FERRY ACROSS THE NILE

On the long driving day we had to make a destination by 6:00 pm.  We were headed for a lodge on the otherside of the Albert Nile branch of the Nile river. We were to take a ferry across and the ferry stopped running at dark.  For some reason, probabaly just so tired, when I heard "ferry", I wrongly assumed it was like one of our ferries.  Duh!  In Uganda?  

Driver Steffi was putting the petal to the metal as we bounced along alternating on a bit of paved road, then dirt, then gravel, then paved again.  It had been so hot and everyone was drinking alot of water, which, of course made us have quite a few bathroom stops and slowed us down.  Towards the end, everyone was just hanging on until we got to the ferry. Toilets in Uganda are holes in the ground, which are fine for the guys, but you know, women of the U.S. are not exactly thrilled to be squating all the time, and I was getting weary of it. Shout out to my KettleBells instructor, Adam, for making us do all those weighted squats in class!  I never realized how in shape I would have to be!

We got to the river, and two things happend.  The Ferry was broken and they were waiting for a "part" or something, and I could see by looking that this metal raft with a motor.....that it would not be having any toilets.  It was a low point in a long day.  I saw a latrine up the hill, and solely out of desperation, I trudged up to the little shack expecting the worst. I pushed open the door, and voila, a toilet,that actually   flushed, WITH TOILET PAPER! We never saw toilet paper, and just got used to carrying kleenex.  Also...it was clean!  Also, there was a sink outside with running water and soap!   It was so bizarre and out of place!  After using it,I stepped outside and saw two guys on a "boda boda" flying down the hill with some big metal part that looked like an exhaust system to me.  Our guys had been taking bets on the fact we were NOT going to make it across that evening, and where in the heck were we going to stay.  

Leave it to these ingenious Ugandans to jerry rig that contrapion, load the ferry (it could only take 7 cars and we were the last one on!) start the motor, and off we go crossing the Nile and landing just as it got dark.  For some reason, only a driver could be in the vehicle, so we all just walked on and stood as it crossed.  Check out the picture of the loading ramp I snapped.  And this was better than the one we unloaded on.  A few minutes more and we were in paradise....Paraa Lodge over looking the Nile.

Clean flushing toilet, and a ferry that did it's job, after 11 tough hours! Life was good...and a glass of wine awaited. 😄