Sipi Falls, Random Stories, I got pickpocketed...
Trip Start
Oct 03, 2005
1
18
57
Trip End
Feb 28, 2006
Sipi Falls/Mbale/Soroti,
Uganda
Monday, October 31, 2005
Anyways - this weekend, since they decided to close the clinic on Monday, I decided I'd head over to Sipi Falls, which was about 2 hours away - I wanted to go to Murchison Falls National Park, which is said to have the most spectacular feature of the Nile(it originates in Uganda), but 2 aid workers just got killed in a neighbouring district, and people in Soroti told me it was not safe.
Anyways - got to Mbale(pronounced mmm-bah-lay - first time I've heard of a name that you pronounce a syllable without opening your mouth), then walked around, spoke to people, and took a taxi to Sipi, and hour away. Settled in there, then took another taxi to Kapchorwe, to watch a football match(arsenal-tottenham - can't miss that). Unfortunately, electricity was out in Sipi and Mbale, and finally found a hotel that had switched on it's generator - watched 20 minutes. Was followed around by beggars.
Sorry - not in a very happy mood right now...you'll find out later why...
An anecdote - on the way to Kapchorwe, this guy gets into the taxi. Asks me where I'm from. I tell him. Then what I'm doing in Uganda. I tell him. And then what religion I am. Now, for me, this is a difficult question to answer in Africa. If I say I follow no religion in particular, which is the truth, I am looked at as a heathen. If I say I am Sikh, my lack of hair obviously poses a problem, and because of that, I am also looked at as a heathen. I respect Buddhism a lot, so I say I am buddhist. The problem here is that most people don't know or have never heard about Buddhism.
Once I say I am buddhist, he asks me if I believe that Christ is my savior. I explain that he has his beliefs, I have mine, I'm sure Christ was a good man, but I don't believe in that religion. Then he starts saying...no...you must believe Christ is the son of God. Now my usual instinct for reacting to people who try to force religion on others starts to kick in - I feel to urge to smack him on the head. I smile, and say - you've got your beliefs, I've got mine. Please let it go. Does he? No...starts asking me if I believe in life after death - I say reincarnation...an alien concept...and he tells me if I want to go to heaven, I must believe in Christ. Then finally, another woman in the taxi takes me side, and starts explaining to the fellow that people believe different things. And he says no, to go to heaven, you must believe in Christ. I tell him - so are you telling me that the rest of the world, probably about 5 billion people, are all going to hell(I probably should not have, but I really really hate people who try to impose religion. The guy meant well, but...please let it go...). He had no answer. Happily, the cab got to my stop right then.
Anyways - hung out at Sipi that night - today did a lot of trekking - saw the 3 tiers of Sipi Falls, which are quite spectacular(pics up later). People constantly treating me like ATM-on-legs is taking some getting used to. Anyways, it just makes me quite unhappy to say no. Outside of that, and my experience today, I'm liking most other things. It started raining, which made me unhappy, because I had no more clean shirts, and my newly-laundered clothes were getting wet. Because of this, and a desire not to kill people sitting next to me with my stench on the bus back, I decided after the hike to shower and go back right then. I had also slipped and fallen straight onto a pile of cow dung, so it was important to get back and get a new pair of pants(in my defence, it had been raining the previous day, and the trails were really slippery).
Quite a fun matatu ride - matatus are basically little minivans - build for 14 people - when I got on there were 22 people. I think the driver on the 1-hour ride used his horn more than I've heard my father use in all the times I've been in the car with him my entire life. :D To be honest, quite fun...
Got to Mbale, asked directions, went to wait for the bus...then I realized that my phone was missing. I had checked for it after I got off the matatu(my hand had been on it most of the time inside) - so in a 5-minute space, I'd been robbed. Let down my guard, got punished. It's not even my phone - it's the NGO's(they let the volunteers borrow a phone) - so I gotta buy a new one. I really really hate thieves. Some of you know how much....
But - for something better - some observations made over the last few weeks...and things I've heard...
Apparently, in Nairobi, they've got a special mugging style. They'll come up to you with a handful of faeces, say, give me all your money or this in your face. If you refuse, you get literally shitfaced, beaten up, and mugged anyway. Outside of that, I'm sure it's a wonderful country.
The Ugandans generally are very nice people. One of the funniest things I've seen in how often people say "sorry". They say sorry for everything! If you're sick, they apologize. If you trip, they apologize. I tell them that you don't have to apologize for a mistake I made, and they just smile.
Was watching a movie on TV the other night - noticed that when someone says - "Jesus Christ" or "for God's sake" it gets censored.
Sipi's quite quaint(for lack of a better word) - smiling people, very nice, cool weather, and by the side of the road, people lay out their coffee beans to dry on the road. Something I've never seen, so it is quite interesting.
As I was trekking today, I noticed chickens walking and pecking around the coffee beans that were ready to be harvested. I had a funny vision of a chicken on a coffee rush - didn't happen(at least, I wasn't around long enough to see it), but I cannot predict myself what would happen at all. Sorry another of my lameness attacks. Seems to happen more with time, but amuses me.
There was a cow next to my room last night that was mooing all night, quite sadly, as well as most of today. Apparently, there were 2 cows in the pen, and one of them got moved. Bovine love.
Sorry for my cynical tone here. I'll be better next time. And I'll try not to be as lame for a little while.
