I mean, sure, who among us can’t lay claim to an island on the Nile river? Our friend, driver and local guide, Denis, is among that group. He has a small island below the first major set of whitewater below the official source of river at Lake Victoria.
Fun fact: Did you know that the Nile is one of the few major rivers in the world that flows to the north?
From Jinja, we headed north along the east bank of the river, and then descended to a river access point. The further from the main road we got, the simpler the villages and plots of land became. The road eventually became a one-lane dirt road and then we pulled off and hoofed it the rest of the way.
As we approached the shore, our next mode of transport appeared. Everything had been prearranged by one of Denis’ friends that we’d met the evening before. He was Denis’ local guy in Jinja, his “fixer”. Our fixer’s fixer!
It was only a ten minute canoe ride. The canoes were bespoke productions, but sturdy. They were a bit leaky, but bailing apparatus was available if needed.
On the island, Denis showed us around. His plan is to put 6-7 small permanent tents on the island and then ferry people out for overnight stays. The island would be a good launching point for a downstream paddle or destination for a rafting expedition from upstream. Solar power would supply light and water purification capabilities.
The main roadblock preventing this idea taking off is permitting from the Ugandan government. Oh, I suppose making sure there is sufficient infrastructure on the island and shoreline area to support these tourist operations would also be a bit of a snag. But if anyone can figure that out, Denis can!
After seeing all there was to see, exploring all the trails and taking all the pictures, we headed back across the river.
We returned south to the bridge at Jinja and went back north on the other side of the river to a small place overlooking the area where Denis’ island is, a couple hours of driving. It’s there, trust me!
After a light lunch and coffee and/or tea, we dragged ourselves the rest of the way to Kampala. We stopped a few times from roadside stands to pick up local fruits and veggies.
Jeff and Tim were going to spend the next three nights at the Sheraton in Kamapala, but Liz and I were in for a treat because we would be staying with Denis and his family at their home on the north side of the city.
isn’t it dangerous to eat local fruits and veggies??
Good question! It’s perfectly safe to eat cooked fruits and vegetables, even for us tourists that aren’t used to the local buggers. Fruits with peels you remove are also just fine, so mango, pineapple, oranges, bananas are all on the menu.
and when the rainy season comes, is the island above water or under? what the hey! guys there are sharks in Lake Victoria and you better be careful I will give you an ear full when you get back. now i have a knot in my stomach. UFFTA!! when is the rainy season exactly? oh my goodness i saw those canoes and not one life-jacke!! are you insane?!? it’s the AMAZON RIVER…of course, the anaconda and piranha will get you anyway, so you might as well die looking cool, i guess. sheesh.
sorry i just went venting to chris who reminded me you are on the NILE not the AMAZON. you got me so rattled i lost my barrings. NILE RIVER – holy hell – WHERE THE NILE CROCS LIVE. ONE OF THE DEADLIEST CREATURES ON THE PLANET. OK. that makes all the difference. i’m totally relaxed now (NOT). i heard the crocs there know how to ride bikes.
Lol! No Crocs in that area. Maybe some snakes but we didn’t see them. Didn’t you see the cows?! It’s all good!