Letter from Kampala

Letter from Kampala

Hi all 15 / 8 / 2013 Well there is nothing like 13 hrs in a plane to provide a bit of really needed downtime. A badly needed mail to friends and family worldwide. On my way to Casablanca at short notice as is most things these days - (with Sue ) – to our sister hotel in Morocco to stand in over a 6 week busy period between departing and arriving Exec Chefs. Was there last year chasing our elusive Ethiopian Sheik ( Al Amoudi– our group owner ) - who actually never arrived, but I must have built up a bit of staff loyalty then – despite my minimal French – as they (the staff ) asked me back when it became apparent the newly arrived Italian chef wasn’t cracking it. Flying via Dubai from Entebbe with a comp hotel room - as the layover is longer than 8hrs – these guys know how to look after you!!! Oh and BTW flying Business class!! Thanks to good connections back in Kampala!! I have flown a lot over the years but this is the first time ever in Business class. Bollinger Champas on tap and loads of leg room!! Have just finished a big Vintage Car Day carnival at the Sheraton the day before – a couple of beautiful looking old cars lovingly cared for – think I recognized an old Austin minor ( or what was it Dad ) -from a few of your old photos Mum / Dad. Always a pile of VW beetles turn up – don’t really know how they can be vintage even if they are 50 yrs old. The day has grown into a fun filled carnaival day over the years and this year was no exception, but anything off the premises is always bloody hard work. Second lying leg now and the business class connection doesn’t extend this far, so it’s back to economy – and after 20 min Sues decided I had better earn enough money to book her business class from now on.!! Don’t think that will ever happen!! We seem to be taking a big detour and exiting the African continent at Alexander and doing a loop across the top of Libya and Tunisia. But we’ve just flown straight over Cairo, without seeing any missiles?? Actually very nearly booked the ticket for Sue on Air Egypt to avoid the long wait in Dubai – until they told me that there is a good chance that the plane would be diverted, if the strife there continues. Sue has just noticed that the Bols we had in Business the day before, sells in econ for US$15/glass, good thing we made the most of it. The past few months have had their fair share of pleasure and strife. Had a brill week end on a houseboat on lake Victoria (Lake Kariba, in Zim style – built by a pioneering Zimbo of course ) Fishing, bird watching and general relaxation ( see blog for story ). We’ve bought ourselves a car which provides us with freedom of movement and has made life a lot easier – As sue will not put her life in the hands of the boda bodas ( 50cc Chinese motorcycle riders who provide the backbone of public transportation around the city ) An old Toyota Rav 4 Japanese 2nd hand import. They say 1998 with 68000kms on the clock – I say whatever. Seems to go OK but we need take it on a long African trip, to trash it a bit on the African dirt roads to see how it holds up. Had a great beginning to the year with a trip to Zanzibar – beautiful. Details on Blog. Then it was back to a freezing SA over Easter. (I forgotten how cold Jhb is in winter) Went to Dubai in March to attend the biggest hospitality trade show on the planet. Thousands of exhibiter’s, food equipment and services. Bought up equipment for the seafood restaurant and most importantly tied up a few fresh seafood suppliers for us. Great to meet up with a couple of colleagues – one whom has landed himself a great job as hospitality industry adviser for Fonterra, based in Dubai SuDid a bit of house sitting for SA friends who have gone back to SA for a couple of weeks. Good to be out of the hotel and in a garden and the outdoors etc. A typical expatriate house, massive, very colonial, with staff, guards etc!! For only 2 people - most of the expat housing here is v big. Work is a challenge as usual; staffing and an inconsonant supply of essential stocks are a never ending source of frustration. Had a few foreign donor and NGO related scandals here recently (in fact permanently ongoing scandals), funds from donors finding their way into African politicians’ pockets? Why are they (the donors) sooo surprised when their money ends up in a politicians pocket – hello this is Africa after all – it’s not like you donors haven’t had years to learn from???!!! Anyway as a result, donor and foreign aid related conferences and training has dropped of, so business at the hotel has been affected. But no doubt the guilt ridden European mindset will get back on track soon - ie, that our poor troubled African brothers need our help and that we owe it to them - God knows why we owe it to them. And the lucrative handout business will soon get back on track soon! Had a great visit from Morgan a few weeks ago – went to Lake Imburo for a couple of days 4 hrs south west of Kampala. A great few days with brilliant weather (as usual) Highlight of the weekend was spotting two leopards in one night drive. Were told that the ranger who came out with us was an expert – and he certainly was – 2 within 20 mins of each other. First young one sat around us for a while providing perfect photo opps, while the second more mature adult was on a mission and not at all interested in entertaining us. Beautiful scenery and wildlife once again as usual. But not cheap if you need comfort (as my wife does these days )!! Pics to Follow and Sue’s story!! Shane an ex-kiwi from SA came up for a while and went on to see the migration in Masi Mara. Was good to get out and around a bit with a fellow back packer. What a great game the super 15 final – and the Wimbledon tennis with Andy Murrey winning easily. Oh Boy – what drama with Fonterra. All over the news – but seems to have been contained but the proof will be told long term – this sort of thing can break a multinational. Actually meet up in Dubai with an old mate now in Dubai working on marketing Fonterra to the hotel and Catering business- that’s the sort of job I want – too old now for this kitchen lark!! NZ earthquakes keep popping up on the international networks, recent being Friday last week. How’s the feeling? We actually had a big tremor here a few weeks ago – quiet scary 12 storeys up a hotel – shook in the middle of the night and woke most of us up and sent some scared guests into the lobby in their nighties !! First one I’ve felt for a long time – as we don’t experience them in SA. Heard that Zinzan Brooke was coming in Oct – doing a fund raiser here - for whom - don’t know. Saw Valarie Adams in the Moscow Athletics Grand Prix shot putt event – great news after the mess up she endured getting to the Olympics. Signing off. As I’m sure it will be balls to the wall as soon as we arrive in Skhirat - 20mins south of Rabat. Beautiful spot on a remote part of the coast. Google it L Amphitrite palace Skhirat On arrival back in Kampala hopefully the long awaited seafood restaurant will be ready for opening! Will try and get another mail away maybe on the way back. Been here a week - yes balls to the wall. 3 hr notice for a 200 pax functions – the sheiks private plane pulls in with catering order of foie gras, lobster and others - enough to feed 50. A kitchen brigade badly in need of motivation, and checking me out. But a beautiful turquoise sea and blue Moroccan skies. As they say in Yorkshire – Ah!! It’s a grand life if you don’t weaken!!

Cycling In the Great Rift Valley - Lake Albert, Western Uganda - June 2012

An Island Holiday to Zanzibar

Jan 2013

Precision Air Check In at Entebbe says best views of Kili are from the left side – so two seats on the left are booked.

A large lady with large hand luggage is holding up the boarding process trying to squeeze her double size hand bag into a half sized overhead compartment, to no avail, so she decides to sit with it, knocking Sue into her seat in the process. Drinks selection is limited to sodas and beers, so settle down to orange juice and a bag of cashew nuts.

The flight makes a scheduled stop en route at Kilimanjaro International Airport to pick up assorted backpackers and safari goers. But it’s too cloudy to see any mountain apart from a faint outline briefly of Mt Mearu upon decent. Nothing apart from beer and sodas, so it’s another round of OJ and nuts. The big lady with the big handbag has another go at depositing it upstairs, again no luck. All in all a boring flight to Dar E Salam.

Arrive in Dar, and we had previously been told we need to clear customs and immigration, and to check in for Zanzibar here, but we are now late for our connection. Get directed around the back route of the terminal (without even a sniff at an immigration counter) by many helpful staff only to find Precision Air counters closed. The fight was scheduled to depart at 1830 its now 1835. This can’t be right as I’m sure many of those people from Kili are also going to Zanzibar. The helpful staff have all disappeared but with persistence we check in at another counter and head to the boarding gate –only to find the bus is taking us straight back to the very plane we just got off, and some familiar faces are sitting on board already, how did they do it ? Oh well a quick jaunt around Julies Nyere International Airport is always good for any traveller.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The takeoff and then descend flight doesn’t even warrant the “cabin lights will be dimmed for takeoff " to be turned on, nor does the seatbelt sign go off, so the new crew once ushering us on board, sit down, belt up and stay that way, till we say good bye 20minutes later on the tarmac of Zanzibar. Now that’s a job!

A cheery young Indian driver drops us of at the Stone town Café and B+ B, and feeling pretty knackered from the days adventure settle for fresh kingfish and prawns for dinner in there sister restaurant Archipelago

History

Zanzibar has a romantic, legendary and fascinating history which comes from a long interaction with many cultures.

For the last three thousand years, sailors and traders from Arabia and the Persian Gulf used the north east monsoon winds from mid-December until the end of February to voyage to the east coast of Africa bringing knives, spears, metalwork, beads and later firearms.

Between April and September, the south west monsoon helped the ships back again across two thousand miles of the Indian Ocean, carrying their cargoes of gold, tortoise-shell, ivory and slaves.

With its strategic trading location, influence from the ancient Persians in the north, and Indians in the east was always going to keep Zanzibar on the map. And when Vasco de Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1497 and opened up a sea route to the East Indies for the European powers the stakes got higher.

1800s saw the control of Zanzibar shift back to the Sultans of Oman, the Albusaid Dynasty, where an uneasy sharing of power between German (up till end of WW1) and British Colonizer’s lasted throughout the century, and into the early 20 century.

The Sultancy still had certain shared powers up until Tanganyika independence in 1963 but a revolt by indigenous Africans a year later saw the end to it for good.

Now the modern day government operates semi autonomous within the United Republic of Zanzibar, and Muslim religion is stronger than anywhere on the mainland and its mix with African traditions makes for an interesting blend.

Stone town

Still the most stunning building in town is the House of Wonders – a two story building with high ceilings and clock tower on top, built by the second Sultan. Done in colonial wood, with high ceilings, wide verandas, and with enough Arabic influence to make it very striking. But the inside is closed for refurbishment (sponsored by The Ahga Khan)

Stop at the Peoples Palace museum for a fascinating look at the Sultans’ life in Zanzibar – originating from Oman in the early1800’s, to their handover to the African after the revolution in 1964. The story of Sayyida Salme, Princess of Zanzibar and Oman, eloping with a German merchant, Rudolph Heinrich Ruete and going back to Hamburg sounds very romantic – and Sue wants to buy her book, “Memoirs of an Arabian Princess, “  the first known autobiography of an Arab woman

Have the inevitable drink at Mercury’s bar, (which apparently has nothing to do with Freddie Mercury) , and we sit through terrible slow service and food. And then leave when waiter tell us, “Sorry sir, cold Kilimanjaro’s are finished”.

Sue’s getting testy – so deposit her back at Stone town Café and B+B and head out again. Past the Dala Dala stand up to the open air fish and vegetable markets (the smell is nauseating, and the flies operate in battalions) and on to the Douw Harbor. A huge warehouse fill of sacks of cloves is near the Douw harbor and I sneak a quick picture of this staggering amount of fragrant sweet spice before being told no photos allowed.  

 

After 3 – 4 hours get back to B+B and ask at quant Dolphin Café next door for a beer only to find they don’t serve alcohol – so settle for iced coffee instead, it’s so good the first doesn’t even touch the sides and I order two more.

Invigorated by my caffeine fix, I get Sue and suggest we take a walk along the quitter south coast side of town and look for somewhere to eat. She agrees, if a bit apprehensively,  as she knows what my walks often turn out to be – big treks.

Stop in at the Serena Hotel for a look, then pass a wonderful old non descript palm thatch building down an alleyway, on the beach. Once we’ve determined that they sell wine, we order fish and listen to the sound of the waves far from the busy town centre.

Next day, a book boat trip to Prison Island, but as its only leaving at 2pm, do my duty and accompany Sue around the shops as her price negotiating partner. A few hours later and a couple of US$100 lighter we head to the boat for our trip to Prison Island. I must add that I did buy an old brass telescope that I was smitten with as soon as I laid my eyes on it, the body bound in red leather, in a black carved box, when I saw the engraved date stamp of London 1907, I was sold. Every time I pick it up now, I still half expect to see a more recent Made in China 2010! Then it’s a quick look at the Anglican Cathedral the site of the old slave Market.

Get the boat for the island from the southern part of town. It is an old sea going Dhow, but now with outboard motor and without sail. The 30 minute boat ride turns out to be the best part, as the island itself is a waste of time. Built, but never used, as a prison for slaves, it was later transformed into a Quarantine Station.

But now it has a couple of non-authentic bright pink and orange looking buildings looking like they are supposed to be restaurants and shop – but currently very much closed. The turtles promised are not wild but kept in an enclosure, and although old and huge in size – they look very much in captivity. And it’s too rough to snorkel. Next time give it a miss.

On the way back from the boat we stop in at Africa House Hotel for what looks like a great sundowner and sunset viewing second floor. We are not alone as it is the sunset spot in town - and we find standing room only. A fabulously old colonial building that used to house the English Club, complete with black and white prints around the walls.

So on to tropical Paradise

Get picked up by Mohammed who it turns out is an old soldier and who was part of the invading Tanzanian Army that toppled Idi Amin in the 80s.He stops short on the gory details when pressed, saying he prefers to forget it. We stop along the way for a look at the birthplace of Princess Salme, the Bet il Mtoni palace ruins – having been fascinated by her story in Stone town. Mohammed is full of info as we drive along and a very likable character. The road is good – better than Kampala that is for sure and we reach the hotel after an hour. A beautiful thatched central open area with 12 bungalows spread out along the beach front and currently 80% full, around 40 people nightly. A good handful of young couples, honeymooner’s we guess – like our young Irish pair next to bungalow to us.    

A big turquoise green lagoon about 500metres wide and up to half meter deep at best. The white tips of breakers over the reef can be seen in the distance. It’s not isolated, as we are surrounded on both sides by other resorts, but all is very quiet and you would not know. The one next door has just been bought by a Ugandan we are told. Pemba beach is owned by an English man who spends time there every second month and a local partner who should be there most of the other.

 

We are told the chef is from SA and it shows, the food is excellent, as good as you would find in a 5 star hotel back in SA and better than anything I’ve seen so far in east Africa.  We have seafood platter to share – a biggest crab I have ever seen, slipper lobster, calamari, and prawns. Even the Dannie De Wet Chardonnay is delicious, unlike the often spoilt wine we have to put up with in Kampala.

 

So the days of sunshine and sea fade into each other. Lying in the sun, under the shade in the hammock, swimming in the sea or sea water swimming pool. But the water is always so warm; it’s hard to imagine that the water in the vast Indian Ocean could be this hot. When the tide goes out its ankle deep for 300 – 400 meters and you still can only see the reef on the horizon.

On our last day we take a driver and head to Nungwe against my better judgment as all I can remember reading of this place is New Year parties and trance music. But we are going to a turtle’s sanctuary (better than Prison Island I hope) in a natural sea aquarium. It’s a shelter for those rescued from captivity and fishing nets, etc. It doesn’t disappoint – about as close to the real thing you will ever get, even get to swim with them. The old lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula makes a picture – until I’m told it is a military installation and no photos allowed. But I am glad we did not take advice from younger friends and stay here, it’s rough and ready – ideal for backpackers, but not for my wife who has become accustomed to the better things in life!!

That night, our last, my wife treats me to dinner on the beach for two with champas for my birthday!

Next morning catch the early sunrise before our departure to the airport.

Flight back with Precision is in a brand new 7 day old plane– all shiny black and white vinyl. It’s a bigger plane than the outward trip so the skip to stone town only takes 15 minutes with gorgeous views of tiny islands, ringed in white sandy beaches and sand banks lying in crystal turquoise waters. Do the reverse route of our arrival, off the plane, back way around immigration and back onto the same plane. Sue gets away without having been stamped into the country due to our chaotic late transfer 7 days ago (therefore not paying for a visa).  I’m not so lucky and have to be escorted by an officer to the visa section so I can be stamped in – in order to be stamped out. By now the Public Address is calling for Knockey Robot and Susaan to report to our gate as the plane is ready for departure. It’s a mix of safari goers and backpackers again en route to Kili International airport.

A sunny but cloudy day – but a rush of excitement in the plane as we sight Kilimanjaro and Meru on the right – not a perfect shot but head and shoulders are above the clouds. We pass over the only area in the world where tanzanite is found, the Mererani Hills. Once landed at Kili we see we have company in the form of a massive unmarked 767 belonging to Sheikh of UAE, Rashid Al Maktoum. Told he comes here regularly for a spot of game hunting! It’s the only airport in the world I know of, where we can wait on the tarmac and shoot photos (as the plane refuels). En route to Entebbe, its clear skies as we fly over what I am convinced is the Ngorogoro crater and conservancy area, and the Serengeti. The line between protected areas and cultivated, show man’s effect on the land – even in what seems to be infinite African savannah landscape.