Explore the Nile right from the source
Oct 22, 2007
THE heart of River Nile throbs just two hours away from the chill of the air-conditioned Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting conference halls in Kampala. The rhythmic pounding of the waters at the source of River Nile in Jinja will tell of a journey of 4,100 miles as the longest river in the wo
By Harriette Onyalla
and Irene Nabusoba
THE heart of River Nile throbs just two hours away from the chill of the air-conditioned Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting conference halls in Kampala. The rhythmic pounding of the waters at the source of River Nile in Jinja will tell of a journey of 4,100 miles as the longest river in the world makes its way across Africa.
Heading east out of Kampala, you will bypass coffee, tea and sugar plantations. What used to be the Owen Falls Dam will welcome you into Jinja town. The dam is now submerged; a sacrifice such that the country can have more hydro electric power. But there is Bujagali Falls, hardly a mile away. Here, the bubbling waters foam as the river gushes forth as it rushes to the Mediterranean Sea.
At the Nile, the commonwealth delegates can find the change of pace, which their souls should surely yearn for.
According to the website of the Uganda Tourist Board, www.visituganda.com, the source of the Nile was alluded to hazily in the ancient writings of Ptolemy. The waters stood as one of the great geographical mysteries of the Victorian Age.
Mystery fuelled the passion to uncover this geographic Holy Grail. David Livingstone, Henry Stanley, Sir Richard Burton, James Grant, John Speke and his wife Florence, a slave he had rescued, took the challenge of the epic journeys of exploration.
“And it was Speke, on a pioneering 1862-3 expedition around Lake Victoria, who first controversially suggested that a small waterfall flowing northward out of the lake might be the legendary spring — a theory whose accuracy was confirmed more than 10 years later by Stanley,†the website states.
For the adventurous spirit, go for white water rafting down the river.
“We ran rapids that ranged from class one to class five, with names like The Bad Spot, The G Spot and 50/50. The last rapid of the day was the appropriately named, the Bad Place, where we held on tight and hoped for the best as giant walls of water threatened to tip our boat and throw us into the frothing white water,†tourists Justine and Chris wrote on their blog.
Sandra Wernekinck, the manager of Gately on the Nile, says one can indulge in bird watching, venture by boat to idyllic islands and enjoy biking or horseback safaris on the Nile banks.
Beneath the stunning sights or lush greenery, amazing sunsets and the different shades from sparkling white to jet black birds above the water, is an array of wildlife, with fish teaming with crocodiles in a case of strange bedfellows.
Deniece, another tourist, wrote on her blog: “Today we went to Jinja to “The sourceâ€.... I do not know how I can adequately convey how much in “awe†I was at my experience today — I mean a few thousand years ago, Moses floated down this same Nile River. Words are not enough to express how beautiful this place is...so, instead of babbling about nothing, enjoy the photos... I am loving it here...do I really have to leave in a week-and-a-half?â€
Well, the photos are stunning. But nothing compares with being at the source of the Nile — a puzzle of history, mystery and romance.
and Irene Nabusoba
THE heart of River Nile throbs just two hours away from the chill of the air-conditioned Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting conference halls in Kampala. The rhythmic pounding of the waters at the source of River Nile in Jinja will tell of a journey of 4,100 miles as the longest river in the world makes its way across Africa.
Heading east out of Kampala, you will bypass coffee, tea and sugar plantations. What used to be the Owen Falls Dam will welcome you into Jinja town. The dam is now submerged; a sacrifice such that the country can have more hydro electric power. But there is Bujagali Falls, hardly a mile away. Here, the bubbling waters foam as the river gushes forth as it rushes to the Mediterranean Sea.
At the Nile, the commonwealth delegates can find the change of pace, which their souls should surely yearn for.
According to the website of the Uganda Tourist Board, www.visituganda.com, the source of the Nile was alluded to hazily in the ancient writings of Ptolemy. The waters stood as one of the great geographical mysteries of the Victorian Age.
Mystery fuelled the passion to uncover this geographic Holy Grail. David Livingstone, Henry Stanley, Sir Richard Burton, James Grant, John Speke and his wife Florence, a slave he had rescued, took the challenge of the epic journeys of exploration.
“And it was Speke, on a pioneering 1862-3 expedition around Lake Victoria, who first controversially suggested that a small waterfall flowing northward out of the lake might be the legendary spring — a theory whose accuracy was confirmed more than 10 years later by Stanley,†the website states.
For the adventurous spirit, go for white water rafting down the river.
“We ran rapids that ranged from class one to class five, with names like The Bad Spot, The G Spot and 50/50. The last rapid of the day was the appropriately named, the Bad Place, where we held on tight and hoped for the best as giant walls of water threatened to tip our boat and throw us into the frothing white water,†tourists Justine and Chris wrote on their blog.
Sandra Wernekinck, the manager of Gately on the Nile, says one can indulge in bird watching, venture by boat to idyllic islands and enjoy biking or horseback safaris on the Nile banks.
Beneath the stunning sights or lush greenery, amazing sunsets and the different shades from sparkling white to jet black birds above the water, is an array of wildlife, with fish teaming with crocodiles in a case of strange bedfellows.
Deniece, another tourist, wrote on her blog: “Today we went to Jinja to “The sourceâ€.... I do not know how I can adequately convey how much in “awe†I was at my experience today — I mean a few thousand years ago, Moses floated down this same Nile River. Words are not enough to express how beautiful this place is...so, instead of babbling about nothing, enjoy the photos... I am loving it here...do I really have to leave in a week-and-a-half?â€
Well, the photos are stunning. But nothing compares with being at the source of the Nile — a puzzle of history, mystery and romance.