Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Write a Travelogue (11/06/14)
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TITLE: Two Tickets to the Pearl of Africa | Previous Challenge Entry
By Dee Kyalo
11/10/14 -
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Two days and about 8,330 miles later, we finally entered the Pearl of Africa, via the country’s major gateway – Entebbe airport. Entebbe city is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world.
Delightfully, we passed through customs check-point rather quickly and the representative of Gorilla African Guest House, where we had made reservations, picked us up. It was a comfortable 15 minute, $8 ride to the hotel. The air smelled clean and the lake in the background made for a serene atmosphere.
The driver was a confident well spoken man.
“Have you been to Uganda before?”
“No, this is our first time to this part of Africa.” Shem answered.
“You will love this place,” he said assuredly. “I don’t know if you play golf but it might interest you to know that the oldest golf course in East Africa was established here in 1900.”
The two continued conversing as the beautiful greenery of Entebbe drew me in.
We got to the hotel at around 8.30pm. Too tired to do anything fun, we showered and slept.
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“Good morning, Entebbe!”
That was Shem calling out of the window. Some excitement – finally!
“I see the vacation has officially begun.” I said, throwing off the covers and ready to go.
The fresh breeze and warm gentle sunrays made everything feel and look so beautiful. After a hearty breakfast we took a fishing trip to Ngamba Island (about 18 miles from the hotel). Trolling with lures is the main fishing method used and could enable you get Nile Perch averaging 10 - 80kg in weight but their policy is ‘catch and release’.
They did not even tell us that we were crossing the Equator in the boat journey here until we were returning. Yes, you have to cross the Equator here twice to and from Ngamba Island.
“You are now in the very middle of the world,” announced the guide on the boat, “and passing from the Southern Hemisphere to the North!”
It would have been nicer if they had told us going out – so I am letting you know ahead of time. Oh, and take your own food and water!
While on the island, we visited the Chimpanzee sanctuary; home to 48 orphaned chimps, and had a chance to closely interact with the apes. Here, visitors are not permitted to bring food with them, but can get a selection of salads and sandwiches for $10 and Ugandan Buffet for $15. In addition to the chimp-related activities, we enjoyed swimming on the equator! If you don’t like swimming, you can simply sunbathe and relax.
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We had an opportunity to ‘travel back in time’. Our experience to Ssesse Island started with the ferry across the lake from Entebbe, where loaders were seemingly in a contest to fill every spare inch of space with cars or passengers.
Upon reaching the Islands we realized how remote we were. There’s no electricity on the island. The drive through dust tracks with jungle canopy over the road was met by occasional monkeys. Our curiosity was satisfied upon seeing that there wasn’t much to do there.
We had an uneventful 56 mile drive to Namugongo Martyrs Shrine. This part of Uganda’s history seeks to remember the Christians that were massacred by the local rulers in the late 1800s.
We were grateful that we lived in a place and time where we enjoy freedom of worship.
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The tour of the Lubiri Palace grounds gave us information about the 19th and 20th centuries’ rulers of Buganda kingdom. Here, sits Idi Amin’s bone-chilling torture chambers, which are as unsettling as you’d expect. I was glad to get out of there.
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One of my favorite places was Ndere Center. We relaxed in this family friendly environment and experienced colorful, good quality and very informative modernized drama mixed with comedy. I thought the 4 hour show for $15 was great, but Shem would have preferred it to be shorter. Nevertheless, we agree that the buffet was awesome. If you’d like to learn about the culture and tribes of Uganda this is the place to go.
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The following morning we left for the Rwenzoris – the Mountains of the Moon, in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border.
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