Another fairly short trip in terms of distance but long, in terms of roads and speed, to the busy town of Masindi. Geoff did some masterful driving along narrow off road tracks as the rest of us bumped from one side of the car to the other. Stayed at the Kolping Society Guesthouse in little Cottages built in pretty and amazingly manicured gardens.
We had an interesting visit to a local market which was filled with food stalls and market stalls selling a wide range of second hand clothes which had come from Europe (Click here to see the article ) Bizarrely there was also a small travelling zoo from a local conservation project. They had the biggest python I have ever seen and brought it out to show us. I have never seen Drew jump over a waist high fence so quickly when he started trying to wrestle it back into its cage. They offered to put it round our shoulders for a photo but unsurprisingly there were no takers. It was so big that I’m not sure whether a ruptured disc or being squeezed to death was the most likely outcome.
For our evening meal we decided that the more upmarket Masindi Hotel might be a better option than ours. It’s an old Colonial hotel where Ernest Hemmingway, Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart once stayed. Our hotel (if the simple but delicious breakfast was anything to go by) might have been a better choice. The food was expensive, slow even by African standards and barely edible. Definitely pining for my tented camp now.
As we settled into sleep it became apparent that the market was also a live music venue booming with African drum and base. Not quite as relaxing as the animal noises of the last few nights but quite entertaining to listen to.
Pirate Travels 