East Africa Trip 2025: Part II

Wednesday, 30 April 2025 

I woke up almost every hour and finally at 03:10. I quickly performed tahajud prayers then got ready to leave. I was down by 03:37. The apartment guard came out to accompany me. It was foggy but surprisingly not as cold as I expected it to be (I only packed a very light jacket). I had to go up again to use the WiFi to contact the shuttle company and was told they were running a bit late.  We finally left at 04:20. I didn’t know how the driver managed to drive in the fog where visibility was only five metres at best. After a hour or so, we finally drove out of the fog. We stopped a few times to pick up and drop off passengers and stopped for ten minutes at a restaurant to use the facilities.

We finally reached Kayabwe just before 10:00 and I asked a shopkeeper to help take my photos at the Uganda Equator. I noticed there was a similar structure across the road for those coming from the north of the Equator but didn’t manage to take photos at it. As almost immediately, I saw a minibus and boarded it after the conductor confirmed it was heading for Kampala.

It was a long ride to Kampala and we only reached the bus terminal at almost 13:00. A boda boda driver offered to take me for UGX5k plus UGX2k for my bag. Then along the way we had an argument because he misunderstood where my hotel was. I told him that it was not my fault that he misunderstood where my hotel was when i specifically had told him the hotel was in Katwe area. He wanted me to pay him UGX15k and I refused. In the end, I paid him UGX10k and he was about to comment but stopped when I glared at him.

After having my bag scanned by the guard at the ground floor, I had to climb up two flights of stairs to the reception. Don’t these people believe in lifts? I was then served by a girl who was vying for the slowest receptionist award.  After prayers and a short rest, I ventured out into the afternoon sun and walked up to where I could find moneychangers. After clean and orderly Kigali, I found Kampala a shock to my senses and mind you, I had been to a few African cities. Potholed roads, vehicles belching fumes, reddish brown soil… I kept asking myself what I was doing there and why the locals couldn’t improve things.

After changing money, I rode a boda boda to Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I almost shrieked out loud whenever the driver weaved his way in and out of the traffic and running the lights. After about 25 minutes, we reached Kasubi Tombs.

I had to sign in a guest book before buying my ticket. Foreign adult visitors are charged USD20 which I thought was steep. Girls aren’t allowed to wear trousers in the tomb so the ticket girl helped put a sarong on me. A guide then showed me the way and provided some background of the Buganda kingdom and kings. I spent about 40 minutes there before leaving. 

I rode another boda boda back to the hotel then walked a bit around the hotel to find dinner. I’m not sure why the hotel was even built there because there is a lot of hardware business and shops around. I couldn’t find any supermarket and in the end, bought a 1.5-litre bottle of mineral water from a small shop below the hotel. No food stalls, no restaurants, nothing. Good thing I packed some bread.  It had been such a long day that I dozed off around 10 p.m.

Thursday, 1 May 2025

I woke early for tahajud and didn’t sleep after morning prayers. I lingered in the room, showered and only called for breakfast after performing dhuha prayers at 09:00. I then ventured out almost reluctantly and walked to the train station. It was drizzling lightly when I left but stopped when I reached downtown. I was a bit dismayed to find the train station closed. I then walked up the hill past Victoria University to the old-fashioned National Theatre with the Parliament Complex across from it. Then I walked up a bit and turned into Nile Avenue and walked down to the Independence Monument.

After that, I walked down and found myself in the shopping area. And my, I think half of Kampalans were out there. I couldn’t take it after a while: the noise, the chaos, the disorder, the bad roads, the dusty sidewalk. I just don’t understand how people can continue with the way things are instead of improving the situation. I hurried back and before returning to my room, made an attempt to find some lunch but apart from a street seller selling some samosas (which had been left uncovered), a small bread shop and some street vendors selling grilled bananas, I couldn’t find anything else so I returned to my room. I stayed in my room for the rest of the day and caught up with my reading.

Friday, 2 May 2025

The rain during the night woke me up. I got up for tahajud and morning prayers then finished packing. I checked out after breakfast, at around 10:35. I left one book with the girl at the reception and she was so happy to receive it. The rain had stopped by then. A matatu heading for Entebbe passed by barely ten minutes later and I rode it to Entebbe. The fare was UGX5. The 35-km trip took 90 minutes because the matatu stopped every few hundred metres to drop off and pick up passengers.

I walked from the taxi rank to my hotel. Part of the road was terrible: think red country road. The early morning rain didn’t help either. I reached Skyway Hotel about ten minutes later and checked in. After prayers, I ventured out to buy some water and food then went to Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa.

I returned to the hotel and stayed in.

Saturday, 3 May 2025

I was waken up by the heavy rain and thunders. After a while, the power went out (I had the fan on to dry my clothes). I woke up and showered in the dark before performing prayers. Power was restored shortly after so I quickly charged my iPad.  When I checked in, I was told breakfast was served at 07:00 but the dining area was empty when I checked. I was then told by another hotel staff that it would be ready after 07:30. And my transfer to the airport was at 07:45. I hurriedly ate my breakfast and we left at 07:55. We had to stop before entering the airport and I had to get down and go through security check before getting back into the car.

I got confused by the directions which wasted my time but I managed to drop off my bag in time. Thankfully the passport control was quick. I had to transit in Nairobi and was surprised when the crew remembered me - it turned out the crew which flew from Entebbe to Nairobi would also fly to Bujumbura with me.  I was not happy to find some idiot occupying my window seat but reasoned that I could get out more quickly if I sat by the aisle. The woman next to me was so annoying and irritating, she kept invading my personal space and shoving her arms about. At one point, I had to pick my glass because she was in danger of elbowing it into my tray and lap. Then she threw her used tissue into my glass. Hey, I could be wanting a second glass of juice, you bugger. I couldn’t wait to escape from her.

We landed at Bujumbura Airport and had to walk around to get to the terminal building. I had to apply for visa on arrival - I read this was possible but some sites said I needed to apply for one beforehand. I did try applying online but the cost was exorbitant (more than €100!) so I decided to just try get it on arrival. Thankfully it worked out and I had to pay USD40. The process was slow though. I glanced at the moneychanger and saw the rate was BUF2960 for every USD so when a guy came and offered to sell me BUF3000 for every USD, I took his offered and bought USD30 worth of Burundi francs.  Unfortunately, that amount wasn’t enough for some cabbies who insisted on getting BUF100k, arguing that my hotel in Kinindo is far from the city. I contemplated walking out until one cabbie called to me. He agreed to take me to my hotel for BUF90k. Then he told me the exchange rate in the city (black market rate) was BUF7,000-8,000 for every USD. I really didn’t get it. I find taxi fare costing USD30 to be exorbitant and now you’re telling me that I could’ve gotten more BUF had I changed my money in the city? But if I did that, how was I going to pay for my transportation into the city and beyond?

The ride probably took 20 minutes maximum and the tarred part of Avenue du Large suddenly stopped. The road continued but it wasn’t tarred. I was not impressed. I checked in and after a bit of argument with the hotel staff (finally I resorted to Translation app), I ventured out. The clouds were threatening. I found a small office that could change money but it couldn’t provide change when I wanted to break my USD note. I then walked to a hotel and while the hotel could change money with me, it didn’t have change for my USD note either. I turned back and returned to the hotel. Only a few hours in the country and I already found it frustrating. I also didn’t like the way the local kids came up and asked for money. If only you knew how much money I had to fork out to visit your country and found it less than interesting.

I returned to the hotel and it promptly rained just as I climbed up to the first floor to my room.

 

Sunday, May the 4th be with me

I woke up early for shower and prayers then ventured out at 07:35, I wanted to go to close to Lake Tanganyika, at 660 km long, the longest freshwater lake in the world. Despite my efforts, I could only look at the lake from afar. At one spot, I managed to get close to the lake but there were structural remains of some building in the lake (like they built something but the lake then reclaimed or took over). I also had my eyes peeled for a moneychanger. No such luck. The small office was closed today and there was no one at the hotel which I went to yesterday. I went back to my room after an hour and had breakfast.  I checked out after Dhuha prayers just before 11:00 and told the hotel staff that I wanted to stay until 12:15, i.e., after I’d performed afternoon prayers. I also changed USD3 with him at BUF7k to a dollar. I was determined to take minibuses to the airport. It started raining again but by the time I finished praying, it had petered off. I left and walked up to the minibus stand. The fare to the city was only BUF600.

I had to change minibuses in the city and had to ask directions before walking over to another nearby minibus station for the minibus to Maramvya. The fare was BUF1500 and I sat perched at a bench next to a plump local girl with her mother. This girl asked me for food. Really. I’m sorry, I’m such a snobbish visitor. But don’t you go asking for food from total strangers and especially from visitors to your country. Not everyone finds it cute.  It started raining again on our way. I went down at the roundabout outside the airport and walked in. Wow, I made it to the airport and the total fare was only BUF2100. That’s less than a dollar even if I had changed it at the airport moneychanger. WHAT THE HECK!

I went to drop off my bag and went through passport control. I knew the plane would be a bit delayed as Trip.com had emailed me earlier that the flight was retimed but I didn’t realise the delay would be pushed back again and again until one airline staff came to inform that there would be a further delay and that we could go to the restaurant for some refreshment. I then checked my emails and, heck, the ETD was 15:50 then 17:55 then 18:40.

We were allowed to order refreshment up BUF40k so I ordered an egg omelette and honey lemon tea. After my meal, I went to perform ablutions and evening prayers. Then we sat and waited and started smacking mosquitoes.

We finally boarded and took off around 19:20. I knew we flew over Lake Tanganyika because there was a dark expanse of space below for a brief while - such a pity the flight was delayed and we couldn’t view the lake. We landed at Kigali at 20:00 and I ran to make the transfer. I was boarding the same aircraft again 25 minutes later.

We finally landed in Nairobi at 23:15 - due to the time difference (Nairobi is an hour ahead of Kigali and Bujumbura). I wanted to spend the night in the airport but no one was allowed into Terminal 1D. The guy manning the door suggested I go to the coffee shop so I trudged there and joined a few other fellow flyers.

To be continued

East Africa Trip 2025: Part I

This trip was planned towards the end of last year. I reluctantly decided to fly AirAsia because there’s a direct flight to Nairobi. When I heard that Kevin had to endure a 21-hour bus trip from Nairobi to Kampala and remembering how I had to wait for ages for the bus to depart in my previous African trips, I decided to fly certain routes. The route became circuitous when I read that the land border from Bujumbura into Rwanda is closed due to dispute. Work in the new department meant I couldn’t finalise my trip as early as I would have liked and it was only in mid-March when I started to frantically book accommodation and buying the flight tickets within the region.

Unlike previous trips, I decided to start assembling things to bring a week before departure (clothes were only packed in the evening before departure).

Friday, 25 April 2025

I left the office at 15:17 and made my way to KLIA T2. I dropped off my bag (checked in bag weighed 10.1 kg but my carry on bags were not light). I then made my way through passport control and security check and even stopped midway to buy ticket to watch The Arsenal in Singapore in July.  The flight took off at 19:15 and having performed ablutions earlier, I performed prayers just after take-off. I was lucky not to have anyone sitting next to me although that didn’t really help when it came to attempting to sleep. Le sigh.

We landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 23:15 and boarded a bus to the terminal. Passport control was quick, only the bags came out late. I then made my way to Terminal 1A for the following morning’s departure. Alhamdulillah, the guard let me in despite my flight being hours away and I spent the night in the terminal. No one bothered me, Alhamdulillah. If only I could manage some shut-eye!

Saturday, 26 April 2025

I finally gave up on sleep and at almost 05:00, went to the washroom to perform ablutions. After morning prayers, I dropped my bag off and went through passport control. My next flight was at 07:30 and I did doze off for a short while before I was waken up for wet towel. A simple breakfast followed. I would have attempted sleeping again, only we were flying over Lake Victoria then and I was wide-eyed in amazement and wonder.

We landed ahead of time and the immigration process was intense for non-Africans. A Caucasian man at the next counter was asked to go to another counter. The Asian girl ahead of me whom I overheard informed the immigration officer that she worked for an NGO had to contact her friend before she was asked to step to the counter the Caucasian man went to. I’d experienced all this ‘stepping aside’ at passport controls before all over Europe and beyond so I was prepared to endure the same. To my surprise, I only had to answer some questions (where did I work, what was the purpose of my visit, where would I go after this etc), my passport was stamped. I did wonder what the immigration officers would say if told that I was a pensioner and no longer working like Kevin.

I’d read that there’s a bus to the city but when I asked around, I was told there was no bus or motorbike today because of Muganda, some community clean-up that takes place every last Saturday of the month. I finally negotiated with a cabbie to bring me to Belle Africa B&B and he quoted me RWF30k. We were stopped twice by the police asking what we were doing out on Muganda day. We finally reached the B&B after about 30 minutes. I paid USD10 and the balance in RWF in the end. I managed to check in early, Alhamdulillah, but the B&B staff didn’t seem to speak English. 

I ventured out at almost 14:00 and walked up to the centre. I walked all the way to the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial where ten Belgian peacekeepers who were killed during the 1994 genocide before turning back. I bought a three-litre bottle of water and hauled it back. I met a girl in the B&B restaurant and paid for my room in USD.

I tried reading at night but the room light was too dim. Anyway, I needed sleep. The restaurant/bar (I didn’t notice any menu) was throbbing with noise.  

Sunday, 27 April 2025

I was woken up during the night by mosquitoes circling and singing in my ear. I covered up myself with the bed sheet but that made it hotter. Finally I got up to perform prayers.

I left at 06:50 and walked down to Nyabugogo Bus Park to find Trinity Bus schedule and fare. It was cool then. At the Trinity bus counter, I was quoted RWF20k which is the fare to the next stop after Kabale. Kigali to Kampala costs RWFf25k so of course RWF20k fare was steep and Kabale is just across the border. Rembo, a Trinity Bus staff, advised me to travel instead with another company, Cross Country, and that he would bring me to the office the following morning.

I then went to browse the Nyabugogo vegetables market then crossed over to Nyabugogo Modern Market. Not many stalls were opened despite it being or maybe because it was a Sunday.

I returned to my guesthouse and had breakfast. I was pleasantly surprised to have it ready when I got back at 08:15 because you know, Africa time means they have a very relaxed attitude towards punctuality. I rested after breakfast and in mid-morning, ventured out to Kigali Genocide Memorial. Don’t trust Google Maps when it said the terrain was fairly flat because it wasn’t.

I arrived at the Memorial about 35 minutes later (after a few stops of photo taking). There was no entry charge but visitors are encouraged to make a donation of USD20 minimum. I gave away my RM50 note. There was a documentary and then we were led to another building with exhibitions of the history and origin of the genocide. Basically it just reinforces how wicked colonists are. In Rwanda, the German colonists introduced race to keep people distinct from each other and then the Belgian colonists used race to solidify their presence.

I left just before 14:00 and walked back to my room to rest. Spent the rest of the day indoors. There was again noise from the bar downstairs but not as bad as the previous evening.

Monday, 28 April 2025

I woke up early for prayers. After a quick shower, I finished packing. Breakfast was a bit late today at 07:10 and I quickly packed half of it before finishing the rest. I left at 07:40 and walked down to Nyabugogo Bus Park. Despite my bags, I arrived just before 08:00. After locating Rembo, I followed him across the road to Cross Country office but we were intercepted by some people who knew Rembo and who convinced him that their vehicle was ready to leave. Well, it turned out that we ended up waiting for an hour before the vehicle was full and even then, the man behind me was adamant that he would not let additional passengers in to squeeze beside him as he’d paid RWF7k to sit comfortably. I was lucky to have arrived early and I sat next to the driver. The driver was an Ugandan and he drove on the right.

We arrived at Katuna/Gatuna border post at 11:55 Rwandan time (Uganda is an hour ahead of Rwanda) and had to go through health check first: we were made to sanitise our hands (the lady officer who was there sprayed our hands liberally), had our temperature taken and I had to produce my yellow fever certificate. Then we had our bags scanned before queuing up to first depart Rwanda and enter Uganda. I also changed the balance of my RWF for Ugandan shillings.

Kabale is only half an hour from the border post and I walked from the roundabout where I went down to my accommodation at an apartment at Mutambuka Road. A supermarket staff kindly called the apartment owner and five minutes later, a lady showed up and brought me to the apartment which was on the third floor. So I huffed and puffed with my bags up the stairs. The unit overlooks Kabale Secondary School.  After performing prayers, I went out to find an exchange office. I then hired a boda boda driver to bring me to Lake Bunyonyi. The fare is now 10k one way (he initially asked for 15k). In the end, he brought me around, brought me to a friend’s place, took me out on a brief lake canoe trip, then brought me to a place where we had a birds’-eye view of the lake and its islands. It was breathtakingly beautiful. We then returned back and I paid him 25k for his guide service.

After walking around - I came across three Caucasians - I bought some water and walked back to the apartment. The street noise wafted up. I was surprised to see the ground wet later as I didn’t realise it had rained. The forecast was that it would rain tomorrow hence why I decided to visit Lake Bunyonyi the same afternoon instead of tomorrow.

Alas, the WiFi connection got cut off pretty early so I lost connection to the online world.

Tuesday, 29 April 2025

I woke at 03:45 and remained in bed. Woke up at 05:20 for prayers. Tried to WiFi router again, it still didn’t work. It was foggy when I looked out. Whoa, I only packed a light jacket for this trip.

The fog cleared up around 09:00. I finally ventured out at 10:00 and walked up to Kabale Mosque which I saw while riding the boda boda to Lake Bunyonyi the afternoon before. Then I returned to my room but not before asking someone to help contact the apartment owner. He said he would come in half an hour.

Walter showed up about 45 minutes later and gave me options on my next trip. I could either ride the bus the following morning at 08:00 and stop at Kayabwe, or I could take the shuttle which leaves at 04:00. Both options would mean finding another transportation to continue on to Kampala. He advised me against taking the night bus which was what I planned to do as I would reach Kayabwe around 03:00. Whoa. I told him I’d go with the second option i.e., taking the early morning shuttle. He said he would contact the company and let me know. He also fixed the WiFi toggle and showed me where to press.

I stayed in and finished my book. There was power outage that afternoon which lasted until 18:00. Walter messaged me saying he managed to get me a seat for UGX40k and that the shuttle would pick me up at 03:40. I had to go down and get someone to help pay for the shuttle in advance.

I went to bed at 21:00 but had a very bad night.

To be continued