We left Mombasa on the 9pm Modern Coast bus and we were again reticent to leave but compelled to meet the country of Uganda. After a long bumpy night and an even longer day we finally reached the town of Jinja. The landscape changed hours before we reached the border, from grey dusty and dry landscape to red earth and thick green foliage all the way into Jinja. 

 
We are dropped off at the first of two clock towers built in remembrance of some British monarch. Our first meeting with Jinja at night fall.   

The morning brings a magnificent view of lake Victoria in the distance. We stay in Wanyange village, semi rural Jinja. The village is quiet up on the hill but gets busier closer to the main road. People stare at the strangers because it is obvious we don’t belong here. Kids call out as we walk past, “goodbye mzungu”, “mzungu, how are you?” I just shake my head and smile, knowing that label is for Fin.

Getting into town is easy on a matatu for 500ush or bodaboda for 1000ush. On the boda you are not protected from the red dust. Don’t wear your nice white t-shirt! But driving is a do or dare activity; there’s no traffic signs or lights of any kind anywhere to be seen. 😳 

 

Jinja is a busy town, filled with bodas, matatus, people and more people! The market has everything you can imagine, every second shop sells clothes and then there’s crafts, restaurants and pubs aimed at the tourists.