Matchingsocks’s Weblog

(This post was written in Uganda. This girl is backdating it.) 

Conflicts in schedules, last minute changes and work commitments have shaved almost 10 days off this girl’s intended trip. She’s now due back Thursday; the Father is arranging the ticketing, thrilled that this girl will be home earlier than planned. He’s not so big on this girl visiting these “dangerous” places. Even if the fact is that Uganda is extremely safe.

This change in plans made this girl have to readjust her travel plans as well. She canned Rawanda; Mr. Toesocks said that not only is the journey long and rather tedious, the memorial of skulls is something this girl should pass on. It scars your soul, he says. Rafting the Nile also had to be canned because, one, she didn’t have enough time, and two, it really wasn’t that great since the weather left much to be desired. Same for the safari: one, that this girl has seen most of the animals in the safari (and its nothing compared to the South African one) and, two, the gorilla one was far too expensive for a non-guaranteed sighting.

So, today, they all made the day trip to Jinja, playing chaperon to two young love birds- kids of some of Mr. Toesocks’ friends. Oh, the wonders of young love!

Jinja, two hours out of Kampala is the tourist central of Uganda. Sort of, anyway. They set off early (seven in the morning) and drove to an eco-rainforest site to hike through a rainforest. It was pouring, the ground was muddy and it was musky. It wasn’t the most pleasant of time, and this girl would have slipped a few times if it weren’t for Mr. Toesocks grabbing her by the metaphorical scruff of her neck. Yet, it was oddly peaceful, in a very primal sort of way. They didn’t talk much, kept conversations to a minimum and whispered quiet observations to each other almost with a mystical quality reserved for pilgrims.

They took this girl on a boat ride down the River Nile, taking her to the source of the Nile: where the great Lake Victoria meets the mighty River Nile. It was an oddly calm sight, the morning storm having passed through. Standing by the side of the river- this girl didn’t dare to get too close for some reason- this girl was suddenly struck with thre realization that this was the same said river that was written about in the Bible. The same said river that baby Moses once floated down (the Egypt portion, anyway). The same river that has seen thousands of battles, fed millions of lives and witness many great world events. This is the mighty River Nile. It was a humbling moment, truly.

And that is the thing about Uganda. This girl has spent more time in other parts of the world, her home country included. Yet, she’s never felt she’s grown more as a person than the week she has spent here. There is a primeval quality to Uganda that she assumes is reflected all across rural Africa. Here, the same rules don’t apply. Here, the assumptions we make about people, their lives- humanity- don’t apply.

Here, there will always be impalas; the ones who graze the lands. And, in that same breath, you know, there will always be the cheetahs that will stalk the impalas. And just as you know the hyenas will come to steal the impalas from the cheetahs; the lions are the one that rule the roost.

That is the rule of the jungle, and that is the way of the land.