headed over farmland then into the jungle, where they slashed way through to find the gorilla families. The one our group saw was the biggest with 31 gorillas, including some babies and a giant silverback watching over it all. Got amazingly close and they were very curious and if not for the guides ah-hemming their communication am sure they would have touched us. Quite a humbling experience. Only allowed one hour with them as they are sensitive to human disease and also they don’t like to stress the animals either – the time really flew by and then it was down the jungle path again to the waiting vehicles. Hideous trip back (hit head numerous times again!) and was relieved to get back over the border before dark. Then too late I realized that I had left my Nordic walking poles in the 4WD in the Congo… I was certain that I was going to be singularly responsible for starting the trend of Nordic Walking in the Congo but amazingly I actually got them back as after a huge stuff up two of our group didn’t get to see the gorillas that day and had to go back again the next day, so they rescued them for me.

From Kenya we headed into Uganda and straight to Jinja which is the source of the Nile and one of the best places in the world to go white water rafting. The campsite at Bujagali Falls was great with the best view out over the river. So all keyed up, off we went to get wet and wild on the Nile. Day started innocently enough with instructions on how to paddle and how to swim through the rapids. The first couple of rapids were great – got though a Grade 4 and 5 no problems and then flipped on a Grade 3 called 50/50 (your chances of staying in the boat!). Then we hit a rapid called Total Ganga (madness) and we really lost the plot, flipping right at the start, paddles and people flying and hit the worst area of rapid, affectionately known as the G-Spot, at a good swim drinking a good portion of Nile with it. Was actually really scary and got picked up by one of the safety kayakers a bit further downstream. Must say that most of us were a little subdued after that!! There were quite a few long calm stretches where you almost forgot that you had to do it all again… then the distant roar of the water would fill your ears and your heart with trepidation! However we made it through all the next rapids okay, though the next one only 3 of us managed to stay on the boat which we thought was awesome, as the temptation to pike on the whole adventure was still quite high!! The last rapid you have to walk around a Grade 6 waterfall and then paddle through ‘The Bad Place’ – a lot of people voted not to get back on and walk to the waiting truck, but put on a brave face and did it – holding on very tight I can tell you!! Quite a few people got some bad bumps and bruises from rocks, rafts and paddles but all I had to show for my efforts was a broken fingernail which was almost a little disappointing!! On return to the camp discovered showers had no water hot or cold, so had a bath in Nile (checking for crocs first!) which was fantastic – felt very Africa!! Afterwards had a bbq and all you can drink nite – messy.

Next day we did a volunteer day for an organization called Soft Power Education which helps paint and develop schools throughout the district. Visited a pre-school first where we were literally overwhelmed by children running at us, holding our hands and climbing all over us. So cute - yes, this is from the person who doesn’t really like kids but there is something about the kids here, they really are just so cute you can’t help but like them. They sang us a song and we were required to sing one back – ended up an embarrassingly bad rendition of E-I-E-I-O!! Then we bundled off to the school, greeted by a wave of blue uniforms and proceeded to paint a classroom inside and out. They have no textbooks so they paint maps and textbook stuff on the walls and use that instead. Also the classes have up to 100 children in each – hard to believe. In the afternoon we had the option to go to an opening of a deaf unit at another primary school where the kids would do some entertainment – what a bad idea that was!! The most long-winded speeches whose only interesting feature was the translation of English and Swahili into sign and almost no entertainment from the kids – they got shooed off in favour of more long winded speeches… three hours later… anyway, it was an experience and the unit great idea as children with disabilities here are very often neglected and locked away, seen as useless by society.

Uganda seems a friendlier place somehow than Kenya and all the way, whether by car, foot (actually anywhere, anytime) we are always greeted with cries of mzungu, mzungu (white person) and at times a hand out but mostly friendly waves. The kids get so excited and run after the truck down the road – it is a little like being a celebrity at times. The people in both Kenya and Uganda are really beautiful, in their colourful clothes and graceful movements – quite how they manage to balance stuff (and how much) on their head I will never know. The people here also seem to have a natural dust repellent as always look so clean and well dressed, while we get grubby in about 5 seconds flat.

One of the girls on the truck, Lou had developed a blood clot from the plane so she was resting in Jinja but after several doctors visits it didn’t get any better so she had to go to Kampala and eventually get a flight home – very disappointing as seeing the gorillas was her childhood dream.

Our first stop was the supermarket to get the essentials like loo paper and then we headed to Lake Naivasha a few hours from Nairobi. Quickly learned that the best place to sit in the truck is towards the front as sitting at the back means a lot of bouncing around as we travel over the bumpy roads – it is like a free 4wd adventure thrown in for free… We were given the option of cycling in Hells Gate National Park or going to the Crater Lake by boat and then walking, which everyone opted for however most of us decided that the cost of US$30 was too much when the park entry fee was only a few hundred shillings (less than $3) so mutinied against the options and did it ourselves.. it was great fun gliding past hippos on the boat – they look so benign until they open their mouths. Our boatman ended up being our guide through the park and we saw lots of giraffes (yeah!), zebras, gazelles and impalas. Quite a bizarre feeling wandering around a national park, most you aren’t allowed to walk in (for obvious reasons!) so enjoyed it while we could. After viewing the giraffes and taking loads of photos and one camera (not mine!) dropped in the sand, walked up to the viewpoint to see the crater lake.

In the afternoon we headed down the road to visit the house of Joy Adamson of Born Free Fame and enjoyed a late afternoon tea of cakes and cookies on the lawn overlooking the lake. Our lunch had been pretty basic so were hanging out for the food but first we were all required to watch the movie “The Joy Adamson Story” which we were most unhappy about… and everyone misbehaved like naughty school kids until it was over and we were let lose on the cakes and cream.

The campsite was pretty good, in fact all of them have been far more impressive than I anticipated – most of them kitted out with the essentials such as a bar, a few big friendly dogs and the occasional hot shower (usually warmed up by fire so time it right and you get a hot one!). At this campsite during the night time the hippos come ashore and make an awful racket. Can view them from the right side of the electric fence which was fun. The next campsite was at Eldoret had the most amazing bar that even came with its own fountain!!