Time out

Given the "in limbo" status of everyone from Upper Nile, I figured it was as good a time as any to get out on my R&R. So, I booked myself on a flight to Kampala for a week's break. I didn't really feel like I deserved it yet, having only been here for 2 months, nor did I feel tired enough to need a break, but that's what we're allowed and in hindsight, it was a timely break.

I spent a few days in Kampala, checking out old Kampala again. I'd returned to my favourite guesthouse, Tuhende Safari Lodge, which was close to everything and allowed me to stroll into new Kampala and look around there too. On my previous visits I hadn't spent any time there, and my perception of Uganda's capital took a turn for the better within the new part of the city and it's modern shopping centres, wide, tree-lined and less chaotic streets, green parks, business people on their way to meetings, and general orderliness.What was a bit unnerving though was the presence of the military police, who were strategically located around new and old Kampala in case of further flare ups of violence. Just prior to my visit there had been protests throughout the city due to ongoing power shortages and black outs.

Despite this, I was certainly getting into relaxed mode due to the presence of my friend Rachael and her partner T, who were also spending a week of R&R in Kampala. They invited me to spend time with them in the Kampala Serena Hotel, which is one of Kampala's biggest 5-star hotels. Nothing like a bit of luxury in a chaotic city! They were even kind enough to shout me a night's accommodation there. Sitting by the pool, sipping G&Ts, leisurely breakfasts and lazing around were activities I hadn't anticipated, but they were certainly welcome! It was nice to have a splash of normality again after being in the field.

I also spent some time with my friend Dutch, a Ugandan I'd met on my last visit, and he showed me around his neighbourhood and took me down to one of the urban 'beaches' on the bank of Lake Victoria. The lake is certainly a playground for those in Kampala who are able to afford the time off - and the good life. The best beaches are said to be in Entebbe, an hour south west of Kampala, the site of the airport and botanic gardens, but I had a destination in mind, in the opposite direction - Jinja.

World-renowned source of the Nile, the town of Jinja straddles Lake Victoria, and is home to a number of huge dams and hydro-electric power plants that supply a majority of Uganda's electricity. While there I checked out the latest addition to the collection, a brand new dam downstream of Jinja town that has caused flooding of upstream areas, moving of people, and submergence of popular natural attractions such as the Bujagali Falls. The upside of all of this environmental vandalism is that the dam and its electrical infrastructure is meant to provide a solution to the power shortages Uganda regularly experiences... if they don't sell off all the power to Kenya, that is. To my knowledge this is one of the main reasons they're experiencing power shortages in the first place.

After a couple of relaxing days by the river in Jinja I headed back to Kampala via the Mabira Forest Reserve, a protected area of beautiful secondary rainforest straddling the Jinja-Kampala road, and spent a few hours wandering around the muddy tracks of the forest, trying to spot the red-tailed colobus monkeys eluding me in the canopy above.

It had been a short week, but I realised afterwards that it was definitely needed. I returned to Juba feeling rather relaxed ... and keen to catch up with the crew again in Rumbek. Oh, and do some work too.