With much excitement, our five-member, all-girl hiking gang touched down at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda on the evening of 14 December 2019. We were greeted by the absence of our pre-booked hotel transfer, no airport Wi-Fi, a traditional Ugandan wedding on the lawn of our hotel (when we finally got there) and showers that required an hour’s notice if you wanted hot water. Yes, we were no longer in South Africa. Despite this, the friendly people we encountered ensured a hearty welcome.
The next morning’s breakfast was our first introduction to Uganda’s flavour-bursting fresh fruit, plus some sweet white sandwich bread and locally grown tea. Little did we know we’d end up buying boxes and boxes of tea for our immediate and extended families for Christmas.
We opted for a private transfer into the mountains as the public transport website hasn’t been updated since 2009 and buses only depart when full. Schedules were vague and we didn’t want to wait unnecessarily.
Still, the 409 km journey from Entebbe to Kilembe took 10 hours. And thanks to all the bumps on the single-lane national road, we all got 10 000 steps on our watches. (Sorry, Discovery Vitality.) Villages we passed were abuzz with activity. It seemed that anything was available, whether you needed a bed, a live chicken, coffee beans, plumbing accessories or a wristwatch. Boda bodas (small motorbikes for short-distance transport) weaved manically – sometimes with up to five people on the back!
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