On the right track: my first Ugandan train ride
Rift Valley Railways relaunches Kampala passenger train service after 20 year break
UPDATE 2021: are you looking for information about the Kampala commuter train? Then scroll down. This blog is all about my experience when the train relaunched in 2015. The latest timetables are further down this post.
Another first this week: my first Ugandan train journey on the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train! My first African train journey, in fact!
I was very excited to hear that Rift Valley Railways, Uganda Railways Corporation (URC) and KCCA (Kampala City Council Authority) relaunched the Kampala passenger train service this week. We frequently hear the rumble of the train in the distance, but the service is confined to shunting freight from the dock at Port Bell on Lake Victoria up to Kampala’s industrial area. The train goes backwards and forwards across this short section of track a few times a week, delivering containers of imported goods via Mombasa and ‘outside countries’ beyond East Africa. The relaunch of the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train service for passenger travel marks a new beginning for the railway in Uganda. I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.
And so 7 o’clock Tuesday morning – day 2 of the train service – I jumped on a boda boda and headed down to Kampala Railway Station, a neat colonial-type construction below Kampala Road.
Awesome Aussie journo and friend Amy Fallon was on the station platform, taking photos and looking for passengers to interview. 100 passengers had taken the 6.30 am train from Namanve to Kampala that morning but on our train (7.30 am Kampala to Namanve, heading out of the city) there were just two Bazungu writers / bloggers and a group of Uganda Railways Corporation staff. I guess we were traveling against the commuter tide, so to speak…
The staff were happy to see us and explained that each of the five carriages can take up to 200 passengers and that they expect 50% capacity by the end of this week. (Not sure whether they achieved it? But I can imagine the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train service will quickly become popular). The train staff helped us get on the train (it’s a steep climb up some vertical metal steps), and told us not to lean out of the window, for fear of hitting an overhanging branch (or something!) Either way, catching the train has to be safer than getting a boda boda or matatu taxi. The train trundled along quite slowly.
I love trains, I always have, I can’t help but get excited when I hear the whistle and the train slowly leaves the station.
Rift Valley Railways train pulling out of Kampala Railway Station – day 2 of the new passenger service from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu.
Rift Valley Railways train Kampala from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu.
Living next to the railway was a big part of the enjoyment of living in Namuwongo. As the train advanced down the track, the train would let out a long whistle, scattering folk who were selling their wares along the track! The ground would shudder as the passed just two metres from our compound wall.
“I saw the face of the train!” Our housegirl Eva shouted excitedly one day. (I guess that means it nearly ran her over!) The train had approached her front (face) on.
I was lucky enough to get the inside view of Kampala railway station last year, when it was open to the public (briefly) for the first time since 1984, thanks to some lobbying by Umeme and KCCA.
This was for the launch of the KLA ART Festival, boda boda recycled art display and gallery show. I miss European architecture, so it was a treat to access this building. Kampala Railway Station really is a treasure of a building, and I hope the original features continue to be maintained (and preserved) to the same standard. All credit to Rift Valley Railways for not letting this building fall apart through neglect, as so easily can happen. It’s an interesting snapshot of another era.
Our live updates from the Rift Valley Railways Kampala train went down a storm on social media; everyone seemed to have lots of questions about the train price, journey times, number of stops, age of the train, nationality of the train driver! Of course some people expect something for nothing, and one man was shocked at the ‘high price of’ the 1,500 UGX (Uganda shillings) for a ticket. Frankly that’s a total bargain if you can avoid sitting in a traffic jam… Amy and I asked around and it’s pretty impossible to get into central Kampala for less than that by any other means. (1500 UGX is around 50 US cents at the time of writing this in 2015).
For our virgin Ugandan train ride, Amy brought a bottle of champagne. “Orient Express” – eat your heart out! Our excitement, the great photo opportunities and waving at passers-by, meant our journey quickly passed before we even had time to think about breakfast or Champers…!
It shows how long it is since the train service ran: one Diary of a Muzungu Facebook fan, keen to try the service for himself, asked me where the station is. “Er…. in Station Road!” I replied. (The guy is probably in his 20s. The station has rarely been open to passengers during his lifetime, so how would he know anything about the railway station?) Apparently the passenger train last ran 20 years ago.
Older Kampala residents passed on illuminating comments about the railway’s history. Vali told me how he used to catch the train to boarding school in Nairobi from Kampala railway station, back in the day. Eric told me that he used to go to school along Old Port Bell Road. “The train was always punctual. When it departed Kampala railway station, it let out a whistle. We always knew that the whistle signalled school break time!” You may imagine yourself back in Kampala of the 1950s if you visit Malcolm McCrow’s East African railway photos and anecdotes.
CHOO-CHOO! Train coming through!
I’m sure the passenger train service will be a big hit with a lot of people, although capacity of 4,000 UGX is not a lot. Several of my Facebook Fans plan to take the trip, and I highly recommend it, simply to see another side of Kampala. Have you ever seen the workings of one of Kampala’s abattoirs? It’s a different world out there!
UPDATE 2021: The Kampala commuter train service is now run by Uganda Railways Corporation. The passenger train takes four trips every weekday between Namanve and central Kampala. The 45-minute journey stops at Nakawa (MUBS), Spedag (zone 4), Kireka, Namboole and Namanve. The first train of the day leaves Namanve at 7 am. It arrives at Kampala main station at 7.45 am. In the evening, trains depart from Kampala main station at 5.30 pm and 7.50 pm. I could not see pricing information on the URC website but I don’t think it has changed significantly from the 1,500 UGX (one way) price we paid in 2015.
So what’s next for the railways in Uganda and East Africa?
The Rift Valley Railways Kampala train passenger service from Kampala to Namanve was a one-year pilot project. UPDATE 2021: The service is a success and is still running.
More interestingly, work has started on the development of the Standard Gauge Railway across East Africa. This article looks at the differences between the original railway line and the planned new one. Substantial investment is being made into Uganda’s infrastructure, from the Kenyan border to the border with Rwanda; up to South Sudan in the north and down south to Tanzania. The rationale for the project is to make it quicker and cheaper to move goods from Mombasa inland through the East African community. Apparently, rail will quarter the costs of transport, half the time it takes to move the goods, and make the roads safer for the rest of us. Many of Uganda’s roads have been developed over the last few years but the daily transit of thundering heavy goods vehicles quickly destroys them again.
Uganda Railways Corporation is also rehabilitating railway track between Kampala and Port Bell, and Tororo and Gulu.
On a personal level, the Muzungu’s next African train journey simply had to be the Nairobi to Mombasa overnight train with complimentary safari en route through Tsavo National Park. The history of the East African railway and the so-called ‘Lunatic Express’ is captivating (yet terrible in parts).
My short journey from Kampala railway station started my research into the history of East Africa’s development. I confess, I have become a total train geek! It’s incredible to think that Nairobi and modern Kenya all started through the development of the railway. The whole Lunatic Express journey was fascinating from start to finish: the old-fashioned train compartments, the impromptu safari, the history of East Africa, and so much more. The Nairobi to Mombasa train is notorious for breaking down in the middle of nowhere… (but then the Muzungu was marooned in the middle of Lake Victoria on the ill-fated MV Templar for a whole night this week…) so anything is possible when she travels! In fact you may recall this cross-border travel misadventure.
Have you travelled by train in East Africa? Share your experiences here (and don’t forget to sign up for Diary of a Muzungu’s free newsletter!)
Karibu! – welcome to East Africa – Pope Francis
Karibu! – and welcome to East Africa! – Pope Francis
The Pope has landed in East Africa!
UPDATE: this blog was written when the Pope touched down in East Africa – scroll down to the bottom to see how close we got to him…
Today Pope Francis is in Kenya, and tomorrow Friday 27th November, Uganda will welcome Pope Francis, here to celebrate 50 years of the canonization of the Uganda Martyrs, a group of young Catholic, Protestant and – now it is believed – Muslim men who were killed in 1886.
Pope in Uganda. A few facts that make Pope Francis a man worth listening to:
- Pope Francis is the first Pope to be born outside Europe since Pope Gregory, a Syrian, who was appointed in 731.
- He is a man of simple tastes who shuns limousines for regular saloon cars
- When asked about the status of gay people in the clergy, his response has been a tolerant “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and he has his good will, who am I to judge?”
- Apparently Pope Francis doesn’t like going to the historical papal home of Rome as it represents “the heart of everything he believed the Church should not be: luxury, ostentation, hypocrisy, bureaucracy.”
I look forward to hearing what Pope Francis has to say to Ugandans.
This lapsed Catholic never quite made it to First Communion but I have huge respect for a man who seems so dignified, pragmatic and approachable. Not only does he tolerate simplicity, he seeks it out. I wish those vulgar and ostentatious American preachers that are broadcast on Ugandan TV every Sunday could have one tenth of Pope Francis’ humility.
On his two day stay in Uganda, his programme will include a two-hour mass at Namugongo, scene of the killing of the Martyrs.
Here is a copy of the full programme for the Pope in Uganda visit and the official press release about the Pope’s Uganda visit.
On June 3 1886, the day many Christians were burnt to death at Namuwongo, Father Simeon Lourdel, Missionary of Africa wrote this letter . “Some twenty of our best and most influential young men who are learning the Catechism have just been either burnt at the stake or slaughtered and their bodies cut into pieces on the grounds that they deserve death for following the religion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Others have been odiously mutilated or savagely beaten with sticks. A certain number of them are still in prison and are everyday subjected to refined tortures by cruel executioners who have a gift for inventing new torments.”
Opinions vary as to exactly why these young men were ordered to be killed. It seems their crime was having the strength to stand up for themselves, bolstered by their new-found religious beliefs. Christianity represented a threat to the prevailing system: it forbade polygamist marriage, it promoted better treatment of women and slaves. Christian worship forbade the veneration of the lubaale (spirits of the ancestors). All of these factors and more were perceived as an affront to the authority of the Kabaka (King of Buganda Kingdom) and the ruling class. Furthermore, some believed the Christian missionaries were the forerunners of people intent upon ‘eating their country.’
The fact is, these young men (some just teenagers) endured horrific torture, dismemberment, flogging and unspeakable brutality before finally being burnt alive.
If the story of the Uganda Martyrs interests you, read my blog ‘All roads to Namugongo,’ about the inaugural Uganda Martyrs Walk. In this blog, you can also read more from the brilliant and captivating book about the White Fathers (missionaries from France). Told in a series of letters, it brings to life – in the most terrifying way – the build-up to the Martyrs’ persecution and demise.
If you’d would like to see a copy of the Uganda Martyrs DVD documentary that I helped put together for the Uganda Tourism Board, please contact the Muzungu.
The 22 Ugandans who were burnt to death at Namugongo were canonised by Pope Paul VI on October 18, 1964. It is now believed that the total number killed may have been much higher, in fact: 97 Muslim, 24 Catholic and 25 Anglican Martyrs.
Although the Pope does not arrive in Uganda until tomorrow, the souvenir DVD of his visit is already out! “Big ups” to the entrepreneurs of Luwum Street in downtown Kampala! (With thanks to ‘eyes peeled’ journalist Timothy Bukumunhe for this one).
Did you know…? Pope Francis is the third Pope to visit Uganda
According to the web site of Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Namugongo “Pope Paul VI visited Uganda on 31st July, 1969, the very first Papal visit to the African Continent as a whole” and “His Holiness Pope John Paul II visited Uganda in 1993.” Below are some wonderful black and white photos of the first Papal visit to Africa in 1969, courtesy of the Uganda High Commission in Malaysia.
The reconstruction and development of Namugongo Martyrs Shrine and Basilica runs into billions of Uganda shillings. These improvements are well overdue, not only for the visit of the Pope, but for the estimated one million worshippers who visit Namugongo to commemorate the Martyrs every June. The Uganda Tourism Board is now actively promoting religious tourism. The reconstruction of the pavilion; the excavation of the pond (from which believers have been taking ‘holy water’ – and a few germs, surely!); landscaping and construction of several dozen toilets, are a good investment for future visitors. Couples will even be able to get married in the new and improved setting.
The Anglican Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo has also been rebuilt. This is the shrine that features the model of the Martyrs being burned alive.
Munyonyo, on the edge of Lake Victoria, is said to be where the terrible events all started. After many months (years?) of antagonism, history says that the final death knell for the Martyrs was when Kabaka Mwanga lost his favourite gun in the lake after an unsuccessful hippo hunting trip. When he returned to court, furious, no-one was there to greet him. Rather, they were elsewhere, praying to their new God. This was the final affront to the Kabaka’s patience – or so the story goes… A new Martyrs Shrine at Munyonyo has just been completed, ahead of Pope Francis’ visit.
We have yet to understand what Pope Francis’ legacy will be to Uganda and East Africa. Beyond the feelgood factor, tomorrow’s day off school, the souvenirs and the new tourism infrastructure, how will Uganda be perceived externally after his visit? How will the countries’ different religions interact with each other? How will the poor of this country be motivated or consoled? The Muzungu awaits with interest…
So did the Muzungu get to see Pope Francis?
Not one to miss an opportunity, I can share the scintillating news that I saw the Pope’s arm waving at us as his motorcade zipped past us.
Somehow my friend Hope missed seeing him first time he drive past (where were you looking girl!) so we decided to hang about for an hour – buying papal souvenirs – waiting for him to drive back the other way.
I’d never thought myself the kind of girl to have a picture of any religious leader on my wall, but I like this guy Pope Francis.
How do you think Pope Francis’ visit will affect Ugandans and all East Africans? What are your thoughts about his trip?
Kampala City Festival – Tips for enjoying the Festival
Are you going to Kampala City Festival this October 8th?
This is the Muzungu’s story from a previous year. I had a blast! Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the Muzungu’s tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival 2017!
Scroll down to the bottom of this page for the Muzungu’s tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival 2017!
PHOTO Kampala Capital City Authority (@kccaug) on Instagram
The Kampala City Festival takes place at the beginning of October every year. Dozens – hundreds? – of Uganda’s favourite musicians and entertainers will be performing live for FREE. Expect the streets of Kampala to be absolutely jam-packed!
Kampala City Festival Kampala Road crowd. PHOTO Ndijjo
Click here to visit KCCA’s Festival web site for October 2017! This year the Festival will be on Sunday 8th October.
2016’s theme was #blackyellowred
Uganda is without doubt one of the friendliest places in the world. I don’t think most Ugandans realise how truly charming and hospitable you are. I had some lovely greetings from random strangers when I attended last year’s Kampala City Festival:
“Uganda is a very safe place!”
“This is the dance of the Imbalu – from Mbale! Ka-la-loo!”
They were really chuffed that the Muzungu was at the Kampala City Festival, and very proud of their country. Rightly so.
At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there’s a lovely vibe, no aggravation and no drunkenness (although I can’t guarantee how pumped up everyone is by the end of the night).
Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival – the 2015 logo
What a treat to reclaim the normally congested streets of Kampala streets for DANCING!
As I walk-dance down the road, wiggling my kabina, 20 teenage girls break into screams of ecstasy laughing at the Muzungu dancing. Dancing does not discriminate, everyone dances together: thousands of Ugandan boys and girls, mothers and young children, boda boda drivers, teenagers on roller skates and vacant-looking teenagers who are expecting-to-see-something-but-not-sure-quite-what.
dancers sponsored by Bell beer, Kampala City Festival PHOTO www.thelead.co.ug
I wonder what the average Kampala resident makes of the festival cum carnival? The spirit of carnival, with its masks and fancy costumes, has its roots in Africa, via a torturous journey that includes slavery, translocation from West Africa to the West Indies and then onto Brazil. The Rio de Janeiro Carnival, the most famous in the world, has its roots in the carnivals and masquerade balls invented by the freed slaves of Trinidad in the Caribbean. In Europe, our biggest street festival is the Notting Hill Carnival, London, pioneered by the black community that settled from the West Indies.
The carnival has come full circle: from Africa and back to Africa – to Kampala!
Here in Kampala, we don bright yellow Afro wigs, red Mohican wigs, facepaints and masks. Kids wear multicoloured sunglasses.
The Muzungu gets Uganda fever too! Uganda flag hat – the must-have accessory of Kampala City Festival 2014
On street corners, young men set up photo printing machines. Vendors sell samosas, groundnuts, icecream and ice lollies. Ladies carry plastic buckets of fried cassava on their head. Children line up to have their faces painted. The lady painting the child’s face cleans the paint from the brush in a recycled Waragi bottle.
Vendor on a street corner in Kampala. Note the security checks going on behind him
By 4 o’clock, the sun now blazing, the Uganda Wildlife Authority Mountain gorilla looks tired. He looks like he could do with a nap and some bamboo. He’s running his own personal marathon today in the full glare of the scorching sun: wearing a heavy plastic suit that is half a centimetre thick and covered with thick fur. The throng of onlookers walking alongside UWA’s float stop to gawp and take photos of him. It’s the closest they have ever come to a gorilla, and they’re so excited. “Big ups” to the UWA gorilla.
“Ka – loo – loo!”
“Big ups” to the UWA gorilla (hiding behind the bamboo). He was a real hit with Kampalans, all wanting a photo
The busiest intersection is on Kampala Road above the railway, a heaving body of humans, corporate floats and banners and Kampalans pushing towards the stages looking for their favourite musicians. Onstage next to Station House, I watch Eddie Kenzo – my hero! I can’t get enough of Sitya Loss.
“Dansez, dansez….”
Always eager to experience something new, I try my first Kasese tonto brew. Have you tried it? (It looks a bit like someone has done a short call in the cup – but tastes a lot nicer!) So much so, I return for a second cup…
The 2016 theme of Kampala City Festival is #BlackYellowRed PHOTO www.monitor.co.ug
Right at the point where I can move neither forwards nor backwards through the heaving crowd, two men force their way through with a huge sack of ice. Wafts of smoke drift through the crowd, from barbecues laden with goat (and some dubious-looking sausages).
Bell Lager bikers along Kampala Road. Kampala City Festival 2014
Tins of Bell Lager are on sale here and there but I see few empty tins on the streets. It seems most Festival goers are taking sodas (I have never seen so much ‘pop’ available) and bujeera and local brew stored in cavernous plastic bins and served in empty Coke and Sprite bottles.
I’m loving the Kampala City Festival. Ugandans are such beautiful people. (Is the Kasese tonto going to my head a little bit?)
What is the route for the Kampala City Festival 2017 procession?
The 2017 Kampala City Festival – now in its sixth year – brings together everyone who lives in Kampala. It’s gonna be mega!
Note the major traffic flow changes in the Central Business District ahead of #KampalaCityFestival 2017
Take a note of the major traffic flow changes in the Central Business District ahead of #KampalaCityFestival 2017 weekend of 8th October. All feed-in routes into Kampala-Jinja Road will be closed off to vehicular traffic on Saturday evening. (This is the main festival route). Affected routes include: Buganda Road, Bombo Road, Kampala Road, Luwum Street, Wilson Road, William Street, Dustur Street, part of Entebbe Road (interception of Nasser and Nkrumah Roads), part of Jinja Road (at Kitgum House), Colville Street, Kimathi Avenue, Parliament Avenue, King George VI, Speke Road, Dewinton Rise, Sir Appollo Kaggwa, and Siad Barre.
Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival
- Leave the car at home.
- If you can, park far away from Kampala city centre and Central Business District and walk.
- Why not get an Uber? Install the Uber app and get UGX 10k off your first trip by using the promo code VISITKAMPALA. In terms of price, from Ntinda to town costs about 8k and Makindye to town costs about 8k. TIP: install the Uber app BEFORE Sunday! And note: your Uber cab will have to drop you away from the main stages because of road closures (and huge crowds!)
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How to enter the promo code VISITKAMPALA and get 10k UGX off your first Uber ride!
- Even boda bodas are refused entry to the area cordoned off for Kampala City Festival.
- There are lines of security checks to enter the procession route. No-one gets past without being frisked. There will be lots of security, both uniformed and plainclothed.
- DRESS TO IMPRESS!
- Wear comfortable shoes, and ladies, don’t take a huge handbag. With the crowds thick in places, you will be glad you left it at home.
- Do you really need to take your fancy phone? Pickpockets love these type of crowded events, wherever you go in the world.
- Arrange to meet friends before you leave home. Either meet up first and travel together, or agree a time and place to meet. Stick to it! Although you may want to call someone during the festival, it is far safer to leave all your valuables at home.
- Taking the kids? They will love the KIDS’ ZONE in Constitutional Square, Kampala. There is plenty for them to do there but the square, and access to it, will be packed.
- Don’t drink too much. I’m not sure how many toilets you are going to find along the route. Secondly, I’m not sure what kind of state they will be in. Lastly, if you are boozing, don’t forget you have to get home once the Kampala City Festival is over – as do another one or two million people. If you’re a bit drunk, it could become a bit of a nightmare for you.
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Tips on how to enjoy the Kampala City Festival
- There will be lots of stalls selling different types of food, from full plates of Ugandan food, to fried chicken, and more. Snacks and drinks include carrot, pineapple and passionfruit juice; popcorn, candy floss and beer, samosas, G nuts (groundnuts), ice cream and ice lollies. If you want to eat healthily, or drink water, bring your own.
- The Kampala City Festival fireworks display starts just after 11 o’clock at night.
- If you absolutely have to take your phone or your camera with you, share your photos on Instagram, KCCA on Twitter or Facebook
Are you going to the Kampala City Festival?
What are your tips and recommendations for having a good time at the Kampala City Festival? Which performers are you looking forward to seeing ?
How to hike Bwindi. A jungle adventure with Gorilla Highlands
Have you experienced the real jungle? Bwindi hiking is the real deal
Been walking in the woods? Try walking in the jungle! Hiking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest from North (Buhoma) to South (Nkuringo) – with (I hoped) the slight possibility of glimpsing a Mountain Gorilla en route – is a hike I’ve wanted to do for ages. Are you planning to to gorilla trekking in Uganda? Stay an extra day and do this hike too.
8 hours, 17 km, 3 waterfalls and 16 new friends #Edirisatreks hiking Bwindi
Walking through Bwindi is the real deal.
It’s a world of dense greenery, layer after layer of vegetation, common plants in uncommon sizes, babbling brooks and smooth round boulders to hop across patches of bog; a wonderful series of waterfalls – so much more to see in the forest than I’d even imagined (especially if you have a knowledgeable guide or two). Gorilla trekking is a not-to-be-missed experience, but Bwindi has brilliant hiking adventures too.
I’m now trying to work out which hiking Bwindi trail can the Muzungu do next?…
UWA entrance sign to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
Every good hike starts with a good breakfast and Buhoma Lodge rise to the challenge: platters of fresh fruit, thin pancakes with honey, cereals, traditional cooked English breakfast, toast and fresh coffee – I enjoy every single one of those guilty carbs in preparation for our day-long walk.
Breakfast spread at Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi, Gorilla Highlands, #Edirisatreks hiking Bwindi
The only problem with Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda is that it is the first place we visit, and nowhere else quite compares to it for the rest of our trip. Leaving Buhoma Lodge feels like leaving home – in fact my return trip is planned before I leave the building. I love the fact that all the staff come out to say goodbye to us, even the masseuse and the chef!
Everywhere we walk, we are accompanied by smiling faces. This Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger has such a lovely smile. He doesn’t say much but he keeps a good eye on us all day.
A smiling UWA ranger, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
At the entrance to the park, our guide Blasio points to the Nyaga river and the nearby hills of the Congo.
Bwindi is home to seven types of primate. Its most famous primate inhabitants are the mountain gorilla, whose population roam between Uganda, the Congo and Rwanda. Bwindi – and specifically Buhoma, where we start our trek – has the world’s highest concentration of mountain gorillas and is the main centre for gorilla trekking. Bwindi is also home to chimpanzees and Red tailed monkeys [my namesake nkima] are a particular favourite of mine as regular Diary readers may remember from my first trip to Bwindi.
Bwindi is also home to a small (and rarely seen) population of Forest elephants, who are smaller than their more well-known Savannah African elephant relatives.
The Muzungu crosses one of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest’s rivers, on a previous hike, following the Ivy River trail from Nkuringo
Moss-covered bridges constructed of twigs and branches lead us across brooks and streams and into the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The wide fronds of giant fern trees are like huge hands waving us their welcome. Their fronds unfurl like a beckoning finger, to invite us deeper into the interior.
I love ferns – aren’t they elegant? #Edirisatreks with Gorilla Highlands in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
The scenery is breathtaking, the air is pure, and the only sounds are natural ones: water, birdsong, the leaves dropping from the branches overhead. As I’m taking it all in, mesmerised, a kaleidoscope of small yellow butterflies dance through the air ahead of me. “Didn’t Disney do a great job?” Quips John, the voice from Gorilla Highlands videos.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to hundreds and thousands of exotic and rare plant species. Many are endemic. I particularly like the larger-than-life plants. Here ferns grow to three and four metres tall. We crane our necks to stare up at 100-year-old Mahogany tree and take pictures of the pink Impatience flower (a favourite with the gorillas apparently). The flowers gain their name from their quick life-cycle: they open in the morning and drop to the forest floor after just one day.
Looking down at my feet, I notice I am following in the footprints of a duiker.
Duiker (small antelope) footprint, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Gorilla Highlands. Diary of a Muzungu
Our guide points to a vibrant Mother of Pearl butterfly. On forest hikes in Uganda, indescribably beautiful butterflies appear from nowhere. Keep your eyes peeled, they flit in and out of your life in seconds. Perhaps that’s their appeal?
Mother of Pearl butterfly. Image courtesy of www.learnaboutbutterflies.com
When 17 people are excitedly tramping through the forest, birdlife and wildlife hides… unsurprisingly! I was happy to focus on the giant plants and the microscopic fungus. Nature is amazing – even if it doesn’t ROAR at you.
Tiny fungus thrive on the underside of a log on our #gorillahike with Gorilla Highlands in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Taking a decent photo in a the Impenetrable Forest is not easy with a very average camera like mine, so you will forgive the rather dark fuzzy pictures – but you get a sense of the place: wall to wall prolific greenery, rivers and waterfalls, in fact a series of three waterfalls that we explore on an hour’s walk from Buhoma.
Diary of a Muzungu leaves the laptop at home for the week-end… Waterfalls beckon. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
The water is cool and clear. I could have (should have) had a dip at the river junction – Miha did!
Bwindi hiking – above the waterfalls!
Take time to visit all three of Bwindi’s waterfalls. Each one is different.
Check out my minimalist (short!) videos of the waterfalls in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The cold clean water and surrounding environment make you feel so alive.
I’m amazed at how few tour operators insist on having this on a safari itinerary. The walk to the waterfalls is the perfect antidote to being stuck in a vehicle for hours or days. The Gorilla Highlands initiative is all about spending more quality time in the region – gorilla trekking in Uganda? Yes, a brilliant experience, but there’s so much more to see and do in south western Uganda.
I loved every minute of our eight hour walk through the Forest, crossing rivers, stopping at waterfalls, taking photos of plants and fungus along the way.
Walking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – ahhhh – the peace, the cool air, the solitude….
Along the way there are warnings of Safari ants. “Don’t tuck your trousers into your socks. We want to see you JUMP!” Jokes Miha.
These unassuming and faint marks on the ground are actually industrious Safari ants. Their organisational skills are mind-blowing. They march in one direction delivering chopped up leaves, and back in the other direction empty-handed, for a refill. Round and round they go. Not a single one of them deviates from the direction set by the others.
By mid-afternoon, our group has been walking for several hours. We walk at different speeds and are spaced out at intervals through the Forest, escorted by numerous guides and UWA rangers. There is a shout from someone up ahead:“Red ants!” – and I watch the person ahead of me suddenly start running uphill for 100 metres, trying not to stop long enough for the tenacious red ants to cling on to their boots.
And then it’s my go. Somehow I find the energy to run uphill. At the top – beyond the red ants at least – there is a frenzy of excited laughter and furious stamping of feet as we jump up and down to get rid of the red ants. If ever an animal was tenacious, it is the red ant! Their bite is unforgiving but the incident is quickly forgotten.
View of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest as we ascend from the River Ivy up to Nkuringo. You can clearly see where the protected area of the forest is bordered by community land
Bwindi hiking tips
- Have a small day bag (rucksack) and make sure it’s waterproof. Pack water (minimum one litre), lunch, waterproof clothing and camera.
- Forget about your phone. Turn the damn thing off.
- Take a walking pole or stick. It will help steady you when climbing over rocks and slippery slopes.
- Ideally you should wear walking boots that cover and support your ankle as you climb over rocks and tree roots. Trainers may be okay – if you don’t mind getting your feet wet! There are occasional boggy patches and the ground everywhere can be wet and muddy.
Sun peaks through the canopy of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – but climbing on the uneven terrain of slippery tree roots can be difficult if you don’t have the right footwear
- Keep your mouth shut when you look up through the trees – we spotted quite a few spider’s webs as we looked up!
- Take your camera but be aware that photography is difficult as the forest is quite dark.
- I love birdwatching but forest birds can be hard to see. On my first trip to Bwindi, I hired an expert bird guide. This made all the difference. He was able to mimic the birdsong and call them out of the forest! Forest birds (like those of Kibale Forest) have my favourite songs. You may not see a lot of birds, but you will certainly hear them. Did you know Bwindi was voted the number one destination in Travel Africa magazine’s list of top 10 birdwatching sites in Africa?
- Wear gaiters to keep the ants and other insects out of your boots / trousers / knickers! Failing that, tuck long trousers into long socks.
Do not mess with safari ants! You see how aggressive this little fella can be? Macro photo taken with Safari ant waving his pincers at us, protecting the worker ants
- You don’t have to do the full hike to enjoy Bwindi’s waterfalls. Allow 2 to 3 hours to take in the series of three main waterfalls. A shorter one hour walk takes you to the first waterfall (only). You can then circle back to your starting point in Buhoma.
- Support the Conservation Through Public Health charity’s work to protect the gorillas by staying at their very affordable Gorilla Camp.
My first encounter with a baby mountain gorilla, dangling by one arm several metres above my head. An earlier trip to Buhoma, Bwindi
- Take a tour of Bwindi Community Hospital. Gorilla trekking in Uganda has helped develop Uganda’s best hospital outside Kampala. An amazing achievement for this very poor and once forgotten corner of Africa. I’m very proud of my VSO colleagues and friends who have helped develop Bwindi Community Hospital. The hospital has a very useful page on public transport options for reaching Bwindi (Buhoma) from Kampala.
- To organise a hike through Bwindi, contact Uganda Wildlife Authority. Crossing Bwindi is also the potential start of the Gorilla Highlands Trails.
- In 2015, the cost for a tourist (“foreign non-resident”) to do the trek from Buhoma to Nkuringo is $70 ($40 for entry into the National Park plus $30 for the guided nature walk). For Ugandans (and EAC citizens) the costs are 25k UGX (15k UGX for entry into the National Park plus 10k UGX for the guided nature walk). See this Gorilla Highlands page for more information on costs for Bwindi hiking.
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How many islands before breakfast? Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
Can you beat this… ?
A gentle early morning paddle across the still waters of Lake Bunyonyi in a dugout canoe… followed by an absorbing guided walk around Bushara Island debating the different names for plants and their place in local folklore, admiring the nesting Great Cormorants above our heads … And simply taking in the clear morning air.
Next stop: hot tea and some (surprisingly good quality) craft shopping … before paddling back to Bunyonyi Safaris Resort on the mainland for a local style breakfast of fresh fruit, omelette and bread – and a preview of some engaging new videos about the Batwa “Pygmies” being made for the brilliant Gorilla Highlands video map
I love the bright blue Ugandan sky theme of Edirisa, the creativity behind the Gorilla Highlands project. I love the attention to detail everywhere.
Chatting and paddling across Lake Bunyonyi, our host Miha Logar shared some of the history of the Kigezi, Kabale, Kisoro and Kanungu region. “Punishment Island” and the (long gone) leper colony of Bwama Island were some fascinating but dark moments in the area’s history.
This photo doesn’t do justice to Johnson’s fabulous, welcoming grin. Here he was demonstrating how these soft leaves are the perfect organic solution to answering nature’s (long) call. We all giggled (but took note!)
The sun sets over Lake Bunyonyi and the Heart of Edirisa‘s clever swimming platform, a ‘swimming pool’ that makes use of the Lake’s own waters to safely shelter children learning how to swim.
Our taster canoe trekking foray took 2 to 3 hours in all, a popular ‘taster’ trip on Lake Bunyonyi. I learned to canoe in a one-person orange plastic canoe in a cold Scottish loch (lake) when I was a Venture Scout, but canoeing as a group in a wooden dugout canoe was far more fun.
I’m quite fit, but I know my upper body could do with one of Edirisa Canoe Trekking – ecotourism adventures in southwestern Uganda longer trips!
Gorilla Highlands Trails is a system of guided trips throughout southwestern Uganda managed by Edirisa Canoe Trekking, Lake Bunyonyi, south western Uganda. Their itineraries combine canoeing with hiking in the hills and volcanoes around Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mutanda, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga and Echuya Forest. (You know I’m coming back Miha, don’t you? That’s the great thing about blogging, you get to relive your travel adventures over and over as the brain starts mulling over the next one!)
The ultimate Gorilla Highlands Trails offer is the 5-day Kabale-Buhoma trek, southwestern Uganda, Gorilla Highlands that connects Kabale, Kisoro and Buhoma with hiking ‘off the beaten track.’ Outside the towns, overnight stays are spent in spacious tents on family compounds, however, some travelers do go for accommodation upgrades. The shortest Gorilla Highlands Trail is the 2-hour Bushara Island canoeing trek.
To learn more about the Gorilla Highlands region, download the free Gorilla Highlands Pocket Guide.
Even better, download the Gorilla Highlands Interactive eBook travel guide to southwestern Uganda that offers practical information not available elsewhere. Its 391 pages of travel advice and tineraries, and articles on nature, culture and history combine world-class photography, graphic design, illustration and video. The audio phrasebook in two local languages is just one very useful feature of the award-winning Gorilla Highlands e-book.
Purchases of the ebook support Gorilla Highlands – southwestern Uganda: “an initiative for economic and cultural transformation of southwestern Uganda through branding and promotion, multimedia products and cultural tourism.”
Plus, it’s dead cool. Check it out!
Ah, so many options. I want to do all the trips…. How will I decide which one to do next? Until next time Diary readers ….
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Have you signed up for Diary of a Muzungu’s regular free newsletter yet? Next blog coming your way: My Gorilla Highlands adventure, part 2: hiking through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
How to climb Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains – trekking Margherita Peak
Are you thinking of climbing Margherita Peak or trekking the Rwenzori Mountains? Then read this first!
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Jane Goldring, with photos for this story kindly provided by her husband and brilliant photographer Paul.
If you’re planning to climb Margherita, or just interested in hiking or mountain climbing in Uganda, look no further. Below Jane’s story, you’ll find a Rwenzori trekking packing list and some travel advice on how to plan your Rwenzori hike, as well as links to other East African mountain climbing stories (notably How to Climb Mount Kilimanjaro – tales of a novice climber and A girl called Kevin: Climbing Mount Elgon, Uganda).
Rwenzori Trekking Services Kilembe Trails map Uganda
Jane writes:
Rwenzori trekking – Day one
After an early start and a traditional Western breakfast, we left Kasese for the start of our Rwenzori trek, a 30 minute drive out of town past the Margherita Hotel towards Kasese Cobalt mine. We had been warned we could not get right the way up to the Rwenzori Trekking Services office due to a flood and rock slide which had taken out the bridge and last part of the road. Finding our guides Moses and Richard en route, we had help hauling our luggage up the hill to the RTS offices, where it was time for the formalities: sharing details of medical issues, insurance, food allergies and emergency contacts. It was here that we signed up the sixteen porters needed to carry our luggage, equipment, fuel, food and other supplies our group would need to trek the Rwenzori Mountains.
Rwenzori trekking: the adventure started even before Jane had entered the National Park – the road from Kasese had been swept away…. How to hike Margherita Peak
And so at 9:45am we started trekking up the road past the dilapidated mine housing estate which was buzzing with life: ducks in the muddy gulleys, chickens, goats and even a pig or two, as well as people going about their daily life in the little duuka shops, bars and houses with long lines of clothes washing.
At the entrance of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, trekking formalities concluded with payment of park entry fees (see Tips section of this article for the different tariffs).
Now in the Park, we started up the path in a single file through forested slopes and arrived at the first stopover, Sine Hut, at about 4:00pm. At 2596 metres, Sine Hut is situated on top of a long ridge amongst pine and other trees. Steep slopes on either side of the ridge lead down into deep valleys and amply flowing rivers. Similar to a traditional Alpine wooden hut, Sine Hut has a terrace and four sets of bunk beds. A flask of hot water for tea and bowl of fresh water for washing awaited us, after which our short exploration of the area revealed a valley river and a small waterfall of icy water.
Back at Sine Hut, it was time for our first dinner up the mountain. Our three course meal of soup, main and dessert was very tasty, with huge quantities of carbohydrates that we struggled to finish. A couple of rounds of cards and soon we were feeling rather tired and so, not long after dark, we all retired to bed as mist started to roll in with the cool air.
Rwenzori trekking – Day two
Day two’s trekking started at 8:30am (after a hearty breakfast of cereal, omelette, toast and bacon too!) through a forested area, with glimpses of more Rwenzori foothills through the gaps in the trees ahead. We were lucky to see L’Hoests monkeys and heard the calls of Rwenzori Turacos – but did not see any yet. Due to the last few months’ excessive rains, we also saw areas of landslides where the ground seemed to still be sliding down the mountainside. As the mist rolled in, we saw no more. We walked along the path on the mountain’s edge; while we figured there was a steep drop, we could not see anything. The path became rockier and, as we scrambled over rocks, we focused our energy and vision on each step in front of us.
Waterfalls. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita.
Our lunchtime sandwiches next to a fast flowing river were interrupted when the heavens suddenly opened. We changed into our gum boots (or Wellington boots as the British call them) and rain gear and set off again almost immediately – trying to beat the weather. After some time I realized that I was feeling very cold and wet. Guess what? The freezing cold rain – we were now over 2000 metres high – was going directly through that wonderful North Face jacket from Kathmandu. Luckily my porter was nearby and I had a spare rainjacket (a cheapie ‘security guard style one’ from Entebbe Supermarket). The spare rainjacket and dry sweater saved the day, even if I didn’t look as fashionable as the rest of the party in their good quality rainjackets.
Shrouded in mist and wet from the recent rain, the Alpine zone plants were a little unreal; the wonderland of large overpowering plants and trees draped in white “Old Man’s Beard” (Usnea) gave me the feeling of being in a movie set.
Our next camp – Mutima Cave – was at an altitude of 3688 metres. Here a couple of tents were placed under a rocky overhang forming a rather makeshift, but very welcoming, overnight stop. We enjoyed an evening keeping warm around the fire and chatting with two very energetic and fit Dutch ladies who proudly told us they had just managed to summit Margherita Peak. They had lost a day due to bad weather and so had just completed two days of Rwenzori trekking in just one day – 10 hours of fast hiking – so that they could keep to their tight schedules. A little daunting for us not quite so fit ones.
Rwenzori trekking – Day three
Being now seasoned mountaineers, after two days on the go, we were up and ready in no time at all with our gum boots on (and taped to our waterproof trousers, just to be sure), sun gear, enough layers of clothing to put on / take off as the need arose, our snacks ready at hand and lots of drinking water.
The day begun a little cool and dull, but with no rain to begin with, which we were pleased about as this was our first real day of hiking through the bogs. Negotiating the boggy ground requires you watch every step to ensure the ground really is solid, or at least only a shallow bit of mud, as you zig zag upwards as a cross. A long walking pole proved to be well worthwhile here.
By 11:00 am the skies had opened again and we trudged along in the rain for a good part of the day with visibility not much more than a few metres at a time. In the afternoon, the weather improved and the sun came out and we suddenly saw the wonderful views of the Rwenzori Mountains – range after range of them. It also became very noticeable how the whole area we had been walking through had been badly damaged during the fire of February 2012.
Fire damaged vegetation is starting to regrow. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita.
Burnt stumps of trees or bushes were everywhere; fortunately, new small plants and shoots were appearing but I have been told it may take up to 20 years for these areas to fully recover since many plants grow at quite a slow rate at this high attitude.
Glimpse of the peaks. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita Peak
By 11:00 am we had reached the high point of 4400 metres and were at the top of the pass where you have views towards Mount Stanley and Baker’s. The sun was shining and, despite the altitude headache, we could not have enjoyed clearer, better views. This is what we had come to see – wonderful indeed!
Next, we began the descent to another river valley; you might think that going down would be easier but not in the Rwenzoris – still you need to balance and check where to step (plus endure the continual impact on your knees as you land your weight on each one). Seeing a Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird enjoy the weather was a highlight of our two 2 hour hike to the bottom of the hill. After lunch we set off again “just around the corner” of a lake, as our guide Richard called it. We continued around the tranquil-looking lake on what appeared to be a used route (but not what you would call a path as there were huge boulders higher than me) as well as clips, hills and weaving areas of mud that we had to make our way through.
Descent to a river valley – not as easy as it looks! Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
By this stage our fit and fast hiker Helen was way ahead with Moses, one of our guides. Next there were me and Andrew with Paul bringing up the rear, all coping in our various personal ways with the hiking conditions.
Our guide Richard was doing a wonderful job, showing me the best routes and where to step. At other times he hung back to help ensure Andrew and Paul were coping well too. By around 4:00 pm we were “around the corner” (which you may have gathered was not quite the usual corner we imagine but rather longer indeed) and in a valley. Here we could see the next section of our hike towards our next camp: Hunwick’s Camp at 3974 metres, which of course was over the next hill and into the next valley… We started through the bog again – tussock-hopping and choosing as many ‘low mud impact footholds’ as we could and then up the hill……quite a tough one for the end of a long day like this. We eventually rocked into Hunwick’s Camp at around 6.00 pm totally exhausted and feeling like we have reached the end of our energy levels. Thank goodness the weather had held and we were able to see the wonderful views of Mount Baker with its snow and glacier blinking in the late afternoon sun.
View from Hunwick’s Camp. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita Peak
The headache was there again and some swelling of our face and ankles were starting to be apparent (first signs that our bodies were not doing well in the altitude). Andrew’s feet were killing him as he was wearing gum boots with such thin soles he felt he could “tell if a coin placed underneath his boot was head or tails.”
That night was cold. Despite two sleeping bags, two layers of clothes, my hat and a fleece over the top of that, the wind whistled around our camp and seemed to find cracks to blow directly into my back. Getting up for the inevitable night time pee was not fun and I came back to bed exhausted from the effort, feeling quite short of breath at times. It was at this point that I began to wonder what I was doing all this for.
Rwenzori trekking – Day four – and a day off
The next morning my small mirror revealed a new face – one that was so puffy and swollen that my eyes were just small slanty slits, the effect of not coping well with the altitude, I was told. I therefore decided I would not go on further to Margherita Peak but rather have a rest day and then return downwards (which actually involved going back up to 4400 metres before the real descent). Andrew and Paul followed suit while we waved Helen off as she decided to push onto the Peak.
A day’s rest at Lake Kitandara. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
We spent the day relaxing and enjoying sunshine, taking a stroll down into the nearby valley near the twin lake of Kitandara. It felt wonderful to walk without time pressure and to stop and enjoy the scenery.
A botanist’s dream: the Rwenzori plants are out of this world – huge and strikingly beautiful.
We stopped at Lake Kitandara Hut, where we met a geology student with her team. She explained that Mount Baker has risen at least 3 mm each year for the last few years, possibly due to extreme heat and pressure in the base of the Rwenzori Mountain range in the earth’s crust. The mountain is actually moving slowly northwards too.
We basked in the late afternoon sunlight until it disappeared behind the tops of the mountains – and evening arrived quite suddenly.
Space age insulated accommodation! Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
The accommodations were very comfortable, especially considering where we were. We slept in two rounded, framed huts with waterproof outer covers and insulated walls. Each hut has four sets of bunk beds. Meals and copious cups of tea are taken at the tables and benches in the separate dining tent.
Rwenzori trekking – Day six
After a rather restless night worrying about going back up the mountain to go down, we woke early. After our usual heavy breakfast, we hiked back down into the valley “Around the Corner” and back along the lakeside before taking a short break and then heading up the river valley again. It was tough going and quite warm too. The stream provided wonderful clean water to help quench our thirst and, closer to the top, we looked backward for a full view of so many mountains: Mount Stanley and numerous peaks, including Alexandra, Elena and Mount Speke, Mount Baker, Weisman and other peaks we tried to identify thanks to the lovely, clear blue skies.
Watching the world go by… Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
Over the top of the Banwanjara Pass, we sat for some time watching the clouds move up and around Mount Stanley tantalizing us as we kept hoping to see Margherita Peak. As clouds cleared, we watched; at the last moment the clouds would change their minds and U-turn to block out that section again and again. The sun was lovely and warm and the striking views all around us were perfect; just what we felt we deserved after all the tough hiking.
However it was not over yet for the day and reluctantly we moved down through the areas of open rock, bogs and riverbeds full of boulders, previously climbed in misty, wet conditions. Evidence of the fire of 2012 was quite prevalent in this area and, looking back towards Kasese, we could see range after range of Rwenzori Mountains, making us realize the large distance we had covered over the last few days.
Bugata Camp. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
Arriving at Bugata Camp was like returning home: warm showers and hot cups of tea were ready for us. This time we had the pleasure of swapping mountain stories and sharing the camp with visitors who had just completed Margherita Peak.
Rwenzori trekking – Day seven
From this point, we had to decide which final route we would take down the mountain: the different (harder) route or the same (easier) route by which we came up. We opted for the easier route in the end (I think our guides and porters were quite pleased with our choice too).
Board walks help trekkers cross bogs and swamps. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
The route that had taken us over 7 hours up, now only took us around 5 hours down, even with stopping to photograph many of the plants and scenery we had missed due to the bad weather on the upward journey.
We were back at Mutima Cave by mid-afternoon, where it was time to reorganize our luggage, dry out our socks by the fire and munch our way though some of our leftover snacks – suddenly with the lower altitude we were feeling peckish. After dinner we sat around the fire recounting stories and sipping our little flask of Whiskey or Amarula that we now felt it was safe to consume (apparently alcohol is not good for you at altitude) until we finally retired to bed, feeling rather relaxed and more comfortable at this lower altitude.
Rwenzori trekking – Day eight
A relaxed start of the day, heading for Kalalana Camp at 3134 metres which we had passed on our route. Here the beautiful Giant Lobelia stand almost two metres high with their long stems, purple flowers and leaves that hold the rainwater like a basin. Next we entered the Heather Zone. This same low-lying bushy plant (typical of the British countryside) grows into trees of over 15 metres high; often their branches are covered in the white Old Man’s Beard. Presumably we had become more hardy and a bit fitter; whilst the route was still quite rocky or boggy at times, we found the route quite pleasant and enjoyable. Through the day we had clear views back towards Kasese Town, making us realize how far we had hiked and why we felt quite tired from the exertion of the last week.
The vegetation is larger than life! Giant Lobelia. Rwenzori trekking: how to hike Margherita
By around 3:00 pm we were in camp where we relaxed in the afternoon sunshine, feeling so much more energetic now that we were down to just 3100 metres. We sat down to hear Helen tell us about her journey to the Peak: Margherita. She had enjoyed a cloud- and wind-free morning – perfect conditions for a summit day.
Not everyone manages to summit Margherita Peak – but Helen did. Rwenzori trekking: snow on the Equator!
We heard how tough it was hiking in crampons up the two glaciers and how she’d had to step over deep, dodgy-looking crevices in the ice. Helen had succeeded in reaching the Peak at 5109 metres above sea level – quite an achievement for sure.
Margherita Peak is 5109 metres above sea level
Our last evening up the mountain, we celebrated with the last few snacks and a good dinner of fresh roasted chicken (that had miraculously arrived up the mountain from a resupply from Kasese), the last of our “bar” and swapped anecdotes from the journey of the last eight days. By 10:00 pm we were all fast asleep, even with the wind howling and the rain battering our hut roof.
Rwenzori trekking – Day nine
The last day arrived with gloomy skies threatening rain but nothing could scare us now, so off we set again downwards, through the bamboo zone, slipping and sliding down the slopes and into the afro Alpine mountain forest zone. We wound our way down very steep paths that I could not quite believe I had managed to climb only a week earlier. The path seemed to go on forever and it was only around 2:00 pm that we made it to a recognizable point. At the park entry gate, the same clerk who had signed us in to Rwenzori Mountains National Park now asked us to sign out.
Three-horned Chameleon putting on a show for the cameras. Rwenzori trekking Ruwenzori Mountains, Uganda
The final hour Rwenzori trekking was through hillside villages and finally onto the road via the Kasese Cobalt Mine village and the Rwenzori Trekking Services office and home base where we were warmly welcomed back – and offered an ice cold beer – just the ticket indeed! After a few photos and a small award ceremony with our guides and porters who had been so patient and helpful the whole journey, we headed to Ndali Lodge for a couple of nights of rest and relaxation after this epic journey.
What a sense of achievement we all felt having made it up the mountain and back and experiencing everything it had to offer – both positive and negative – sunshine, rain, cold, mud, wonderful views, plants, birds, beauty, balancing challenges and much more.
ABOUT THE WRITER: Jane and her husband Paul Goldring are co-owners of destination management company G&C Tours Ltd, owners of Wild Frontiers Uganda, one of Uganda’s leading tour operators. Their “who’s who” of famous celebrity, TV and film maker clients choose to stay at Exclusive Camps Uganda’s fabulous Ishasha Wilderness Camp in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the sensational Buhoma Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and – the latest addition – Baker’s Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park. The company’s unique Platinum Mobile camping services (incorporating chartered fly / drive options) provide flexible luxury accommodation across the country.
Planning your Rwenzori trekking – what to consider before you book
About the Rwenzori Mountains
Rwenzori Mountains National Park was gazzetted [made into a national park] in 1991 and is recognized as both a World Heritage site and a Ramsar site. The park is 996km2 and the mountain range’s highest point is Margherita Peak – 5,109m above sea level – on Mt Stanley, a mountain that is bisected by the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Rwenzoris were christened the “Mountains of the Moon” by the Alexandrine geographer Ptolemy in AD 150. Read more about the
Remember: you don’t have to climb – or summit – Margherita Peak itself. There are a range of shorter hiking options, all with the same dramatic backdrops.
Best time of year for Rwenzori trekking
Feedback from friends suggests that January, February and March are the best months to trek as it is the driest time of the year.
I almost climbed the Rwenzori Mountains… I had just I climbed Uganda’s Mt. Elgon with volunteer friends, but my knee injury on day one of our five-day trek meant I was still out of action when my friends summited the Rwenzori’ s Margherita Peak that November. When I asked whether they had enjoyed their trip, they said NO! …. After all their planning and training? I couldn’t quite believe it! Their mistake? They had chosen to hike during the rainy season when certain sections of the trek are hellishly boggy, making progress very difficult and tiring. Time your hike right, and you will enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience far more.
Fitness and medical issues
Rwenzori trekking requires a good level of fitness. You will be asked about your general health when you book your trek.
Altitude sickness can be a problem for many people. I know, I’ve had it. It’s not nice. (Think combination of seasickness and sunstroke, with a banging headache for good measure). The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to ascend slowly. It’s highly recommended that you consider taking a day off mid-climb, as Jane did, to acclimatise to the high altitude. Even if you don’t summit, you may benefit from a day’s rest and acclimatisation. Having experienced altitude sickness myself, I will definitely take a rest day when I climb the Rwenzoris.
Insurance
If you’re planning to climb the Ruwenzori’s, particularly if you are climbing Margherita, you are advised to take out travel insurance.
Emergency contacts
You will need to provide these when you sign the disclaimer form before starting your trek.
Who to trek the Rwenzoris with
Rwenzori Trekking Services are generally acknowledged as the best operator in Uganda for trekking the Rwenzoris. Their tours are inclusive of Rwenzori Mountains National Park entry fees, which are $35/day (2020 price for international tourists ‘foreign non-resident’ visiting the Rwenzoris).
Uganda’s National Park entry fees vary according to the park visited and whether you are Ugandan, East African resident or a tourist ‘foreign non-resident.’ Download the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Tariff (price list) 2020-2022 which contains all National Park entry fees, hiking, gorilla and chimp tracking permits, birdwatching, boat cruises and more.
Planning your Rwenzori trekking – what to pack
Hire a Porter
Porters are allowed to carry a maximum of 15 kg each. This will include your clothes, hiking and camping equipment and all your food. The porters will collect firewood and water every evening for you at camp so you only need to carry one day’s personal supply of drinking water at a time. Do not even think of climbing without the help of a porter – not only will you be able to focus on enjoying the breath-taking scenery, you’re providing valuable employment. Expect to pay $15 per porter per day. A tip of $5-10 per day will make your porter very happy indeed.
Ranger guides
Since you will be walking in the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, you will be allocated two or more armed Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers who will act as your guides throughout the trip. Expect to be Facebook friends by the end of it! These guys will also appreciate a tip.
Walking pole
Invaluable! No need to spend money on one of those fancy walking poles, just ask one of the guides to cut down a piece of bamboo for you.
Waterproof clothing
Don’t scrimp on the quality of your rain jacket. It can make or break your trip. Ensure you only buy the best quality and make sure it is tested. It’s a vital part of your kit on this mountain where it can rain for days on end.
What to carry in your day pack
Your day pack (personal rucksack) should contain your waterproof jacket and waterproof trousers, drinking water, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and snacks.
Snacks
Stock up on plenty of your favourite snacks. G’ nuts (groundnuts), biscuits, bananas and dried fruit will give you more energy than chocolate and sweets.
Water
To keep hydrated at altitude, you will need to drink at least two litres of drinking water per day, even in cold weather. The porters collect and boil water every night. By the time you drink it the next morning, it will have cooled nicely.
Footwear
Hiking boots with ankle support are the best option. Leave your trainers at home, they don’t have enough grip. If you plan to wear Wellington ‘gum’ boots, get some good insoles. My recommendation is to wear ankle-high boots with gaiters, which will keep out a lot of rain and water (and most insects).
Hot water bottle
I love Jane’s tip about the improvised water bottles! However, you could take a proper hot water bottle with you (I certainly will! I remember how bloody cold it was on Mount Elgon at night…) Remember, you will have a porter to carry everything for you.
The Muzungu: thanks Jane for sharing your great adventure! I’m seriously considering trekking the Rwenzoris now – I know how hard it was to get as far as you did, and you’ve proved to me that there is no need to push yourself to the extreme and summit. What a brilliant experience you’ve had!
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An invitation to Masaka: the Uganda International Marathon!
Uganda International Marathon Masaka – Are you interested in running through the beautiful Masaka countryside?
As regular Diary of a Muzungu readers will know, I’m a regular runner with Kampala Hash House Harriers (more for socialising than the running!) In fact, no way am I a good runner – but Hashing has helped me explore Kampala, Jinja, Nairobi, Kigali, and – just last weekend – Addis Ababa.
Hashing “the drinking club with a running problem”runs every Monday at 6 pm – Red Dress Run for the Valentine’s Hash, Kampala
But move over Muzungu, Uganda has some awesome running talent: Ugandan long-distance runner Stephen Kiprotich is the reigning World and Olympic marathon champion, having won gold at both the 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2013 World Championships in Athletics.
Uganda International Marathon Masaka logo
Whether you’re a serious Marathon runner, or just fancy exploring somewhere new for the weekend, the Uganda International Marathon in Masaka may be just what you’re looking for!
Lizzie, from the Uganda International Marathon organising committee writes:
Having already gained support from mainstream media in the UK, the Uganda International Marathon hopes to engage visiting British runners with this beautiful country and simultaneously raise funds for NGOs who work to support the most vulnerable within it.
The inaugural Uganda International Marathon is being held on 24th May 2015. The event will see 100 International runners join 800 Ugandan nationals and expats to run a beautiful course through the rural villages and farmland of Masaka, three hours drive west of the capital of Kampala.
The Uganda International Marathon offers full (42km), half (21km) or 10km routes and participants receive a race number, medal, headscarf and water around the whole course. After the race there will be a party in Masaka’s Liberation Square, open to all, with food and drinks available as well as music and dancing. The brilliant Weaverbird Arts and Sculpture camp will play host to the Athletes Village.
Uganda International Marathon Masaka runners
Our International runners are using the Marathon as a chance to fundraise, an option we strongly encourage expat and local entrants to do too. All money raised will be split between the local community and a charity or cause of your choice, anywhere in the world. This allows people to not only contribute to the local community of Masaka that will be welcoming them, but also to contribute to a cause that’s already close to their heart.
The team behind the Marathon include CHEDRA, an NGO based in Masaka, and several Londoners who have all come together to create the race, which will hopefully become an annual feature in the region.
UK news coverage of Uganda International Marathon Masaka international runners
We hope you can join us for the inaugural Uganda International Marathon, which promises to be ‘a race like no other’.
To register for the Uganda International Marathon, expats and foreign volunteers should buy tickets online here. For details on where / how Ugandan nationals can register (Kampala / Masaka or via Mobile Money) go to my Diary of a Muzungu Facebook page.
View from Weaverbird Arts and Sculpture camp, Masaka, host to the Uganda Marathon’s Athletes Village
Hope to see you all in Masaka!
If you have any friends who you think would be interested in this event, please send them this link and follow the updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Update August 2015: the event was a success and is planned again for 2016! Check out the Uganda International Marathon web site.
Update June 2016: last minute registration! Special price for Ugandans is just 10k UGX per person. Check my Diary of a Muzungu Facebook page for info.
“Eating fish” on Lake Victoria – the Muzungu’s guide
“Eating fish” on Lake Victoria – the Muzungu’s guide
Regular readers of Diary of a Muzungu will know how much I enjoy venturing off the beaten track and sharing my favourite Uganda travel experiences. Here is my Guide to eating fish on Lake Victoria, Kampala – a few day out ideas you won’t find on any tourist itinerary.
“Eating fish” on the shores of Lake Victoria is very much a “hands-on,” communal experience, great for a weekend outing. Where shall we go this week-end?
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KSL Kabaka’s Landing Site, Kampala
Let’s start with Ggaba
The fishing village of Ggaba derives its name from the Luganda word for ‘serve.’ The small landing site on the edge of Lake Victoria became known for its free and bountiful fish, giving the generous ‘serving’ spirit of the place its name. Ggaba and nearby Munyonyo are reached by driving south (approximately 12 km) from Kampala city centre, through Kabalagala and Kansanga. Ggaba is deliciously close to the Muzungu’s home.
There are different venues for different tastes. Here are my personal favourites.
Ggaba Beach Resort on Ggaba’s waterfront is probably the best-known place to eat fish on the Ugandan shores of Lake Victoria
The Ggaba Beach compound is a mixture of painted white buildings, symmetrical grass lawns and tarmac. There’s no actual beach but it is on the waterfront. It’s safe for kids to run around, but to me the place lacks personality: too much concrete and too many straight lines. That said, the fish is excellent and the service is good.
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Part of the huge Ggaba Beach compound at Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda
Ggaba Beach is a good place to watch activity on Lake Victoria: wooden ferries moving people and firewood across the waterfront.
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Secure parking costs 1,000 shillings.
- Fried whole Tilapia costs 25 / 30 / 35,000 Uganda shillings; 5,000 UGX for chips.
- Ggaba Beach is a popular venue for big pop concerts, thus occasionally closed to fish-eating visitors at weekends.
- The music can be LOUD!
- Er… there is no actual ‘beach’ at Ggaba Beach!
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. View from Ggaba Beach compound across to Bole and Mukono. Ggaba, Kampala, Uganda
BEST FOR: families, secure parking, watching life on Lake Victoria
DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill. Ggaba Beach is the modern white compound in front of you. (Brits: think Butlins!)
Kabaka’s Landing Site (KLS) at Mulungu, Munyonyo
It was from here, in the 1870s, that Kabaka Mutesa embarked on hippo hunting expeditions to Lake Bulingugwe and beyond. The hippos are gone, and so is the Kabaka’s fleet of canoes, but Mulungu is still known as the Royal Port.
Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Brightly coloured umbrellas at Kabaka’s Landing Site – also known as KLS – Mulungu, next to Munyonyo, Kampala
Down at the shorefront restaurants of KLS, there are no frills, just fried whole Tilapia, Nile Perch and reasonably priced drinks beers, sodas and Uganda Waragi gin. Yum!
It doesn’t get fresher than this! A customer choosing his piece of Nile Perch at KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Entering the Kabaka’s Landing Site costs 1,000 Uganda shillings per person. Money goes to the Buganda Kingdom.
- Whole fried Tilapia are priced at between 15 / 25,000 Uganda shillings; 3,000 UGX for chips.
- The guys and girls who serve you fish will bring you water to wash your hands with. They usually, but not always, have soap.
- If you don’t want to eat with your hands, take your own knife and fork, and serviettes.
- There is a very basic selection of drinks available, e.g. beers, some sodas and Uganda Waragi. If you like tonic water, you can bring your own.
- Take a pen and paper for working out the bill and keeping a note of the number of drinks!
- A word about lake flies. When we went in March, we were blitzed. Lake flies don’t bite but they can be incredibly annoying.
- KLS is a nice spot for bird watching and watching the sun go down over Lake Victoria.
- You can also buy fresh fish, gutted and descaled, to cook at home.
- While you’re sitting on the waterfront, you may be asked if you want to take a boat out into Murchison Bay. I’ve seen a couple of lifejackets, but I’ve also seen people boarding holding bottles of Nile Special. Not entirely sure how safe said boats are…
- Despite outward appearances of KLS, there are decent toilet facilities. Just ask.
Entry to the Kabaka’s Landing Site is managed by the Buganda Kingdom. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, Kampala
I love being surrounded by nature – but don’t fear the huge Marabou Storks, they are all part of the experience. Where to eat fish on Lake Victoria. Ggaba, KLS Kabaka’s Landing Site
BEST FOR: groups of friends, bird watching, Buganda history
DIRECTIONS: from Ggaba Road, pass Speke Resort Munyonyo and the turning to KSL is a few hundred metres further on the left. The road has recently been tarmacked.
The waterfront market at Ggaba Landing Site
For the more adventurous – and the best prices – head right down to the waterfront itself, where you may even watch your fish being landed and descaled. Men play pool under the tin roofs of the quayside. On the waterfront, the fish is frying and the market is in full swing. It’s a great place to sit and watch the world go by if you enjoy a bit of a crowd.
Diary of a Muzungu at Ggaba landing site on Lake Victoria. PHOTO Isabel Romano, Diario de Abordo
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- Ggaba can be congested. If possible, leave your car and walk the last few hundred metres. Alternatively, someone will help you find a place to park, in exchange for a small tip.
- Monday is market day, however, every day you can buy fresh fish, smoked fish, the best value dried mukenne (silver fish), all your fruit and vegetables, tripe and offal, everyday household goods and vibrant Tanzanian fabrics, imported via Mwanza, a day’s ferry ride away.
BEST FOR: people watching, shopping
DIRECTIONS: drive to the end of Ggaba Road, through the trading centre and down a short steep hill, on through the market.
Beach House, Event Gardens, Ggaba
Undoubtedly the most laidback place to eat fish, Beach House is a favourite with couples, students from Kampala University accommodation and groups of friends. On Sunday afternoons it’s a popular hang-out for a small group of bikers.
Beautifully wrapped packets of g nuts (ground nuts) arrived just in time to go with my beer, courtesy of this friendly young man with very cool shades. Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba.
I love the lake view and the flocks of Marabou Storks with their background of Papyrus swamp. Kick off your shoes and enjoy the feel of grass under your feet.
Quiet gardens on the edge of Lake Victoria at Beach House Event Gardens, Ggaba – can get busy at week-ends, especially with students from the next door Kampala University accommodation. Where to eat fish.
Once you see this view, turn left and head down to Beach house Event Gardens. Students from Kampala University walking to Ggaba market
Diary of a Muzungu’s day out tips
- As well as whole fried Tilapia, Beach House also sells roasted meat (muchomo) in the evenings.
- A whole Tilapia and chips costs 30k UGX.
- There is a small car park, for which there is no charge.
- Here you can catch a boat across Murchison Bay to Bole and Mukono District. Ask someone to call the boat over while you have a beer. It should cost you just 8,000 UGX to hire a boat to take you across. This is the cheapest way to cross to Lakeside Adventure Park or Lagoon Resort, both brilliant places for a day out or a weekend away. Just say Diary of a Muzungu sent you! (From Bole landing site, you will need to catch a boda for a very scenic 10 minute ride through the Bush).
BEST FOR: nature, watching the sun set over Lake Victoria, romance
DIRECTIONS: There are two ways to reach Beach House: through Ggaba trading centre and then left at the main boda stage, or, passing through Bunga, turn left at the Oryx petrol station (formerly Engen). Look for the Kampala University accommodation signpost.
Thanks for reading The Muzungu’s Guide to eating fish, Lake Victoria, Kampala. I’ve visited all these places and – at the time of visiting – all information was correct, but I can’t guarantee it will remain so. Do check these places out for yourself, and tell me what you think?
Have you visited any of these popular lakeside destinations? Where do you recommend going to eat fish in Kampala? I’d love to read your comments 🙂
Mandela and Me. A homage to Nelson Mandela
Mandela and Me. A homage to Nelson Mandela
This time last year, I was too sick with Malaria to pay homage to Nelson Mandela.
Crying over his obituaries made me feel even more sorry for myself – but I owe Mandela so much.
South Africa politicised me. It was the Anti-Apartheid Movement of the 1980s that made me decide to study politics at SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies) at the University of London. That made real my desire to come and live in Africa, a dream it took me too many years to fulfil.
Mandela was freed while I was a student at SOAS. We couldn’t wait to celebrate his freedom: just a few weeks after his release, the Awesome Man Himself appeared onstage at the now defunct Wembley Stadium – to thank the world for helping secure his release, and telling us to continue exerting pressure for the end of Apartheid.
‘Free… Nelson… Mandela!’ We sang for the thousandth time … and there Mandela was, in the flesh.
How British pop song helped free Nelson Mandela.
Top Ten Songs About Nelson Mandela
It was around this time that I made my first enquiry to VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas). “Call us again in a few years,” they said – I had little work (or life) experience – and I shelved my plans to volunteer in Africa.
My then-flatmate Holly was to move to South Africa with VSO before me – and is still there 15 years later. Visits to South Africa ‘close the circle’ for me: stays with Holly in Johannesburg give us a chance to relive our shared memories of Mandela’s release and our experiences as VSO volunteers in sub Saharan Africa. Spending World Aids Day in South Africa with her was another pivotal moment.
My pilgrimage to Mandela’s Robben Island cell was a longed-for moment.
Nelson Mandela spent nearly two decades on the other side of this metal gaol gate. Isn’t it uncanny how the outline of the African continent has emerged as the paint has chipped away? How many thousands of times did the key turn in that lock? The Robben Island tour (courtesy of previous Robben Island inmates who were incarcerated at the same time as Mandela and other heroes of the movement such as Steve Biko) is humbling beyond words.
Rereading Mandela’s obituaries, a few facts jumped out at me:
– He left power voluntarily, when his presidential term was up. He played by the rules, unlike so many African rulers who want to stay in power forever.
– Mandela stayed on the United States ‘terror watch list’ until 2008 “in time for the anti-apartheid leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner’s 90th birthday on July 18. Really? It just beggars belief now.
– Mandela visited Uganda on July 5, 1990, just five months after his release from prison. Mandela chose Uganda as the first African country outside South Africa to visit.
From student days drinking Snakebite in the ‘Nelson Mandela bar’ to SOAS, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Uganda, Mandela remains an inspiration to me:
On writing, he wrote to one of his daughters:
“Writing is a prestigious profession which puts one right into the centre of the world and, to remain on top, one has to work really hard, the aim being a good and original theme, simplicity in expression and the use of the irreplaceable word.”
Who can possibly count the millions – billions? – of people’s lives affected by this great man. RIP Madiba, the world remains a better place for you having been in it.
What effect did Nelson Mandela have on your life?
Free Nelson Mandela
21 years in captivity,
Shoes too small to fit his feet,
His body abused but his mind is still free,
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
I said: Free Nelson Mandela,
I’m begging you,
Free Nelson Mandela.
On the first anniversary of his death, feel free to share your thoughts.
High wire hijinks – are you up for a Lakeside Adventure?
High wire fun at Lakeside Adventure Park
Lakeside Adventure Park is unique: there is nowhere quite like it in Uganda. The park offers state-of-the-art adventure and climbing activities, with a highly professional support team in a peaceful setting next to the lake. It’s brilliant fun too – as Kampala House Harriers were to discover …
Flying Hashers! High wire fun at Lakeside Adventure Park, a great day out from Kampala
Activities available at Lakeside Adventure Park include an assault course, crate-building exercise for team building fun, high wire – rope course – activities on two different levels, volleyball on the beach and Uganda’s highest climbing wall. It’s perfect for a day out from Kampala. It caters very well for groups.
Recently, twenty of us took the Lakeside Adventure Park boat across from Ggaba. The boat can take you directly from Ggaba’s KK Beach to Lakeside (45 minute boat journey). We opted to take the shorter boat crossing to Bole, from Beach House Event Gardens (a nice little local bar behind Ggaba).
Twenty Hash House Harriers jumped on the boat from Ggaba.’Nagawa’s Birthday Hash’ was sponsored by Diary of a Muzungu
We then jumped on boda bodas for a ten minute journey through the Bush to Lakeside. Either way, it’s a very easy journey to Lakeside. (You can even drive there via Mukono)). Once you’re over on the other side, you feel like you’re on an island – you can hardly imagine Kampala is so close.
On a boda boda from Bole to Lakeside Adventure Park – just one of the ways to get there
After a quick look around Lakeside’s facilities, it was time for our reason for being there: the Hash run! What a beautiful part of the world. Ahhhh… I feel so relaxed just remembering the place. I don’t remember passing even one car on our hour-long run. Even boda bodas are few and far between.
There was one very important boda boda on our run, of course: the one carrying the beer for the three beer stops! My favourite beer stop: guess who was waiting for Nagawa? Up in the trees were three Nkima! (Red-tailed Monkeys – the totem for the Nkima clan that Nagawa belongs to).
The Muzungu Nagawa and Nkima, the Red Tailed Monkey. Me and my totem, as painted by the artist Taga www.mytotem.co.ug
I enjoyed my moments watching the monkeys while I waited for the (FRBs) Front Running Bastards to appear from the bushes…
I was quite happy when Kenyan Hasher ‘Golddigga’ took my place on the beer-stop boda – it wasn’t the comfiest of rides!
Boda driver + de Muzungu + beer crate on one boda boda driving over bumpy marram tracks isn’t the most comfortable ride. I was quite happy when Kenyan Hasher ‘Golddigga’ decided that her injured leg needed a rest and she took my place on the beer-stop boda.
Back at Lakeside Adventure Park, the ‘high wire’ ropes course activity operates on two levels.
Our instructor was JB. Feet still firmly on the ground, JB instructed everyone on how to use the safety equipment. No time for fooling around; everyone had to listen in carefully. The health and safety briefing is very important. Used properly, everyone was safe using the equipment. Spectators aren’t allowed to stand underneath any of the high wire activities, either. It was very tempting to stand right underneath someone to take a photo, but I resisted. I didn’t want JB to shout at me!
Unusually attentive Hashers! JB gave everyone a a good safety briefing
The high wire activities combine ropes and pulleys, climbing walls, sections that you sit on and navigate using your upper body. It requires coordination, balance and concentration.
Taking a break between sections of the high wire ropes course at Lakeside Adventure Park
Some of the Hashers opted to continue to the second higher level. The whole activity is quite intense. After a few initial giggles, everyone quietened down. I could sense how people were concentrating.
Machinery hauls himself across a section of the ropes course
Only a couple of people managed the last section; to concentrate hard and maintain that muscle control for a whole hour has to be very demanding. (Note: de Muzungu was too busy taking photos – and recovering from the night before’s birthday celebrations – to participate!)
Imagine organising your colleagues into two teams and racing each other over an assault course? This is what we did on Sunday morning.
We cheered each other on as we scrambled over wooden poles, jumped, climbed, run, swung and raced on our hands and knees over, under and around various wooden obstacles. Brilliant!
Check out more photos of the Lakeside Adventure Park week-end on the Diary of a Muzungu Facebook page.
Assault course at Lakeside Adventure Park. Note de Muzungu‘s full concentration!
As a last bit of fun to end the day, JB split us up into teams and gave us a scenario in which we had to build a temporary shelter from the rain. He gave us 15 minutes.
Fourteen minutes later, feeling proud of our tipi tent of branches and leaves, our team of five sat inside it.
“But will it be rainproof?” He asked us. “Yeah, yeah”” we all shouted, confidently.
“Are you sure?”
A bucket of water appeared from nowhere, permeating the branches and soaking everyone in our shelter.
“Okay, JB, you win!” We laughed, jumping up from the ground.
Clare and I outside our hastily built tipi – before we had the bucket of water chucked at us!
A lot of fun and just one of the teambuilding exercises put together for corporates, schools or just a private party like ours.
We had a brilliant time at Lakeside Adventure Park, from start to finish. The booking process was easy and the team made sure we had everything we wanted. Twenty is quite a small group number; Lakeside can accommodate 55 people (or a few more, with tents) and is a popular venue for corporate and teambuilding events. The whole facility is very well organized. A new kitchen and conference room are being constructed as I write. The dormitory accommodation is excellent. There are two big modern dormitories, one male and one female, each with their own hot showers and toilets. Everyone in our group said what a fantastic time they had.
You don’t actually have to be fit for a lot of these activities, you just have to be up for an adventure! Don’t be too concerned if people laugh at your expense. You will soon be laughing at them too!
For more information, visit Lakeside Adventure Park’s website or contact the Muzungu. We can’t wait to revisit next year. So many Hashers are complaining that they missed out on this unique weekend – let’s hope Lakeside will have us again!
Operation Shoebill: Uganda’s Big Birding Day 24-hour race
Operation Shoebill: first-hand experience of Uganda’s Big Birding Day annual 24 hour bird race at Mabamba Bay
So why precisely have I got up well before dawn – on a Saturday – to drive for three hours in a cramped minibus to sit in an old boat?
It’s that time of year again: Uganda’s annual Big Birding Day, a 24-hour contest in which birders compete to see who can rack up the score for the highest number of bird species. The early bird catches the worm… or so they say. (This silly early bird didn’t even remember to catch breakfast, and now I’m sitting hungry in the middle of a huge swamp, miles from anywhere … oh damn you and your insatiable Muzungu appetite for cappuccino…)
On the shores of Lake Victoria about 50 km west of Kampala lie the vast swamps of Mabamba, one of Uganda’s few remaining swamps that are protected by the local communities.
Classified as an Important Bird Area, Mabamba Bay is home to Uganda’s most famous bird: the iconic Shoebill.
Would our Big Birding Day team get lucky and see a Shoebill at Mabamba Bay?
A couple of rickety-looking boats greet us on the edge of Mabamba Swamp. With giggles of excitement, the team’s boats head off into the Papyrus.
A pair of Grey Crowned Cranes (referred to locally in Uganda as Crested Cranes) fly overhead. It’s like a statement: you have officially landed in Uganda’s wetlands. The fabulous Crested Crane adorns Uganda’s national coat of arms and makes its home in the wetlands (or what is left of them).
Our boats are surrounded by vibrant green, dotted with shimmering, purple water lilies, the cool morning mist rising from the crystal-clear waters.
A vibrant blue and orange Malachite Kingfisher poses delicately on a Papyrus stem as our boat pushes through the vegetation.
I spot a Northern Brown-throated Weaver (pale brown with an orange beak) at the base of some reeds. (I can’t say I know exactly what it is, but I’m the first to spot it! You don’t need to be an expert to take part in Big Birding Day; just quickly point out the moving blocks of colour to your more knowledgeable teammates).
The narrow waterways cutting through the swamp allow one, maximum two, narrow boats to pass. Travelling in a low-lying boat means you are at eye-level with so many of the birds at the water’s edge. It’s magic.
The narrow labyrinth of channels opens out into a wide freshwater lagoon.
We spot a Yellow-billed Duck in flight, a Squacco Heron amongst the reeds, and several Long-toed Lapwings, just a number of the iconic wetland birds you can see at Mabamba.
As our Shoebill comes into sight, everyone in the boat stands up (precariously tipping the boat to one side of course!)
The dark grey, funny-looking character stands an impressive five feet tall and stares back at us. A cross between a Stork and a Pelican, this prehistoric-looking bird dines on a menu of lungfish and frogs. Oh yum! (Mabamba is one of many places in Uganda you can see the Shoebill, but arguably the most accessible since it’s a short hop from Entebbe or Kampala. The excellent, mid-range Nkima Forest Lodge is just a few minutes from Mabamba Bay).
A pair of magnificent Blue-breasted Bee-eaters entertain us, while the Shoebill looks on, seriously, just ten or so metres from our boat. The Shoebill moves his head from side to side as our Mabamba guide educates us about this fascinating bird. There are just two or three pairs of Shoebills breeding in Mabamba, all under the watchful eye of the local community.
We look in vain for the Lesser Jacana, to the disappointment of our guide, who has a mental checklist of the birds he has hoped to record for Big Birding Day. Mabamba birds we do spot include Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, Purple Swamphen, Giant Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher and Weynn’s Weaver.
There is no protection from the sun when you are out on the open water. Cue: return to land, for a soda and a chapatti from the local snack stall. Refreshed, and with the Big Birding Day clock ticking, the competitive streak kicks in and the Big Birding Day team marches uphill towards some tall trees. En route we add a Fan-tailed Widowbird to our list.
Leaving Mabamba is a series of smaller Papyrus Swamps where we see locally occurring ‘endemic species’ such as the striking Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler and Carruther’s Cisticcola.
Uganda – ‘the birding mecca’ of Africa
Our tiny country is home to over 1000 bird species, almost 50% of Africa’s bird species. In addition to the 1000+ resident species, millions of birds migrate across Ugandan skies en route to summer alternately in South Africa and Europe.
Every year families, conservationists and the tourism industry come together to celebrate Uganda’s Big Birding Day, a series of fun conservation events celebrating birds. Young or old, an amateur or a professional ‘twitcher,’ Big Birding Day has something for everyone.
With a score of 114 species identified by the end of Big Birding Day 2013, our Mabamba team ranked a decent 9th out of 73 teams participating nationwide.
How can you take part in Big Birding Day?
Expert bird guides from NatureUganda, Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and Uganda Bird Guides Club lead participants in the main event, a 24-hour bird watching contest. Big Birding Day includes free guided nature walks at dozens of sites across Uganda. Uganda Wildlife Authority provide free entry to the country’s National Parks, Wildlife and Forest Reserves on Big Birding Day (provided you register in advance).
Uganda’s Big Birding Day takes place every November. Registration is through Nature Uganda email bbd@natureuganda.org Twitter @NatureUganda and Facebook www.facebook.com/NatureUganda.
I can’t be on the winning Big Birding Day team every year – or can I? 😉
My journey to Uganda: First Impressions
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Angela Dempsey, who was so captivated by her first impressions of Uganda that she contacted me to ask if she could share her experience. Here it is.
I felt a tension, a feeling of foreboding, when I saw a hundred-or-so young Ugandan soldiers lining up in the airport to board a bus in the night. I couldn’t help but wonder where the bus would take these young men next and if they would ever return. Perhaps it was just a routine training expedition but in this part of Africa it was hard for me not to jump to the conclusion that it was war.
Clothes drying on the line
Ugandans and their neighboring countries have wrestled against war for decades. Since the 1980s, Ugandans have endured tragic losses caused by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). In the Acholi region of northern Uganda, where most of the ladies of Aggie’s Arts were born, more than a million people were forced to flee their homes. A large number of those refugees found their way to the south and ended up living in the slums of the capital city of Kampala.
One person I know has likened Kampala to a post-apocalyptic city—like some scene from a sci-fi movie. The roads are paved but there are potholes everywhere. There exists what I term “half-buildings”, abandoned mid-construction, everywhere you turn. The dust of the stripped land of red clay permeates the air and mixes with the pollution of cars and motorcycles to create a hovering cloud over the city. Many of the restaurants, hotels, private residences, schools and churches are surrounded by a 10-foot cement block wall with barbed wire along the top perimeter and have one single-gated entry point with armed guards to ensure no weapons are brought inside. All of this contributes to this surreal sense that you have entered a place that intuitively knows that safety is only a mirage and peace is still a dream.
Woman eating a traditional Ugandan lunch. Aggie’s Arts Uganda
“There is an air of quiet perseverance, kindness and timidity in the Ugandan people that one can only attribute to those who have suffered and survived. This attitude makes you want to help them all the more.”
What really amazed me was the contrast between these surroundings and the people. I observed them as they walked everywhere in their nicely pressed outfits—men in buttoned down shirts and slacks and women in nice dresses with children strapped to their backs. They smile. They work hard. I found Ugandans to be friendly to outsiders when one might expect there to be distrust.
I saw this same attitude in many of our Aggie’s Arts ladies as we visited them in their homes in Banda, a slum outside Kampala.
I was fortunate to be in Banda with the ladies on a Saturday, which is laundry day. There is something about the universal chore of laundry that made me feel immediately connected with their community. They hand washed their few clothes and hung them out in the sun like my grandmother used to do. There was no denying as I walked through this area of the world that life is very, very hard here.
Ugandan kids have the best smiles!
Children are everywhere I walk.
They gaze at me with dark, curious eyes. Many of them called out “Muzungu!” (the name of anyone who has white skin) and they want to shake my hand and say “good morning.” I see a small group of children playing soccer (football) and I think of my nine-year old daughter who would love to join them. Smiling faces in the midst of such poverty is disarmingly beautiful and poignant at the same time. Sadly, for many of these impoverished children, working at the rock quarry or having a child in their early teens will soon truncate any opportunity for education or play time.
A child helping with the clothes washing
Most of the homes I observe are small, 10 foot by 12 foot dwellings about the size of my front porch at home in the U.S. That space is then divided by a thin curtain to keep the living space separated from the sleeping space. The kitchen consists of a small charcoal pit with a pan for cooking and is located just outside. There is no indoor plumbing; no toilets other than a shared hole in the ground surrounded by walls, nearby. If they are lucky, they have a spigot (water tap) nearby and can pay someone for water so that they don’t have to walk miles carrying heavy water from the main spout near the road. Unfortunately, the cost of this water is so high they end up walking anyway. Food is made up of greens, a cornmeal mixture made into “porridge” and rice or beans. The ladies said they usually eat one meal a day.
There is an undeniable desire to help that pierces your heart when you see these ladies, their families, and their hardships. As I boarded the plane to go back home, I knew that I had learned much during my interviews with the ladies and my experience in Uganda. I walked away having seen the transformation that can happen when people are given the opportunity to provide for themselves and their loved ones through the work of their own hands. I am convinced more than ever that Aggie’s Arts is working. I also realized that Aggie’s Arts, here in the U.S., is a vital part of that transformation.
People have asked me if I’d like to go back. Knowing there is still much work to be done, I give a wistful reply of “Someday.” Hopefully, it won’t be too long.
The ladies of Aggie’s Arts Uganda pose for a group photo. First impressions of Uganda
About Angela Dempsey
Angela Dempsey has been a youth mentor, a missionary, a mechanical engineer, and a leadership trainer. She has lived in the U.S. and France. She is a lover of people, travel, and family. She is also a great admirer of coffee, chocolate, and classic literature. She lives in Alabama with her husband, Robb, their two beautiful girls, and a tuxedo cat named Shadow. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors for Aggie’s Arts, Inc. Her trip to Uganda took place in March 2014. Ms. Dempsey may be contacted at adempseywork[at]gmail.com
The Muzungu: thanks Angela for sharing your story. It’s always interesting to see the world through someone else’s eyes. Here is one of my very first blogs about Uganda: Touchdown Africa – a letter home.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
