It’s been an eon since I
scribbled and I would be lying if I allied it to anything else
save for the lack of inspiration. However, an expedition
I recently partook in rendered my “fingers prickly”
Kapchorwa, Uganda is worth
writing home about; the whole nine yards!
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| Breathtaking highway |
First off, one is awed by the
geometric design of this highway which; for a first timer; is daunting to drive
along as the sight distance is overly limited by the sag and crest curves. However,
it’s a worthwhile adrenaline rush experience.
Fast-forward a few miles into
town, you catch sight of several Sipi falls signposts for a stretch of over 5kms;
evidently, manifesting the jewel in the crown of the region and the high point of my
trip.
We (the Adventurers as we oftentimes prefer to call ourselves for lack of a better group name) opted to
check in at Crow’s nest in Sipi village commended by Richard; an awesome lad who would be our tour guide.
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| The Adventurers |
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| Richard (Center) |
Muzungu as he is fondly referred
to by the locals ensured that we were well settled in prior to our much
anticipated tour. Why Muzungu? Apparently, he started out as a Guide at a
tender age of 13 and has since been a favourite of the “Bazungu” (a term used
to refer to White globetrotters) that visit the village so much so that he adopted
their intonation. For instance, he says “Warafall” in lieu of waterfall. We were totally blown away.
Donned in hiking attire and equipped
with the basic tools, we set out to take a gander at God’s unsurpassable
creation.
Our initial sojourn was indefinite; nonetheless we religiously trekked on; which toilsome as it was got endurable
with the Guide elatedly volunteering the cultural and natural heritage of the village. In regard to Sipi falls, apparently, the natives
originally called it Sepe; loosely translated as water and when the “Muzungu”
came, he altered it to Sipi for reasons unbeknownst to them. However, if you ask me, the "Muzungu" felt Sipi sounded cool and closer to sipping. No?
We also ascertained that Sipi Falls is not a single waterfall, as opposed to popular belief,
but rather 3 different waterfalls that form at different spots where the Sipi
River flows over different high cliffs on its course down the Mountain Elgon.
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| One of the smaller falls |
Winded by the lengthy ascending episodes, we were finally awed by the most scenic roaring waterfalls. The vibe in this place is chilly but also
hypnotic. The burbling is so vigorous we could hardly hear each other save for
the “huhuuuuuuuu” sounds made at every photo opportunity. We were totally magnetized, notwithstanding that we even got soaked by the thunderous splash. What a sight to behold!
The thought that this was merely one of
the smaller falls was mind-boggling!
The next one was
just as amazing with rainbows
cutting through the sparkly waterfalls. However, this was our last stop in the twilight as we were totally spent
from excessive hiking.
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| Beautiful rainbow |
Daybreak was yet another
picturesque experience. Day two in the "waterfalls’ village" graced us with the
most amazing spectacle that only pictures such as the one below can best
describe.
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| Picturesque dawn |
A friend and I opted to take an eleventh hour stroll around the village prior to heading out seeing as the
rest opted to sleep in. They succumbed to the previous day's lethargy; lazy bums they are!
Still and all, Essie and I headed out with Richard for an escapade we code named
“unveil major Sipi falls before departure”. However, getting to the chief
falls wasn’t a walk in the park. We just about yielded quite a few times but thanks to
Richard’s cajoling and a few breathers here and there, we soldiered on and, boy oh boy, was it worthwhile! This particular one is undoubtedly the most noteworthy of them all.
It plummets over
a massive 100 meters high cliff. It is simply jaw-dropping. It is also the spot for the famed
abseiling; which activity exhilarating as it seems; is yet to feature on my bucket
list; thanks to my acrophobia!
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| The biggest Sipi falls |
Our next destination was the Missi
Cave; a spine-chilling place but akin to the falls; compelling too. We kept venturing regardless of the eerie ambiance.
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| Path leading to cave |
Apparently, it used to be a
sanctuary for one community up until government claimed it as a tourist
spot for its cultural value.
They had sleeping, cooking and storytelling areas in there as revealed by the caretaker; who gleefully showed us around
. The demarcations were totally artistic!
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| Story-telling area |
Just outside the cave is another tiny waterfall-like feature. This
village is so blessed with flowing water! It is little wonder that there’s so much green, blooming plants and animals.
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| Next to the cave |
Sipi community is an outstandingly sociable lot. Skimpily dressed as we may have seemed in their books,
all and sundry, regardless of age offered a hello, waved and grinned. Plus, they
speak the Queen’s dialect so effortlessly it’s simply amazing.
Notably though, one ought to have with them a bag of loose change when planning on visiting this beautiful village. See, it is inevitable to use the village paths as
you trek to the falls, however, even mere responding to
a resident’s hello could cost you. Beat that!
It wouldn’t be fanciful to deduce that it’s
how much they feel entitled considering they dwell on these
lands that are so amply endowed by nature.
Nevertheless, this tour; albeit rather strenuous
and occasionally bloodcurdling, was a cut above the rest for me by far.
