Apologies for the lack of activity on this 'blog, but out here in the wilds of Africa, electrical power - let alone Internet access - is not always readily available.
Anyway, after a 7-day hiatus from all things hypertext-related, I feel very glad that it's now time again to roll up my sleeves, crack my knuckles and let you all know what I've been up to over the last week.
Kampala was getting a little claustrophobic, so we decided to pack our bags and head eastwards, towards the town of Jinja (and the source of the Nile), to a lodge called the Haven. The road out of Kampala, testing at the best of times, was simply hair-raising, with the unpredictable antics of half-drunk/insane matatus and boda-bodas providing ample opportunities for the skin over my knuckles to whiten. Luckily, after 4 fatal coach crashes the previous week, Uganda's 'finest' were out in force. Resplendent in their khaki overalls and smart berets and brandishing speed guns, they were pulling over drivers left, right and centre - including us!
Before I continue, a short aside regarding Ugandan police officers may be useful: they, like most civil servants in the country, are often very badly paid and often resort to wringing bribes from people in order to supplement their meagre wages. The offering of bribes is often expressed using pithy euphemisms, most commonly asking the policeman or woman whether he or she 'has had any breakfast, ssebo/nyabo?" It often works though, although I would certainly not recommend offering a member of the Met a bacon sarnie to get off a speeding fine...
The officer waved to us to pull over and then sauntered casually over to the car, before informing us that we were travelling at over 20km/h over the speed limit. My heart sank at the prospect of forking out for a bribe, but thanks to a strong appeal to the policeman's better nature by Ali (my hostess and fiancé of my good friend, Daniel) he let us all off with a caution. Proceeding a little more cautiously, we continued on our journey to Jinja and the source of the Nile.
The country grew more and more rural as we left the city behind us, our road taking us past thick sugar cane plantations, idly swaying in the breeze; and through dense jungle, catching glimpses of black-faced vervet monkeys and splendidly-coloured parrots as we roared past.
Jinja is the location of Nile Breweries, where the eponymous Nile Lager is brewed, using water from that most mighty of rivers. It's a fine beer, with a strong malty flavour and not too many bubbles - and at 5.6%, it'll put you on your behind after six 500ml bottles. Ugandans love a drink and there are several other beers to try (Club, Moonberg and Bell, although this last one has a reputation of being a bit of a wife-beater, so you may want to give it a miss), as well as the infamous waragi spirit, sold in 100ml plastic sachets for about 200 Ugandan Shillings (about 7p), beloved by poor folk all over the country.
Anyway, after a 7-day hiatus from all things hypertext-related, I feel very glad that it's now time again to roll up my sleeves, crack my knuckles and let you all know what I've been up to over the last week.
Kampala was getting a little claustrophobic, so we decided to pack our bags and head eastwards, towards the town of Jinja (and the source of the Nile), to a lodge called the Haven. The road out of Kampala, testing at the best of times, was simply hair-raising, with the unpredictable antics of half-drunk/insane matatus and boda-bodas providing ample opportunities for the skin over my knuckles to whiten. Luckily, after 4 fatal coach crashes the previous week, Uganda's 'finest' were out in force. Resplendent in their khaki overalls and smart berets and brandishing speed guns, they were pulling over drivers left, right and centre - including us!
Before I continue, a short aside regarding Ugandan police officers may be useful: they, like most civil servants in the country, are often very badly paid and often resort to wringing bribes from people in order to supplement their meagre wages. The offering of bribes is often expressed using pithy euphemisms, most commonly asking the policeman or woman whether he or she 'has had any breakfast, ssebo/nyabo?" It often works though, although I would certainly not recommend offering a member of the Met a bacon sarnie to get off a speeding fine...
The officer waved to us to pull over and then sauntered casually over to the car, before informing us that we were travelling at over 20km/h over the speed limit. My heart sank at the prospect of forking out for a bribe, but thanks to a strong appeal to the policeman's better nature by Ali (my hostess and fiancé of my good friend, Daniel) he let us all off with a caution. Proceeding a little more cautiously, we continued on our journey to Jinja and the source of the Nile.
The country grew more and more rural as we left the city behind us, our road taking us past thick sugar cane plantations, idly swaying in the breeze; and through dense jungle, catching glimpses of black-faced vervet monkeys and splendidly-coloured parrots as we roared past.
Jinja is the location of Nile Breweries, where the eponymous Nile Lager is brewed, using water from that most mighty of rivers. It's a fine beer, with a strong malty flavour and not too many bubbles - and at 5.6%, it'll put you on your behind after six 500ml bottles. Ugandans love a drink and there are several other beers to try (Club, Moonberg and Bell, although this last one has a reputation of being a bit of a wife-beater, so you may want to give it a miss), as well as the infamous waragi spirit, sold in 100ml plastic sachets for about 200 Ugandan Shillings (about 7p), beloved by poor folk all over the country.
A short while after we passed Nile Breweries, we turned off the main road and onto the 5km dirt track to The Haven. We passed several small settlements along the winding, dusty and very bumpy road - these were no more than a handful of mud huts with thatched reed roofs. Piebald and brown goats scattered in front of the car and the scent of charcoal hung on the air, as we rattled through the final few kilometres while around us dusk fell.
The Haven certainly did live up to its name; it consists of a handful of single and double-occupancy bandas (African-style thatched huts) on a beautifully-kept lawn, it offers some truly magnificent views of the Nile.
The next day, I rose early to take some snaps and then we set off on the next leg of our journey to Sipi Falls. Sipi Falls is in fact a collection of three waterfalls of varying heights that lie on the edge of the escarpment that forms the Mount Elgon National Park. We booked into Sipi Falls Lodge, a comfortable and friendly, if only slightly spartan, hostel in a stunning location at the foot of the smallest fall. We spent the next day trekking around the falls and getting caught in massive electrical storms with no waterproofs and on the side of a mountain. Lots of fun.
Next day we set off home, stopping again in Jinja for a spot of lunch and a cold Nile by the err..Nile. A fitting end to a wonderful weekend.
The Haven certainly did live up to its name; it consists of a handful of single and double-occupancy bandas (African-style thatched huts) on a beautifully-kept lawn, it offers some truly magnificent views of the Nile.
The next day, I rose early to take some snaps and then we set off on the next leg of our journey to Sipi Falls. Sipi Falls is in fact a collection of three waterfalls of varying heights that lie on the edge of the escarpment that forms the Mount Elgon National Park. We booked into Sipi Falls Lodge, a comfortable and friendly, if only slightly spartan, hostel in a stunning location at the foot of the smallest fall. We spent the next day trekking around the falls and getting caught in massive electrical storms with no waterproofs and on the side of a mountain. Lots of fun.
Next day we set off home, stopping again in Jinja for a spot of lunch and a cold Nile by the err..Nile. A fitting end to a wonderful weekend.
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