Soroti to Kampala via the source of the Nile

After the excitement of World Toilet Day on Wednesday, we had a much more relaxed day on Thursday, making the 6 hour journey from Soroti back to Kampala. We were very fortunate to be able to squeeze in a very enjoyable 1 1/2 hour boat ride along the River Nile to its source.



The Nile is the longest river in the world, travelling 6696km from the source at the White Nile in Uganda to the Nile Delta in Egypt. The Nile's powerful waters pass through 4 countries - Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. The Ugandan guide assured us that the genuine source of the Nile is where we were near Jinga, where Lake Victoria meets the River Nile, despite claims from some that the source is instead in Kenya. I was interested to discover that Mahatma Ghandi's ashes were scattered in the Nile just where we were, as he'd often enjoyed visiting there.



It was a fun boat trip with lots of wonderful bird life to observe, as well as velvet monkeys on the shore. I was surprised to see one of the most inaccessible toilets I've ever seen, located on the end of a small island in the middle of the Nile with the door opening into the river! There was also a very bizarre souvenir shop with the Nile waters lapping inside it.



Whilst travelling along in our jeep, I pondered about water being life, not only for us humans but for all animal and plant life on Earth. Onto the hustle and bustle of Kampala, I tried not to feel apprehensive about our next day visiting the urban slums.