August 5 part 2, Kampala, Uganda / Rwanda

 Cari and I hopped in the van so the guys could do the crazy streets of Kampala in a downpour with crazy traffic and no rules and many cops and goats and trucks without the extra baggage. I'm glad we did. On arrival at the hotel the riders were exhausted, excited, and very happy to be alive. If they described it as hairy, I would  have used much stronger terminology. We cleaned up and headed to the roof of our hotel for dinner; a completely empty (except for the 11 of us) revolving restaurant over the city in the midst of an epic thunderstorm. 

A good sleep (though short) to get ready for the ride to Lake Bunyoni.  Leaving Kampala was.. doable. 

Bright and early and ready to shine. Escaping the city and a shorter ride (or it would have been if the roads were.. well, roads) we take a turn and end up in switchbacks up a mountain on the most ridiculous trail I've ever seen. It was incredibly bumpy and dusty , families with small children on the mountain edge mining rocks together, schoolchildren walking everywhere in their uniforms. I wish I had more photos of this but I was hanging on for dear life. We got the the lodge after a harrowing day, quite high up the mountain. The rooms were rustic and beautiful, and the view.. My God.

Chris and I went for a swim (props to our illustrious leader for thinking to ask first about Crocs, hippos and penis fish) and rejoined the crew for a great dinner and more than a few bevvys.

Next morning was time to leave Uganda. Sore asses in the seat and down the bumpy, rocky mountain, we left behind the cities for a very different experience.

Made it to the border of Rwanda , so cool watching the land change to mountains and clean air and mist. The border crossing was uneventful aside from one of the folks not getting an exit stamp and having to go back and get it. If you don't, when you leave the next country, they make you go all the way back to this crossing on a very short timeline to get the stamp, so it could have been a pain in the ass if it wasn't caught. Apparently the border guards went through every bag in the van and carefully inspected the ladies' underthings, lol.

I really loved this lodge. So did mosquitoes.