WE started off on a day that usually belongs to my laundry, to my Kitchen, to my phone, to my Mom, to Daddy, to Norah and our flowers; Mercy and Fenella.
Saturday. It was late afternoon of it, when we pressed the start button. I was full of exhilaration because I was visiting for the first time despite the tasks involved. Poor me, I could not see them at all! I mean, I could not set eyes on the things that would excite me most during such moments as a little boy, back then in the 1990s.
 |
| The steep hills and valleys of Isingiro |
With
the weight of darkness taking its toll on this beautiful day, I had to painfully miss my
childhood travel entertainment. I missed them all. The flying clouds, the
racing trees, the houses, the people full of what to do. The millions of
automobiles cruising to the opposite direction, and so many more. These were
what enthused my journeys as a child. Just know, travels nowadays simply make
me young.
Childhood
reminiscences aside. What pre-occupied my mind all the way through the journey
was the imagination of how the green guys might treat us. Our Country is under
lockdown. Lockdown due to the oddest of visitors of our time. Due to Mr. deadly
Corona Virus. Anyway, our journey hit finishing line at 8: 30 PM. The green
guys were tired and paid less attention.
Mbarara.
What a city! A city of compliance. Apart from dozens of roasted maize cobs we
grabbed from Masaka, we had no options but to rush into our hotel rooms and snuffle
peacefully until the next day. We were
late for business. Did you see my tweet that night? It reads, “Mbarara, the
City of strict adherence to COVID-19 SOPs. You can’t mess here…”. We slept hungry.
A trip from Mbarara early morning to catch up with business in Isingiro district was another new experience. Isingiro is beautifully situated at the borderline of the Republic of Tanzania. Here, we are separated from Tanzanians by the dirty, but attractive and economically significant river Kagera. Lovely steep hills and deep valleys are key geographical features of this Ankole district. The people are welcoming. Did you know that Isingiro district hosts a number of refugees? Don’t forget that Nakivale Refugee settlement in Isingiro is also the oldest settlement in Africa.
 |
| I was thrilled by both living & non-living things |
My
next destination was Kamwenge district, another sweet place to be proud of as a
Country. The natural attractions of this district bring home an
estimated 12,500
tourists annually. Kamwenge
is blessed with numerous wetlands, grasslands and woodlands. Kamwenge shares
the pride of Queen Elizabeth National Park with Kitagwenda district. Other attractions
to this district includes; Lake George, River Mpanga, Rwenshama Falls and
Katonga Nature Reserve.
There
was more work to do, but I cannot forget the feeling of passing through
Kyenjojo district to cross over to Kyegegwa another district with excess beauty
of nature. Despite the shortage of infrastructural development here, I fell in
love with the attitude of the people of Kyegegwa. Calm, friendly and generous
Ugandans. The two nights I spent in Kyegegwa brought back memories of my life
in Bunyoro Kingdom. Now I know why the Batooro and the Banyoro are identical twins.
Let me reserve more for another day. Shooting back home was through Mubende and
Mityana districts.
