Most of Uganda’s 29milj people live close or next to the roads and like Murphy would have it a pedestrian decided to step into the road as Elsebie passed him, in her efforts to avoid hitting him she had to swerve quite aggressively and ended up face flat on the gravel and the bike slid up against an embankment. When I got there it got to riot stage as some of the locals started fighting and screaming with each other and two clever sirs wanted to know what’s the procedure from here as it’s a crime scene now and we must wait for the police.
I just told Elsebie to get on her bike and go, luckily the bike was still ride-able except no front brake as the bolt came loose and dropped all the brake fluid on the ground. Crime scene my ass, since when having an accident all by yourself becomes a crime scene? Why they fought amongst each other must have been because the man she tried to avoid was nowhere to be seen, took his bicycle and run.
We rode the last 50km into Fort Portal with the limping bike. Martijn helped me repairing the worst of the stuff. Getting the front brake to work again. We bought new stylish indicators form a local shop for R30 for two! The headlight had to be bend back into shape.
I must add besides that altercation the Ugandan people are the friendlies warm hearted people from all the countries we have visited so far. Since we rode into Suam River the kids and older people go off their heads when they hear the bikes past. They love it they wave and scream while running next to us. When we stop everybody wants to know from where and to where. It’s different with Ugandan people, it’s no zoo effect for them as in the other countries they speak English very well and ask clever informative questions.
Stay out of big African cities, the small ones are the better choices you get to meet the real locals in these towns.
Port Fortal is a charming little African town. We ended up stay for 5 nights, enjoying the local cuisine and drinking spots. We found beef fillet for less than R50 a kilogram, beers at about R3 and a camping spot walking distance from town.
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Hey Michnus and the rest of the gang!
This must be your coolest trip report ever huh! Great stuff – this is what life is about eh! How are you ever going to go back to a “normal” life after this? – so just enjoy the experience while it lasts.
Keep the write-ups coming – look forward to the next one!
Travel safe, ride safe, have fun!
Teejay (Wilddogs)
sjoe Michnus – so lekker om jul adventures te lees!!!
An who says you need a 4X4 to overland Africa – if a VW can do it – anything else can do too! I fancied those shoes. Elsabie – very happy that you survived. Safe journey guys.
Trek jou hemp uit as jy wil he die silverbacks moet kom kuier!!!!!
Die skildenaar kan maar op jou voorlig ook skilder, hy het net ‘n nat vinger nodig….
Groente uit Oos London ( Gee so week kennis voor jy terug is sodat ek betyds die squatters uit jou huis kan jaag. )
Wow again!
This truly is an amazing adventure that you guys are having. It’s hard to sit here in front of a PC in the concrete jungle we work in and read this.
Ride safe and enjoy!
Wow. so awesome. This is the stuff of dreams…. and biltong.
Hey guy’s, fantastic to be able to sit in the office and enjoy your travel stories… really good for the soul.
Travel safe and go slowly Slowly…….
Back in 2004 we got a special group price of 100$ (usd) to enter the gorilla sanctuary from the DRC (Near Bukavu). You could also enter from Rwanda and Uganda. However, sad to say but I thought I would get another change and then our demolition team moved to the Western DRC (Mbandaka) Don’t know how they got to this ridiculous 500$, possibly an ‘American mastermind’ behind it….However, I just love your blog!