Called the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is a place of undeniable natural beauty. For the past 18 months, with Scott’s busy work schedule and a long season of COVID restrictions, we’ve done very little wandering in the country.
These past two days, we finally ventured out. Just a six hour (172 mile) drive east of Kampala, we visited Sipi Falls for the last weekend with our summer legal interns. It was a long drive out of the chaos of Kampala through dozens of smaller communities. We drove mainly two lane roads where you pass big trucks on blind curves and before the crest of hills. (Don’t tell my dad – it’s not how he taught me to drive.)
At 1775 meters (5800 feet) elevation – Sipi is an array of lush greens backdropped by three different waterfalls. Fittingly it rained the day we chose to complete the “Falls Hike.” We walked along narrow muddy paths through local communities of farmers who make their homes in this bucolic setting.
We found countless gardens all hand-planted in rich red soil with onions, coffee, potatoes, maize, cabbage, beans, mangos, avocados, and bananas, as well as livestock including cattle, goats, pigs and chickens. We even met a brand-new puppy named Simba. Children were thrilled to see “Mzungus” (travelers or white people) and shouted out greetings. We created such a commotion at one home that a little toddler just stood in the path and burst into tears as we passed by. Fortunately, her six year old brother came to the rescue.
The pictures hardly do the vistas justice.
It was refreshing to get out of the city and into the clean air. We were grateful for the cool weather – despite the fact that we looked like drowned rats for the entire day.
We also provided a great source of amusement for the folks we passed especially at the end of our hike. The day of rain had made the steep lower paths more of a slip and slide than a walking path. Locals watched as we all (except Scott) fell repeatedly on the last bit of trail. To add insult to injury, our guide, Simon, with his simple blue rubber boots, never faltered in the mud and showed us that fancy hiking shoes are no match for natural talent.
Not surprisingly, this is the part of Uganda where world class runners are born. As we struggled up and down the mud to see Sipi Falls, two local young men from this district won Gold and Bronze in the Men’s 10,000 Meter on Sunday at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
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