Time to escape Kenya and try out the Ugandan experience!

The border was a bit frustrating but we made it to Uganda and our 5th
country of the trip. Our stay at the Naiberi River Camp near Eldoret in
Kenya was just what we needed. It gave us time to sort ourselves out again
and prepare us for the next adventure ahead. The owner of the camp, Raj, was
really nice and he invited us down to his house in the grounds of the site
for coffee one evening to showcase his impressive home. Well I say he did,
he managed the odd word or three whilst engrossed in the movie on the TV,
while his girlfriend made us coffee and a sandwich and then showed us
around, and a very nice property it was too!! She then joined Raj on the
sofa and the TV watching so we ate and drank up and made our excuses. Very
kind of them to invite us but a bit strange.
Anyway, the next day we went shopping in Eldoret and stocked up on a few
essentials, including some cheese from the cheese factory, and on the way
back stopped of at Raj's factory where they make sweaters and blankets. One
of his foreman showed us around and it was quite an eye opener. Neither of
us have seen the whole process from thread to finished article before and it
was amazing. The place was not quite a sweat shop, but it was definitely a
hive of activity. From hand worked knitting machines to 'computerised'
machines to do all sorts. Even the process of reusing the waste material
from cutting the clothes and making the threads for the blankets was
engrossing. If you ever get the chance to visit such a place do so as it is
incredible. We had company in camp that night, our last there, as two
overland trucks pulled in for the night. Thankfully they were very civilised
and not noisy like the occupants of the seven trucks that invaded the Snake
Park back in Tanzania.
Today we left Eldoret, not before using up all our remaining Kenyan money on
fuel and food, and headed for the border at Malaba (N0 38.449 E34 15.118).
Well the Kenyan side was a mad scrum but we were processed efficiently. You
should have seen the huge queue of heavy goods vehicles waiting to be
processed thru to Uganda. It must have been several km long!! Then came the
Ugandan side! Immigration was fine and we coughed up the $50 each for our
entry visas and then off to customs. The customs man quite happily processed
our carnet but in order to get it back we had to pay the road tax which is a
flat fee for foreign vehicles rather than a per km fee for the locals. So,
he fills out a form and you have to go upstairs to the bank to pay the
money, Ush32750. We did not have any local currency and asked if we could
pay in USD. Now the very cheerful young lady at the counter, miserable as
sin, said we could so we produced our $20, at the given exchange rate, and
she said no go. If we wanted to pay with a note less than $50 we got a worse
rate! So we worked out that we needed another $1 to make up the difference.
I went and got a fistful of $1 notes from Mufasa and we returned. I thought
I would piss her off by giving her the money in eleven $1 and one $10 note.
OK no problem, oh but we had to pay another Ush2000 bank charges!! So we
coughed up 2 more crisp $1 notes and she then counted them, via a machine as
she didn't have enough fingers, and then UV checked them all. Finally she
did the paperwork but we had to go next door for another happy lady to enter
the details on her PC before printing off a receipt and giving it the
official stamp. Finally we were able to go and reclaim our Carnet and make a
run for it. Oh no silly me we had to stop again at the police point for them
to stamp the blinking receipt also! What a fiasco but at least after about 1
1/2 hours we were free and in Uganda!
Our first point of call a Barclays ATM in Tororo and then north to the
foothills of Mt Elgon and the town of Sipi to see the water falls there. The
falls are apparently one of the most spectacular in Uganda, and yep they are
pretty cool. We are camped at the Twilight Campsite (N1 20.104 E34 22.190)
in Sipi with a great view across the gorge to the falls, and I can hear them
gushing away as I write this sitting up in our tent tonight. Mt Elgon on the
other hand is engulfed in cloud but you never know it might just pop out at
some point. Perhaps tomorrow if the weather permits, had a huge storm pass a
couple of km by this evening, we will take a hike to check out the falls.
Then we head southwest to Jinga and the source of the Nile, not to mention
the white water rafting and the bungee jumping, gulp!
This may only be our first night in Uganda but I think we will like it here.
Things seem cheap, camping and the beer, and there is so much to do and see.