Murchison Falls Safari, Red Chilli Hideaway

I awoke to the rustling of other fellow backpackers. 5 - 6 land rovers, mini-vans and Jeeps were parked stationary outside of the dormitory, awaiting to transport us to Northern Uganda in pursuit of seeing 'The Big Five', exploring waterfalls and scouting through National parks. 

There were seven of us and my group consisted of a mother and daughter from the UK, a German couple, two Irish friends and myself. We boarded the minivan with our driver/guide, Hussain, in anticipation of our journey ahead.

We drove 3 hours up to Masindi in central Uganda, where we stopped off for refreshments. I brought a large avocado, a fruit that is prevalently grown in the country, and two chapattis.

We drove on and as we got closer, I saw impromptu road signs, directing us to Murchison Falls. We soon turned into a carpark, where I could hear the roar of the water in the background and the sight of a river with light tufts of foam floating through.

The first thing that struck me as different was the heat. I squinted in the sunlight, as we made our way to a large concrete bandstand. Our group sat having lunch, where the bandstand shielded us from the sun and the open plan design provided us with a panoramic view of the river amongst green hills. 

Monster avocados: 100 - 500 USH (5 - 15p)

Our group soon set off with a guide at hand. I noticed the ground glittering with small silver rocks. It was explained that the ground shone as a result of the minerals in the area. After a light ten minute stroll, the day proceeded with some of the most beautiful waterfall sites I'd ever seen. 

 

After our walking tour, we drove straight to 'Red Chilli' rest camp, a campsite situated within the National Park. Warthogs wondered freely around the area, a large, open fire burned a night and a characteristic, open circular bar buzzed with travellers.

Real life Pumba

I spent the evening with the mother and daughter (Tiffany and Hayley) from the UK after they invited me for dinner. I think Tiffany found it a little difficult to comprehend that I was travelling solo in Uganda, as her daughter was the same age as me. I soon retired to bed after Day 1 on tour, ready to rise up early at 5:30am the next day for a safari at sunrise. 

We departed the campsite early, driving down to a river crossing just five minutes away. At the mini seaport, a collection of mini-vans, tour groups, motorbikes and people clustered upon a large open metal square with an engine attached to the side, all of whom awaiting to cross the river in order to get to the Kichubanyobo entrance gate of the National Park. 

After the crossing and a firm warning of not to feed the animals, "the monkeys will fight with you!",  we drove through the National Park, witnessing a large array of animals from hippos, to elephants, giraffes, monkeys, reindeer type creatures and buffalos. I felt at peace driving through murchison, where sandy dirt roads weaved through open plan uncultivated greenery. Trees, hills and the River Nile provided a backdrop characteristic of Africa. 

Driving through Murchison Roads

Mid-way through our safari, a bright coloured red bird flew straight into our windscreen. We weren't driving very quickly, probably around 30mph. My window was open and one of it's feathers dropped straight onto my lap. Although it flew away straight after, I did feel bad for the poor thing. 

Bird assault 

We wrapped up the day with a return to Red Chilli campsite in the early evening, highly anticipating the boat trip up the River Nile to the foot of Murchison Falls the next day.

Day 2

I boarded a boat called "African Queen". We meandered  up the River Nile, encountering crocodiles, elephants, water buffalos and tropical birds. Large tufts of foam floated through the river as a result of the waterfall. 

The boat stopped  around forty metres away from the waterfall. The tour guide announced that it would be dangerous to drift closer, due to the power of the water channeling through the narrow rocks. Before we left, we were given the opportunity to climb out of the boat onto rocks in the middle of the river for photos. 

crocs! (Real crocs, not shoe crocs)

It had been an incredible two days. The African safari that seemed so distant. The  speculative experience that derives from imagination, media and books. I was able to pin a reality to the African safari experience I've always dreamt of.
And yes, there are real giraffes outside of zoos and elephants still roam freely. I experienced just a snapshot of the national parks of Africa and I wish for conservation to be everlasting.

An odd phenomenon: the ability to recall in vivid detail the childhood cartoons we watch.

I'll close this entry with my trip tips and a typical, yet classic scene from Disney's The Lion King.

Trip Tips:

• I paid $270 (£175.00) for the 3 day safari/waterfall trip with Red Chilli Hideaway, inclusive of transport, accommodation and all activities. Food/drink is not included.
• Bring as much water as you can (you can put it at the back of the people carrier you travel in). The price of the water at Murchison is x2/x3 more!
• The meals are a little expensive compared to Ugandan standards, at around 9,000 USH for dinner. 
• I left my mosquito net with my host family, luckily I got very few bites sleeping without one in the national park.
• I paid the full balance via a bank transfer, don't forget to claim a free night in the dorms at Red Chilli, as the departure time is early (around 7:00am).
• Trip number is a maximum of 8 people 
• 2 people share each safari tent for accommodation (although our group size was a odd number and I managed to get my own tent) 
• Bring a torch, we were given lanterns but I was grateful I brought a hand torch for reading at night.
• Watch out for warthogs! One started pushing against my tent door in pursuit of food. According to the employees, they will tear apart belongings for the smallest crumb of food. 

Yes, I've been to a Ugandan landslide site

Bududa 26th June 2012

I felt compelled to write this after watching "The Impossible", a film highlighting the devastating effects that nature can have. 

I was staying in the village of Bunabumali, in the mountainous district of Bududa, Uganda. The district is characterised by lush, green rolling hills, dotted with clay houses with shiny tin roofs and diverse farmland plots which grow coffee pods, avocado/matoke trees and green beans.

Without electricity in the village, word of the landslide spread via mobile phone. On the day, the school was buzzing with rumours about the estimated devastation of the landslide, the death-toll and the hows/whys of what happened.
The next day, in casual "African" style, the teachers arranged a small school trip to the landslide site, a 3 hour walk away.

I accompanied the children, hand in hand with many students who insisted upon walking within a massive congregation with me. We passed villages and schools, occasionally stopping to wash our feet. Despite the moderate climate, I flushed red as the effort of walking in the heat got to me. Despite the tiredness, I was in good spirits, as the surroundings remained picturesque, green and beautifully tranquil. The children were incredibly good natured and chatty, laughing whenever I attracted stares from the locals and frequent comments of "muzungu! (white person/foreigner) how are you!?" 

The site of the landslide became visible from 40 minutes walk away, a large dark brown spot in the  midst of tropical hills. As we got closer, I felt a shift in the atmosphere characterised by worried onlookers, the military, and media crews that brought to reality the extent of the landslide. 
I saw TV crews and the Ugandan Red Cross. Armed guards and the police drove past in open air jeeps. 

We walked up a steep slope towards Arlington International School, a school famous in Bududa due to it's sponsorship links with American companies. The crowd density increased as we proceeded to walk up steeper and steeper. 

My visit to Arlington School, to a music show a week before. 

At the landslide site, many areas were cordoned off with tape. Crowds and crowds of people came to witness the damage with a calm yet solemn demeanour. Deep holes, fallen trees, rubble, running water , wet soil and broken houses represented the small community that once resided on the hills.

Emotionally, the day was a blur for me. I remember thinking "Why?, Why here?" How can I help? I was angry at the injustice and frustrated at the lack of emergency support. I couldn't comprehend how something so devastating could happen just through nature's course. 

I took the boda-boda back to the village with Joy and Eseza (my host sisters). I realized that the risks of landslides in Bududa are very real. The land is intensively farmed. Digging loosens the soil, the hills are steep and the monsoon rain spells can be long and heavy. 

Behind the risk of landslides, lies the livelihood of the Ugandan people, where land is their biggest asset and subsistence farming feeds the family. I truly wish that natural disasters could not happen. We often read about earthquakes, tsunamis and floods in far-flung destinations and we underestimate the extent of these events and the permanent scar that they leave behind.  
Witnessing the site of the landslide first-hand made me realise how impermanent everything is and how vulnerable we are to forces/processes far stronger then us. I feel I matured a lot through just seeing it that day and never before had I felt such deep sorrow for people I did not know. 

Secondary Sources 
- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18595913 (BBC News Pictures)
- http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/26/uganda-landslides-dead-villages-destroyed (The Guardian Article)

Boda Bodas in Uganda

Before embarking for Uganda, I looked into public transportation. Google reveals the negatives of the infamous Ugandan bodas bodas. 

"They are uncomfortable and accident-prone and there are hardly ever helmets for passengers, or even the drivers" (Mugira: 2008, Mail and Guardian) 

"They are Silent killers" (Nakiyimba: 2012, RFI)

Motorbikes are a form of transport I grew to love when travelling. With my eyes closed, it's the closest feeling I've ever felt to flying (without a helmet admittedly). Having taken around 15 - 20 journeys via boda-boda in Uganda, I can safely say that with precaution, they are the most efficient,  fun and cheapest way to get around. Boda-bodas do however, divide opinion. I stayed with two sisters during time in Uganda and they both had separate views on bodas. 

Joy:

Easy, widely available, cheap, accessible to rural areas where there are no bus routes. Good for going to the market with!

Eseza:

I hate them! I'll only go on them if its the only available choice. My friend is doing a medical degree and she told me about the amount of accidents and hospital admissions because of them. They are dangerous, I'd rather walk.  

I found it interesting that something so embedded within Ugandan culture could divide opinion. Although I really enjoy travelling on them as a form of transport, out of the 20 or so rides I had with boda bodas, I witnessed two (small-ish) accidents with friends. 

Boda Accident #1

Without a doubt, the most contributing factor to this accident was the weather. It was Thursday 21st June 2012 and mum and I were travelling back from Bududa hospital after visiting a girl with severe malaria. 

We rode back amongst a storm. The rural roads were slicked with mud and puddles and without warning, the boda in front of me slipped and fell. We were travelling slowly, the drivers were reluctant to transport us due to the weather conditions. My mum sensed it before the motorbike fell and she managed to jump onto the bank. 

Rural Roads

I admired my host mum's reflexes, however I was fearful for the rest of the journey. Our driver, (an old family friend) rushed the journey as the monsoon rainfall got worse. I pressed my face into his jacket. The speed of the motorbike turned the rain into small painful pricks. I was incredibly relieved to arrive home safely. A key tip from me would be to only ride boda bodas in clear/good weather conditions because they slip easily!

Boda Accident #2

We rode uphill around 1.5km up to see the view of Kampala. One of the travellers I met, called Jessica, was riding on a boda with her friend who recently came to live in Uganda. We were trundling down a very steep, rocky hill on our way back to the city centre when her motorbike slipped and she scratched her knee/palm/elbow. 

View of Kampala

Here I believe the main reason was lack of experience (the driver, a guy from the UK had only been driving bodas for a few months) and due to the really steep road we were on. A key tip here would be watch out for steep gradients on roads/be weary of driver experience.

Boda boda in Kampala 

Whilst in Kampala, I went on a tour of the city via boda boda. We paid 50,000 ush (£15.00) for motorbike transportation, lunch and a canoe trip to a island on Lake Victoria. 

(Highly recommended - Walter's Boda Boda Tours)

Boda bodas are a wonderful way to see Uganda. You are able to see, embrace and feel the area you are travelling through. They are more direct then buses and a cheap way to get around. 

Pricing

All pricing is open to negotiation. For the journeys where I travelled alone, I highly recommend that you: 

Have very small notes/change so you can pay the driver the exact amount you owe.

Ask the locals! For my journey from Adrift camp site to Jinja Town centre, I asked the guy at reception how much it would cost. He called over a boda driver for me and I paid a reasonable rate of 4000 ush (£1.00) for a 10 - 15 minute ride without the mzungu (white) price inflation.

In Bududa, I took the approach of going straight to a driver and telling him my destination and getting on the motorbike without negotiation. Upon arrival, I paid him 2000 ush (I travelled the journey before so I knew the price). He thanked me and he left. Sometimes, asking 'How much' can aggravate the situation. 

Boda Boda Tips 

• In Uganda, women traditionally sit sidewards on the passenger seat. For me, I always straddled the motorbike as I found it more secure. Don't worry, no-ones going to judge you.
• Don't use a helmet as a indicator that the driver is experienced. Some boda boda drivers take more risks/drive a lot quicker when they wear helmets. Unfortunately it is very rare that passengers are provided with helmets in Uganda.
• Ugandans are very friendly! If you feel your driver is going too fast/being too reckless, just tell him. As the fee payer you are in every right to ask your driver to slow down.
• Ask locals for prices if you are unsure how much a journey is going to cost. 
• Have fun!

Nile High Bungee: 3, 2, 1....BUNGEE!!

Having recovered from the previous day of white water rafting, the prospect of the bungee jump loomed.

Nile High Bungee

The bungee platform overlooked the dining area. I sat having breakfast, thinking of my previous bungee jump four years ago. I remember the speed of the fall. There is no "I can fly!" feeling, you plummet like a stone. It is terrifying but the thrill is incredible.

I climbed up the steps to the platform. I remember thinking Why is my heart beating so hard? Have I really become so unfit in Uganda that I cannot walk up a flight of stairs? My palms were sweating and my legs were shaking. Despite this, I believe that part of the thrill of a bungee jump is conquering your fear.

I was instructed to sit down and a towel was wrapped around my ankles to prevent friction burn. I was given a harness, where the bungee guy explained that the bungee was tied on the feet and clipped at the waist as a back-up system.
He asked me where I was from. I replied "Thailand". He pauses and says "they sent me to jail when I was there". I thought...shit, I've pissed him off, now he's remembering some bitter memory associated with Thailand and he'll avenge it with my bungee death".

Defying any sense of rationality, I got up as instructed and hopped over to the open platform with my feet tied tightly together.  He told me to hold onto the bar above my head, and shuffle forward until my toes hang over the edge. It was here the fear trebled tenfold, and his instructions blurred into meaningless jargon. 
Before I could gather my thoughts, 3, 2, 1.....BUNGEE! was shouted from behind and ignoring any sense of self preservation, I leapt. 

3, 2, 1....BUNGEE!!!!

Free-falling is a terrifying yet brilliant thrill. I remember feeling a crazy sense of relief when I felt the bungee cord catch me, so much so that I started laughing hysterically whilst bouncing around in the air (hopefully the spectators didn't think I was crazy).

I was lowered onto a waiting raft, where the guys joke "you're alive". Overall, Bungee Jumping is a huge, huge rush. The fear factor, the jump and the after feeling all make up a memory of a lifetime.

Bungee Details

• Company: Adrift (Nile High Bungee)
• Cost: $70 (£40 - £45)
• Height: 150 feet (45m)
• Tips: I opted for the water touch. Although I fell to around a inch above the water, I just missed it with my finger-tips. The guide said to never look at the water and make sure your arms/hands break the water first. 
• The bungee is incredibly fun! The worse part of the jump is the build up and leaping off, the actual fall and the rebound is an experience like no other. 

Bungee Platform

White Water Rafting, Adrift, Uganda.

$125 (£80.00) for:

• One and a half hour transfer from Kampala to Jinja.
• Breakfast, lunch, dinner & drinks.
• One night camping in Jinja.
• And of course a full day of intense white water rafting!

7:00am was the pick up time for white water rafting at Backpackers hostel, in Kampala. The night before, I met 2 Canadian medical students also going on the trip with me. The choice was 'Mild', 'Wild' or 'Extreme'? We agreed on Extreme of course!

We trundled through the morning traffic in Kampala, stopping at various hostels including Red Chilli which I had to move out of the night before because of a block booking. 
Upon arrival in Jinja, we were greeted by an enthusiastic, topless guide. From here; helmets, life jackets and paddles were distributed, we were divided into groups and each assigned a guide. 
Our group had 3 guys, 5 girls and Sadul as our lovely guide! 

Breakfast consisted of sausages, battered whole eggs, bananas and bottles of water served in a 'grab and go' basis. After breakfast, we were led straight to the water to practice some safety drills and then commerced the most wildest and most exhilarating grade 3 - 5 white water rafting Uganda has to offer!

Morning Rafting
The morning session began with 5 rapids through an estimated 15km of river. We warmed up with rapids grade 3 - 5, finishing with the notorious 'Bad Place'. 

Warm up fun rapids.

Grade 4/5.

Rescue Kayakers watch from the side.

Relief that we didn't capsize! :).

We paddled for around half an hour down a calm stretch of river, awaiting the next rapid.

Me and the guys swam down a portion of the river, aided by our life jackets alongside the boat. The water temperature was perfect and the backdrop was incredible. We floated past beautiful landscape, with different species of birds everywhere. There was a tree in the middle of the river where thousands of bats flew out from the branches....It is simple sights such as these which makes travelling so wonderful and free. 

Five minutes after being pulled into the boat (it was very hard to pull yourself up from the water!), we saw a large snake glide past on the surface of the water. We felt fear and utmost relief. We were lucky that we didn't encounter it when we were swimming!

We approached the 'Itanda' and the 'Bad Place'. From a distance, the rapid looked like a waterfall! The guide told us to paddle to the bank, as it was too dangerous to raft through the upper section, which was a grade 6 rapid.
We told him we were up for it, and he dismissed immediately, merely stating that "we could die". (To this day I am unsure if he was serious or not).

Our raft was lifted up by the porters, we clambered back and then came The Bad Place......

Ready, Steady, Go! 

I cannot completely recall what happened, other then utter mayhem! We rafted hard, straight into 'giant hole' that is the Bad Place. I don't know if we capsized, or if I was just dragged out by the force of the rapids.

The more you struggle, the deeper the rapid claims you. I fell into blind panic as I was caught in the undertow of the water, swallowing more of the Nile water then I'd ever want to. The paddle was torn from my hands. I'd bob up temporarily for a gasp of breath, only to be dragged under the water again by the rapids. I can only describe it as a 'washing machine' effect, you are being pulled and pushed by the water with completely no control of where you want to go.
There was a moment where I thought I would drown, until I felt a yank on the scuff of my life jacket. A rescue kayaker pulled me out of the rapid and told me to hold tightly onto his boat.

Grade 5 - The 'Bad Place'

He navigated his way across the rapids to calmer water. He asked me if I was OK and pointed out that I had a nosebleed. It was then I remembered that in the midst of chaos, I was headbutted by a helmet when the water threw us all out.

Our guide later informed us that we rafted straight into the most powerful rapids of The Bad Place, with half the boat falling out on the first wave and everyone else falling out on the second.

Afternoon rafting 
The 5 girls left in the afternoon, having only booked the half day rafting. One of the Canadian students left for the bungee jump, leaving our group with just me, Matt, Will & our guide, Sadul.
We moved into a smaller boat with just the 4 of us. Less weight in the boat = higher likelihood of capsizing!! The afternoon session consisted of 4 rapids grade 4 - 5 and around 10km of river. We capsized on around half of the rapids, with our boat becoming nothing more then a toy within the currents. 
One of the rapids was 'vortex' like, plunging the rafter deep in the water  that is perhaps 5 - 10 seconds in reality, but what feels like a complete eternity underwater.
With less people, Sadul was more lenient and he let us surf the rapids and even tackle some of them twice! There was no fear, only thrill. We were happy to capsize, merely enjoying the added adrenaline rush of being inside the rapids. 

3 out of 8 rafters left!

Afternoon Rafting

The last rapid!

With the day drawing to an end, we finished with a BBQ, a transfer to the Jinja campsite and the memories of an experience of a life-time. 

White Water rafting was terrifying, intensive and an exciting thrill that I cannot wait to do again! 

Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxv5v8l_kVs
(Video of The Bad Place Rapid)

http://adrift.ug/adventures/white-water-rafting/guide-to-the-rapids/
(Guide to the Rapids & link to Adrift)