THE GREAT TREK - A 42Kms WALK FROM KAMPALA TO ENTEBBE

 

There’s a famous saying that goes “Curiosity Killed a Cat”. But not this time round😂.
 
So on 10^th September 2021, while at work I thought of doing something crazy over the weekend, which would occupy me but cost friendly since I had not planned it or budgeted for it, just around of the Kampala Metropolitan area, so an idea of going to Entebbe dropped in my mind. So there and then I posted something on my WhatsApp status “I feel like a weekend gateway in Entebbe. My Ebb friends anyone willing to host me” The status read. I updated another status “If no one I will take myself” –😂😂😂- Laughing emojis.
 
At that particular moment another idea dropped, “Can’t you trek from Kampala to Entebbe”? In my mind again, I was like “Okay” That was a Friday 10^th September 2021 at around 3pm. So I settled everything there and prepared to leave office at 4pm back home. So immediately I stepped out of office I received a call from a colleague “Hi Dominic, are you around Office” She asked. “Yes I am” I responded, in affirmation. “Okay we’re here at the office door” She added. “Let me come” I replied. Luckily I was still around the office premises, just moved out of the Building gate.
 
So I returned back to office, to meet them. Little did I know they had scheduled a meeting with one of the Directors of UIA and we sat in the meeting which I had to attend till 6:30 pm, so after the meeting I linked up with a friend so that we go home, So on our way home we agree to trek from town to Masanafu which he also agreed with. So I told him how I was going to trek to Entebbe the following morning and I asked him to join me. “Oh I need to prepare” he replied. “But next time I will join you” he added. We continued till we reached home and I told him this was a warm up for my next day trek.
 
Saturday dawning cold, not the usual weekends, I woke up thinking about this journey, not that I was scared of it but just looking forward to it, so I woke up as early as 5am to prepare myself packed a few things in my bag, drinking water and by 5:50am was set to begin the 42Kms journey a trek from Kampala to Entebbe. So I started the journey from Masanfu through Sentema Road to Mengo, Royal Mile before I knew it, I was in Kibuye, which took me around 1hr15mins. By 7:30am was in Zana and by 8:50am was in Kanjjansi, Good speed right? But I was famishing. My plan was to have a snack, preferably a rolex at 10 O’clock, but I couldn’t keep going, so I decided to stopover at a rolex stall at Kajjansi trading centre before to re-energize before I could trek further. I did a two by two Rolex, with a 500ml of Oner Apple Juice perfect match, isn’t it?

Re-energizing with a Rolex and my Oner Juice 

 
While seated enjoying my Rolex I see a dark cloud a head of me and cars that were coming from Entebbe wet, I could tell by the windscreen, I fretted a bit, thinking it could rain nonstop and interfere with my walk. Thank God it didn’t and my walk was uninterrupted. Within a few minutes I was done and rejuvenated to continue. Meanwhile one of my former course mates (Busingye Cissy) was waiting for me in Namulanda, she had learnt about my trek on my WhatsApp status and eagerly requested to join me, which I Okayed. We kept communicating until I reached them with her friend Jane whom I was meeting for the first time. That was around 11:30 am, the distance there was around 20Kms to UWEC which was our final destination. They gave me good company because we went bantering all through to our final destination.  

L-R Dominic, Cissy and Jane taking a Selfie at Abaita 

 
WHY ACTUALLY DID I TREK?
 
I have been to Entebbe a couple of times, but I wanted something unusual and test my fitness levels as well.  I love adventuring and trying out new things to challenge myself. Morgan Freeman once said “Challenge yourself; it’s the only path that leads to your growth” I needed to try out something new but within my means and something doable. When I told one of my friends that I’m going to trek 42kms He said “That’s madness, don’t put me in your madness” “I’m serious by the way” I replied on a WhatsApp Chat.
 
HOW THE JOURNEY WAS LIKE?
 
The journey was awesome but quite tiresome as well. It was the longest journey I had ever walked in my life we reached UWEC at 1:15pm a distance of 7hrs15mins walk 42kms. I could updating part of my journey on my WhatsApp status but some couldn’t actually believe that I trekked quite surprising, why do you people love usual things? 

Excited after I reached UWEC 

A selfie Moment when we had just arrived at Uganda Wildlife Education Center - UWEC aka Entebbe Zoo 

 
Upon reaching Uganda Wildlife Education Centre-UWEC, I relaxed a bit at the #Rhino Restaurant ordered my lunch and ate. Lunch here ranges from Ugx 15,000/- – 45,000/- Junk food, but they do have local means a well. They accept Visa, Debit and Credit Card payments as well as Airtel Money payments if you don’t want to travel with cash. Their food is nice by the way and highly recommend it. After my lunch I embarked on a tour around the Zoo and I was fascinated by the Chimpanzees, Tigers and Rhinos. Entrance at UWEC for Domestic tourists is Ugx 10,000/- Adults and 5,000/- Children. There’re a lot of games for children at UWEC, however they’re paid separately from the entrance fees. UWEC is a perfect weekend gateway for kids and adults to relax from and have fun at the same time. The place is easily accessible and affordable. From Kampala its 1-2hrs drive depending on traffic on the road. But you can use the Kampala Express Highway that should take you only 30mins drive to reach UWEC.

At Rhino Restaurant enjoying my Lunch 

Chips and Liver was my dish. This goes for only Uganda 25,000/- with a glass of Passion Juice 

Left UWEC at 5pm for Kampala but I didn’t trek back, used public means and now home safely. No body pain, no nothing just feeling great. The whole expenditure of this trip was only Ugx 50,000/- the least amount you can spend on an excursion to Entebbe. This catered for a Meal, Snack, entrance fee at UWEC and my transportation back to Kampala. Don't wait to have much to travel. You can still travel and have fun on a low budget. Get in touch in the comment section to advice you on some low budget palce you can visit in Kampala and Outside Kampala 

UWEC Beach, a good place to relax from. Suitable for Children as well.

Tiger and a Tigress. Orange and White 

Lioness resting 

Rhinos

A selfie at the Late Zakayo Monument 

#walkingchallenge
#Entebbe
#UWEC
#trekkingchallenge

 

WHAT A THRILLING ACTIVITY ABSEILING IS

Do you fear heights? Listen! Of course one would wonder how thrilling Abseiling is, such a frightening and hair-raising activity even just imagining of it. But that’s a cliché and perhaps an illusion. Many people including me myself before I did Abseiling, I used to equate it Bungee Jumping. They’re different and though a bit related!

How different?

Bungee Jumping is an activity that involves a person leaping from a high place while secured by a large and long nylon-cased rubber band around the ankles. This nylon-cased rope is erected on high raised structure a cross the gorge, Ravine, canyon, glen or gulch or any physical feature though mostly ones superimposed to a water body.

Whereas

Abseiling (to Rope Down) is a controlled descent off a vertical drop on a rock face off or a cliff using a rope. It involves a person descending down vertically by suing a rope that is wrapped on a metal. To descend safely, the abseiler/Rappeller uses a number of techniques and skills to increase the friction on the rope to the point where it can be controlled comfortably. Some of the techniques include; wrapping the rope around a typical solid material usually metal that is spiked in the rock.  

Any Safety measures taken?

Yes! A number of safety measures are taken before you go down to abseil, a brief from a guide/instructor is done, wearing of the safety gears as soon as the briefing is done, an illustration from the one of the controllers to show you it’s done. After all that your mind is already prepared to abseil.

How thrilling is it?

From my first time to see a photo of the person abseiling in Sipi I fell in love with the activity on the first sight, I was marvelled and wondered how the whole experience is all about. The two times I went to Sipi Falls is it was just enroute hence didn’t have enough time even by then the resources weren’t even, but when I had the golden opportunity to do it, it was a MUST DO. It’s one of the activities I looked up to do on my Take on the Pearl Eastern Trip and Yes I did it.

How the Whole experience was

Before we sloped down to the abseiling point (100m waterfall), we visited the 85M waterfall, not as the last time I visited Sipi things were different. This time round in the month of September 2020, the water levels were high, the falls were so beautiful to stare at, powerful and you would hear the falls roar at a distance of 500m away.  The reason why is because of the heavy rainfall in the month of September. I would if you want to visit Sipi falls the best months are August, September and October. Then March April and June when the water levels are high, the falls are so fabulous. However you need to carry good hiking shoes and heavy jumper and a rain coat if possible, because anytime in those months it rains heavily.

When we approached the falls after a short distance hike, our guide Job Soyekwo an amazing guide by all odds told us to get closer the falls so that we get a shower near the falls, quite a great experience, my clothes were drenched but I quivered after the water fall shower lol!, the weather was chilly, at some point I wondered if I would abseil. 

After getting closer to the falls and clothes being drenched 

We talked towards the 100m water fall for another thrilling experience. It was a short distance walk after a short drive though and lo and behold we had reached at the abseiling point. We found another group that were abseiling and waited for a short while. Meanwhile at that very point the sky changed, nimbus clouds gathered, in a short while it started drizzling, “What a bad day, will I abseil?” I was boggled! “Can we do it tomorrow morning?” one of us inquired! “Oh yeah, it’s possible” Job our guided responded in affirmation. “It’s always bright in the morning.” He added. Aly (CEO Talent Africa Group) suggested we wait for minutes if it doesn’t clear up then we can do it the next day. “Deal” we agreed in affirmation. Shortly after a few minutes of waiting it cleared up and a little drizzles continued but that couldn’t stop us, since we were eagerly wanting to do it. Sandra (who was my guest on this trip) and I agreed to go first to Abseil. We went through a quick briefing from Job our guide and wearing of our protective gears; the harness, Abseiling helmet, Accessory cord and Carabineers.  It was now time to do it, carefully we stood and listened to the instructions as the ropes where fixed on our harnesses, the accessory cord and Belay devices to cause friction on the rope while you abseil. Slowly we began to descend and we were instructed by our instructor/guide, Job. Photos were taken and he told us to release the rope and feel free as we abseiled.

Sandra and I before descending down

The first 30 meter of us abseiling down to 100 meters were natural and we abseiled as we stepped on the rock, after the 30 meter we started suspending in the air and that was the best moment. At that point you would see no one a part from a colleague I abseiled with. Overlooking the plunge pool, the rocks and the waters was so exciting. I was marvelled as I gazed at them but wondered, how I would reach, where will I step, who will doff us the gears upon reaching the bottom, to my astonishment as we neared the bottom, we saw some gentle me who stretched out a long still for us to hold unto as they pulled us towards a get down point. This elated me, I thanked God. Quickly they doffed off the gears as they asked us how the whole experience was “Amazing” I responded, “I wish I would wish do it again” I responded. Watch here the whole process: 👉 https://youtu.be/M_vXkikQh1o

We stood for a while as we waited for our colleagues who abseiled after us, so that we can walk together, to the lodge. At this time it was passed 5pm. It took us like 30mins walk from the falls to where our van and we drove off to the lodge. Upon arrival the lodge, colleagues congratulated me upon making it, they actually thought I wouldn’t because of the way how cold and quivering I was. But I made it.

If you fear heights, you need to overcome your fears and do it its such an interesting activity that you will fascinated after doing it. Oh amazing is it! Trust me it safe and enjoyable. Try it you will be testifying just as I have done. And please if you do it after reading this blog let me know we cheer! Lol!

Cleopatra and Phillip who were part of the team Abseiling 

Things that you will need while going for Abseiling;

• A pair of closed shoes preferably Sports Shoes or Hiking Shoes, Light clothes that can easily dry up because you will get wet at some point.
•  A rain jacket especially in the rainy seasons, rains in Sipi can pour any time.
• You can carry your camera especially if you’re a blogger like me or a content creator, you will need those photos, but in case you don’t have one, never mind, Mulima Mountain Adventures team have a camera and can help you take photos. 

 

Thank you for taking time to read this blog. Let me know if it has been helpful in any way in the comment section and share. Thanks