A visit to Jinja wouldn’t have been complete without a quick trip to the source of the Nile. A river that, Richmond was very pleased to tell me, is mentioned throughout the bible, including in Jesus’ Ministry – which makes Uganda, being he source, very important (in his eyes!)
I was pleased to see that I was charged the same amount as any non-Ugandan citizen to enter the area designated as the source of the Nile. I have no problem with them discounting it to locals, and charging tourists slightly more. Godfrey had warned me that they try to charge you rather a lot for the boat trips, and that the price wasn’t fixed, but was meant to be bargained. The first gentleman I met with offered me a boat ride for only 200k. Godfrey had said to expect about 50k as a starting point so this was rather a surprise! I didn’t even bring 200k with me to Jinja (there was simple no logical reason to expect to spend that amount).
He bargained with me a bit, but I wasn’t planning on spending the money he was hoping to get out of me, so I felt bad bargaining him down any further and left. I explored the plaque and the monument that had been constructed depicting all the countries that Britain had colonised (you’re welcome). I also visit the statue in memory to Gandhi, whose ashes were spread here on the river Nile at Jinja.
Another tour operator (this one looking more official in his bright orange top), encouraged me to come on a boat tour, again starting at 200k. I later found out that this was the price for the whole boat (I think), which can comfortable fit 10 people in. Now as important as I think I am, I didn’t feel I needed my own private boat to visit the source of the Nile, so eventually after much haggling, they put me on a boat with another party for 20k, which was a lot more reasonable.
The tour lasted about an hour, and we got to visit the sign post in the middle of the water which was the “official” source of the Nile. At first I thought this rather strange, being in the middle of the water, but the tour guide later explained that the underground springs (which were below us) were considered the source, and made up about 30% of the water in the Nile. The rest, she said, came from lake Victoria. Regardless of what Top Gear say, they are still pretty happy with this being the source of the Nile!
