Roadtrip Uganda - Part 3
Lake Bunyonyi Today we drive to Lake Bunyonyi, a 200km drive.
Lake Bunyonyi is located in the southwest of Uganda between Kisoro and Kabale and is close to the Ugandan border. The lake is 46 km2 and there are 29 islands in the lake, some of which have a rich history.
As the surroundings are very photogenic, we stop several times along the way. Whether it is the landscape, the people or the wildlife, it is all equally beautiful!
From Sanga to Kabale, we drive on a paved road. Before Sanga and after Kabale, the roads are unpaved. The journey goes smoothly until we are stopped by the traffic police with a large laser gun in his hand. He looks very stern and comes across as very domineering. It turns out we have driven 56 km while 50 km is allowed. Just before, we had overtaken a moped and pressed the accelerator for a moment. Pure bad luck because we are always alert to speed. The car rental agent warned us as many as 10 times that we should watch our speed because there are many speed checks. The adamant policeman told us that we will be fined 200,000 Shillings (about 50 euros). We had to ride with him to the bank in Kabale to pay the fine as they do not accept cash. At first, our charms did not convince him and we were not spared the ride to the bank.
With a dose more charm and humour, we managed to get him to see it through. Here, we make the gesture with the fingers in front of the face. The officer has a huge laugh at this and then makes all sorts of hand and finger gestures in front of his face. With fingers spread out in front of his face, the officer tells us that we are being given a warning and that we are allowed to drive on. Pfffffffffffff..... though, in return, we still have to look at the list of the different types of offences with the amount of the fines mentioned.
After Kabale, we still have 10 km up the mountain on a dirt track to the hotel we picked at random. On the way, we encounter many stone quarries. Men, women and children cut rocks into grit here. Very hard and unhealthy work. Very intense to see. But despite this work, the people are friendly and approachable and open for a chat.
We check in at the Lake Bunyonyi View Hotel. It is a beautiful hotel on a cliff with a stunning view of Lake Bunyonyi. We can take a nice hot shower and update our social contacts now that we have internet access. Uganda is very beautiful and very surprising. Just top!!!!!!!
Today we will explore the surroundings of Lake Bunyoni. This time by footpath. Less than five metres outside the hotel gate, we are already surrounded by children. Apparently, we are as special as we find them. In the end, three cute males remain. They all turn out to be orphans. That does get to your heart. Later, we are joined by a teacher who teaches orphans in the village.
When we are almost back at the hotel, the children ask if we would please admire their handiwork at their "auntie" on top of the mountain. We agree!!! Gee, what a climb! "Auntie" takes us inside her cottage and proudly shows us the handicrafts she makes with the children. It was very cosy and of course we bought something. Then follows our climb down.
In the afternoon, we walk to a viewpoint. Another tough climb!!! Actually a bit of a hardship but it is a good warm-up for our muscles for the Gorilla trek. All the effort is rewarded. The view is really beautiful. We can see several islands in the lake. These include the leprosy island and the island where unmarried pregnant women were exiled to.
On the way back, we pass an orphanage. The orphanage belongs to Helping Hands. Our hotel is also affiliated to it. The owner of the hotel is the major sponsor of the orphanage. We get a full tour and then we are treated to a performance by the students left behind during the holidays. These children have no parents and no one to turn to. Very sad and poignant. The conditions these children stay in also do not deserve any beauty prize. Perhaps the children are happy with this place in the world but in fact it is degrading! We then take a scenic route back to the hotel. Another fantastic, if impressive, day. You become aware once again how good we have it and that fortunately our cradle was in the right place.
Kisiizi The next stop on our programme is the waterfalls of Kisiizi. We drive via Kabale to refuel, do some shopping and withdraw money. Everything is in one shopping street so that is quickly arranged. We are attracted by a coffee advertisement at Café Bea. We can't resist the temptation and go and try a cup of coffee with a croissant to go with it. The advertisement did not lie. Both the coffee and the croissant are delicious!!! We sit outside on the balustrade, first floor, and the sun shines mercilessly. So that's full enjoyment.
However, the sun is short-lived. On the way to Kisiizi, the weather completely turns and we have heavy downpours. Around 3pm, we arrive in Kisiizi. A small authentic village. A long street with small wooden houses and the most important thing about this place is a hospital with a training centre for nurses.
There is no campsite in Kisiizi so we decide to move into a guesthouse. We are assigned a large but austere room in Hanna's house. It is fresh and clean. Hanna is married to a Ugandan doctor, the director of the hospital in the village. Hanna herself is an obstetrician.
The waterfalls of Kiziisi are nice to have seen but not very spectacular. However, the history of the waterfall is poignant. Pregnant unmarried girls used to be thrown from the waterfall. A monument at the waterfall makes us pause to remember this terrible time.
Although we came for the falls, Kisiizi is a very nice village, very authentic, accessible residents and very nice to be in.
