Jinga, where the white Nile leaves Lake Victoria, is a two hour drive east of Kampala through rubber tree forests, tea plantations and sugar cane fields. The Nile, which takes three months to flow four thousand miles to the Mediterranean, is already a hugely formidable river--we visited a series of waterfalls a few miles downstream; and then, next morning, hired a small launch to visit the actual "source of the Nile." The bird life is amazing, from giant (5 feet tall, 8 foot wingspan) marabou storks to tiny brilliant and pied kingfishers, which hover in the air above the water before diving for their prey. Jinja is a small and old trader's town and it was pleasant to hang out among the stores and shops and let Naomi make friends with kids on the street. We stayed in two lakeside bungalows at a refurbished manor house with superb service (which seems the rule here upmarket) and great food--a full English breakfast started the day. Outside our bungalows was a giant old tree filled with the marabou storks and white pelicans nestling in for the night, about fifty in number. The squawking and fighting for choice branches settled down soon after sunset. NOTE: Don't walk under a tree with fifty large birds! We drove back to Kampala for a Christmas carol party at a home on a hill overlooking the city lights. It is a bit incongruous to sing "Let It Snow" and "Frosty The Snowman" in shorts but the crowd of fifty sang on with vigor. We have procured a turkey and even cranberry sauce for Christmas Dinner (oven tricky!) and then off west to three national parks day after Christmas. While many in the world wrestle with snow, we will face contentious hippos bumping into our launch. (Guest writer: Moo Moo Heuisler)
Motley crew boating to the source
Birdwatching
Birds in the trees at dinnertime
Source of the Nile
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