The 1000 Day Holiday

Kampala is a cool city. very busy, but with a great feel. It was also nice to have the freedom to walk around at night.

The reason its safe? because in Kampala they believe in mob justice. So if something bad happens, say a bag snatch. the locals will chase the baddie down, he’ll be stripped naked and chased through town!

Met a crazy Yank missionary when we were on safari.

It seems that missionaries are crazy, religious or both in this case

She was trying to educate the Masai tribe she was living with not to perform female genital mutilation.

However while she was there, there was a coming of age ritual for 2 boys who were 14 years old.

500 tribes people turned up for the ceremony which involves them getting circumcised without any pain killer. It takes around 10 minutes. And if they flinch or move at all during the process they are not considered a man. And will be made fun of for ages.

Apparently one of them did so well that he was given 4 goats, a sign of being a great man. they then spend three weeks in bed, basically unable to walk.

and the missionary lady was saying. It was a beautiful ritual. BUH!

Rafted the first 30km of the nile yesterday. Some awesome grade 5 white water. And didnt get eaten by any crocs.

Uganda is amazing, really lush and green. Hopefully do some trekking in the mountains, and maybe even do the Gorilla Trek. $400USD but apparently well worth it.

And the beer in Africa is awesome, after the rubbish beer in India

Hung around Lake Navisha yesterday, went for a bike ride to get over being stuck in a van for 4 days. Ended up in town having beers with a local guy all arvo then biking back to the hostel (URGH!)

Then it looked like we were going to spend the night at the bus station as we missed 1 bus, but were saved ~1am with the arrival of another and the help of some lovely locals who got us on. There was 8 seats free, and about 30+ people trying to get them.

So we Made it to Kisumu This morning. Walked around lake victoria, Swimming left the schedule as soon as we saw the alge/foam everywhere and the nice brown colour of the lake.

Headed for Jinja (Uganda) tomorrow for some crazy 5+ grade white water.

in my last week in Mumbai I met a bunch of 1st and 2nd year med students from the UK who were on an aid program to a small town a few hours from mumbai.

It appeared that the local guy running the operation was a drug lord with armed body guards etc!

He was overcharging them for accommodation, and when he was drunk and they asked what the extra money was going towards, he replied expanding his empire!

He would take them to a local hospital, and walk into the operating theatre and ask what was being performed, lean over and have a bit of a look. Then annouce that the students were doctors. They protested, and said students, however he reasserted they were doctors.So the surgeon asked them if they wanted to scrub in.

So 1st year med students ended up doing sterilisation operations.

and vaccinating babies with the unsterilized needles with no knowledge of if any of the babies had HIV. Talk about which is the greater evil!

Well, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Elephants, Giraffes, Rhino……  wicked! That was the Masai Mara, and Nakouru National Parks.

although far too much sitting in a van!

Now in Navasha, small town that has a national park called hells gate. But instead we have been sitting in the sun discussing lfe with a local drinking the excellent beer Tuska. Which is a fine change from the nasty indian beer!

Heading for Kisumu which is the border town for uganda tonight. Then onto Jinga for some grade 5+ rafting with hippos and crocs on the source of the nile

 

Heading on safari today into Masai Mara, the wilderbeast are crossing the river!

Then heading for north kenya via hells gate NP, and doing a loop into Uganda. will update more details when I work it out.

I love Emirates! got on this mornings flight (standby) without any extra charge!

so now in nairobi, checking out where/what safaris etc to do over he next few days.

Missed my flight. For some reason thought I had 2 whole days here. not one.

Now to find a way to the country called africa. Cheap flights to Sudan. hmm, so thats where Darfur is. maybe not. oh well time to go and take some cool pictures of Dubai with my spanky new camera!

Where the internet is censored (Skype, Couchsurfing, and who knows what else)

Where you cannot hold hands in public unless you can prove you are married, you cannot live with someone of the opposite sex, and if you disagree with the police you end up in jail for 3 days, and then they release you, while holding your passport. Which means you cannot stay in hotels etc since they require that to check in.

However apparently in a BB State such as this, crime is very low. Will keep an eye out for the Thought Police! 

Its hovering around 40 degrees, and you cant tell which tap is the hot water because they both feel exactly the same. Off to find a camera

Looking for these two models.

Panasonic Fz7 and the Canon Powershot S3 IS