Day 15: 12 August 2002 8:00 pm
Roberta announces to the group that she had a terrible nightmare about missing breakfast.
Lake Bunyonyi
We hired out a mokoro (dug out canoe) this morning and were happy to escape across the lake to Far Out Island Camp. This camp was in a tranquil setting and had a comfortable bar area with deck chairs. Here we drank tea whilst looking through gorilla books and a book called "Where Is My Home?" which contained a collection of drawings and writings done by children from three Northern Uganda rehabilitation centres and from Acholi Pit refugee camp. It recounted their ordeal of experiencing war, attacks on their homes, abduction, being forced to fight, fear of being killed, and escaping the rebels.
Since the late 1980s, the Lords Resistance Army has been the most prominent rebel group operating in the northern districts of Uganda. Since 1993, it is estimated that 8,000 children have been abducted - adolescent girls are given to rebels as wives and children serve as soldiers. The idea of the book is to allow children an outlet for their emotions, a form of counselling, that is part of the recovery process.
After spending a couple of hours at Far Out Camp we paddled back and donated our mokoro to Philip and Rose. Next, we walked to a tiny local market where you could buy fruit and second hand clothes (most of which were from Unicef and Oxfam).
Roberta has transformed into "Kevin the teenager" (a Harry Enfield caricature of an adolescent) huffing and puffing every time she is asked to do the slightest chore and saying "it is so unfair". I observed her spend 20 minutes waving the same wooden spoon in the air while the rest of the chore group finished the washing up.
Martine has managed to sneak away from the group by upgrading to a cottage on the terraces. She said it was bliss to relax on a real bed. However, she has now been savaged by bed bugs so for once I was glad I was in a tent.
It was Barbara's birthday so we played musical chairs and pass the parcel with forfeits inside each wrapper. Tom had to change trousers with Belinda next to him. Natasha painted a superb birthday card. She is incredibly talented. In the past she has paid her board at hostels by painting murals on their walls.
Positives: Far Out Camp would be the place to stay at Lake Bunyonyi if you are planning a visit.
Negatives: Roberta and Beth woke us up by talking at the tops of their voices late at night in their tent about inane subjects.