Uganda > The Disco in Masaka

It rains in the morning. In fact, this is the first time on this trip that I need my poncho. The dark, rainy weather gives the island a bleak appearance. It wasn’t my favorite place anyway. It’s still drizzling lightly as I take the boat back to the mainland. The dirt road has become slippery from the rain. Jampa frequently has to shift into low gear to get up the hills. Soon I arrive in Kabale. The puddles in the middle of the streets give the city a completely different look than a few days ago. Fortunately, it has stopped raining by now.

Uganda - A zebra in Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda

I continue along the main road toward Mbakara. At a restaurant, I have lunch at a local buffet with matoke, rice, goat, and chicken. In the afternoon, I continue toward Masaka. The main road passes by Lake Mburo National Park. By chance, a few zebras and impalas are standing along the road. I get out on the highway to take photos. “This makes up for it a bit,” my travel companions joke. A few kilometers before Masaka, we get held up again by roadworks. The road is being widened from two to four lanes. Soil is being excavated, and as a result, the road sometimes runs right in front of houses. Some houses have been partially demolished. The road expansion has a significant impact on the local population. It’s remarkable how the work is carried out while through traffic continues to pass. Sometimes vehicles go left around a truck, sometimes right. Where two lanes are unavailable, traffic is directed by controllers with green and red flags.

Uganda - Crossing the equator in Uganda

I finally arrive at the hotel in Masaka around five o’clock. My room is on the second floor. I realize that I haven’t been this high up anywhere in Uganda yet, as most houses here are only one story. I look forward to a nice shower. Unfortunately, it’s a bit disappointing because the shower holder is broken. I can barely adjust the temperature between very cold and very hot. In the end, I hold the showerhead myself and rinse off all the dust. Refreshed, I go to a restaurant whose proceeds benefit orphans with AIDS. I end the evening at the local nightclub. The club is a real Western-style nightclub with multiple floors. It’s busy with local visitors. The DJ mixes the music remarkably well. I dance to both African and European music until two o’clock. When I leave, Frank and Edwin are still there.