Uganda 3, Africa Revolutions Tour & Sun Catchers Project

Before I divulge in my fond memories of Uganda here a most recent update.

Last weekend I had the pleasure to attend the 12^th International Kayak Film festival in Rosenheim. Besides some really interesting newcomer clips, Bernhard Maurachers documentation about his Nanga Parbat expedition, the classical »Family Mad« movie from Jochen Schweizer, the quite intense big water “creeking” movie »Empire« from Vasili Porsev it was the most outstanding new movie »African Revolutions Tour« by Rush Sturges which claimed the most props at that evening. Check out a clip of the movie here: watch video clip

Also very appreciable is the fact that all the money from the sales of the movie will go into the Sun Catchers Project which is a non-profit organization dedicated to supplying developing countries with the ability to use solar technology to cook food and boil water. Check out more of their work HERE.

Their work in Africa leads me back to Uganda.
I think this last year was the quietest New Years party I had so far. Most of the people staying at the Lemon decided to go up to NRE (Nile-River-Explorer) for a couple of days, which is one of the camps at the day one section, and by far most the camp with the biggest party potential as there are often loads of raft and other tourists to party with. But don´t be surprised or shocked, it really can get quite wild at those parties a the NRE ;-)

Well as our time in Uganda was quite limited with three weeks we decided to stay put and enjoy the empty eddy at Special and get more air time on the wave.
So it was a really exclusive company we had our New Years dinner with and the obligatory shots at 12 o'clock (if you ever encounter flaming sambucha, make sure that you put out the fire with the full palm of your hand and not with half of the palm and half of your fingers, as the fingers may not close out the air properly and you might get some burnt fingers ;-). The company was comprised of Lee, Vito, Pete, the Wall-Family with Sam Ward, Maria and me.
Before New Years Maria went to town with Pete to do some shopping for the feast. Here some pics from the tour to get a picture about the life outside Hairy Lemon:

With an AK 47 armed guard sitting in front of each supermarket

Believe me, you don´t want to see the butcher stands in action

Uganda style fast food: chapati-time

Very refreshing and inspiring to see how happy one can be with so little

Getting some more pigs

Getting back the groceries to the island

New Years dinner

Lee and Vito preparing the flaming sambucha

Once again some more Nile Special action:


All pics by Maria Stelzig

peace and out!
Markus