A Weekend in Ugandan Paradise

So I just returned from a flat-out terrific weekend, one of those where I felt lucky to be at the right place at the right time. Amy’s friend owns a beautiful luxury lodge out in the western part of the country near Fort Portal (near where I had gone for chimp trekking) and he was hosting a party to celebrate the new pool he built there—especially as it has apparently been quite a trial getting it built properly. The Ndali Lodge is perched on a ridge that overlooks a stunning crater lake on one side and an endless view of the green hills of banana and tea farms and the peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains looming in the distance behind lowering clouds. The pool is an infinity pool of sorts (although it wasn’t quite full to the top yet) and overlooks a spectacular view over the mountains. The lodge has under a dozen thatched-roof cottages tucked into the hillside overlooking the sweeping mountain-view, and the main lodge and dining room has several porches suspended just over the edge of the steep sides of the lake.

We arrived just around sunset on Friday evening after a four hour drive from Kampala. The view driving in was breathtaking even if the road was narrow and predictably bumpy. We ordered a drink (the whole weekend was complimentary!) and lounged on some comfy couches near the pool and met some of the others who had just arrived. Then we moved our bags to our cottage—a beautiful high-ceiling thatched roof cottage canopy beds and a fabulous bathroom complete with bath and ceramic shower. We met up for dinner and because there’s no power and so dinner and evening entertainment is done in the soft light of candles which just made the whole place look quite romantic under the wood beam ceilings.

There were 20 of us at a long formal banquet table set underneath real candelabras. I felt like I was out of a Town & Country photo shoot J We had a four-course meal of cool avocado soup, followed by sautéed mushrooms, then fresh fish and chips, followed by a caramel crepe for dessert—delish! Then we retired to the drawing room for banage and booze. Banage (which basically like declaring “bollocks” or “no way” but in a less nice way) is a dice game loosely based on an older version that is kind of like poker with dice. It is highly addictively and I plan to bring it back with me to the States! After a lovely bubble bath, I hit the comfy bed!

I awoke early on Saturday with tea which was brought to my cottage at 8 am, and did some reading on the porch. Sipping tea, reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter (very good by the way), and glancing up to a magnificent view was quite a way to start the day. Then we headed up to breakfast—full English available, or in my case, an omlette, bacon, and toast with Nutella—heaven. So far the weekend was progressing nicely. Then the rain came, and boy, was it pouring, and the clouds completely white-ed out the view on both sides, so that we were practically suspended in the clouds. We lounged in the drawing room, playing board-games and backgammon (all these games I’m only now learning!) and cross our fingers for a sunny afternoon which was when the party was due to commence. I thought there was no hope, but sure enough, around 1 pm the clouds began to lift and it turned into a beauty of a day with plenty of blue sky and sun. We spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, feasting on meat kebabs and spit-roasted pig, drinking hurricanes, etc. In the evening there was more Banage and boozing, rounding out an altogether highly relaxing day. After sleeping in this morning, we were treated to another delicious breakfast, plenty of coffee, walking around the lodge grounds and down near the lake, and reading on the porch. Then it was time to hope back in the car and head back for the big city, and five hours and some serious Kampala traffic to welcome us back, it’s back to reality, and school tomorrow.

Although this week is no ordinary week—no it’s not Thanksgiving I’m talking about (sniff, sniff, I’ll be missing my turkey, stuffing, and pie—what a great holiday!), it’s CHOGM. That’s right, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which is held in a different location every four years, is being held in Kampala this year, and English royalty are on their way. I can’t believe I’m only mentioning this now on my blog (perhaps it was escapism not to do so earlier) but it has been dictating much of the madness that has griped this city as of late. Construction is underway in full force—and that’s the problem: the meeting starting in a couple days and things are still being built. They are seriously behind. Funny, because the slogan on all the billboards all over town is “We’re ready for CHOGM” which is a phrase you hear a couple dozen times a day in mocking tones because almost everyone here fully accepts they are nowhere near ready for CHOGM. Or there are claims that all eyes all over the world will be on Uganda because of CHOGM, although it is funny because many people have never hear of it. Anyways, security is going to be crazy and all the roads are being closed in town and Thursday and Friday have been declared national holidays, so I need to figure out yet another escape from Kampala!