We planned to spend the last two nights out on the main island but before we left we had planned to make a traditional Canadian breakfast for our hosts. Kelly and I woke early in the morning and the staff watched as we whipped up some pancakes with syrup from a farm around the corner from our house. It was missing some sausages or bacon but we couldn’t exactly bring any with us. Still, it made for a good hearty breakfast and everyone (especially the kids) enjoyed something different and sampling a little taste of Canada. We quickly gobbled down breakfast and packed our things in to the truck.
Uganda is land locked but shares a large shoreline of the world’s second largest freshwater lake – Lake Victoria. On this lake there are hundreds of Islands but only one is accessible by ferry. There are two ferry points – one close by and one a three-hour drive away… guess which one was closed for ferry repairs? Yup, you guessed it. We had to travel the long way around to get there and on the way passed countless villages each selling their local craftwork or harvest at the side of the roads.
We also stopped at the equator to take some photos and run a science experiment that demonstrates that water flows clockwise or counter-clockwise depending on which side of the equator you stand. Right on the equator itself the water flows straight down – not spiraling at all. So cool.
We finally arrived at the island ferry, a simple landing with a few big motors and a ramp at either end. We waited with the locals for about an hour for it to arrive and unload. Several locals introduced themselves and asked questions about where we were from or just wanted to say Hi. I think we were the only non-Ugandans on our trip across the river and stood out like sore thumbs, I easily towered 2 heads higher than most others and my big bald white head must have shone like a beacon in the hot sun. We were packed in like sardines – probably 150 of us standing between parked cars while vendors squeezed by selling sodas, ground nuts or grasshoppers. The ride was about an hour across but it felt good to stand after spending so much time driving again.
Once we crossed we tried to navigate our way across the island to our place of stay. There were minimal signs; just random forks in the roads and even the locals didn’t really seem to know how to get anywhere.
We eventually found our place – a beautiful lodge with an amazing view of the lake and other surrounding islands. Monkeys jumped in the trees above and the smell of… uh, nothing (no diesel fumes, dust or burning garbage) was perfect. Our rooms were clean and modern, large rooms with flat screen TV’s. Very different than the other places we had seen. We had separate rooms but a large shared dining and lounging space with several sets of screen doors overlooking the lake. We were all tired from the drive so ordered some beers and dinner and relaxed for the evening.
In the morning we called for a guide to show us the sights. The cell networks were down (most of Uganda doesn’t have land lines, they never built the infrastructure and went straight to cell towers) so we couldn’t reach the guide but the lodge had suggested using one of the employees who knew the way around. We negotiated a rate, jammed into our truck and headed off to explore the island. I would have preferred a long hike but everything was pretty spread out so we were told we had to drive to the trails and island features. The guide led us along to check out a few nice beaches with waterside grass roofed huts from another lodge. We chatted with some fishermen and strolled along the waters edge. It was hot out but we couldn’t swim in the lake – there are parasites that make non-locals sick so we just admired it from the edges. Unfortunately there were no pools on the island either so this was as close as we were going to get. We traveled along the lake to another beach lodge and ordered some drinks and groundnuts to snack on. It was a beautiful piece of paradise to just relax at.
We wanted to go see the caves before lunch so the guide lead us down lonely dirt roads, through tiny villages and around palm tree plantations. No sign of the caves. We stopped a few times to ask some local boda boda drivers how to find the caves. Our guide said he hadn’t been there before but knew the way… obviously not. After about an hour of searching we gave up and headed back for lunch. Our guide said he was embarrassed for not finding the caves and left without saying goodbye. We didn’t know if we would see him again.
After lunch the networks started working again so we managed to get a hold of the real guide. We picked him up a short time later and he gave an amazing tour of the land – sharing stories and traditions. He was well educated on the local scene and had a real respect for the environment. As we drove along we always saw what I just assumed was jungle but upon closer look he showed us all the plants growing – most planted intentionally and harvested for food or craft materials.
He then told us to pull over on the side of the road at what seemed to be the middle of nowhere – a road we had passed by several times with the first guide. There was no parking or real path but he assured us the caves were nearby. I must admit after the first guide I didn’t believe him. We walked through some open fields and palm plantations. He taught us of the farming and the different species of native and modern – imported modified species that were easier to harvest and had a much quicker yield of fruit. He quizzed us on the impacts and the proposed benefits and left it to us to decide which species was better.
We hiked along and came to a cliff face and stopped at the entrance to a bat cave. The entrance walls were black from a fire that was still left burning from a recent ceremony. This, we were told, was a sacred cave. We ventured inside and bats circled around even in the middle of the day. He told us stories of legends and folklore. Their healers would enter the cave, leave offerings of food and locally brewed alcohol made of bananas. They would fall into a deep trance and be able to predict fortunes. Local villagers would come and ask about their harvest, their relationships, their futures and… even if they might be blessed with twins. We all had a good chuckle.
Back at the lodge we ordered a whole chicken to barbecue for dinner and settled down for another night of relaxation. We planned to go to bed early since we had to awake at 5:30am again to catch the return ferry but instead, kept ordering rounds of local Bell beers and chatted with other outsiders from Ireland who just returned from the trip to the Impenetrable forest to view the Gorillas. It sounded like an amazing adventure, one we had decided not to take since the drive was over 12 hours each way and up to 4 hours of hiking slippery jungle trails with the possibility of maybe seeing a family or gorillas. They were fortunate and spent an hour with these incredible creatures just a few feet away. One of the gorillas was playing nearby and rolling down a hillside and he rolled right into one of the trekkers – a 60-year-old lady. She was not hurt and everyone agreed it would have been an honour to be touched by a gorilla.
We ordered for an early breakfast at 6am so we could get to the ferry on the other side of the island in time. My alarm kicked off at 5:30 am and it was still pitch black out and the generators had not been turned on. We washed, dressed and packed by the light of my iPhone again. We could hear the help setting up our breakfast dishes without any lights on in the building. I could not make out her silhouette it was so dark. We assumed breakfast would come shortly but it took almost an hour to prepare and she put us well behind our schedule. We were worried we would not make the ferry in time so we wolfed down our breakfast and hit the road.
Eating Jack fruit we picked up on the dive over to the island
We managed to arrive just in time but there was a long lineup for the ferry. Only 12 vehicles were allowed and I think we were the thirteenth. Joseph went up and negotiated with the ferry controllers to ensure we had a place on board and would not miss our flight. When it was time to load we were the first on and I counted as everyone else parked their trucks. I didn’t want us to be responsible for anyone else missing the ferry. 8 trucks, then 9. A few more. Then the 12th truck rolled on. There were still 2 more on the shore but instead of making them wait they shuffled a few trucks around and somehow managed to squeeze them on. Everything was so tight I could not believe they managed to fit. Trucks were almost driving over passenger’s toes and people were pressed up tightly between vehicles. We were separated from Joseph and Mirriam and stuck in the middle between a passenger bus and a meat truck that had cow hides rolled in the back and feces drying along the rails. The locals didn’t seem to blink. They stool all around us eating their commuter breakfast – raw corn. They just peeled the husks back and ate the kernels. I suppose it provided enough nutrition for the morning.
Everyone was squished in, even the vendors could not get around without climbing through the cow truck to sell their wares. One mother say on the wet muddy ground in her dress so her children could sit on her lap and try to sleep. On the journey some kids kept looking over and smiling at us. One pulled out some markers and, since she didn’t have any paper, started writing on her hands. Kelly had a notebook on her and ripped out a few pages and gave it to her. She gave back the greatest smile and said thanks. Moments later the first page came back with a note written in English saying hello and what her name was. It was quickly followed by several others as her and her sister filled page after page with stories and drawings. We wrote notes and drew sketches and passed them back and forth to pass the time.
After standing for an hour we were happy to be back on shore. We loaded up and had another 3 hour drive back to Kampala. We only had a few hours left in the afternoon so we stopped at a few craft shops along the roadside, grabbed some more treats for others back home and hit an awesome Indian restaurant in the middle of town. After an extremely filling meal we returned to Josephs to wash up and pack for home.
We loaded up and headed towards the airport. We had planned to stop for a late dinner before catching our 1:45am flight back to Amsterdam but Kelly and I were still full from our big lunch earlier so instead we found a nice patio near Entebbe airport and had a few farewell drinks with our friends.
This wasn’t a vacation or a holiday – it was an experience. And an amazing one at that. It was incredible to meet the necklace ladies and see the completed water projects, to give out toys and school supplies to the children, and to experience the flavor of Africa with our good friend Joseph from Kampala. We learned so much once again and have been inspired to travel more and get more involved in projects that can have such a huge impact.
Thanks for sharing our journey with us.
