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Jinja, Uganda located on the banks of the Nile, close to Lake Victoria, is known as the source of the Nile. Uganda's second-largest city, Jinja has the feel of a large village rather than a major city.
A lush and green location, it is surrounded by beautiful forests and small villages. Not far from Jinja on the road to Kampala, you will see vast sugar cane fields as well as numerous, terraced tea plantations.
The Nile River flows through the area and has numerous raging rapids that you can enjoy. Depending on your experience there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy this beautiful river for recreation. Many companies will provide you with guides, equipment, and training to help you experience these level 5-rated rapids!
A short distance upriver is the recorded source of the great Nile River. From Lake Victoria, the water flows through a narrow point into a small bay that empties into the source of the river.
The river is used by Uganda to generate and supply electricity to Uganda as well as many of its neighbors.
Small fishing vessels, tourist boats, and lots of wildlife including numerous birds feeding on the plentiful fish from the waters keep this part of the river busy.
Peering out from my small cabin located on a cliff above the river, I would often see fishermen and water birds waiting for their catch.
I was taken to Lake Victoria and several local villages close to the city of Entebbe. From here I saw the local fishermen's wooden boats along the lake's shore. As it was now mid-morning their boats had already been beached for the day. Their morning catch had been taken to the market while some stayed back to repair the fishing nets in preparation for the next morning's work.
The Kasubi Tombs, in Kampala, are the site of the burial grounds for four kabakas (kings of Buganda) and other members of the Baganda royal family. As a result, the site remains an important spiritual and political site for the Ganda people, as well as an important example of traditional architecture.
The World Heritage Site comprises around 64 acres. Most of the site is open agricultural land that is farmed using traditional techniques. One corner contains a royal palace.
Traditionally, the body of the deceased king was buried in one place, with a separate shrine for the deceased king's jawbone, believed to contain his soul.
The most famous building on the site burned just days before my visit.
As I was wandering the site of the tombs of the ancient kings I happened across this young girl who lived in one of the houses on the site. As with most children her age that I encounter, she was initially shy but within a few seconds, she produced this smile and a wave.
I have been to Africa numerous times, but never got used to watching animals that I grew up seeing in a zoo, running wild. In the case of this baby monkey, early one morning, I opened the wooden shutters of my cabin and saw this little one peering back at me. This became a morning ritual, it seemed to be as curious of me as I was of it. The mother was always close by but this one seemed very independent and very, very curious.
This may be its sibling. Just as curious and also a regular visitor each morning.
Early each morning, I would hear the monkey family walking on the roof and couldn't help but laugh at the "barrel of monkeys" that I had to my own. All through the week, the families joined me outside my cabin, next to my outdoor dining table, in the flower gardens, next to the pool, and all over the hotel grounds.
Early each morning, I would look down at the river and see fishermen using nets to catch their day's catch. Many of these fishermen would later take their catch to the local market or sell to restaurants and hotels for a fresh dinner meal.
Everywhere you look there are signs of beautiful wildlife. I was sitting one afternoon in an open truck when I spotted this very large bird fly over me. I exited the truck and walked over to the tree where the bird had landed, looked up, and snapped this photo. It is a Great Blue Turaco. A magnificent, big, and beautiful bird!
Not unlike much of rural Africa, the people live a hard life. Farming small kitchen gardens and tending their small herds of cows or goats, the people make a living by sustaining the family and selling the excess to neighbors. A quite simple life without running water and electricity, the people of rural Uganda were extremely friendly, polite, and a bit shy. These children were carrying some banana leaves and wood to be used for cooking and fire.
Pausing one afternoon, I came upon this young girl playing with her younger brother under the shade of an awning. Her genuine joy and love for her little brother seemed evident as I took this photo. A classic photo that could have been taken anywhere, a sister and her baby brother may be found.
How would you like to see this coming toward you? I took this photo of a herd of Akole-Watusi cattle through the windshield of my truck... I had to stop the vehicle and wait until the animals passed me. As they passed the huge horns towered over the truck's roof and were very visible as they passed by my window!
The visit to Uganda was only one leg of a long journey. After spending the prior week in Bolivia, I had to fly to Uganda. A difficult trip that eventually took me to four continents in less than 48 hours! Leaving South America, I flew overnight back to the States for a stopover in Miami and was back in North America for the night. The next morning I boarded a flight to Amsterdam, now in Europe, with a short stopover and then off to Uganda... Africa. Over 30,000 miles round trip in a very short time.
Tea field
Uganda is the second largest producer of tea in Africa after Kenya. Tea is largely grown along the Lake Victoria crescent, the lower slopes of the Rwenzori Mountain, and above the Western Rift Valley.
A short slideshow with tribal drum music of my travels through Uganda.
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