July 24- We awoke early to make the 10 hour drive from Eldoret, Kenya to Kampala, Uganda. We pulled away from the campsite by 6:00am under an inky sky. With the first glow of daylight we were already passing uniformed children walking to school.
The border crossing was a simple and uneventful process. Upon entering Uganda, currency exchangers dressed in canary yellow shirts rushed our truck, shoving one another aside as each eagerly sought to do business with us.
In many ways the scenery of Uganda resembled Kenya, but there were noticeable differences. Almost instantly the land became even more lush and green. Palm, banana and avocado trees sprouted along the roadside and the foliage grew thicker and taller. Most of the houses and buildings in the Ugandan countryside were made of rich orangish-red brick, fashioned from the surrounding soil, in such a manner that the homes appeared to have simply risen up from the earth. On the front porches sat clusters of small children, as well as mothers who leaned tiredly against the exterior walls, their shirts unbuttoned, breast feeding infants. A steady stream of shacks and roadside stands lined the roadway. Curvy women sauntered along the passing vehicles, balancing fruit baskets and laundry bags atop their heads. Tethered goats bleated and strained to reach blades of grass just out of their reach, even though they were standing atop green lawns. Children in bright clothes, colorful and varied as a rainbow, rushed to the roadside as we lumbered past, jumping, waving and excitedly shouting “Jambo!” in their tiny voices. As we neared the interior of the country we past field after field of sugarcane, and the rolling hillsides were carpeted in deep green tea plants.
We arrived at our campsite, Red Chilli (which boasts to be the hottest campsite in Uganda) in early evening. The campsite was bustling with overlanders, and everyone gathered around the bar and restaurant to make use of the charging stations and free wi-fi. We enjoyed a leisurely evening of technology use and chatting with our fellow travelers.
.jpg "July24Uganda002")
.jpg "July24Uganda003")
.jpg "July24Uganda005")
.jpg "July24Uganda006")
.jpg "July24Uganda007")
.jpg "July24Uganda011")
.jpg "July24Uganda015")
.jpg "July24Uganda016")
.jpg "July24Uganda020")
.jpg "July24Uganda022")
July 25- After a slow and relaxing morning we boarded the truck for a 7 hour drive to Kibale National Park.
Although already noticeable, the rust colored soil was really becoming a nuisance. Everyone and everything carried a reddish-orange tint. The richly colored dust settled on any object in the general vicinity, and then the rain turned it to a sticky film. By this time our clothes, tents and shoes were smeared with thick red mud. Everything we saw appeared rusty.
Before leaving Kampala we stopped at the city’s largest shopping center. After exchanging money we found a fun African curios shop, where we purchased a patterned turquoise colored shoulder bag and some gorgeous local jewelry. The necklaces were playful lines of beads and each colorful bead was carefully crafted of hand-rolled paper.
.jpg "July25Ugandablog01")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog02")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog03")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog04")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog05")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog06")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog07")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog08")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog09")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog10")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog11")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog12")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog13")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog14")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog15")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog16")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog17")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog18")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog19")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog20")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog21")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog22")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog23")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog24")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog25")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog26")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog27")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog28")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog29")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog30")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog31")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog32")
I absolutely LOVED the fact that hundreds of homes we passed were painted in my favorite tranquil shades of aqua!
.jpg "July25Ugandablog33")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog34")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog35")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog36")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog37")
Our route led us into rolling countryside. The road twisted along steep hills, lined with rich vegetation. We stopped for lunch just as a large group of children were returning home from school. Wide-eyed and curious, they gathered around our truck. It didn’t take long before someone in our group produced a soccer ball, and games ensued. Once lunch was ready, we dished up and sat around in camp chairs. The children stayed close, watching us intently as we ate, which created a less than comfortable situation for us…
.jpg "July25Ugandablog38")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog39")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog40")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog41")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog42")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog43")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog44")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog45")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog46")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog47")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog48")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog49")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog50")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog51")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog52")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog53")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog54")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog55")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog56")
After lunch we returned to the road and rolled along for hours. We passed town after town, and each was virtually indistinguishable from the next, save for a simple sign unceremoniously stuck in the dirt along the road. Rows of mini markets, butcher shops, salons, and photo shops whirred past our windows, with many of the shabby storefronts masked beneath freshly painted advertisements… Sadolin Paint, color your word…. Uganda Telecom, it’s all about U.
.jpg "July25Ugandablog57")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog58")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog59")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog60")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog61")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog62")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog63")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog64")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog65")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog66")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog67")
Eventually the hills grew steeper and we left the repetitive strings of shops behind. Just before dusk we arrived at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House. Tucked in the mountains amongst rolling fields of rich, green tea plants, the campsite was truly a sight to behold. Beautifully manicured lawns cascaded down a gradual slope, and from the higher points of the property we were treated with sweeping views of the surrounding hills and crater lake. Trees, dripping with brilliant yellow flowers lined the perimeter of the grounds. One particular bougainvillea plant towered over us, and rained a seemingly endless stream of fuchsia flowers down onto the lawn.
Tranquility washed over us as we stood atop the highest point of the property for some time, just breathing in the clean air and appreciating the stunning views. This was truly one of the most gorgeous places we’ve ever visited and we certainly hope to have an opportunity to return for a leisurely stay in the future.
.jpg "July25Ugandablog68")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog69")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog70")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog71")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog72")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog73")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog74")
I quickly made friends with this sweet pup, and he provided me with lots of snuggle opportunities during our stay at the Chimpanzee Guest House!
.jpg "July25Ugandablog75")
.jpg "July25Ugandablog76")
