I was excited to leave my house after months of working from home and to attest to this my day started off at 4.20 am when my alarm shrilly rang in my ear and startled me in the process, I reached out and turned on my radio and proceeded to have my morning devotions together with the online pastor, and dedicating the day to the almighty.
At around 6.00 am, I drew the curtains slightly to catch a glimpse of the rising soft yellowy-orange sun as it’s rays lazily broke through the grey morning sky… I stretched and deep inside I glowed just like this sun, for I knew today would be a day to remember…. forever etched in my mind. I took a cold shower, out of the sheer excitement that I felt I hardly felt the sharp cold jabs of water from the shower as they pelted my warm body, I quickly dried my self up and completed the rest of my morning routine.
Today I would be going on my first date… and imagine this, I would be going on a tour! after weeks of confinement with little or no exercise, leaving the bustling city and into the country side was not only music to my ears but a full orchestra and I couldn’t wait. My ride arrived, a small bright green shinny van, It wasn’t only the colour that caught my attention but my chauffeur for the day, the handsome man that sat in the driver’s seat, big brown eyes, huge black beard and a set of excellent white teeth.. My breath caught in my throat.
He stepped out, and he looked even more majestic, I couldn’t help but return that radiant smile. My door was opened for me and I elegantly slid into the co-driver’s seat, we exchanged pleasantries as the van coughed and then roared to life, the little car drew attention to itself as it bumped on the potholed road, its as if it seemed to sense our excitement, as we slowly wove through the sluggish city traffic leaving the busy suburbs behind we sped on to our destination, the air became less stale and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, opening them only to marvel at God’s great work.
The conversation run smoothly as we occasionally lapsed into moments of comfortable silence, him stealing a sly side look and when our eyes met, I would shyly look down at my phone or out of the window. It was then that my pleasant companion announced that he has a surprise for me….. a detour.
He expertly turned the little van off the tarmac road and onto the dusty murram road, we rattled on for a while on the eroded country road and suddenly I could hear the sound of great volumes of rushing water and then I saw it, The Great River Nile, I had been brought to a place called Kalagala Falls a few kilometres from Kampala, it was a place of great scenic beauty, tucked away in the small quiet village of Kayunga District and right on its banks there were camping grounds having both tents and hostels for tourists on a budget.
The river moved swiftly and almost proudly, I was drawn to it, its surface catching the sunshine making it glitter as it slowly moved and further along, it gathered momentum, the waves crushed angrily on the rocks making the whole scene look a giant pot of boiling water that had it contents spilling out… it was a great spectacle to watch. The canopy of trees and cool breeze offer an affordable and intimate environment for couples and small families to have a picnic at a very low cost.
We finally made it to our destination, the famous Jinja Nile Resort, the white washed colonial building took me back in time, it was built on the banks of the River Nile, and it looked recently renovated, it still maintained the authentic architectural design. We chose a table up on the balcony where we would have our lunch and our orders were promptly taken and later a sumptuous lunch was served and it was only fitting to have the juicy tilapia drizzled in exotic sauces and garnished with the locally grown vegetables and herbs, nicely browned to perfection. We gave our compliments to the Indian Chef who had done an excellent job.
As we made our way back to the city, I reflected on days events, Uganda is surely the Pearl of Africa, gifted by nature, traveling great distances and seeing the lush green vegetation, vast water bodies and not forgetting the friendly folk and the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables all along upcountry roads, so for those that need to get away for a few hours to clear your head or get away from the monotony of work or routine, this is the place to go… a long drive with good company, good music and good food are surely therapy for the soul.
