Day 7: 4 August 2002 9:00 pm
The group head across the border to Uganda.
(US $1 = 1800 Ush)
Woke up at 5:00 am as Tom was convinced that something was crawling on his arm. After we switched the torch on, we realised that the whole tent was crawling - crawling with ants. How they got in I'll never know as we have a brand new, heavy duty tent. I nipped up to the truck to help prepare breakfast while Tom massacred the ants - I am eternally grateful to him - he is a little gem!
We set off for the Kenya/Uganda border. The Ugandan visa cost $30 and we crossed the ramshackle border control fairly painlessly. Once in Uganda, I noticed that it was more lush and green than Kenya. There were round mud huts with thatched roofs dotted in the fields. This is what I had come to Africa for - to see people carrying on their everyday lives - men cycling balancing huge bunches of bananas, women and children carrying jerry cans of water on their heads and little boys playing football where ever they could. I loved the women's garish dresses with huge peaked shoulders and matching turbans. It was also humbling - huts and shacks only have one room to house a whole family in incredible squalor. How pampered we are in the West. At least some of our tourist dollars may go to the locals.
As we travelled through Uganda, we were fortunate enough to see groups of boys running along the road waving branches. This is an initiation ceremony from boyhood to manhood that happens on only one day of the year.
In Uganda, we are seen more as a novelty. When we stopped for lunch along the side of the road, two girls carrying water on their heads, seemed positively scared of us. I sometimes forget how intrusive being a traveller can be. I asked our tour leader if I could give them some pineapple, but the advice is never give anything as the children then associate seeing an overland truck with food, and end up not attending school to wait for the trucks. Sound advice.
I spent the rest of the afternoon reading about the conservation of elephants and rhinos and an article on the genocide and the reconciliation that followed in Rwanda.
Our itinerary has changed as we cannot trek for gorillas in Bwindi in Uganda. Our tour leader could not get the permits and word is that the gorillas have crossed over into the Congo. Instead, we will see the gorillas in Rwanda which is much safer, although most people would not think so. The Parc Nacionel Des Volcans is considered one of the most beautiful settings to see the gorillas in and is also where Diane Fossey studied the gorillas. Security is so tight that even if a footprint is out of place, no one is admitted.
We are staying in the Red Chilli Backpackers camp in Kampala. It is friendly but crowded as quite a few trucks seem to use it. When we went to bed, there were some 'happy clappers' singing hymns at the tops of their voices and praising the Lord in a chalet, near our tent. They were accompanied by guitar, drums and recorder. Anyone who continues to play the recorder after primary school has a serious problem. I half expected to hear strains of "Kum ba yah". I don't know what I prefer least - ants in the tent or being serenaded by religious nuts.
Positives: I loved viewing Ugandan life from the truck.
Negatives: If I hear one more 'Hallelujah' I'll scream.