A few travel highlights from my first year living in Uganda
Feeding time at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. It’s pure magic. Lilly Ajarova’s project was voted Best Ecotourism Project at the World Travel Market in 2009. Lilly is also a director of Uganda Conservation Foundation, the organisation I work for.
Ngamba Island Lake Victoria chimpanzee feeding time
We Kampala VSO volunteers sometimes ask ourselves whether we’re having “the real VSO experience” (compared to our colleagues in remote areas of developing countries across the world. I have it easy. I have electricity (most of the time), a flushing toilet and even internet (well ok, sod all internet last week but …) so it was interesting to spend a few days staying at the house of my volunteer friend Steve, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (home to the gorillas). Seeing the miles and miles of rainforest for the first time from up on high made me feel quite emotional. In the West we talk about ‘saving the rainforest’ – and finally I saw it, in all its beauty.
Did you know…? My Ugandan name is Nagawa meaning I am the protector of Enkima, the Red-tailed Monkey.
Every morning we were woken up by the deafening thud of Red-tailed Monkeys on Steve’s mabati tin roof. We had to shoo the resident rat out of the 2 ring gas stove before we could make our morning tea. You might enjoy the blog Eye to eye with my totem.
The novelty of this all wore a bit thin after two days of rain. Dark and damp, with no way of getting warm or dry, Bwindi in the (frequent) rain reminded me of Scouting holidays in North Wales. I admit I was happy to get back to the dust of Kampala, despite the 11 hour coach journey home…
As for Sharing Skills, the VSO motto, I haven’t done anywhere near as much of that as I wanted to. Mind you, I was a bit gobsmacked when, out of the blue, a lodge manager asked me to fix his printer! I waved my wand and did my mzungu magic on it, thereby accidentally living up to the stereotype. Sometimes you just gotta suck it up.
Another (regular!) Uganda travel highlight is The Haven which has a stunning view overlooking the River Nile near Jinja. Mother even went for a dip! Dawn over the river, watching the early fishermen as the mist rises, is like a dream.
I loved Murchison Falls.
A few travel highlights from my first trip to South Africa
Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades on the other side of this metal gaol gate. Uncanny how the African continent has appeared as the paint has chipped away. The Robben Island tour, courtesy of previous inmates, is humbling. I had been in Uganda for nine months before I left the country. I had culture shock in Johannesburg!
Last week we passed a petrol tanker jack knifed in Mabira Forest. Scenes like this are very common.
Simpson and Baldrick keep me sane. Our gate boy Simpson is very wise for his 22 years and helps me understand life in Uganda. He’s also a great dancer!
I nearly accused our house girl Eva of stealing two avocados this morning. It turns out that Baldrick had sneaked into the kitchen and grabbed them from the vegetable rack! Dogs and cats love avocado. Whoever would have guessed!
