An Adventure in Africa

Passing by a coffee bean tree and boys carrying grass on the way down

Popping in to see the local stone supplier and we observe some men digging a space for a septic tank.  This begs the question “how many men does it take to dig a hole?” Answer: “three to dig and ten to watch”.    That’s what happens with such a high rate of unemployment around here.

Back at camp and the gravel’s arriving.  Once more a couple of guys offload the truck but about eight have come along for the ride.

John’s teaching us a bit of Ugandan traditions, explaining that there are currently two Kingdoms: Buganda and Bunyoro.  Ankoli was once a kingdom too but must await presidential blessing before being reinstated.

Once more we dine at Kingfisher lodge and order tilapia – a whole fish arrives on our plates.  It’s quite delicious and very different from the fillets of tilapia we are used to.

16 November

We’re venturing into the hills behind the camp.  First stop Ishaka where we try to change cash.  Credit cards are virtually unheard of over here.   No luck so it’s on to the next town.  Agy disappears into the bank.  After half an hour he emerges chuckling and clutching a plastic bag full of coins, each one worth about 30p.  Well, at least he got some money.

We’re now buying plants for the camp.  The nursery is a little like those in Europe but with fewer plants.  In fact we buy a collection in an old margarine pot that contains about four different varieties – no idea what they are but it will be fun to see whether they work.

Feeling quite adventurous so we’re in search of some hot springs we’ve heard of. It’s actually quite easy to find them on these wonderful Ugandan roads.  In fact when John asked one of the locals for directions he replied in Lunyankoli “nihihi” – meaning, logically, “near here” but sounding like your tittering at the same time, made me smile.

As we arrive at the springs we’re accosted by what can only be described as a rather eccentric individual.  He seems to be our self-appointed guide so the mad “professor” leads me by the hand to this magical place.  Now, I think this is a sight rarely seen by westerners.  It’s quite a secluded area with several natural hot pools and the most surprising aspect is that it is full of African men and women bathing either naked or semi-naked.  Obviously we’re not allowed to photograph these people but we could take a snap of our “professor” and the official guide who until now has hardly managed to get a word in edgewise.

The official guide accompanies Agy and politely explains that this individual is barking mad – oh really, remarks Agy.  Meanwhile, returning to the vehicle with my new best friend (why does it always happen to me) who is apparently a close friend of the President.  He introduces me to the local juju (witchcraft) lady and offers me a stone to take away my troubles: “don’t have any”, I hastily reply, moving on as quickly as I can.  After promising to give our best regards to the President of Belgium, we depart, laughing and marvelling at such a surreal experience.

On the road home we drive through rain forest and it’s amazing seeing it in action, watching the trees transpire as the moisture rises to form clouds and create rainfall.

Back to sanity and we drop in to see the local carpenter, what a wonderful gentleman.  He’s a retired police officer and someone with whom Agy immediately strikes a rapport.

After a busy morning, we retire to the Kingfisher Lodge for an afternoon of relaxation or drinking beer if you happen to be called Agy.

17 November

Are you awake?  I forgot to tell you that we need to be up at 5.30 because we’re going on safari – yeah!

Wow, what a start – there are two sets of eyes showing up in our headlights and we haven’t arrived in the park yet.  Matthew, our new guide, says they may be hyena.  As we draw up alongside we realise that they’re actually two male lions.  Unfortunately it’s all happened so quickly that we haven’t en had time to get the camera gear ready.

We’re now in Queen Elizabeth Park – so-named following a visit to the park by the Queen in 1954, two years after opening. It had been originally been known as Kazinga Park after the channel linking Lake George to Lake Edward.   Our camp overlooks all of this, how lucky is that.  Queen Elizabeth Park is beautiful and hosts 611 bird varieties (bliss).  Agy’s also dancing as the Park is also home to 35,000 Ugandan Kob, an antelope we’ve never seen before, tree climbing lions and chimpanzees.  It’s possible to go chimp trekking but unfortunately, being the rainy season, not recommended at the moment, along with the trip to the tree-climbing lions as the roads are a bit dodgy over there at the moment.  Never mind, there’s always next time.

Matthew’s now taking us to find some more lions.  Oh, there they are, you can just see their ears twitching in the long grass.

There appear to be a couple of females.

After a most enjoyable couple of hours we stop for a coffee to Queens Pavilion.  Originally visited by HRH in 1954 and today modern information centre.

It’s a lovely spot but as we arrive the rain begins and oh does it rain.  It is the season I suppose.  We’re stuck here for a couple of hours but the time soon passes as we chat away to the local people and Matthew tells us a bit about his life in Northern Uganda.

The long-running bloody war with the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) is now over – a terrible conflict where thousands were massacred by a madman now in hiding in Congo.  As the region recovers he hopes to make a business from honey produced in the fertile forests of the region.

The rain’s stopped, it’s almost lunchtime so we venture over toward Mweya Safari Lodge.  Just as we enter the main gate of the Park we run into treasure:

A giant forest hog.  They’re usually nocturnal so perhaps the rain has coaxed it out of its slumber.

Wow, the lodge is beautiful and fit for a king (or Queen).  After lunch we take a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel.  It’s gorgeous here and the boat ride amazing.  We just don’t know where to look first.  Shall we watch the hippo (of which there are 3000) enjoying their daily soak, or maybe the crocodile sunning themselves on the banks? 

Sorry, forgot to mention the buffalo – he looks a bit miffed

Naah, let’s look at the birdies. 

Black-headed Gonolek; African Spoonbill; all sorts: saddle-backed stork, African Darter, pink backed pelicans and a couple of gulls thrown in.

We pass a fishing village with lots of hustle and bustle as the people prepare for their night’s work.  It’s amusing to see the buffalo grazing amongst the houses as though they were cows.

Across there on Lake Edward you can see the Congolese Virunga mountain range.  Lake Edward straddles Uganda and the DRC.

Back on dry land now and leaving the park so we make the short journey back to Kingfisher Lodge to watch the sunset over the Rwenzori – oh look, snow.

We’re absolutely exhausted and can’t wait to roll into our ready salted sleeping bags – up early again in the morning for more of the same.

18 November

5.30 and up we get.  It’s a beautiful morning with a wonderful sunrise and the bush is the best place to be.  We go over to the mating ground – needs no explanation as to why.  We notice that the Uganda Kob are standing very still and alert.

This signifies predators and, sure enough, there they are within a few metres of their prey …

There are plenty of elephants here too (some are very, very big).

Time to leave for breakfast and we return to the camp for a hearty meal of eggs, beans and chapattis – Agy’s eaten so many chapattis lately that he’s beginning to look a bit like one (round and doughy).

Yes, I’m talking to you.

I think it’s time I did a bit of exercise as I’m starting to go chapatti-shaped myself.  Sam, who works at the camp, and I are planting the flowers we bought the other day.  With a few spare rocks we soon have them looking very pretty and I must confess that Sam did most of the hard wok and design.

As a reward for all the hard work I treat him to a basic lesson in rugby.  As he’s a great footballer he finds it a bid hard at first to get his head around handling a strange-shaped ball and passing it backwards but he’s doing very well.  We’ll need him tomorrow as we hope to teach a few of the local kids the sport.

We meander up to Kingfisher and the weather’s quite wet and cool so spend the rest of the day chatting over African tea (chai).  I know I’ve said this before but the wonderful thing about Africa is the time you have to be spontaneous and just sit and talk if you fell like it without worrying that you should be doing something else – people have time for each other and that’s what really matters.  I’ll also let you into a secret.  We’ve made a definite commitment to become involved with this camp and this project, it’s so exciting.  Let’s see together where it will lead us.

19 November

It’s time to don the old school uniform as we’re visiting the local primary school.  As if by magic the headmaster appears and we dutifully follow (well you must always obey your teacher).  We enter his tiny office and he tells us a bit about the school.  It has 500 pupils, 12 teachers and is government-funded.  Children of both Muslim and Christian persuasions attend.  He takes us to the first class (primary 6).  Primary 7 would normally be here but they have just completed their national exams so no longer attend.  P6 seem pleased to see us, especially when Agy introduces them to the game of Jenga.

We pass from class to class and the younger the students, the large the class size.  Average number of pupils is a staggering 70, fortunately they’re well disciplined.

In fact, Uganda has always been at the forefront of AIDS awareness and never shirked its responsibility in conveying, often culturally embarrassing, information to its citizens.  According to the newspapers Ugandan life expectancy is now 50 years, as compared to 43 in 2001.  Much of this is due to effective campaigning and education.

We return to the camp, promising to return later this afternoon to give the students a rugby lesson.

Over to the football field, accompanied by a band of kids, each firing questions at us like “agandi” (how are you in lunyankoli), “habari” (same thing in Kiswahili) “how are you” (English, obviously) or “how is your Queen”, “do you have babies”, “can we have a sing song”.   The football field – mmm yes – not quite like Man U.  It contains two goal posts, three goats, two cows (complete with poo) and several dozen kids.  It dips in the middle and has never seen a lawn mower although the goats do their best.

We split into two groups.  Agy and Sam take the boys and I have the girls, mostly.  We begin by throwing the ball to each other in a circle, shouting out our names.  Time comes to split into two teams.  One bright spark asks if we can have girls against boys “I don’t think so as there are about 50 of you and 5 of them.”  So, after having roughly organised team A and team B and made try lines out of a school bag and a piece of plastic, off we go.  I had no idea girls were so competitive – as soon as someone gets he ball a fight breaks out.  “Hold it, hold it – this is touch rugby, not contact.  Let’s start again.”  So off we go again – have to stop the violence one more and privately think that these girls could give the big boys a run for their money, they’re so fast.

Finally, the bell rings and they have to go back to class.  What a relief, think neither my voice nor my legs could have lasted much longer.

It’s our final dinner at Kingfisher Lodge as, alas, this is our last evening in Kyambura.