Uganda - Part One

Right, I am fully recovered from Kili.  A day by the pool with nothing left to do but eat and relax sorted me right out :-)  then the 10 hour bus ride from Moshi back to Nairobi which started at 6am left me hot and bothered and hungry as there was no lunch stop, so as soon as I got back to my hotel, I put on my bikini and jumped in the pool.  There was no-one  at the bar to order food so I swam a couple of laps, then jumped out the pool and ordered and jumped back in until the food arrived......it is pretty tough here in Africa, lol.

 

By the pool I met Gill, who is on my tour and my tent buddy.  She is english and we get along so well other people on our tour have been asking how long we have known each other!

 

The last night in Nairobi Gill and I, along with Philippa, Ben and Tony who I met climbing Kili all met up at a restaurant called Carnivores an all you can eat meat restaurant.   OMG they bring you everything from an entire turkey to suasages and ostrich meatballs on a skewer and carve it straight onto your plate.  For a veggie convert, I did very well and tried crocodile...which tastes a lot like chicken, lol.

 

So the first day on tour is bucketed with rain...all day so we saw nothing and drove for about 10 hours.  Our tour guide (Bec) was surpised that no-one wanted to upgrade so she gave the tent demo in the rain and we camped in the rain...which was ok. 

 

The next day was a lot more driving to get to Jinja in Unganda where we spent the last three nights.  The first day there involved a lot of relaxing, a walk down to the river to see the rest of our tour white water rafting (not my scene), a trip into town which was a great experience....it is funny being in the monority and being stared at (mostly  for being blonde) and then a few bevvies in the campsite in the evening.

 

That night there was a huge storm, torrential rain and thunder for up to 30 secs at a time and loads of lightening but I was actually woken up by my tent dripping right on my head!!  Not so much fun :-( so I have to try and sleep the rest of the night in a wet soggy sleeping bag :-( but the sun came out later that day and everything is all dry now :-)

 

Yesterday I went to several schools and education centres run by a charity called softpower.  We went to a pre-school where the kids sang for us...it was so sweet, I started crying.  The kids were Aids orphans and so friendly and smiley and so affectionate, after that we checked out the education centre which is used by 22 schools in the area and kids go there to do art, drama, science and use the 4 computers they have - there is only 1 of the 22 schools that has a computer, otherwise the kids don't see one.  After that we went to a  primary school and painted the inside and outside of a classroom.  Great fun and spoke to some of the kids there who were teaching me to count to 10 in swahili and laughed when I said a word wrong....very cute.

 

The day was rounded off with a Gin and Tonic canoe cruise on Lake Victoria to the source of the Nile.  Not much paddling but a lot of Gin...great fun.

 

Today I am in Kampala, the capital of Uganda for one night before heading to Lake Bunyoni for 3 nights to go Gorilla trekking. I can't wait for that and will send some pics next time or put them on facebook.  It is torrentially raining at the momemt but so far I have been sunburned everyday too and lost all the skin from the back of my neck....naughty naughty, I know!

 

Thank you to everyone who has sent me emails, I will try and respond personally to all of them :-)

 

Love Fiona xx

 

PS. Please pass along to anyone I have missed...I am sorry but I don't have your email address saved in yahoo...no offence!