Messing about on the River Nile. A week-end at The Haven, Jinja
A week-end at The Haven, Jinja – accommodation on the Nile
A cursory look at The Haven’s visitor’s book tells it all: full of compliments from first time, second time – even ninth time! – visitors. Just outside Jinja, The Haven’s accommodation and camping facilities are particularly popular with campers who just happen to be driving from Cape Town back to Europe via Jinja and Uganda
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Panorama of the Nile below The Haven at Jinja
I can’t believe it’s been four years since I last visited The Haven. My family had such a fantastic time last time that I was bit worried: Would this visit live up to the memories of the first time? Would the spectacular rapids beneath the Lodge still be visible or had they been submerged following the creation of the new dam?
Early morning fishing on the River Nile. View of the rapids from my room at The Haven
Like melted chocolate, the River Nile flows over the rocks below The Haven at Jinja. A short walk down to the rapids before breakfast is a MUST. It’s the best time of day.
I chatter, chatter as I flow to join the brimming river, for men may come and men may go, but I go on forever.- From The Brook, 1887 Lord Tennyson.
“You can really see how the village has developed!” Exclaimed Ma as Rashid drove us through the bush for the last couple of kilometres drive to The Haven. No doubt it is a combination of tourism and the Bujagali Falls dam that have increased local incomes, resulting in more brick houses and more tin roofs. Nonetheless, the route was as picturesque as ever.
I had forgotten about the legendary Haven breakfasts. When the staff say you are going to be served Continental Breakfast, they don’t just mean coffee and a bread roll. The staff ply you with an extensive menu that consists of: warm, freshly baked slabs of bread; home made fruit juice; a mixed platter of fruit; wafer thin pancakes with honey, chocolate spread and sumptuous mango compote; a mixed platter of cheese and thinly sliced cured meats (clue: the owner is German); and on top of all that lot is the cooked breakfast. These are not options, I hasten to add – this is the regular standard breakfast for everyone!
Just one element of the huge breakfast at The Haven Lodge Jinja Uganda
Blimey.
How I didn’t sink to the bottom of the swimming pool after that lot, I don’t know!
Did I say we ate well at The Haven? Sunday lunch starter was a yummy light salad of warm cashew nuts, black olives, tomato, onion and a vinaigrette dressing. We loved the lunch and evening menu options, always a choice of three main courses. I found the fish and the vegetable kebabs delicious; the caramelised banana pudding with ice cream was to die for. Red meat was on the menu too (but not for this Muzungu).
With these gargantuan tasty meals, you might have thought we would have (should have?) tried all those adventure activities we’d discussed … but the pool beckoned, as did the sun loungers and the hammocks, strategically slung so we could doze above the rapids while watching the Grade 5 white water rafters do all the work.
God my life sucks…
River Nile dining room view at The Haven Lodge Jinja
The outdoor seating at The Haven is designed to maximise the incredible view of the River Nile
Lime trees, bananas and colourful Bougainvillea decorate the grounds of the Haven. Fragrant wafts of Jasmine reached our dining table, adding to the magic of the setting.
The Haven is a wonderful place to take in riverside life: tiny fish are visible in the shallows of the Nile, multicoloured dragonflies and butterflies flourish by the river.
“SothisisaRiver”
“THE River,” corrected the Rat.
“And you really live by the river? What a jolly life!”
“By it and with it and on it and in it,” said the Rat. “It’s brother and sister to me, and aunts, and company, and food and drink, and (naturally) washing. It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing. Lord! The times we’ve had together…”
– From The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
Ma has taken multitasking to a whole new level: birdwatching, filming and drinking Waragi and tonic! All done simultaneously while perched on our little boat.
Late afternoon is perfect time of day to take The Haven’s boat cruise. The lodge now has two electric boats, perfect for birders like us who love to get as close as we can to the birdlife
Our sunset cruise on the Nile below The Haven was a very laid-back, private affair in the hands of the very capable ‘Captain’ Charles, one of The Haven’s staff. A tray laden with Uganda Waragi, tonic water and a bucket of ice are the natural accompaniment to any boat cruise…. (surely everyone knows that?)
As we set off, a Ross’s Turaco flew across the river, black and red wings flapping above our heads.
Along the river shore, we spotted: a vibrant Jacana hopping delicately across the vegetation, our first Dwarf Bittern, the outline of a statuesque Purple Heron at the top of a tree, a Common Sandpiper, bright white Little Egrets and majestic African Fish Eagles.
Jacana bird on River Nile Jinja
The African Fish Eagle is such a HANDSOME bird!
“If the Eagles can’t find fish, they might come into the village and carry off a 3 kg duck!” Charles told us. That would be quite a sight.
Little Egret. Birdwatching from a boat on the River Nile
Charles moved the boat closer to one of the islands, so we could watch the Black Headed Weavers crafting their intricate nests. The Weavers trailed pieces of grass – the effect was as if they had long, thin, tails. Amidst the Weavers’ busy chatter, two Grey Herons made a 360° loop of the island before landing in one of the trees.
According to the book, “the Striped Kingfisher is a small and rather drab kingfisher” – but I spotted him and no-one else did – so to me he was GORGEOUS!
Charles explained how the River Nile separated the two historical kingdoms of Buganda and Basoga. It was interesting to hear the local names for some of the popular river birds. The Malachite Kingfisher is known as the rainbow bird (so much easier to remember in any language!) The African Darter is known as the snake bird, because of its looooooong neck.
Upstream we passed a huge Hammerkop nest at the top of a large tree. More of a house than a nest, did you know this Ugandan bird’s nest is the biggest of any in the world? (Don’t stand beneath one though: you never know what rodent or snake might fall out of it!)
A flock of Sacred Ibis flying to the roost on the River Nile
The birding highlight for me was looking up to see a flock of 14 Sacred Ibis fly in formation overhead. The actual highlight was being with my family, who’d flown all the way from the UK to see me.
As our little boat pootled upstream towards the dam, we noticed the Cormorants and Sacred Ibis flying downstream and away from us to their roost in the trees and bushes on the rapids below The Haven. Charles explained that there they feel safe from predators.
Dawn mist rises over the River Nile rapids, The Haven Lodge Jinja. You can just make out the roosting birds on the rocks and bushes separating the rapids
A tall and solitary mvule tree made me wonder what this landscape would have looked like 20, 50 or even 100 years ago. Was it once part of Mabira Forest?
Long-tailed cormorants Jinja
A few hundred metres from The Haven is the roar of white water over smooth granite boulders. Long Tailed and Great Cormorants dry their outstretched wings on the ammonia-stained branches of the low bushy trees on the rocks between the rapids.
Red-tailed monkey – my totem – eyeballing us at The Haven in Jinja
Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day. – A. A. Milne, Pooh’s Little Instruction Book
Vervet monkey along the River Nile
By contrast…
White water rafting Bujagali Falls – back in the days before Bujagali Dam flooded the upper section. (You now raft below the dam)
The Haven is a great base for river adventures – especially if you just want to watch them whil enjoying a beer!
Watch the white water rafters and kayakers on the river below The Haven
Unless you knew the river before, you probably wouldn’t detect the impact of the dam. Only the occasional eddies and swirls of water gave a clue to the rocks that lay beneath us. Charles revved up the engine slightly as we reverse boated what were once scary grade 5 rapids.
If only Ma realised – she certainly wouldn’t have crossed this stretch of white water five years ago!
Muzungu taking in the Sunrise over the River Nile. Ahhhhh…. The Haven Lodge, Jinja accommodation
Early morning, overlooking the rapids:
Between me and the white water is a single African Open Billed Stork perching atop a big bush, its beak glistening. These storks often look bedraggled and unkempt to me but this morning it shines. I wish I had my camera! I’m glad I didn’t have my camera… what an image: the gleam of shiny black feathers, early morning mist and the white water backdrop.
African Open billed Stork. COPYRIGHT 2011-2014 MARIE-FRANCE GRENOUILLET
About the accommodation at The Haven, Jinja
We’d loved the banda on our first visit, but on this occasion we stayed in the self-contained thatched family bungalow at the back of the compound. Although the front of the building doesn’t look onto the river itself, climb to the upper floor and the veranda looks out at right angles onto the Nile. The bedroom veranda was a great spot for evening sundowners.
Cottage overlooking the Nile at The Haven. PHOTO Keren Riley
Inside the honeymoon cottage – spacious, airy and with the constant sound of the River Nile to soothe you to sleep!
Oh what a lovely way to wake up – drinking tea while watching the river flow by…
Spot the African Fish Eagle! Mural in the honeymoon cottage
Being at the (less disturbed) back of the compound meant we had the best birdlife. We could twitch right from our beds! We never did work out quite what the bird was that sounded like a creaking wheelbarrow… The tiny bright blue and orange Malachite Kingfishers were easy enough to spot, however.
Isn’t this Malachite kingfisher gorgeous? This pretty bird measures just 12 cm long
The bungalows are spacious and can sleep four adults and two children. The double master bedroom has an ensuite bathroom. Also on the top floor, leading off the master bedroom, is the children’s bunkbed room. The decor here is functional; the honeymoon bungalows are far more decorative.
The facilities at The Haven are better than ever: a big private area for camping with hot showers and outdoor barbecue, mountain bikes for hire, a sandpit, trampoline, swing (and more) for the children, badminton, table tennis, satellite TV and free Wi-Fi in both the main dining area and cottages.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
George Bernard Shaw
Sundays can be busy. The swimming pool is for residents only, which some lunchtime visitors may find disappointing. The pool isn’t that big though, so this decision probably makes sense; The Haven can be busy at weekends.
Swimming pool The Haven Lodge Jinja River Nile
The Haven is now the base for Kayak the Nile. Many of Jinja’s adrenaline activities can be booked and organised through reception at the Haven. Special thanks to Abraham, who dashed off to the pharmacist for me when I suspected I had malaria!
If you’re looking for lodge accommodation near Jinja, you can tell I (and my family!) heartily recommend The Haven. The staff make you feel right at home, you will eat like a king and even the camping is an upmarket experience. Check out The Haven’s website or email thehavenuganda@yahoo.com or call +256 (0)702905959 / +256 (0)78 2905959.
Please tell them the Muzungu sent you 🙂
DISCLOSURE: This blog is based on my personal experience. I was delighted to be given a discounted room rate in return for this blog post. For more information, read the Muzungu’s Terms and Conditions.
Can you name Mgahinga’s volcanoes?
Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
“Mgahinga is my favourite place in the whole of Uganda!” my friend Julia told me once, yet I’m amazed at how few people talk about the place: I fell for Mgahinga too! It’s perfect for a weekend break from Kampala or Kigali, for: gorilla tracking, volcano climbing, hiking, walking, bird watching, golden monkey trekking, traditional Batwa dancing and culture – and a smart, homely lodge.
Our journey to the volcanoes started with a morning flight from Entebbe.
The sound of drumming … a girl singing next to the river behind my banda … birdsong in the green, lush gardens … Mount Gahinga Lodge was just what I needed.
From the tiny Kisoro airstrip, our driver Sam took us on the one hour drive to Mount Gahinga Lodge. He pointed out the gahinga, piles of volcanic rock, dug out of the gardens, on sale in neat piles at the side of the road. We peered up at the volcanoes of the weather-battered Mount Sabinyo ‘Old Man’s Tooth’ and the distinctive Mount Muhuvura, ‘the Guide.’
Mount Gahinga Lodge is located on the edge of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (MGNP), Uganda’s smallest national park, part of the Virunga Conservation Area “Virunga Massif” that links with national parks in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Hot chocolate and the friendliest staff welcomed us at Mt Gahinga for a late breakfast: a plate of mixed fruit, followed by a variety of cooked breakfasts, freshly baked bread and local honey. The excellent coffee is produced at Volcanoes Safaris’ sister lodge in Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Luckily, we had a variety of physical activities lined up for us to justify the already bulging waistlines!
Mgahinga is an inspiring location and a great base if you’re a hiker or walker. On day one, we hiked across cool, undulating countryside between fields of potatoes in delicate purple flower. Herbert, Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust Project Manager, pointed to the boundary of Mgahinga National Park; the ‘Buffalo wall’ that keeps the occasional four-legged intruder from damaging the farmers’ crops; and then showed us the Congo, on a distant horizon. As we walked, Herbert told us about the traditional life of the Batwa ‘pygmy’ people, former inhabitants of the Central Africa’s ancient forests.
With minutes to spare, we arrived back at the lodge, just as it started to rain. Luck was to be the mainstay of our trip. Tea, silverback gorilla biscuits and crunchy caramelised nuts kept hunger at bay until dinner time as we snuggled inside the lodge around an open fire.
Outdoor activities off the agenda, I opted for Mount Gahinga Lodge’s complimentary massage in a cosy cabin in the grounds of the Lodge. The sound of the coals fizzing on the charcoal stove and the stream next to the cabin sent me into a lazy stupor.
Back in the living room, we sat around the now roaring fire for the first gin and tonic of the evening. Scrumptious three course evening meals included hearty soups and the best Tilapia I’ve eaten in a long time, served with fragrant rice and stir-fried vegetables. Another option was chicken and peanut sauce on a skewer, all followed by home-made apple crumble and custard. Oh yum!
Spot on 7.15 the next morning – as requested – there was a gentle tap on the door and a friendly voice announced the arrival of morning tea.
“Can I open the shutters for you?” He asked.
I jumped back into bed with tea. Note to self: on my next visit, I shall dedicate a whole day to just sitting in bed, drinking tea and reading.
The trek to see the playful golden monkeys, one of Africa’s rarest primates, on day two was a highlight of our trip. Our excellent Uganda Wildlife Authority guide Benjamin really added to the experience. “Golden Monkeys fear Crowned Eagles” he told us. “When the monkeys hear them, they come down from the trees to hide.”
As with trekking the mountain gorillas, the Uganda Wildlife Authority constantly monitor the whereabouts of the golden monkeys, so the chances of seeing them are very high.
The hike to find the monkeys, through the bamboo forest, was just as much fun as seeing the primates themselves. The sightings of a shy Bushbuck and a sleepy Buffalo were unexpected bonuses. (Even our guide was surprised at our luck). We found a tortoise too!
Make sure to wear gaiters (which Mount Gahinga Lodge are happy to lend you) – or at least tuck your trousers inside long socks. (Even so, it’s not 100% guarantee that you’ll keep those tenacious Safari Ants out… )
The lodge’s Batwa Heritage Trail was fascinating and gave us a glimpse into this traditional culture. According to Batwa tradition, when an ancestor was ambushed and trampled by a buffalo during a hunt, the Batwa would immediately move on. After burying the body in the hut, muhanga ‘the mother of all herbs’ and umunanira leaves were picked from the Forest “to make a juice that was taken and the husks thrown behind the hut.” With the bad omens left behind, the hut would then be demolished and the Batwa nomads would move on to make another home elsewhere in the forest.
Batwa community leader Steve, invited us to use his bow and arrow. The Muzungu failed miserably in my attempt to hit the target …
Back at Mt Gahinga Lodge, Margie ‘the Pied Piper’ led an ensemble of more than a dozen harmonica players. It was quite a show.
The Batwa dancers perform at the lodge, several times a week. In addition, every Wednesday, they do a free performance for the community. Herbert told us how this weekly show has really helped build relationships between the Batwa and the Bafumbira, the other tribe in the village.
About Mount Gahinga Lodge
Fragrant Eucalyptus permeated my Banda bedroom Nyiragongo, named after a volcano in the Congo that last erupted in 2002, destroying almost half of the city of Goma. (Hopefully nothing so dramatic was to happen in my named banda!)
The fire had been lit when I returned to my banda in the evening. Even better, the staff had secreted two hot water bottles into my bed under the layers of thick blankets What a treat! (Nights can be cold at Mgahinga).
Based on the design of a traditional Batwa hut, each volcanic stone banda has its own colour scheme. Mine was a bright turquoise with matching Ugandan and Rwandese craft accessories. Mount Gahinga is an eco-lodge run on solar power, but I still enjoyed two hot showers.
The Lodge offers free Wi-Fi, but the remote location of the lodge means you can’t rely on it too much. The Muzungu’s advice? Leave the laptop at home, enjoy some solitude or enjoy a sundowner around the open fire in the living room. Prices are all inclusive (three meals a day plus afternoon tea and snacks, all alcoholic drinks and a variety of community-based activities).
New friends, fantastic food and three activity packed days – made it hard to leave Mount Gahinga Lodge.
The friendly, attentive staff really made us feel welcome. Mount Gahinga Lodge is a great weekend retreat. Next time I go, I plan to climb Mount Sabinyo!
Activities from Mount Gahinga Lodge
The below are all included in the price of an overnight stay at the lodge.
Complimentary massage.
Birding / bird watching. Planting around the Lodge is natural, encouraging a wide variety of bird species. Streaky Seedeaters are commonly seen in the garden. The park is full of spectacular bird life, including a wide range of Afro-montane endemic species, such as: the Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Langdon’s Bush-shrike, African Hill Babbler, Dusky Crimsonwing and the Rwenzori Turaco.
Traditional dance performance by the Batwa community and Batwa community Heritage Walk (supported by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust).
Community / scenic Walk. Mount Gahinga Lodge staff are very happy to take you on a walk through the Bafumbira villages. Learn how local baskets are made, watch a performance by a traditional harpist, visit an iron-smith, climb a caldera, enjoy the scenery and visit a local school. This stroll takes about 3 to 4 hours, although the route is not fixed.
Additional activities from Mount Gahinga Lodge
Hike one of the three volcanoes:
Mt. Gahinga (3,474m) is the least challenging climb of the three volcanoes on the Ugandan side. The round trip takes 7 hours and passes through farmland, bamboo and swamp up to the old crater.
Mt. Sabinyo (3,634m) is the second toughest of the three volcanoes. The reward for the steep climb is a chance to summit three countries simultaneously: Uganda, Rwanda and the DR Congo meet on the peak. This is a round trip of 9 hours.
Mt. Muhabura (4,127m) is also known as Mount Muhavura. Climbing the distinct cone shape of ‘the Guide,’ as it is known locally, is the most demanding. Although not a ‘technical’ climb, it can nevertheless be tough, sometimes cold and muddy. The round hike takes between eight and 10 hours but the ascent is well worth it, for the dramatic changes in vegetation, a chance to swim in a crater lake and breathtaking views as far north as the Rwenzori Mountains.
Gorilla tracking in Mgahinga
Updated 2023: According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Nyakagezi habituated gorilla family of Mgahinga is one of Uganda’s most entertaining families. They also have five Silverbacks! Although at one point they frequently sauntered across the border into Rwanda, they have been permanent residents of Uganda’s forests for several years now. Where once we were hesitant to recommend gorilla tracking here (because we did not want anyone to be disappointed if the gorillas had absented themselves) we now heartily recommend it. During 2018, the Hirwa family from Rwanda also crossed into Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where they could be tracked (with revenue for tracking split equally between Uganda and Rwanda). The Hirwa gorillas returned to Rwanda during 2020 – I wonder if they will return one day?
Once upon a time, gorilla tracking permits in Mgahinga could be booked at the last-minute. This is no longer the case since Rwanda increased their gorilla permits to $1500, pushing a lot more tourists to Uganda.
If you are interested in tracking the gorillas in Mgahinga, contact the Muzungu or the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Visit this page for the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Tariff (price list) 2022. The tariff contains all National Park entry fees; hiking; gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey tracking permits; birdwatching, boat cruises; nature walks and more.
Ecotourism is a word that’s often used but very few lodges deserve the title. Volcanoes Safaris really deliver. Investments such as solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and low flushing eco-toilets are just some of the environmentally friendly lodge features. The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust supports activities that enhance the livelihood of local communities and in turn support the survival of the great apes. “We believe (carefully controlled) ecotourism is essential to the survival of the great apes and that local people need to earn a livelihood if they are to appreciate the importance of protecting our closest primate relatives and their habitats.” Volcanoes Safaris Ltd donate $100 to the VSPT from every full cost safari purchased.
Have you visited Mgahinga? Which volcano did you climb? Did you meet the Batwa?
“Eyes turned upward” – aerial photos of South Western Uganda
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned upward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), painter, artist, engineer & Renaissance genius, Florence, Italy
The Muzungu was looking forward to escaping the sticky city of Kampala for some cool weather and the distant hum of village life. In fact, I was so excited about my imminent departure to Kisoro (and then onto Mgahinga, Virunga and Kigali) that I was ready early: 24 hours early to be precise! Yes, my family may tease me for the missed flights and the missed trains, but not this time. At 5.15 in the morning – indeed! – I stood outside my house, bags packed, waiting for the driver to pick me up…
The Sunday morning flight from Entebbe International airport took off at 7:45 AM.
The check-in process for domestic flights in Uganda is the same as for international flights; however, once you’re through security in the departure lounge, you are up in the air within minutes.
Clean, and with plenty of legroom, there were enough free seats for everyone in our group to have a window seat.
One of the pilots welcomed us on board and told us the emergency procedures. “Behind the seat in front of you, there is a sick bag, in case you need it.” I couldn’t help but notice his tiny, cheeky chuckle.
But we weren’t to need it, the Aerolink flight was smooth as smooth can be.
Our flight took us over Uganda’s former capital of Entebbe. As we flew over the shore of Lake Victoria, we passed over Uganda Wildlife Education Centre UWEC and the departure point for the boat to Ngamba Island, home of the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Wildlife Trust.
The low, early morning sun glimmered on the lake beneath us.
Islands – inhabited and non-inhabited – spread out below us, caught in outline by the rising sun.
Small wooden canoes passed beneath our plane, en route to fish in the depths of the lake.
Flying west, we flew inland over dozens of lakes and waterways, swamps and wetlands. Lake Mburo is a popular weekend destination for Kampala expats, and a convenient stopover en route to gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Mgahinga or gorilla trekking Rwanda, but is in fact just one of many lakes in this part of the world.
Beyond the lakes, the topography changed. I love the way the shadows outline the contours of the land.
I was surprised to see geometric lines – defining land boundaries I assume – not a style I have seen in Uganda. I would love to know why this particular area of land has these straight lines. I wondered if the inhabitants of the area are from outside Uganda?
A newly tarmacked road passes through a trading centre. The road west from Kampala to the Rwandese border has been improved significantly over the past few years – but flying is so much more exciting!
The occasional hill and raised terrain give way to an uninterrupted mountainous area.
The morning sun glints on the tin roofs of houses below us.
There was a sense of anticipation as we approached our destination: Kisoro.
Low cloud or early morning mist?
You have to admire the ingenuity of humans who can live and farm at this altitude. Note how steep many of the terraces are.
On our walking safari in Nkuringo, south side of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, we couldn’t believe how steep the potato fields were. One day we watched a young boy dragging a huge sack of potatoes up quasi-vertical terraced fields. How he managed to stay upright, I don’t know.
The first of the eight volcanoes in the Virunga chain comes into view. Mount Muhuvura is known as ‘the guide’ – this photo clearly shows you why.
Like water lapping at the edge of the lake, mist half covers a village.
Lake Mutanda is an increasingly popular tourist destination in South West Uganda. It’s a great base for hiking volcanoes, walking safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, mountain biking, trekking the mountain gorillas or trekking the Golden Monkeys. Its proximity to Kisoro and the Rwandese border makes it a convenient stopover for anyone trekking the gorillas in Rwanda too.
And she was still asleep! An hour and a half later, this lady passenger was still sleeping as the plane descended to land.
Coming into land at Kisoro airstrip.
A perfect start to a perfect day.
Next stop, Mt. Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga – and breakfast!
Are you looking for domestic flights Uganda?
Aerolink offer daily flights to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips), Queen Elizabeth National Park (Kasese, Semliki and Mweya airstrips), Semuliki National Park (Semliki airstrip), Murchison Falls (Bugungu, Pakuba and Chobe airstrips) and Kidepo Valley National Park (Kidepo airstrip).
For more information on domestic flights Uganda, please email info@aerolinkuganda.com or call +256 776882205/2/3. Remember to say the Muzungu sent you 😉
5 Years a Blogger
Five years ago I first set foot in Uganda. (Is that all it’s been?) Thank you to everyone who’s been part of my journey.
I mean THANK YOU. It wouldn’t have been the same without you.
The Muzungu was first sighted in Namuwongo, Kampala. Posing here at my home-cum-office with Patrick, Enid, Simpson and Eva
“For better, for worse” and despite the occasional argument or misunderstanding, my rantings and frustrations, you have helped me pursue my passions for conservation, travel and writing. In different ways, you have helped me ‘live the dream’ and I am immensely grateful for that.
My life in Uganda has stretched me beyond compare, and sometimes I have failed – you or myself – but whoever said it was going to be easy?
Thank you for the support. Thank you for the trust.
Thank you for the opportunities. Thank you for the faith.
Thank you for the shoulder to cry on. Thank you for the advice, the criticism and the feedback…
Thank you for reading Diary of a Muzungu.
Thank you for subsidising my volunteer’s allowance!
Thank you for buying my Uganda Souvenir Maps.
Thank you for paying my electricity bill when I got cut off.
Thank you for killing the cockroaches so I don’t have to face my phobia.
Thank you for Baldrick.
THANK YOU for the nights out!
The nights in!
The belly laughs.
Thanks for believing in me.
WEBALE NYO. Neyanziza. [I appreciate]
Shake your kabina! A musical, dancing tour of Uganda
The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance
Tick-tick-tick goes the bamboo on the calabash.
Sh-sh-sh-shake the seeds in the gourd.
Thump-thump-thump thuds the stick on the taut hide of the drum.
The early evening air in the Ndere Centre’s ampitheatre fills with the rich, bass sound of the harp-like adungu.
Men beat the surface of the drum hard with the flat of their hands. The drumming rises to a crescendo as the women dancers elegantly descend the stairs into the open air Amphitheatre, all brilliant smiles and waving arms. And then it starts!
A group of twelve women shake their hips, moving to a joyful, seductive rhythm. They throw back their heads as they circle the floor to the sound of the dexterous plucking of the adungu. To one side of the stage, five men play a giant wooden xylophone.
Shake your kabina! The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. Photo courtesy of Stephen Legg
Ten drummers and acrobats in bark cloth tunics fly onto the stage, doing press ups and mock fighting and doing press-ups. They SLAP the sides of the drum with sticks. With big grins on their faces, the acrobats race towards the audience, arms flailing and legs akimbo, kicking left and right. Round and round they go. The energy of the Maggunju, the Royal welcome dance of the Baganda, holds the audience captive, ready for our musical and cultural tour of Uganda.
As our host – and cultural ambassador – Stephen Rwangyezi walks down through the audience to welcome us, a little white boy runs up to him and starts playing Stephen’s drum.
“Forget your problems – we are going to take you to the different parts of the country.” Stephen tells us. “Now WE are the donors” – he tells the predominantly Muzungu audience – as we have something in abundance to offer YOU!”
The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. Stephen Rwangyezi takes the audience on a musical, dancing tour of Uganda at the Ndere Cultural Centre. Photo Ndere.
In Western Uganda, it’s all about the cows.
We listen to the music played to relax the cows. “After walking 20 kilometres each way to drink water, wouldn’t you be stressed?” He asks. Even the okujumeera – the sound of cow mowing is developed into the singing while the thudding of their hooves – is reflected in the dance steps of Western Uganda.
Boys herding Ankole cattle
Through his anecdotes, Stephen reminds us of the continent’s enormous contribution to global culture. He illustrates how the traditional sounds of Africa can be heard in modern American rap music.
“Who is President Obama?” He asks, but “the Original Black African Managing America.”
We pass through Bunyoro and Toro “where love was first invented.”
We hear a haunting song from Ankole and then we move on to the upbeat sound of the West Nile and the adungu.
The Amphitheatre is filled with a frenetic whirl of colour and a flash of white teeth. KABINARIFIC! The women dancers whip up a storm on the dance floor. Fast and furious, how do the men play those drums so speedily? (I can’t even tap my fingers that fast).
Ndere Troupe Stephen Rwangyezi. The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. A musical, dancing tour of Uganda at the Ndere Cultural Centre. Photo Ndere.
We can’t pass through West Nile without a historical anecdote, of which there are many interweaved throughout the evening. Of Idi Amin, Stephen says “when he was in the country, people were scared. When he was out of the country, people were embarrassed.” He recounts how, time and again, cultural and language blunders rolled out of the then president’s mouth.
Later in the show, children are invited onto the open stage. 27 kids of all ages listen attentively to Stephen’s every word. It’s an unexpected highlight of the evening to see him invite each child to do their turn in the circle. I find it extraordinary to think that not so long ago this dancing was banned. (Even now colonial legislation still exists in Uganda that in theory makes traditional dancing illegal).
As the show draws to an end I recognise the unmistakable whistles of the music that made me first fall in love with Uganda.
The male dancers wear bright green beads around their waists over imitation (I hope) leopard skin tunics. Long colourful beads drape over their shoulders, criss-crossing at the waist. Their headdresses have white tuft-like tails. The women wear thin strings of beads around their foreheads.
“If you dance together you can never be at war.”
Shake your kabina! The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. Photo courtesy of Stephen Legg
The dancers genuinely seem to love what they do. There’s a great camaraderie and joking around between the dancers and Stephen. Their passion and playfulness is contagious.
How many shows are there in Uganda that you would rush to see more than three times?
“When people in our culture dance, you don’t let them suffer alone – you join in!” So just remember, next time you feel stressed, do as Stephen suggests: “shake your seating facilities.”
The Muzungu recommends:
Watching the Ndere Troupe perform takes me back to my first Kampala night out, courtesy of VSO. The show is a fantastic introduction to Uganda. It’s a real celebration of Africa and everyone should see it. I remember sitting on the edge of my seat thinking, “I’m finally here. I’m in Africa!”
The colour, the energy, the smiles and the humour, the stories… the whole experience was everything I’d imagined Africa to be and more.
Ndere Cultural Center entrance fees
Last published entrance fees below. Please check with the booking office first. Buffet dinner, snacks and drinks are available.
- Adult Ugandans 30,000/-
- Adult Non Ugandans 50,000/- or $ 15
- Children Aged 2 to 15 – 15,000/-
**Note: These prices do not include buffet
How to book to see the Ndere Show
Ndere Cultural Centre is on Plot 4505, Kira Road, Ntinda – Kisaasi Stretch
This article was originally commissioned by the Empazi Magazine, the brainchild of Ugandan creative Arnie Petit.
Have you visited Kampala’s Ndere Center yet? What was your favourite part of the show?
Interview with a rebel: Ugandan cultural activist Stephen Rwangyezi
Interview with a rebel: Ugandan cultural activist Stephen Rwangyezi
Stephen Rwangyezi is a fantastic storyteller with a compelling stage presence. What is more, he is a living, breathing – dancing! – Encyclopaedia of Ugandan culture.
In Uganda, Stephen is most famously known as the force behind the Ndere Cultural Centre and the Uganda Development Theatre Association. Internationally, he is perhaps better known for his role in the film The Last King of Scotland.
I was delighted when the Empazi Magazine commissioned me to interview Stephen Rwangyezi. Here are some highlights of our conversation: undoubtedly the most illuminating three hours of my five years living in Uganda.
We discussed dance and development; the impact of colonialism on traditional culture; the issues of homosexuality and born-again Christians; and that all important question: can you teach the Muzungu how to dance like an African?
Stephen Rwangyezi Ndere Centre.
Of culture: “every day there is something new to be discovered – you can never finish learning about it. It is fathomless.” The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. Photo Ndere
A former school teacher turned Rural Agricultural economist, Stephen was the Director of the Uganda National Theatre and Cultural Centre from 1990 to 1994. In 2006 he played the character of Jonah Waswa, Idi Amin’s Minister of Health, in the film Last King of Scotland. He is a published author, with a string of films and documentaries to his name.
So Stephen, how did the Ndere Troupe come into being?
It was a practical response to the deep seated anger that had built inside me since childhood – seeing the great arts that gave me most genuine pleasure being derogated as primitive, backward and symbols of evil worship.
When I started the Ndere Troupe, I had two major goals. One was to restore dignity and integrity in the music and dance of Ugandan and African origin, and raise it to the status and look that it should be. For me, that loss of cultural pride was a disaster which led to the loss of self confidence and personal worthiness. So one of my main goals was to ensure that pride and dignity could be rekindled through dignified and artistically beautified cultural activities. The second goal was to work with disadvantaged boys and girls. It was child labour that kept me out of school until I was 15 years of age, but playing the flute got me into, and saw me through, school. Therefore, I wanted to organise boys and girls who had similar talents to mine and ensure that, rather than begging and moaning, they could utilise their talent capital to self actualisation.
In 1987 when I went to my village for a cousin’s wedding ceremonies, I noticed that there were groups of boys who feared HIV AIDS, known as ‘Slim’ in those days. Many people believed it was witchcraft but they had heard of something called a condom, which could kill Slim. So, the young men put some money together to buy one condom, and they used it in turns…. Something that was useful was now becoming dangerous.
I then asked myself: “How do I tell as many of these young people, as quickly as possible, that what they are doing is suicide?”
At that time in Uganda, there was only one newspaper, one radio station and only one TV station that only worked for four hours per day – all based in Kampala. Given that over 87% of the population lived “beyond the last mile” and were illiterate, I decided to use the familiar, attractive and friendly cultural music, dance and drama to spread the message.
Uganda was later credited for having brought down the incidence of HIV AIDS. This was how we did it.
Early performance of Ndere Troupe. The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. A musical, dancing tour of Uganda at the Ndere Cultural Centre. Photo Ndere
The Ndere Cultural Centre and the Uganda Development Theatre Association
Ndere Cultural Centre has spawned a whole industry and nurtured a whole generation of talented dancers. Dancing, as I quickly found out, is a small part of a much bigger movement.
As with many Ugandan stories, the story of the Ndere Cultural Centre starts off under a mango tree, when a choirmaster and his students agreed to create a performing group that would “change the terrible image painted by colonialists that traditional dances were evil and that whoever performed them could never see eye to eye with God.”
This was in 1984. The group agreed to name themselves the Ndere (‘flute’) Troupe, since it was Stephen’s talent as a flute player that had saved and educated him. The flute was also perceived as the most unifying musical instrument, since it existed in every culture of the world. The group wanted to demonstrate to Ugandans (and the world) who had been engulfed in tribal wars for centuries that we all can share common beauty which already exists in our diverse cultures.
We decided to use music, dance and drama for other public education reasons. Later, when I was Director of the National Theatre, I still made sure I put on at least three plays a year, all across Uganda.
We realised that one group was not enough to effectively serve the whole country. The demand for the efficient dissemination of applied knowledge in different crucial fields was overwhelming. In 1997 the Troupe facilitated the creation of the Uganda Development Theatre Association. The UDTA grew like wildfire, and soon became a nationwide cultural network of development theatre groups, of which there are now 2,084 across Uganda.
Culture of Uganda. Drummers and dancers, Kikorongo, near Kasese / Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Through UDTA, we take ideas from the local groups and create a national competition, equipping young people with life skills. One of the elements for the national competition is that every member of each group has to do a project, such as growing tomatoes. They then use the music, dance and drama to teach the adjoining communities how to implement this successful project. During the festival, the groups bring their produce and look for a market. Thus UDTA is not only about artistic and public education but a means of developing skills for self-sufficiency.
What has been the key to making traditional dance popular again?
“First, I had to upgrade and update the artistic and design quality of the music and dances – to make them more organised and to appeal to contemporary and rather unaware tastes. Remember that previously, the church and school teaching derogated these arts and manipulated the law to prohibit public presentation of these arts. Therefore the only social dancing was at night – without light. This meant that no one bothered about the choreographic designs, costumes, stage organisations, melodic development etc.
Ampitheatre Ndere Cultural Center, Kampala. The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. A musical, dancing tour of Uganda. Photo Ndere
Once the artistic spectacle became impressive, I spent many years trying to get Ugandans to appreciate the beauty within traditional dance. I found the children not yet prejudiced therefore I offered free dance performances in primary and secondary schools. These had a wonderful reception. The Ugandan audience that we now have is the children of the 1980s that attended those free shows.
Secondly, every Sunday from 1988 to 2003 there was a free performance at the Nile Hotel (now the Kampala Serena Hotel). This helped to introduce these arts to the international communities, tourists and the middle class Ugandans that had returned from exile (having run away from the political turmoil that engulfed Uganda through the 70s and early 80s). The latter were rather nostalgic and keen to introduce their families to values they had long lost – and were therefore more receptive. This is how the audiences that now throng the Ndere Centre, hire us for social and corporate functions, or even invite us abroad, were cultivated
What do Ugandans of a certain age think about your cultural performances?
Throughout the entire colonial period and the post-colonial mismanagement, school, religions and government all worked hard to deliberately destroy Uganda’s cultural framework.
When I was growing up, The Idle and Disorderly Act (of 1918) forbade African dancing during the day. During the night, there was no electricity, so no one was looking at you dance. For that reason nobody developed the dances because you could only dance for yourself. The Witchcraft Act of 1957 was used to forbid the playing of drums and other traditional music instruments such as ensaasi (gourd rattles or shakers). Wearing of traditional attire and ornaments (such as bark cloth and cowry shells) was forbidden. These items were classified as witchcraft and therefore to be confiscated and destroyed by all law enforcing agents and law loving citizens – who inevitably were products of the same system.
Students at St John the Baptist PTC, Ggaba, Kampala performing traditional music and dance in celebration of conservation
Schools belonged to the church and the church ostracised anything cultural. It urged everybody to “shed off the old skin and be born again” lest one would end in the terrible smouldering eternal fire of hell. Children who were not baptised and confirmed in the schools’ faiths were not allowed in school. Practicing traditional arts was believed to be an indicator of low intelligence, which reflected inheritance of worse low intellectual capacity from one’s parents! What a stigma!
Even at university in Uganda, up to now, the Department of Music, Dance and Drama (MDD), is called Musiru dala dala in the vernacular, literally translated as ‘stupid through and through’. So, over time the “civilised” became antagonists against the growth of culture. The MDD in Uganda has degenerated to just accepting those who could not get admission for other professional courses, thus confirming the label of academic inability as the criterion for admission!
What other factors have helped turn this situation around?
From the days of Idi Amin and later, many people went into exile. While in the diaspora, they were confronted with cultural inadequacy and an identity crisis. On return to Uganda, they had nostalgia for their own culture, so they brought their children along to the Ndere Troupe to try and introduce them to what they had missed. We also took deliberate steps to channel some of own school sponsored troupe members into teacher training, so wherever they taught in primary schools they also taught traditional arts.
President Museveni has also helped. He has been culturally sensitive. Besides reinstating the cultural leaders and kingdoms, he regularly invites the Troupe to perform at functions. This raised the status of the troupe/traditional artists in the perception of the public, setting a new trend. More and more people and organisations started including these arts in their functions. The increased demand led more young and well educated people (especially Ndere graduates) to form more cultural troupes. Now you see that whenever there is a public function, there is always cultural dancing.
As if to prove the point, midway through the interview, Stephen answers his phone: Uganda’s Ambassador to Russia is booking seats for the Russian trade delegation.
“Yes your Excellency, we will see you at the show tonight.”
St John the Baptist PTC, Ggaba, Kampala students performing traditional music and dance in celebration of conservation
Top of my list of questions to Stephen was……. how do you select dancers? And can the Muzungu join too?
Recruitment is mainly for the talented and disadvantaged children whom the Troupe took tasks to look after and pay their school fees. Some dancers pay for their own training but the ones we stay with are those who really need it.
Most of the dancers go to school and others work in different places, so we only train on Sundays. None of them would come knowing all the dances. It takes time to learn them all.
For many people the Troupe is a big stepping stone. There are people who have stayed with us for 20 years and are now part of the management and training structure; but what is the use of education if you’re not going to be able to live on your own? The more people we can churn out, the better for the arts. This is development.
Can you teach the Muzungu how to dance like an African?
The centre is open to anyone wishing to learn how to dance. Some people come to us and ask “I would like to know how you shake your hips.”
“All us Muzungu girls want to learn African dance,” I say, and we laugh.
People ask if they can learn playing a specific musical instrument. Recently a lady came and asked if she could make an adungu. In her two weeks here, she made two.
The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance. Young boys learning to play the adungu at Ndere Cultural Center, Kampala. Photo Ndere
Do you have any idea of how many dancers have passed through Ndere?
I have lost count. At the moment we have 72 dancers. It’s always been oscillating between 40 and 70 for the last 28 years.
I have just watched the show for the third time and it seems as fresh as ever. Does the show change much?
“While the structure of the show doesn’t change, we feature different dances of Uganda. These vary in rhythm, technique, purpose, use of body parts, costume, melody, lyrics and use of instruments.”
Stephen describes the show as “an exposition of Uganda” but it could equally be described as an exposition of Africa.
“Uganda is a microcosm of Africa”, he explains. This is not only a result of the movement of tribes and speaking of different languages but the diverse lifestyles of these peoples that has led to evolution of different types of music. The sedentary crop-grower has a house in which he can safely store delicate or large instruments, such as a drum or an adungu. For the cattle-keeper who is constantly on the move, “their music is composed of very light melodies and they carry flutes, fiddles and zithers. When you set the cows grazing, you don’t have anything else to do but sit, thus their music is poetic, based on the lyrics rather than the rhythms. Because Uganda is endowed with natural resources and good weather suitable for all these economic activities, all the African peoples are represented here and their art is performed by Ndere.”
I hear you are working on a new production. What is it about and what is it called?
The play is about the wider perspective of corruption: the ones who are being arrested in Uganda are not the ones who are corrupt nor the originators of corruption.
I normally don’t name plays until I’m finished. For now it’s called Goat’s Ears, from a traditional saying, that if I put the goat’s ears on me, the leopard can hate me, thinking I’m a goat.
Traditional dancing Uganda. Girl students performing dance. Shake your kabina! The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance.
What are your views on the 2012 play that got banned for featuring a homosexual character? People argue that homosexuality doesn’t exist in Africa. What’s your view?
I didn’t get to watch the play read the script, but what I got was the reactions to the story.
Uganda is no different from the West, it’s just a question of timing. There was a time when you went to the West and if you talked about homosexuality, there were very serious repercussions. Now, it is acceptable and even legislated for. The other problem is the unprecedented publicity in the Western media which is being perceived here as deliberate promotion. The same West that persecuted homosexuals yesterday, whose churches ingrained in the brains of their followers that homosexuality was mortal sin, is now the one spearheading the justification for it. People here find this rather confusing, hypocritical and therefore question the intentions for the sudden reversal. The Ugandans who followed and vehemently promoted the Western Christian teaching (where God’s word never changes), castigating and suppressing such practices in the African societies, now find themselves abandoned by the same ideological masters. They are rather embarrassed and do not know how to make the round about turn – hence the fanatic opposition.
Homosexuality has always been here in Uganda; there were even homosexual kings. We have words for homosexuality in the local languages: how could society name something if it didn’t exist?
The main challenge is fanaticism exercised by the so-called ‘born-again’s who I think actually work contrary to the teaching of the same Jesus they profess to follow. Jesus Christ on the cross was open to views of different types of people of all denominations. He said “now it is over for all sinners;” the curtain that used to separate Jews from Gentiles in the temple was torn and the darkness that had engulfed the world vanished! So where do the Christians derive the moral authority to castigate the so-called perverts?
You played the role of Jonah Waswa, Idi Amin’s Minister of Health, in the 2006 film The Last King of Scotland. Would you recommend people watch this film before they come to Uganda, or would you advise against it?
Last King of Scotland film screenshot
The problem is when you watch a movie it can turn you off something. However, it might be good to watch the film and then come here and see how much has changed since then.
When I went to the film launch in London and was asked to speak on behalf of all the actors, I said: “This is the first good thing that Idi Amin has done for our country – pointing a light on Uganda in a more entertaining and educational way. Out of all the countries with despotic leaders, past and present, I’m glad that you’ve chosen to highlight Uganda.”
Which words would you use to describe yourself?
“Music and dance for me are the great books in which knowledge and philosophies were deposited over centuries.” Interview with Ndere Troupe creator Stephen Rwangyezi. Photo Ndere
“It’s not for me to describe myself, that is for others,“ he said humbly.
“There is a very subversive element to what you do,” I suggest.
“Absolutely. I’ve always known that I’m rebelling. I find that normally, people who create systems to conform to, are doing it for totally other reasons. What preoccupies me is trying to resist manipulative destruction, read the signs correctly and communicate for people who can’t do it for themselves before it is too late. That is what motivates me.”
What does the future hold for you?
“Our only worry for some of us is that we don’t have enough heirs. But at least we shall have done our bit.”
What is your message to the young people of Uganda?
The Culture of Uganda – in rhythm and dance.
I believe we all have something unique deep inside us. Look deep inside, find a dream you love the most and go for it. You can achieve a lot if you do not listen and bow to the discouraging forces. You can make an indelible mark if you do not try to be simply like the others. You have the energy.
Money makes things happen but it’s the motivation, the drive and the commitment that are important.
The Muzungu adds: Many thanks Stephen for taking the time to talk to me and Empazi Magazine. I could have sat all afternoon listening to you. I learned so much about Uganda’s history and culture.
This article was commissioned by the Empazi Magazine, the brainchild of Ugandan creative Arnie Petit.
Dear readers: If you haven’t been to Ndere’s excellent live show, you really must visit. It’s not just for tourists: last time I attended, the majority of the audience were African, from across the continent.
Have you seen the Ndere Troupe perform in Kampala? Can you play the adungu?
Ugandans Adopt – “Why I do what I do”
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Agwang Aidah, who is the Communications Officer at Ugandans Adopt. She writes to us about her work and why she believes it is so important:
“Ugandans Adopt was founded on the belief that all children deserve to grow up with a loving family, instead of in institutional care.
During my interview for this role, I remember being asked what I thought about adoption in Uganda. I told the interview panel that I believed, while it is a relatively new concept in Uganda, all we had to do was put the word out.
My task as Communications Officer is to run our Ugandans Adopt multi media campaign promoting adoption in Uganda, supported by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. 11 months later we have discovered the huge appetite that Ugandans have for adoption and have shattered the myth that “Ugandans aren’t interested in adoption.”
At our emergency care centre in Kampala, Malaika Babies’ Home, we provide short-term care for babies until we can find them a family. I’m usually based at our small offices at Malaika and every day brings something new. Seeing a little one go home to a loving family and how they blossom thereafter, are some of the special moments that I never tire of.
Love, home and family. The building blocks of a happy life
There have been times after I have accompanied our Social Work Team to collect a child who has been abandoned when I could almost break down but, fortunately, this is always short lived. In our care, the babies are so quick to thrive and, above all, love again.
To date we have 28 Ugandan families and individuals who have adopted children from Malaika and another 35 who are on a waiting list to adopt. Our social workers are currently assessing even more people who are interested in adopting, too. Our Ugandans Adopt Facebook page has 3,403 followers to date and growing every day. The Ugandan media has embraced our campaign and we have been able to appear on major media outlets like The Sunday Vision. I think it’s safe to say Ugandans’ are definitely more than just interested in adoption.
What makes my job so worthwhile is not just seeing a child go home but knowing, after our social workers conduct follow up visits, how truly happy the children are. It always brings a smile to my face. It is why I do what I do.
Sunday Vision Article. Ugandans Adopt
At Ugandans Adopt we strongly believe that every child belongs in a family – and we couldn’t achieve this without our supporters.
Thank you so much from all the team at Ugandans Adopt for helping us “make families instead of orphans.”
To find out more about our Ugandans Adopt Campaign, call Agwang Aidah on +256 776110304 or send an email to adoption@childsifoundation.org
You can also visit the Ugandans Adopt website and become a Fan on Facebook or follow Ugandans Adopt and Child’s i Foundation on Twitter. The site is in Luganda and English.
The Muzungu: thanks Aidah for an insight into the great work you’re doing, creating happy families. Keep up the good work!
Do you have a story or some advice you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
Why do Muzungu women like dating Rastas?
Someone recently asked me: “Why do Muzungu women like dating Rastas?”
If you want to know what’s really going on in mixed relationships, tell me what you think of this one? Some of the experiences shared are explicit.
I’d never really considered Muzungu / Ugandan relationships in that light, and then I thought – with a pang – of the guy I’d been seeing on and off for a year. At the time it never occurred to me he fitted into that category. It ended disastrously – but it had its moments.
THANK YOU: This article was originally commissioned by Arnie Petit, Editor of Empazi Magazine. Thanks for believing in me Arnie. I hope we get a chance to work together again in the future.
So what did I like about “Dr Rasta”?
In a (mostly) conservative country like Uganda, you’re often judged on your appearance. If you don’t fit in with the status quo, people are going to comment. Perhaps that’s why I like the Rasta look on some men: I like a man who’s not afraid to stand up for himself when challenged.
In Uganda, Rastas or ‘Rasta lookalikes’ symbolise non-conformism. To us Westerners, that can be hot! – we come from societies where self-expression through your personal image is quite normal, encouraged even.
In Uganda, most people agree that Rastas are “either artists, layabouts or career Muzungu daters.” But are those the real Rastas or just the cosmetic variety?
What is a Rasta really?
Rasta refers (incorrectly) to “any person having dreadlocks.”
“True Rastafarians believe that Ethiopia’s Emperor Haile Selassie a.k.a. Ras Tafari was the second coming of Christ. Rastafarianism is a common religion amongst black Jamaicans and deeply rooted in African culture. Rastas eat a diet of vegetables, fruit and fish and keep their bodies, mind and soul healthy by staying active in global issues. To be Rastafarian you don’t have to be black; in fact Rastafarianism has to come from the heart. A Rasta does not cut his hair. Rastas are famous for smoking marijuana as a symbol of religious practice.”
Real Rastas – of which there are very few in Uganda it seems – do not touch alcohol.
So for the sake of this article, I have thrown the cosmetic and the real into one big cultural melting pot. Real Rastas, please do not take offence. I echo the sentiments of this guy, who said: “Come on people, think about it before you all start judging dem Rastas. RASTA IS SWEET, COOL, CALM AND COLLECTED WITH A SENSE OF TLC (tender loving care) AND REALITY. The beer thing, hehehe too funny… real Rasta don’t drink…”
What do you say Muzungu ladies?
I’ve spent the last few weeks pondering this question and asked girlfriends why do white women go for Rastas? I posted this same question on Facebook – and then it got interesting!
“Date a Rasta? Ugh, no way! You must be joking – you don’t know what’s living in that hair!” Julia said.
Anja echoed my thoughts: “Rastas are generally a lot more liberal than most Ugandans. They’re less conservative.”
To some women, Rastas represent the exotic. Having dreadlocks or being dark-skinned does not define your “Africaness” – but maybe the ‘first time to Africa’ Muzungu hasn’t worked that out yet?
On Facebook, Tio commented “It’s all about perceptions of “exoticness”, which is why you have Bazungu women falling all over themselves for Masaai men, drape, spear and all.”
One attraction of the Rasta is that they’re easy for us Bazungu to recognise them. Why? Because with their shaved heads, every Ugandan man can look the same from a distance – at least when you first arrive in the country. The Rastas stand out, they are easy to spot in the crowd. We don’t have the embarrassment of mistaking one black face for another!
Personally, I like big hair anyway (I guess us white ladies are used to guys with hair!)
After four years, each black face is as different to me as every white one but when I first came to Uganda, I couldn’t remember who was who. I would try and remember each lady by their hairstyle. “Rose has a red bob, Sarah has a weave. Got it!” That didn’t help much, as I soon learned Ugandan ladies like to DRAMATICALLY change their hairstyle every couple of weeks!
Back to dem Rastas and, when I asked a male Ugandan friend why do white women go for Rastas? He said “I have the answer and I know I’m right.”
“These Rasta guys have a lot of time on their hands. They don’t work. He’s got plenty of time to show her the sights and show her around. The conversation might not be meaningful but that’s not what either of them is after. These guys know how to play the game,” my male friend said. “They’ll learn how to dance, they’ll learn how to make love.
The Muzungu lady often falls in love with the Rasta. He’ll say he loves her. She’ll then spend the next couple of years going backwards and forwards between Uganda and her home country trying to keep the relationship alive. These girls come and go. There’s always a new supply coming through and any bad behaviour can be forgotten (by him at least) when she leaves the country.”
As one person neatly summed up, “The thing about a Muzungu-Rasta relationship is that it is so disposable.”
Jane, who has several years experience managing volunteers in Uganda, gave her opinion on why Muzungu girls like Rastas:
“Rastas know where the parties are. They tend to hang out in a ‘posse’ so hooking up with a Rasta = instant friends. We know Rastas have essentially unlimited experience with little white girls, so they know how to talk to them. There are no awkward silences. Rastas do not care how dirty the girl’s feet are, or the last time she showered. They only care about whether or not she is buying him beer.
Jane added “They (and many African men) can talk your pants off. Even if you are unattractive by your culture’s standards, they will make you feel like the most beautiful person in the world.”
One Ugandan male advised “if you are gonna hit on a mzungu girl in Uganda, never wear a freaking tie or talk about your big meetings.” He asks “why do mzungu ladies stay clear of corporate/learned Africans? I have ever hit on a mzungu chick before, but I was either too smart an African or I was not talking dumb enough. It is my unschooled and unkempt Rasta friend who scored.”
Ow. Sorry!
Does the Rasta Muzungu relationship start with drugs?
“Most ‘zungu babes I know smoke weed… [the ones this Facebooker knows anyway!] … their suppliers happen to be Rastafarians, I guess one thing leads to another …”
This Muzungu’s theory is that black, white or brown – ‘girls like a bad boy’ – and in this case Rastas often fit the bill (superficially at least). That’s why the Muzungu girls are going with them rather than the corporate Ugandans. If a white girl’s dating a corporate Ugandan, hell she might as well just date a corporate guy from back home. (Where’s the excitement in that?)
Also on Facebook, Richard adds that the Muzungu girls “think that all Rastas have big Mandingo dicks and last for hours. Whether true or not, Rastas live up to the bad boy reputation with drugs and alcohol binges that, rather incongruously, make them attractive to Beckies traipsing aimlessly around Africa looking for adventure they can’t find back home.” Just say it like it is Richard!
So would this Muzungu lady date a Rasta?
Despite the bullshit, the sweet talk and the dance moves can be very seductive.
I’d go in with my eyes open (and condoms on!) and an absolute certainty that I’m just one of a number he’s playing with. To entertain any other idea is craziness. Exceptions may exist – but my advice? Enjoy the moment, but don’t kid yourself you’ve found the only faithful “Rasta.” So tell me your experience – anonymously if you like! – what’s the attraction between Muzungu women and Rastas?
So tell me your experience?
UPDATE:
What did I say to Julia?
After one dating disaster too many I joked that “if another guy with dreadlocks wants to date me, the first thing he has to do is shave his head.” Next in my dating series: Downtown dreadlocks. The muzungu’s blind date.
Safari to the centre of the solar system – can you eclipse that?
Safari to the centre of the solar system – can you eclipse that?
The Muzungu simply couldn’t pass on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Uganda.
“Now you see me …. now you don’t” protective welder’s mask courtesy of Patrick Okaba, Daily Monitor journalist from Nebbi
I’m not usually stuck for words, but even now I’m struggling to describe those 22 seconds of my life: watching the sun – our whole world – temporarily obliterated by the moon. Not only was it dazzlingly beautiful, I thought my heart was going to stop!
Uganda’s NTV neatly summed up the Hybrid Solar Eclipse – but you had to be in Pokwero, in the District of Pakwach, to feel the excitement!
All roads lead to…. Pakwach!
“The total solar eclipse is only going to be visible at an angle of 17°,” explained John the physics teacher from ISU, as he, his wife Leslie and I drove north from Kampala to Pakwach.
All roads lead to…. Pakwach!
Here on the Equator, it gets dark around 6.30 in the evening, all year round. The Eclipse was due at 5.22 p.m. so the sun would be low in the sky: would we be able to see above each other’s heads to view the eclipse, the Muzungu wondered?
Halfway from Kampala to our destination, we stopped at the newish Kabalega Diner for a break. We were the only visitors when I first passed through a year ago. This time I was amazed to see the car park full of minibuses and the Diner jampacked full of Japanese tourists eating burgers and chips. Is this what Uganda might look like one day? Is this the way we want Uganda to look in the future? I ponder how mass tourism would look in a Uganda of the future. And will the Muzungu still love Uganda the same way?
We were intrigued to find out where the group were from. It had taken them two days to travel from Japan: to experience the Eclipse and then go on Safari in Murchison Falls.
“I just hope it won’t be cloudy tomorrow!” The Japanese tourist told me. “But what can we do?”
Mordechai welcomed us to Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park
On arrival at Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park, we had a wonderful, warm welcome from the towering Mordechai, who very graciously looked after us all weekend. (There was something of the filmstar about Mordechai!) No photo – sorry.
Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park
Early evening, ISU student Fabien and I saw three Grey Hornbills and my first Silverbird next to the Lodge.
An eclipse! And ticks for my birdlist too! The Muzungu was in seventh heaven…
Approximately 70 of us stayed at Pakuba Lodge on Saturday night, a number of us opting to camp. Simon Peter, the very charming UWA Ranger visited each tent to reassure us that he would protect us from leopards and scorpions. (Check your shoes, campers!)
“Wake me up if you see a Leopard!” I told him (like I was going to get any sleep anyway…)
Why? Because the Muzungu’s experience shall go down in the annals of camping as “How not to camp.” I knew my strategy of improvising for missing parts of the tent might backfire… The floating toothbrush that welcomed me when I unzipped the tent shamed this former Venture Scout! Luckily I had a plastic cup to bail out “Lake Pakuba,” the huge puddle in one corner of my tent, and spent the night lying rigid on a tiny dry island of sleeping mat, scared I might tip myself into said Lake, while another heavy rain storm threatened overhead.
Meet the Eclipse Chaser!
One of the highlights of the weekend was meeting Kryss Katsiavriades, an ‘eclipse chaser’, in Uganda to see his 14th solar Eclipse. He was a mine of information.
Uganda’s Annular-Total (or Hybrid) Solar Eclipse of 3 November 2013 is one of the rarest types of eclipses, described in detail on Kryss’ excellent website.
Map showing the maximum duration of the total solar eclipse, which was found along the centre, middle blue line – slap bang through Pokwero / Pakwach and Gulu.
Kryss told us that “This kind of solar eclipse happens somewhere in the world every 400 years. It’s calculated that it will be another 400 years before Uganda sees a similar type of Eclipse. I don’t think even Museveni will be in power by then!”
At breakfast, the morning of the eclipse, Kryss Katsiavriades and the Muzungu greeted the Minister for Tourism, Maria Mutagamba, also overnighting at Pakuba Lodge.
Kryss explained to the Minister that the last time we saw an Eclipse in the UK was in 1999.
“But it was in Germany!” Interrupted a German tourist. Our historical arguments travel with us: the British and the Germans argue, lightheartedly, over ‘who owned the eclipse of 1999.’ (The Muzungu experienced the U.K.’s eclipse of 1999, in Glasgow. All that happened was an already grey sky went a bit greyer! Typically Glaswegian).
Chasing the Eclipse
Across the river in Pakwach, is a very different Uganda to the one I’m used to. I’m intrigued.
I admit this is the first time I’ve crossed Kafu Bridge, over the Albert Nile. There are few cars, few motorbikes and little advertising. The only brick buildings are shops. Geometrically thatched, round bandas proliferate. Most activity takes place in the shade of big trees. Smoked, filleted fish are spread out for sale. It’s very hot and very dusty.
I worry how many people are going to damage their eyes this afternoon attempting to view the eclipse. As we drive down the main street of Pakwach, you can sense eclipse fever.
It was a competition to see how many cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear, one could use simultaneously!
A man holds dark sunglasses up to the sun. A boy holds a floppy disk, and another looks through a piece of smoked glass. Outside the stationer’s shop, two young men unfurl the unused film from a canister. Most people are trying solutions that I’ve read are dangerous.
I feel like we are on a film set
“We are now in the path of totality,” Kryss announces as we ‘eat the dust’ of a pickup truck full of 20 or more local people in their Sunday best clothes, beaming and ululating as they bounce down the road ahead of us.
In a country of red dusty roads, have I ever seen them this red? Have they ever been this dusty? We’re heading to the middle of nowhere; international Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have flown into Uganda just for the event [just a rumour I think! I don’t know anyone who actually saw them!] President Museveni and entourage are coming to Pokwero – and there’s a huge sense of anticipation.
International Hollywood filmstars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie flew into Uganda just for the solar eclipse (apparently)
It all feels rather odd.
High security is in evidence. We pass soldiers by the side of the road, and follow a truck full of police to the viewing site at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero.
Diary of a Muzungu in the security line for the solar eclipse viewing at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Uganda
“2 degrees, 33 minutes and 11 seconds,” announces Kryss.
“And that means…?” Asks Fred the driver.
“It means a little bit further on and we will get to where we have maximum duration of the total solar eclipse.”
Ooooooo, it’s really happening!
The maximum duration of totality is found along the centre, middle blue line.
Kryss has frequently appeared on TV and radio in his global eclipse-chasing quest. True to form, we’ve only just parked our vehicle when an interviewer from Channel 44 approaches Kryss with a camera.
Kryss tells Channel 44 viewers: “The sun is the giver of all life on this planet, and to see it extinguished and the day turning into night, and to see the stars and planets in the middle of the day, is something that you will never forget.”
‘Muzungu Blogger of the Eclipse’ touches down in Pokwero
It had been announced that President Museveni was to be ‘Chief Viewer of the Eclipse’.
‘Muzungu Blogger of the Solar Eclipse’ touches down in Pokwero, Uganda
The eclipse was a great showcase for putting Northern Uganda on the tourist map but the country’s usual last-minute preparations realistically meant that only dedicated Eclipse chasers who had done their own research chose to visit Uganda for the eclipse. Many went to Kenya. Many went to West Africa. Some hired boats and went out into the Atlantic to view the solar Eclipse.
The King of Alur and the Omukama (Traditional King) of Bunyoro ventured to Pokwero, as did the newly crowned Miss Tourism Uganda.
Huge crowds waiting to view Uganda’s Solar Eclipse at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Pakwach
There was no escaping the party politics as we sat sweating in white plastic chairs, grateful at least for the protection from the glaring hot afternoon sun of 35° or more. The hours passed slowly: listening to welcomes, ‘laying the foundation stone’ on the rather unimaginative Eclipse Memorial, political speeches, schoolchildren dancing and singing, hymns and the national anthem, twice.
- Traditional dancers entertained the crowd waiting to view Uganda’s Solar Eclipse at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Pakwach
I feel sorry for the uneducated person who might actually believe that the government had organised the Eclipse just for Museveni ‘The President of the Eclipse’s entertainment.
To paraphrase one of the speakers, apparently “God chose Uganda for this hybrid solar Eclipse, an event that only happens every 400 years. It’s no coincidence that it’s taking place during the reign of the NRM regime…” i.e. God planned the Eclipse in Uganda in 2013 thanks to the NRM. (Obvious really).
Cue the real stars of the show
Mostly attentive until that point, come 4 o’clock every spectator picked up their chair and turned their back on the President and the dignitaries to view the real stars of the show: the partially eclipsed Sun and the Moon.
The excitement was contagious. We passed around special eclipse glasses and sunglasses customised with camera film, and shared the Ministry of Tourism’s viewing filters with local children. We didn’t speak the same language, but we were all in awe of what was happening in the skies above us.
- IT WAS HOT! And the day of the eclipse the skies overhead were vividly coloured all day
It was a huge party. Did I mention it was HOT?!
A message came through from Kampala
The partial eclipse was due to last just over two hours. After a few minutes, people started getting bored, waiting and waiting for the total eclipse. Some of them wandered off.
Clouds covered the sun!
Oh no, perhaps, the Japanese tourists was right? Kryss had reassured me that even if it was cloudy, the experience would still be memorable. The MC switched on the microphone and told everyone not to go home.
“Many clouds?” read the SMS from Kampala.
“Oh bog off,” I replied (although perhaps not quite that politely).
Friends in Kampala said they “couldn’t be bothered” to travel all the way up to Pokwero. Couldn’t be bothered to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience? I was dammed if clouds were going to spoil my eclipse experience while they sat smugly in Kampala.
Captivated by the sight of the partial solar eclipse
Despite the clouds, the light was a magical golden colour. The clouds were beautiful too.
Hashers of the Eclipse – we should have had a Circle in Pokwero!
The competition for the maximum number of cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear is hotting up!
We were back on track and I could feel the excitement grow you as the skies darkened on the countdown to the total eclipse.
Hashers of the Eclipse part 2 – we should have had a Circle in Pokwero! The competition for the maximum number of cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear is hotting up!
We watched the sun – our whole world – temporarily obliterated by the moon.
Not only was it dazzlingly beautiful, I thought my heart was going to stop!
Uganda’s total solar eclipse. Photo taken with fisheye lens by Lukasz
And then darkness!
Diary of a Muzungu’s very amateur photo of Uganda’s hybrid solar eclipse, Pokwero. Apparently a good first attempt, according to Kryss, the astronomer!
(It was just 5.30 pm in the afternoon…)
Diary of a Muzungu’s very amateur photo of the Diamond Ring, visible for just a second or two after the total eclipse, as the sun bursts back into normal view from behind the moon. Apparently a good first attempt, according to Kryss, the astronomer!
I’d been thinking about the solar eclipse non-stop for a few days by then. I couldn’t sleep, I was so excited! In those few magical seconds, my brain and emotions worked hard to process what I was seeing.
A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
None of the photos do justice to how amazing the solar eclipse looked with the naked eye: pink and alive!
Can you imagine seeing ‘flames’ on the surface of the sun with your naked eye? These ‘flames’ were huge bursts of flammable gas the size of a small country!
Diamond ring and chromosphere. A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
Imagine getting your best exam results ever, on your birthday, with a firework display in the background and falling in love – all at the same moment … and then someone punches you in the chest! You realise that this thing that you’ve been aching to see could be your terminal undoing, the end of not just your life, but of everyone and everything you hold dear.
The end of the world.
Diamond ring and chromosphere. A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
And then it was over. 22 seconds of my life that I shall never forget, and shall always struggle to articulate.
As the moon continued its trajectory away from the sun, there was a blinding flash ‘the diamond ring’ effect, as the sun re-emerged. Totally spectacular.
Within seconds, the sky was lit up again, and life went back to normal … for a while.
I understood with utmost clarity how people can become Eclipse chasers. Apparently NASA’s head meteorologist (who apparently saw just 10 seconds of the eclipse; when the clouds obscured the sun, his group packed up their kit to try and find a better viewing spot – and almost missed the whole thing!) There was no sign of ‘Brangelina’ in Pokwero. Apparently they were in Gulu.
The next total eclipse in Africa is on July 22, 2027 in Egypt. See you there?
A special thank you to John and Leslie McDonald and ISU Lubowa staff, Fabien the birder, Kryss Katsiavriades and Roman Kostenko the amateur astronomers, and Simon Peter, Mordechai, Connie and all the staff at Pakuba Lodge. Last but not least, a big, nocturnal thank you to Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Conservation Area Manager Tom Okello – who helped rescue dozens of vehicles from a flooded swamp on our way back to the lodge! A weekend I’ll never forget…
Did you see the Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Uganda? How did it make you feel?
“Eat my dust!” de Muzungu’s quad bike Safari
Get yourself on a quad bike Safari, you’re in 4-a-wheelie good day out!
Have you tried quad biking in Uganda?
The format of the quad bike Safari is a real giggle!
After a wonderful Aussie welcome from Shirray, Herbert guided us through the safety procedures and warned us against: racing, running over kids, killing goats, the usual! Jinja’s quad biking safari setup is very professional with lots of highly visual printed information on quad biking day out “Do’s and Don’ts.” It’s tempting to race of course (but I knew Shirray and PK would never let me back if I did!)
Quad biking adventure part one – “get your kit on!”
Anyone can ride a quad bike and no previous experience is necessary – all training, guiding and safety equipment are provided by All Terrain Adventures.
It doesn’t matter what you wear for your quad biking Safari either, but I’d wear something light and loose, like leggings or a tracksuit. All Terrain Adventures provide quad bikers with big baggy all-in-one overalls. They also provide the Ugandan uniform favourite: gumboots. Alternatively, you can wear your own shoes – but forget wearing flip-flops or sandals (or need I say – stilettos?)
The pièces de résistance are the (compulsory) helmet and goggles – Biggles style! These guys have thought of everything: we even had branded bandanas to cover our mouths. (It becomes difficult to see who’s who once you’ve got all your kit on!)
Cameras were placed in protective plastic bags and the rest of our stuff was safely stowed away in the ATA office. Then you only have one choice to make: dust? or mud!!
You’ll get dirty as hell, whatever the season. In the dry season you’ll get dusty. In the rainy season you’ll get muddy. All part of the fun!
Quad biking adventure part two –“anyone for a round of mini-golf?”
The practice session saw us do a couple of laps around the training circuits including a circuit that runs through the Big Game Mini-Golf course – part of the All Terrain Adventures enclosure – that includes life size statues of the Big Five and other animals such as ‘an African Tiger.’
Herbert was the safari guide for our drive-yourself quad biking adventure. During the practice, more guides were on hand to show us how to handle the quad bikes, change gear, direct us, pull us back onto the track (!) They took plenty of photographs for us too, leaving us to concentrate on the serious business of scaring the hell out of ourselves.
Kids from the neighbourhood stood watching us race round the mini-golf. SAFETY TIP: this is not a good time to wave at the kids. You will need both hands on the handlebars!
After a few laps, and posing for more photos, Herbert led us out for the start of our quad bike Safari and freedom (to drive into a Bush in Isla’s case!)
Quad biking adventure part three – “Come! We go!”
I felt very proud of myself driving the quad bike. As a boda boda drove past, I kidded myself I’d graduated to being one of them. It felt quite good to be in charge of a bike in Uganda for once.
A quad bike Safari is a really fun way to visit a typical Ugandan village. You won’t see any cars. You may only see one or two bicycles. What you will see are people planting crops, harvesting, spreading millet out in the sunshine to dry. We watched a lady slowly walk past with a huge jackfruit on her head. Another lady was carrying a huge bundle of firewood.
Off we went on our quad bike Safari through the villages around Bujagali, smiling and waving at the kids. (They couldn’t see our smiles through the bandanas of course and if you’re following in the cloud of dust behind another quad bike, which you probably will be, it’s not a good idea to have your mouth open anyway!)
A couple of the kids ran after us and tried to jump on the back of my quad bike. Herbert wasn’t having any of it. He was constantly looking out for us.
Quad biking adventure part four – “Eat my dust!”
We came to an abrupt halt in front of a piece of red and white tape strung across the marram road in front of us. Was it the scene of an accident? Was there some kind of drama ahead? We waited for a couple of minutes and watched as a new electrical pole was erected. (It’s good to know that even in ‘the back of beyond’, safety measures are in place when few people are watching).
Back on the road a few minutes later, Herbert prepared us to go down a long, steep, rutted track towards the River Nile. It was very exciting and a test of our newly acquired skills. Navigating the ruts required concentration. Catch a hump of earth too fast, or at the wrong angle, and you might throw yourself off. I can’t imagine how crazy that section of track must be during the rainy season!
From Bujagali Falls to “Lake Bujagali” …
As our quad bike Safari continued along the shores of the Nile, Herbert told us the history of Bujagali Falls and pointed to where the famous rapids used to be. I visited Bujagali Falls – once “a spectacular series of cascading rapids which Ugandans consider a national treasure” – in 2010. In those days, the going rate to watch a young boy negotiate the Falls in a Jerry can was just 5,000 shillings (just over £1 / $1.50). The 2013 rate is a whopping ten times that amount! It’s a highly dangerous occupation, one that now takes place 15 km downstream, on the other side of the new Bujagali Dam.
Uganda’s famous grade 5 white water rafting has changed little really and still remains the best in Africa. If you’ve never done the white water rafting in Uganda before, you will notice very little difference on the new course, below the new Bujagali Dam. I’ve rafted both sections of the River and I couldn’t tell the difference. (Both are equally scary – but you can’t visit Uganda without trying white water rafting at least once).
Of course ‘Lake Bujagali’ – as it is affectionately known now – is a much safer place for local people to do their washing.The rafting and adventure activity industries employ a lot of people along the banks of the River Nile in Jinja.
Before heading back to base, Herbert took us to a dusty trading centre, where we ripped off our bandanas and necked down an ice cold ginger Stoney soda. We’d had a fantastic couple of hours and were grinning from ear to ear. I was washing the dust out of my hair for days!
Did you know Jinja is “the adrenaline capital of East Africa”?
From the Nile River Explorers Camp two minutes away from All Terrain Adventures, you can go kayaking, grade 5 white water rafting, horse riding, fishing, bird watching, and more. The NRE Camp is a great base for a few days adventure activities, a visit to the Source of the Nile and Jinja Town – or to just chill out and enjoy the view (and the great value food). I’ve stayed in the Safari tents overlooking the river a number of times. It’s a lovely place to lose a couple of days.
DISCLOSURE: This blog is based on my personal experience. I was lucky enough to be given a free night’s stay at NRE Explorers Camp in return for this blog post. For more information about guest posts, read the Muzungu’s Terms and Conditions.
Have you been quad biking in Uganda? What was your experience like? If you ran over a goat, you better not tell me 😉
A solar eclipse turns the spotlight on Northern Uganda’s appeal
Suddenly, everyone in Kampala is talking about this weekend’s action: not the usual parties and nightclub events, but a hybrid solar eclipse, an event so rare that it only happens every few decades… and guess what? Northern Uganda will be one of the best places in the world to see it!
I can never throw a shoe box away – & finally it’s time to make use of one. Hybrid eclipse 2013, here I come!
The Muzungu first heard about the hybrid eclipse 2013 from an amateur astronomer tip, tap, typing on his keyboard 3410 miles (5488 km) away from Kampala – in Poltava in the Ukraine to be exact. Roman Kostenko – or Роман Костенко in the local Cyrillic script – first wrote to me on 19th February. He explained the uniqueness of the event that will take place this Sunday, November 3, 2013.
Photo courtesy of the Society of Astronomy Amateurs in Poltava, Ukraine http://astrosafari.com
In Roman’s words: “The solar hybrid eclipse occurs on November 3rd, along a narrow strip over the Atlantic Ocean and Equatorial Africa, from Gabon to Ethiopia. In Gulu, Northern Uganda, it will be late afternoon, 17:23, one hour before sunset.
The overall duration of the hybrid solar eclipse will be almost 2 hours, however the total phase is very short: 60 seconds in Gabon, 20 seconds in Uganda and 12 seconds in Kenya. Despite the short duration, this rare kind of hybrid total eclipse will offer us a brilliant glimpse of the solar corona and Bailey beads (outer parts of the Sun emerging between the lunar mountains).
Roman explained that although many people will go to Libreville or Gabon to see the hybrid solar eclipse 2013, “other eclipse chasers have been checking the weather, and will choose Uganda or Kenya, since there are much higher chances of clear skies in the areas north of Lake Albert in Uganda and west of Lake Turkana in Kenya.”
Basic viewing of the totality of the eclipse requires no more equipment than your own eyes, however special filtered ‘eclipse glasses’ are recommended to view the partial phases.
Roman advises: “It is EXTREMELY unsafe to view the eclipsed Sun with binoculars or telescope, unless they have an appropriate solar filter. I would never recommend to use any optical device to look at the Sun before you are confident that it features a properly installed solar filter.
P.S. As the day will turn into deep twilight in less than half an hour, and then back to daytime, and then back to night time (sunset), it will be very entertaining to observe how African wildlife responds to it.”
“Let’s see what the animals make of it….” says the Muzungu…
Roman is a member of the Society of Astronomy Amateurs in Poltava, Ukraine and their brilliant blog has been following their journey to East Africa. (Tip: click on Google translate for the English version of the site!)
“Eclipse chasing is an absolutely international hobby” he told me.
My online research – applied cautiously, Dear Reader – tells me that one of the simplest ways of safely viewing a solar eclipse is by making a shoebox pinhole camera. This enables you to see an image of the solar eclipse, rather than look at it directly. To make one, you will need: a cardboard shoebox, duct tape, knife or razor blade, a white sheet of paper, tinfoil, clear tape, needle or pin, solar eclipse.
Just look at the diagram for how to make a solar eclipse pinhole camera and follow these steps below…
Just copy the diagram for how to make a pinhole camera or follow these steps – or if you can’t be bothered, scroll down for the Muzungu’s Top 10 hybrid solar eclipse 2013 viewing do’s and don’ts.
1. Open your shoebox and cover any cracks or joins with duct tape, to make sure no light can enter your shoebox.
2. Cut a small hole (approx. 1 inch / 1.5cm across) in one end of the shoe box, near one edge.
3. Tape a piece of tinfoil over the hole.
4. Using a pin, make a hole in the centre of the tinfoil.
5. At the opposite end from the foil-covered hole, tape a small piece of white paper to the inside of the box,. The paper should be positioned so that light entering the box through the pin hole will hit it. This is where you’ll look for the sun.
6. Cut a 1 inch / 1.5 cm diameter hole in the box near the image screen (the white piece of paper), but on a different side of the box — the side next to the screen. This is your viewing hole; it must be positioned so that you can look through it at an angle and see the image screen.
7. You now have a pinhole camera. Go find that solar eclipse!
8. Sunday November 3rd 2013: hold the shoe box so that it lines up with its own shadow (meaning it’s aligned with light from the sun). Stand so that when you look through the viewing hole, you can see a tiny bead of light on the image screen: that’s the sun. During hybrid solar eclipse 2013, you’ll see the moon’s shadow pass in front of the sun.
[Information courtesy of @nattyover and www.livescience.com]
In the spirit of participation – admittedly, I was crap at physics at school – I decided I’d try and knock up a pinhole camera for you, but can I find duct tape late at night in Kampala? No. I shall track it down but not this evening… Anyway, you don’t want to get all the way to Northern Uganda and find the tape has come off your wonky old shoebox, do you?
So here are the Muzungu’s Top 10 hybrid solar eclipse 2013 viewing do’s and don’ts:
1. DO NOT use a mirror to view it – that will only do double damage to your eyes
2. The Ugandan Minister of Health’s briefing: “watch it through a black cavera (plastic rubbish bag!)”
3. Standard or Polaroid sunglasses are not solar filters and should not be used to stare at the Sun during the partial phases of an eclipse. You will damage your eyes permanently.
4. DO NOT use film negative.
5. You can make your own filter out of fully exposed and developed black-and-white film, but only true black-and-white film (such as Kodak Tri-X or Pan-X). Such films have a layer of silver within them – this protects your eyes.
6. If you want to observe the eclipse with binoculars or a telescope, you must use a specially designed solar filter on the front end (or Sun-side) of the instrument. (You think they sell them in Pakwach?)
7. Read this bit carefully: if you plan to use binoculars to view the hybrid solar eclipse, totality can and should be observed without a filter, whether with the eyes alone or with binoculars or telescopes. But the partial phases of the eclipse, right up through the Diamond Ring Effect, must be observed with filters over the objective lenses of the binoculars. Only when the Diamond Ring has faded is it safe to remove the filter. And it is crucial to return to filtered viewing as totality is ending and the western edge of the Moon’s silhouette begins to brighten.” If observing the Sun outside of eclipse totality without a filter is quickly damaging to the unaided eyes, it is far quicker and even more damaging to look at even a sliver of the uneclipsed Sun with binoculars that lack a filter.”
8. You can damage your video camera trying to watch the eclipse. Sunlight focused through a lens sets things on fire – do you want to set your camera on fire?
9. Welding goggles or welding glass are safe.
10. And the Muzungu’s personal favourite idea: watch the Uganda solar eclipse reflected in a river – doesn’t that sound romantic?
*DISCLAIMER* my few minutes Googling are not sufficient for me to be sure I’m sharing good advice. Misinformation abounds, and I’m worried I’m making it worse!
It’s always good to have a backup plan! It’s not like many/any? of us are ever going to have a chance to see a hybrid solar eclipse again … but it doesn’t mean you have to permanently damage your eyesight, so don’t get carried away with the moment and do something you will live to regret.
I’m so excited to be in Uganda for hybrid eclipse 2013 and I’m so excited for Uganda to be centre stage for the world, even just for a few moments. Northern Ugandans in particular truly deserve some good publicity.
My tent is packed and so is my cavera, so who’s coming with me? See you in Northern Uganda!
I love birds! Uganda’s Big Birding Day
Diary of a Muzungu is proud to be a sponsor of Big Birding Day 2013, supporting the next generation of birders in Uganda.
Diary of a Muzungu is delighted to support Big Birding Day (BBD) Uganda
How many birds will you see at Big Birding Day 2013?
Bigger and better than ever, help us beat last year’s record – 290 birders in 58 teams, birding in 35 areas, recording 657 species (63% of the total species of Uganda recorded and an increase of 82 species from the 2011 record)!
The Muzungu with young birder Hope at Kasenge on International Day of the Safari Guide. Photo courtesy of Titus Kakembo and Uganda Tourism Press Association
This Friday 18th October is the official launch of Big Birding Day 2013 at the Uganda Museum in Kampala.
Diary of a Muzungu helped promote Big Birding Day 2013
The free to enter Big Birding Day race is a 24 hour competition this Saturday, 19th October, at dozens of sites across Uganda, involving birdwatching groups competing to score the longest bird species list in 24 hours. Birding teams are led by professionally trained guides and experienced bird guides from NatureUganda membership and UWA staff. Each group must have at least 2 members who are experienced bird watchers to confirm the species identification.
All birds seen and/or heard calling within these sites will be recorded (TICK!) A tally centre will be set up at NatureUganda to receive and check all records.
Each new bird sighting gets a TICK – but no cheating please guys!
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and National Forestry Authority (NFA) are offering FREE entry for all Big Birding Day participants birding in National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and Forest Reserves – but you need to register your team first. (Scroll down for the flyer and contacts below).
…And if you can’t make the Big Birding Day race this Saturday, why not join us for the Festival Saturday 26th October? Here NatureUganda will name the Big Birding Day winning teams at Kitante Primary School Gardens (behind the Uganda Museum). This free event is open to the whole family and will be a chance to learn more about birds and birding. There will also be live music, dancing, face painting for the kids and more…
What can you expect from the Big Birding Day 2013 Race?
One year I was lucky enough to tag along with expert birders Roger Skeen and Nathan Eluku who recorded an incredible 175 bird species between Namuwongo, Kampala and Entebbe. What a fantastic day out it was. And the best bit? Our team won!
Diary of a Muzungu is proud to be a sponsor of Uganda’s Big Birding Day 2013, supporting the next generation of birders. Birds, conservation, tourism
It’s not all about winning of course… this year I’m excited to be going to Mabamba Swamp, famous for its rare Shoebill Stork. I can’t wait!
Shoebill Stork, first seen by the Muzungu (though the mesh of its cage) at UWEC, Entebbe, Uganda
If you’re asking yourself, “why exactly does the Muzungu keep banging on about birds?” read “Why we should embrace Uganda’s Big Birding Day.” They delight me and enthrall me.
There’s a serious side to the event too and this year’s theme is: Birding, Our Livelihoods and Our Economy
Birdwatching can present significant economic opportunities for countries through sustainable tourism, says the United Nations environment agency. In Uganda, tourism is the number two foreign exchange earner (second only to remittances from Ugandans living overseas).
Did you know that worldwide, one in eight people earn their living directly or indirectly because of the tourism industry?
You only need to look at Uganda’s gorilla tourism and the way this single species has promoted Uganda internationally and helped fund other tourism initiatives and conservation across the country to see the huge potential for birding to develop Uganda’s economy. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, conservation organisations and tourist lodges work very closely with the community: training and employing local people.
Birding directly employs qualified bird guides and rangers, tour operators and sales consultants. Employment opportunities exist for land owners, farmers and producers who supply lodges, people who maintain tracks and trails, lodge and hotel staff and all the smaller businesses that support these: boda boda drivers, restaurants and shops. Birding tourism or ‘avitourism’ can thus become an economic and political force for both development and conservation.
Birding disproportionately favours the poor, since we find the highest number of bird species in remote areas. Thus, with the right investment in training and tourist facilities, birding can contribute to raising people out of poverty.
By supporting Big Birding Day 2013, the training of the next generation of birders and the investment in tourism infrastructure, you’re helping build the skills and opportunities of individual Ugandans, the economy of Uganda and protecting its wildlife and natural heritage at the same time … and you can have a great day out at the same time!
Please contact NatureUganda on 0414-540719 / 0414-533528 / 0772929626 to find out more, email bbd@natureuganda.org or register via the NatureUganda website.
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If you like my birding stories, you might enjoy Diary of a Muzungu’ s page dedicated to our feathered friends, Uganda’s birds.
Do you like birds? Are you taking part in Big Birding Day this year? This annual event is growing every year. If you have ideas on how we can help develop BBD, do get in touch!
