We knew today was going to be a long drive, and we learned the first rule of Ugandan travel: Do not ask how far...ask how long it will take....then double that! We were to drive from Entebbe to Murchinson Falls in the northern part of Uganda. It took over 11 hours to go 200 miles. We were excited to board our sturdy Land Cruisers, and get to the rural areas. First we had to drive a ways thru Kampala because....well, because there is really only one road. We decided to not tour this Capital city because of recent terrorist threats and the fact that we stuck out like a moving target. From the time we left Entebbe, for the next 3-4 hours before we stopped for a potty break, we drove by and through mass poverty, unbeleivable traffic conditions, dirt, dust, and that was just to get to Kampla a few MILES away!
The main stay of the Ugandan traffic mover is a small cycle nick named the "boda-boda", because it was first used to move people from "boarder to boarder" during the conflicts in Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, and Uganda. Now, it is simply the quickest way to get somewhere, or get something somewhere because we saw these small motorcycles carrying everything and everybody for hire. 2 bulky but hardy Land Cruisers were no match for the agile cycles and their fearless drivers.
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