Roadtrip Uganda - Part 9
Mount Elgon National Park – Sipi Sipi is the next stop. Located in eastern Uganda in Kapchorwa district, Sipi is known for its waterfalls and stunning scenery and is on the edge of Mount Elgon National Park near the Kenyan border. A trip of 350 km but fortunately all tarmac. After all the bumping to, in and on the way back from Kidepo, this is a relief.
Late in the afternoon we arrive in Sipi and find a nice campsite at The Crow's Nest. A beautiful campsite with a truly fantastic view of the Sipi Falls. With that we arrive, it starts thundering. We immediately decide to pitch the tent and we have only just arrived at the restaurant when it starts raining heavily. But we sit dry with a nice Nile beer and a snack "Bowl of Salsa" + Crisps.
Today we will go on a hike with local guide Patrick. We will go on a trek to the four waterfalls of Sipi. Patrick talks easily and explains everything about the area, the trees, plants, animals and about male circumcision at an age between 18 and 25. A circumcision involves a big celebration. The circumcision is without anaesthetic and is done in groups. I hate to think about it and am glad I don't have to undergo this ritual.
During the walk, we spotted several chameleons. Really fantastic, what a cute endearing creatures these are. We only saw females. The waterfalls and surroundings are stunning and impressive. After 5.5 hours of walking (16 km up and down mountain), we returned to the campsite. But it was definitely worth it!!!!!!
After lunch, we decide to do another search for male chameleons. Besides, we still have to give a local $40 worth of Shillings (150,000). During the walk, we were accosted by and person who wanted to change dollars. We didn't feel like pulling out our wallets there and indicated that we should get the money. We were simply given the $40 confidently. Still extraordinary when you know that the average income is $300 a year. What a confidence!
Our mission to find a male chameleon succeeds. After some detective work and help from some locals, we find a male. Super cool and mission accomplished.
Kampala The morning begins with some stunt work. To get from the lower campsite, we have to go backwards up the mountain as we can't take the turns forward. On to Kampala the capital of Uganda. Kampala has over two million inhabitants and is the largest city in the country. The city is located 1189 metres above sea level, close to Lake Victoria. Kampala is Uganda's economic and administrative centre.
The drive is 275 km and all paved road so that will be easy. We estimate about a 4-hour drive. But as usual, Africa is full of surprises. Either you have to drive slowly because we are driving through a village. Here, by the way, we have no choice as they have built speed bumps everywhere. Some are up to half a metre high. Really ridiculous. But it certainly slows the traffic down! Either the road is being worked on, or the verge is being mowed, or there is a police check, or cows are crossing, or the traffic is simply jammed. After about an hour of driving, we are stopped by a traffic policeman in his nice white suit. We both thought, shit have we been speeding? But the officer starts a pleasant chat about where we are from and what we have done in Uganda and what we think of Uganda, and especially whether the car is ours. This interesting conversation took at least twenty minutes. Eventually he asks for our number because he would like to whatsap with us. That is no problem at all.
After 5.5 hours of driving we arrive at Kampala. We now think we will reach our destination quickly however all the traffic is wall jammed. Moreover, there are hundreds of thousands of mopeds and motorbikes. It's like an anthill. But we quickly adapt to Kampala traffic. We pop the car between other cars when necessary, wave when we want to get in between something and split moped streams in half!!! When we almost reach our hotel after more than two hours, the road is closed. Turn again, puzzle a bit and try again. At half past four, we finally reach the hotel. Tired but satisfied, we sit down to a delicious dinner overlooking a beautifully lit Kampala. Very beautiful!!
Today we will explore Kampala. The plan is first to visit the Namirimbe Cathedral, the Kasubi Royal Tombs, the Buganda Kingdom Palace, the Craft Market and if we still have time to go to the National museum.
At Namirimbe Cathedral, however, we hear that the Kasubi Tombs are currently being restored and the tomb is closed. That's a bummer because this one was high on our bucket list.
We change our plan and head to the Buganda Kingdom Palace. The Buganda Kingdom Palace turns out to be a workspace for the king where he is only occasionally, otherwise the building is empty. Unfortunately we are not allowed to go inside. However, we can visit Idi Amin's torture chamber this is interesting or rather gruesome. There is a wide corridor with cells on one side at a height of one metre. The corridor was flooded with water and on the water the put electrical power. For two reasons. The prisoners could not escape this way and also prisoners were electrocuted in the corridor if the prison got too full. 19,000 Ugandans were killed at this site. In total, Idi Amin killed 300,000 people in eight years.
At the Craft Market we have a great time we find everything we want and after 1.5 hours of haggling and bargaining we walk out of the market with our hands full. By now it's raining hard and we decide to go back to the hotel. Fortunately, we quickly find a taxi and half an hour later we are back through the enormously busy traffic.
Entebbe Packed the bags, had a nice breakfast and off to Entebbe. But unfortunately, we have to be patient for a while. The engine is completely flat. Even the dashboard lights are no longer on. Perhaps we left the lights on? When we ask at the hotel reception to call a garage for us, three gentlemen immediately jump up to help us. A battery is fetched and very ingeniously connected to the car's spanner and a spanner as a guide. How clever!!! Unfortunately this didn’t work. Our battery is taken out and the other battery inserted. But this too fails. The battery is too weak for our car. But not to worry. A heavier car is fetched and the battery is removed from it. A lot of spanner work. As this is a different brand of battery, it does not fit in our battery box, but with a lot of effort, lashing and pulling, the battery clamps are placed. Still no movement in the engine. More lashing and pumping on the throttle and the brake and our engine starts humming. YES!!!!!!
Everything is put back together again and after more than two hours we can hit the road again. Anything is possible in Africa and the help from the Ugandan people is overwhelming.
We again struggle through the busy traffic and after just half an hour we reach the motorway and then the last 35 km are quickly covered. We return to the same hotel "La Nest" at 24 Lugard Avenue. We are warmly welcomed. It's a bit like coming home.
We unload the car, have a cup of coffee and take the car to the car wash near the hotel. No fancy car washes here but two guys on a field with some jerry cans cut to pieces. For 20,000 Shillings they are willing to clean the car inside and out. We didn't even feel the need to haggle as the car was terribly dirty. The men take an hour to clean it. We go for a nice beer at the Tipsy Cow, next to the washing place. We return to the car after 1.5 hours and the men are still working hard at. The car shines like a horse's fig. The men have really done a fantastic job. We have brought a soda for the gentlemen and tip each of them 10,000 Shillings. The men are happy and so are we.
After taking the car back to the hotel, we go for a nice walk in Entebbe.
What a difference from Kampala. It's so quiet here!!! We take another nice walk up a hill from where we have a fantastic view over Entebbe.
Sadly, our last day in Uganda. Tonight we fly at 11.59pm. We have made contact with SOS Children's Villages Uganda and are going to visit one of the villages today. We are warmly welcomed by Betsy. She first tells us some generalities and then shows us around. What a difference from the orphanages we've seen in southern of Uganda. There is everything very poor. Here it is well organised and tidy. There are fully furnished houses where groups of about 10 children live. Each house has a mother who tries as much as possible to create a normal family life for the children. We are shown around by mother Robina. A warm-hearted woman who talks passionately about her work. We are always impressed by so much love, commitment and perseverance of these people. Hats off!!!!!!!!
What a fantastic trip we had through Uganda. Uganda surprised us in a very positive way. It is a country with many contradictions, beautiful landscapes, an enormous amount of wildlife but, above all, very friendly and hospitable people. Uganda is called “The Pearl of Africa” and this is really true!!
