I was well harnessed and zipped up. The pulley was tightened onto the cable. It was time to zipline across the second deepest lake in Africa in the pursuit of some adrenaline in a form many would evade.
We traveled to Kabale district, Western Uganda for a four-day training for Journalists on Tourism reporting and promotion courtesy of the Uganda Tourism Board.
The training was intended to foster solution journalism and impact journalism across the tourism sector to enhance the preservation of wildlife and the environment.
On a rainy cold morning last week, we drove about 10 kilometres from Kabale town through terraced lush hills coated with gardens and exotic tree plantations for a boat ride and zipline affair on Lake Bunyonyi.
Lake Bunyonyi translates to a place of many little birds and is the pure epitome of its name. The Lake is prized with over 200 bird species.
The lake is sandwiched between Uganda’s South Western districts of Kabale and Kisoro. At least 29 islands are on this freshwater lake, some are occupied by humans.
The body of water is believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa with a varying depth of 44 metres to 900 metres. The body is said to have been formed by lava flow from one of the mountains.
Aboard MV Bunyonyi, we sailed the tranquil waters as we glanced at birds, terraced hills, and also waterbucks and impala at Kyahugye Island.
We made our first stop at Bwama Island for a hike.
A stroll through Bwama Island
Bwama Island is a former Lepers settlement. The island that was a Leprosy treatment centre in the early 1940s now serves a different purpose. According to our guide of the day, Nicholas Ninsiima, many people that inhabit the Bunyonyi Islands are descendants of the lepers that were being treated here by a British doctor, Sharp.
During our walk through a trail in the middle of thick trees, we came across abandoned houses, that have been left for nature to repossess.
The island has two schools and a hospital that serve the biggest share of island dwellers and some locals from the mainland.
Many children enrolled in the schools, have to cross the lake daily to attend school using canoes and boats, a risky matter especially during rough weather.
In 2016, President Yoweri Museveni pledged to deliver a ferry to provide safe transport, a promise that is yet to materialise.
Punishment Island
On our way to our second excursion of the day, we voyaged around the historically noteworthy punishment island (Akampene). This is the smallest Island of the 29.
Pregnancy outside wedlock was taboo to the social norms and customs of the Bakiga. Therefore, girls that got pregnant before marriage would be relegated from society and brought by their families to the island to meet their fate, death!
“If the girl was lucky, she would be rescued by a man responsible for the pregnancy or another man and they would move to faraway places to start a new life,” Ninsiima noted.
He further notes that at least 50 girls were brought here to perish, but the majority were being saved by men from poor families that couldn’t afford bride wealth.
Ziplining down the languid Lake
As the boat docked at Supreme Adventure Park, we were buzzing to tickle our nerves with some adrenaline. We registered ourselves and received a safety briefing.
Before our instructors helped us get into our harnesses, we handed over our phones and valuables to our more rational friends who opted to sit the jaunt out.
To access the launch platform which is set a few metres off the ground, one has to choose between an easier path or one filled with hurdles. Since I was not born to suffer, my choice is obvious.
Standing in a queue on the platform, I could already see some of my friends flying across the lake, it seemed so magical yet spine-chilling at the same time. And my turn was nigh.
The instructor made a few more checks and gently asked me to hunker down, and it was time to go. I let myself fly with my arms wide open. It felt so good crossing the lake twice. Completing this feat means zip lining is off my bucket list.
After getting back to the park, there was a sumptuous roast goat to be devoured and drinks to be enjoyed before making our way back to the mainland.
The prices for the zipline range between UGX 30,000 and 50,000 depending on the season.
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