April 16th got up late well for Uganda and had a leisurely breakfast and a bit of work on the internet e-mail a few photos back to Canterbury Baptist Church for Schools Connect Wilson picked us up with the usual African punctuality then we started the short trip to Jinja. This was an eventful trip being flagged down twice by traffic police the first time only to be waved on with no conversation but the second Wilson was chastised for not keeping to the nearside line on a hill and preventing others overtaking. This was a bit rich as we were stuck behind a lorry that didn’t pull over when the police flagged him down. We the visited the source of the Nile, the 10000 shilling entrance fee for non Ugandan’s was skilfully negotiated to 7000 by Wilson who argued that we had come out to help their country and therefore should deserve a discount. We declined the boat trip at an additional 10000 shillings! Both Dave and I have done this before and to be honest I’m sure it cost a third of that last time.
We then proceeded to The Nile Porch Hotel being stopped on route by over zealous Local Council workers who insisted that as we were in a Taxi not registered I Jija we had to pay 60000 shillings as Wilson was carrying passengers! After a long argument this was reduced to 6000 and we went on our way. Wilson's skills as a negotiator failed at Bujagaly Falls were we had to pay the full 3000 each but he got in free. This will be the last time I will get a chance to see these falls as the new Hydro-electric dam will be completed this summer and the valley will be flooded. Our accommodation is luxury bandas which are a cross between a brick built cabin and a tent with a solar heated shower & a wc in them. Each has a view of the River Nile and the top of Bujagaly falls from their veranda.
We had dinner in the Black Lantern Restaurant which was very nice and fell asleep to the sound of the Nile passing over the rapids beneath us.
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| The Market in Jinja {blue and white bars are soap} |
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| Brown Headed Kingfisher |
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| View from my Banda {sorry its raining} |
We had dinner in the Black Lantern Restaurant which was very nice and fell asleep to the sound of the Nile passing over the rapids beneath us.
The falls sound very nice. This place sounds like the States, people seem to be always demanding money.We fly out on Wednesday morning, don't know when you return. Have a good good completion of your mission
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