A While At The Nile

On our trip to the source of the Nile, we were able to drink in the beauty of Uganda.  Its rolling hills, red soil, beautiful plants and trees in various seasons of growth.  Coming to Uganda during one of the snowiest winters on record in Maine, was like walking into the Garden of Eden.  I remember reading stories about the vastness of the African sky, and it seemed to ring true.  The dome above me seemed higher than I ever remembered it being. The colors of the sky in the morning and evening had their own special hues compared to home.  

This was our first venture into the countryside. Not only was it a breath of fresh air for this country girl, but it was nice to have a restful day without any meetings or fellowships to attend. Rotarian Loy was our host for the day.  Loy was Mary’s host during our stay. She was very soft-spoken, and such a gentle spirit. I know Mary felt very welcome in Loy’s home. I liked her very much.

Is that a crocodile under th bridge?!?!?!

Our driver, Congo, drove us that day and just about every day we were in the Kampala area.  I don’t think there was ever a time that I saw him without a smile.  Congo was a master of the road!  He was a very skilled driver and got us everywhere we needed to go safely and without any sign of stress. We all grew to love him and felt quite safe in his care.

On our way to Mabira Forest, a national park, we stopped at a waterfall.  The rain from the night before made the falls muddy looking, but it was still an amazing sight.  Weeks after our return home, we learned that a HUGE crocodile had been removed from the waters at the base of the falls.  It had been responsible for the deaths of a few people.  YIKES!

We arrived at Mabira Forest and it was enchanting. The trees towered over us, taller than any I had ever seen before.  The canopy was so high and thick. Vines and scrawny trees wrapped around larger trees in a race to the top, competing for rays of sunlight. We followed the park trail through the forest and I kept thinking to myself, “I can’t believe I’m in a rain-forest…”  It was the first time since our arrival in Uganda that things smelled a little familiar.  It was invigorating. We all commented on how refreshing it was to have some leisure time.

We hiked quite a way before Ken decided he needed to turn back.  We had passed a little path that looked like it would turn him back in the right direction.  John went along with him.  The rest of us continued on for quite a bit longer expecting the path to circle back farther on.  Instead, we came to a highway! The trail continued across the highway, but we had hiked long enough.  Loy called Congo telling him to come get us after John and Ken made it back to the vehicle.  In the meantime we walked along in the direction of the park entrance.

A tree hollowed out by a lightning strike

The highway running through the park

Thankfully the highway was not too busy.  Quite a number of vehicles passed us from either direction and many of the passengers and drivers of those vehicles would wave at us and even sometimes beep their horn.  That experience was very distinct.  The farther we traveled from the city, the more we stood out as a minority.  Here in the states most people have been raised not to stare at others if they are a different skin color, or have anything that might make them stand out. Not in Uganda, there is a freedom to be inquisitive.  In spite of the attention, it didn’t come across as rudeness, it was rather comical. As each new vehicle passed, if I saw someone staring at us, I would just give a small wave and smile.  I was always guaranteed a smile and a wave back.

Congo finally caught up to us with John and Ken in tow.  John explained that the path didn't take them back like they thought it would and they wound up hiking for about as long as we did!  Poor Ken!

We finally arrived at the source of the Nile. Congo drove us up to the gate that opens onto its banks. It was amazing, the thought of being at a global landmark like this had me in awe.  I walked through the gate and sat down absorbing the sights and sounds in the warm sun on a small ledge above the bank. I was pleasantly tired from our hike in the forest and thoroughly enjoyed this moment of solitude.  

After a short rest, we all agreed to take a boat ride up to the source.  It was barely a half a mile from where we sat on the bank. We walked down a little strip of road lined with tourist booths, kiosks, and a restaurant leading up to the boat launch.  The shopkeepers were not shy about calling us into their booths.  We boarded the boat, thankfully it was just our group, and our guides drove the boat to the other bank sharing about the discovery of the source, and pointing out the many different bird species as we floated along. As with our other guides on our trip thus far, we peppered this new guide with questions, joked around, and had a lot of fun.  

Fishermen along the banks of the Nile

We returned from our excursion to discover there was a small monument to Mahatma Gandhi. Some of his ashes had been sprinkled there in the Nile; another opportunity for reflection.

By this time, we all had worked up an appetite. We ordered our meals at the little restaurant, and for those of us that ordered fish, we were served whole fish even bigger than on the night we arrived. The only thing I was disappointed with each time we had fish was that I never had the chance to sit down with anyone who could show me how to really eat it and get every last bit of goodness!  I know you can pick the head clean, but I didn’t know where to start.  It would be like a newcomer in Maine eating lobster, but only ever figuring out how to eat the tail and claws without discovering all the little nuggets in the body and legs, and eating the tamale. You miss out on the full experience. Perhaps next time...