After a fast run through Kenya (3 days with a 10$ transit visa), we quickly made our way to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to meet up with friends. Kampala is known to overlanders for crazy traffic, deservedly so, especially if you don't know about the "northern by-pass road". It's not on T4A - yet.
As always, being pampered by friends is an extremely nice experience, and we indulged in many guilty pleasures (like daily sun-downers and shisha-smoking). It was our last "oasis" on the trip before reaching home. We'll remember the exceptional hospitality received throughout these two years from old friends and complete strangers alike and return it in kind once we settle down again - our first good resolution for the post-trip life!
While we decided not to push all the way to Rwanda, we still drove into the South-West corner of Uganda, near the borders of the DRC and Rwanda. On the way, we crossed the Equator (again), witnessed the extend of President Museweni's election propaganda and finally reached our destination.
Tea, coffee and banana plantations dominate the landscape in an area that has systematically suffered from the political troubles in the area.
An obligatory stop on the way back to Kenya, the source of the Nile at Jinja is indeed worth exploring.
Disfigured by a dam right at the exit from Lake Victoria, the shores of the Nile are very scenic a few kilometers downriver, as well as being a superior white-water rafting destination.
Apart from the beautiful setting itself, the atmosphere is special because we know the Nile will accompany us for a long time, through the Sudan and Egypt, all the way to the Mediterranean.
And because Victorian-era explorers were so fixated on finding the source, and we just drove here...
Now we're back in Nairobi, at the "Jungle Junction", THE overlander hang-out in this area. People spend time here recovering from the journey down south, or preparing for the trip up north, fixing their vehicles and hunting for visas. A lot of good information is exchanged, travel stories abound, all in a relaxed atmosphere.
Some idle time was used to visit the Karen Blixen Museum, of "Out of Africa" fame. Entry is pricey, but romantic movie (or indeed book) fans will not be able to resist.
After stocking up our supplies, we'll head off on Monday towards Lake Turkana and the Ethiopian border. There will be a good deal of off-roading, fantastic landscapes and adventure! We'll team up with an Aussie-German Toyo for this part of the trip: the more the merrier!
Don't be surprised if there won't be much activity on our website until we reach Addis Ababa! So long...
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