Blog Nine + Ten - Personal / Cultural Blog

12th April 2012

 Lynsey and I used the Easter holidays as a perfect excuse to take a break from the hussle and bussle of Kampala. Being in the city for over two months, we were ready to see a different side of Uganda and aside from the city of chaos!

We were glad to meet a familiar face from home, when Lynsey’s boyfriend Garth arrived in Uganda to spend his Easter holidays with us. Upon finishing teaching practice and all of our volunteering, we agreed on taking a well deserved break to Jinja.

Beginning our journey from the ‘Old Taxi Park’ in Kampala gave Garth a quick snapshot of the disorganisation of Africa. Finding our way around the maze of ‘matatus’ was a challenging task; it took us a while to find the correct minibus to Jinja amongst the hundreds!

Jinja is most famously known as being the source of the River Nile. Lynsey and I had the opportunity to get a boat trip to see the exact location from where it is sourced from. Taking a tour guide along with us, we were able to find out more about its origin and how the underground springs meet Lake Victoria before it begins its travels to Egypt.

Lynsey and I at the source!

The River Nile

Staying at Bujagli Falls, we were surrounded by breathtaking views of the River Nile, and the beautiful vegetation of the countryside. Located just above the River Nile, our safari tent which we camped in for the weekend looked unto striking scenery. However, Jinja’s beautiful surroundings away from the pandemonium of Kampala were not all that seemed appealing for us, but it has also emerged as “the adrenaline capital of East Africa”.  (Fitzpatrick, 2009) It is no surprise therefore that we decided to make use of these activities!

Covered in dust from the track!

Having done white water rafting before, and not quite brave enough to take on the rapids of the River Nile twice, I decided that I would be more suited towards quad biking in the African sunshine. Having little practice before setting off on the winding dirt paths along the River Nile, I was a bit apprehensive of the journey. Our guide equipped us with the appropriate clothing; dungarees, wellington boots, a helmet, a bandana and goggles, all to prevent us from getting covered in the never-ending dust! After some rehearsal on manoeuvring our quads, we were ready to take on the various ramps, through the local villages and along the meandering paths towards the rapids of the Nile.  Surprised at how fast I wanted my quad to go, there were a few incidents where I had to make a quick change of course before crashing! Exhausted after our quad trip, the remainder of our time in Jinja was spent enjoying the hot African sun while swimming in the River Nile.

Ready to hit the road! 

Eager to continue our travels, we decided to voyage eight hours to Kbale, to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is known as “the place of many little birds” (Fitzpatrick, 2009) Surrounded by twenty-nine islands, the lake is located in the middle of steep hillsides making its remarkable views and secluded islands made this destination a place of ultimate relaxation.

For the duration of the time we would be spending in Lake Bunyonyi, we would be staying on Byoona Amagara island. Located away from the mainland, we had the option of getting a dugout canoe or a motorboat to where we would be spending the next few days. Choosing to use a dugout canoe, we managed to fit five of us on a long, thin wooden canoe which is carved from a eucalyptus tree. Paddling this seemed quite a mission and I was surprised at how we could stay afloat. Travelling along in this canoe allowed us to truly embrace the environment we were situated in and see how striking Uganda could be. Being more of a hindrance than a help with the paddling, I was very thankful to have two guides who could get us to dry land safely!

The dugout canoes

The island we were staying on proved a huge difference to our western way of life. Having no electricity, adapting to a very ‘African’ way of living seemed quite a challenge for us. Having no flushing toilets, buckets of water for showers and candles for lights allowed Lynsey and I to experience an eco-friendly, ‘no frills’ way of living. Although very different to what we are used to, it was a great experience to live so involved with nature and in a way which only involved the real necessities of life.  Frank Herbert once stated that, “Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken.” (Olsen, 2008 ) As we live each day in this foreign country, it adds to our overall experience of life, and how we can enjoy everything that we stumble across. Everything we have experienced in Uganda has been new to us, yet it has been these experiences which have truly allowed us to delve into and enjoy life here.

Overall our Easter holiday was one which we can say we have never experienced before! From canoeing in Lake Bunyonyi to quad biking along the River Nile, to sunbathing under the hot African sun to sleeping beneath the stars with breathtaking views, I can honestly say that Lynsey and I are even more excited about travelling further abroad Africa!

References

Fitzpatrick, M. (2009) “Lonely Planet: East Africa” Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Singapore.

Olsen, G. (2008) “David Lynch: Beautiful Dark” Library of Congress Catalogue in publication data, Plymouth, United Kingdom.