ITCHY FEET TRAVELS

Jinja, Uganda

July 26,2024

Were it not for the Nile, there never would have been an Egyptian civilization. Flowing out of Lake Victoria, the White Nile makes its way north through South Sudan and Sudan before joining with the Blue Nile in Khartoum and flowing through Egypt to empty itself in the Mediterranean. It is the primary source of water for each of these countries and the headwaters are right here.

Some enterprising souls in Jinja have come up with a novel scheme to extract tourist dollars. A sign embedded in the bed near the mouth of the river proclaims itself as the Source of the Nile. A spring bubbling out from beneath the surface is touted as the source and boat rides to the point is hailed with religious fervor. I burst out laughing when I heard it but had to give them credit for originality!

I wandered instead down the opposite bank. A small café jutting out onto the river provides a lovely view albeit under cloudy gray skies. Sipping a cup of coffee, I watch the birds on the bank. A kingfisher dives from the boughs for small silver fish while an ibis catches a crab from under the edge of the bank. I see a family of four otters bob up and down and poke their heads up above the water as they chomp noisily. Fish leap up and plop back down and a fishing boat slowly paddles its way from the opposite bank.

I see the mouth upriver and wander toward it. From the balcony of a restaurant, I see Lake Victoria spread out below. It is vast, the far shores hidden in a symphony of grays. A fishing boat bobs in the waters and I see a pier further down the bank with cargo ships.

I have a half-baked idea of boarding one to sail to Kisumu in Kenya. I’ve done it once before from Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan over the Caspian Sea , aboard an oil tanker. This would be cool, I think and a nice change from the matatu rides. But all hopes are dashed when I reach the pier. Despite my best pleading tone, it was a no go. It is only for freight and no passengers I was told in no uncertain terms. I try once more at the Jinja Sailing Club. It has a pretty garden leading to the jetty. The manager here also says it is not allowed; the members sail on the lake but only in the Ugandan waters. So it’ll be a bus once more heading to the Kenyan border, I sigh to myself.