Jaunts in the Jungle

Sipi Falls- 25-27 July 2008

Let me just start by saying that Sipi Falls is THE most beautiful place on the face of the planet. There are few places in the world that I have seen that I could say even have a running chance in competition against it.

Day 1
We caught a taxi on Friday evening, and began the longgg journey across Uganda. We were prepared for a short 2 hour journey with a private hire car… but somehow miscommunications had occurred and instead we spent 5 hours on a crowded taxi. Taxis are meant to hold 12 people (4 rows of 3), but this NEVER happens. Most of the time you will not find a taxi filled with less than 20. Regardless of the cramped conditions, I spent most of the time curled up against the window with the wind blowing in my face, with a huge smile on my face thinking about how lucky I am not be here. Somehow staring at the landscape zooming by made the time go by incredibly fast.

We got to the resort and were escorted up some stairs to a few fantastic bandas. We all freaked out when we walked into the bamboo huts- think Swiss Family Robinson meets the Marriot. They were AMAZING. The beds were super comfortable, and there were layers and layers of blankets. Numerous times throughout the weekend I just curled up under the weight of blankets and sunk into the most amazing sleep I’ve had in a very long time. Geckos and big beetles don't really bother me anymore, so it was easy to forget that we were surrounded by them... We had an amazing dinner of steak and mashed potatoes (2 things we NEVER get in Lugazi) and then a delicious Banana Fritas dessert. We retired to the bandas after a spooky story campfire, and fell into a few separate late-night conversations spread throughout the resort. I could hear Jackie and James laughing across the way, Seren and Mallory chatting away in their room, and Brent and Ashley ranting on a banda couch. Thatcher and I fell deep into conversation about religion and philosophies out on the front porch, and before we knew it we had all been chatting away until nearly 3 am.

Day 2
We woke up to an amazing view that stretched as far as the eye can see. The resort is nestled in the town of Sipi, about halfway up a large mountain range overlooking a lush green valley underneath. We had a wonderful breakfast and headed up on a hike up to the top of the mountain. The main attraction of the hike was 2 fantastic waterfalls. We hiked to the base of each of them, and even got to go behind one. The upper waterfall was HUGE and powerful. We hiked up to a viewing spot about 20 yards from where the water cascaded to its landing and I was absolutely drenched in a matter of just a few minutes. The wind gusts blasted the water up to the rocks we were watching from, making it freezing to stand so close. Luckily it was sunny outside, so we were all dry again in a matter of a few hours.

After lunch we attended a Dance and Music fest at the local secondary school. The festival is held once every July, and brings together all the local schools to compete in a cultural dance and music competition. The people were all extremely kind, and despite the intensely crowded hall it was held in, rushed a few of us Mzungus in to the front and even brought chairs to make sure we were comfortable. It was fun to watch the traditional dances, complete grass skirts and marimbas.

By then a nap was definitely in order, and I nestled underneath my mound of blankets with Ashley and Seren. A few hours later James woke us up for a sunset hike, and I meandered my way up to the top of a mountain lookout point. I was still groggy by the time we reached the top of the steep inclines, but once I viewed the other side overlooking the grand valley and plunging orange sun, I was quickly jolted awake. Our group of eight just sat on the high plateau for several hours- watching a mountain of lush green dotted with grand waterfalls on one side, and a phenomenal sunset on the other. I truly felt like I was in heaven.

Day 3
The last morning we were again greeted by a wonderful breakfast, and then set off for another morning hike. Four members of our group decided to repel down the large lower waterfall, so Ashley and I took the long hike down the mountain to watch them come down. Neither of us was scared of repelling, but had heard that it was basically equivalent to being lowered down by a rope over the cliff edge... aka fairly anticlimactic. It was fun to watch them lower down though, and the hike up afterwards was treacherous to count as several days workout.
The whole weekend just reminded me of how much I love nature, and also made me really grateful I had prepared a bit with all those hikes in Provo last month. The hikes were rough, but we were surrounded by the most beautiful imagery I have ever witnessed, so it was easier to forget about the steepness. Over the course of the weekend I discovered I am severely allergic to some odd plant found only in Sipi, because I violently sneezed the entire time we were there. One night I sneezed NINE times in a row, and I truly thought my brain was going to explode. However, we never discovered the actual culprit. I seem to be fine now that we’re back in Lugazi.

The hospitality at Sipi Falls Resort was FANTASTIC, and I would be completely selfish if I didn’t make mention of the wonderful people there. Kenneth was our coordinator who made sure we were always content and happy with our stay. Michael was the awesome cook who made us never want to leave, and Nelly was our guide who walked us around the mountainside (in a skirt and flip flops, as we were fully decked out in hiking gear and out of breath the entire time.) Mike and Kenneth even gave me a Buganda name while we were there, which made me supppper happy because I’ve been waiting for one since I got here! Most of the Mzungus are given a Ugandan name sometime while they are here, but it has to be from a friend who actually knows you so they can determine what to call you. After spending the weekend together, Mike and Kenneth decided to name me Sanyu, which means happiness and joy. I felt lucky to have met such amazing people over such a short weekend. The end.