For the last weekend adventure hurrah before I head back to the States in two weeks, the IJM crew headed off to the Ssese Islands, a little touch of the tropics in Lake Victoria. We got on a mini-bus in Kampala, traveled an hour to Entebbe, and after 3 1/2 hours on what might be the only working ferry in Lake Victoria, arrived on Bugala Island, less than a degree south of the equator. Of course, there were more than just two snapshot-worthy pictures, so here’s an assortment:
We hiked to the top of the hill for a panoramic view.
Scott had a swashbuckling sword fight with the village kids.
We wandered through forest and village and palm oil plantation to find a hidden beach on the north side of the island.
Nicole and I promptly frolicked (yes, that’s the best way to describe it) in the water.
On the way back, we wandered for 40 days in the wilderness (well, maybe it was like 40 minutes in the jungle), and encountered all sorts of prehistoric trees, lizards, and monkeys.
And walked along the beach at sunset.
I think Ssese Islands might be my new dream home. It’s just like the beach, except a) not as humid, since Lake Victoria sits at 3,700 ft. elevation, and b) it’s not salty like the ocean, which makes it lovely for swimming in (if you just ignore the bilharzia amoeba thingybobber that can make you violently sick for months).
I can’t believe my weekends of adventuring in Uganda are coming to a close, but I’m happy to say that I’ve hit most of my Uganda bucket list while I’ve been here, having been completely spoiled by the cheap cost of these weekends away (on the island, it cost $30 for breakfast, dinner, and accommodation for two nights!). It’s been a fine year for adventuring indeed.
a year in uganda 
