{"id":7550,"date":"2016-07-09T09:09:08","date_gmt":"2016-07-09T06:09:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ants-in-pants.com\/?p=7550"},"modified":"2018-01-01T17:27:38","modified_gmt":"2018-01-01T15:27:38","slug":"bunyonyi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ants-in-pants.com\/en\/blog\/bunyonyi\/","title":{"rendered":"Around Kabale (Uganda): Lake Bunyonyi, Punishment Island, Smiths, Healers, Pygmies and many other interesting encounters"},"content":{"rendered":"

This day became perhaps one of the most memorable in our African trip.<\/a> After crossing the border between Rwanda<\/a> and Uganda we got to Kabale and planned a one-day guided trip on the hilly part of Western Uganda towards lake Bunyonyi. On the same day without planning it, we also went to see Pygmies by the motorboat.<\/p>\n

Kabale.<\/h4>\n

The guided tour was supposed to start at 8 AM and we were trying really hard to get breakfast on time, so that to start on time too. As usually, we forgot about the African life principle pole-pole<\/a><\/em> which translates from Swahili as \u2018no hurry\u2019. It was 1.5 hour later than planned that we started with the guide named Monday and our new acquaintance Vu Hien who was working in Nairobi and travelling around during her vacation. The excursion started with the local pub where we were offered some homemade beer. This beer is made from sorghum which is dried under the sun; after many manipulations, it becomes a porridge and then the beer is made out of porridge. There is also another kind of beer available, with honey added for the strength.
\n\"African<\/p>\n

\"Ugandan<\/p>\n

Then we went through the city market.
\n\"Kabale<\/p>\n

Then Monday showed the artificial lake Mgorogoza at Katuno road to us: the lake is named after the initiator of its creation. When the lake was made for the first time, it dried out fast; then the workers cleaned all the dirt and put bricks on the bottom of the lake. The workers accused of minor crimes (fights, thefts) were hired for that. By the way, as Monday told, there is no capital punishment in Uganda.
\nThis water is now used for drinking, cooking and other home needs.
\n\"Kabale-6IMG_1864\"<\/p>\n

Local taxi: all the bicycles have plates (the way we on the cars) as well as the seat for the client of the taxi.
\n\"Taxi-bicycle\"<\/p>\n

Little by little we started to ascend the hills through the villages. We passed the church and the nuns\u2019 graveyard.
\n\"African<\/p>\n

\"Graveyard\"<\/p>\n

As Monday told, it is very important for the Ugandan to be buried at home, in particular, in his house garden. That is why the corpses are often transported through the whole country or even from other countries. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to identify some people found dead, especially if this happens far from their home. Then the identifying features of the dead are described on the radio and newspapers so that to find his or her relatives who would take the corpse back home. In the meanwhile, the body is kept in the fridge, and in case the relatives do not show up, the corpse is buried at the state graveyard. Yet, this has bad consequences both for the dead and for the family that failed to find the body: the malevolent spirit will start visiting them, knocking the doors, disturbing in all the possible ways, and even beating them. In this case they either have to rebury the corpse or contact the healer, who would leave a special cure on the grave which must help. On the whole, as Monday confessed, the belief into curses and malevolent spirits is very strong in Uganda (as it is in Tanzania<\/a>). You may suffer from some disease without knowing that you were cursed several years before.
\nTalking about it, we were walking further through the gardens and plantations.
\n\"Tea<\/p>\n

For a short period of time we were accompanied by the mother with two kids.
\n\"African<\/p>\n

\"Kabale-12IMG_1887\"<\/p>\n

The village pub:
\n\"Ugandian<\/p>\n

The smith.<\/h4>\n

Then we came to visit the smith, who allowed us to make as many pictures as needed. The smith learned this skill from his father seeing from the early childhood that job brings money essential for the survival. He has been working since 1961; he was 66 when we were visiting him. He mainly makes the window bars; some children from the village come to help and learn from him. This day the children were much more interested in the white visitors though.
\n\"African<\/p>\n

\"Ugandan<\/p>\n

\"Ugandan<\/p>\n