Arrival, the Story

a photo-story of a broken car, stunning landscapes, a jackfruit, and Seth

The story behind the photo I used for the poem, which somehow came to be “long story short”

In 2023 I was on a professional mission in Uganda. My base was in Entebbe in the south, on shores of the beautiful Victoria Lake, but our sites have been in the far north of the country, a good 10-11 hrs drive through fascinating landscapes; mostly correctly paved roads, I must admit, but some parts unpaved were really bad. And bad I mean. Not bad as per European or US “bad standards” : as bad as it goes driving on the Moon surface.

garden in front of my “bungalow base” in Entebbe

The way to the sites up north can be tiring, but by car one sees really a lot of the country in a very “intimate” view, stopping for fuel, drinks, food, et al, interacting with landscapes and people. Initially I lamented why there is no plane connection, but after the first trip I would never ever want to do that voyage other than by car. The drive experience is simply stunning.

So it came we had to go north for a week and visit our sites in Adjumani and Yumbe. For going “up” we decided to go via slightly eastern route, make an overnight break in Gulu, to reach Adjumani - our first stop - next day around noon, if all works well.

Night driving - even the paved roads - through the countryside is not advisable, not due to any security reasons - no issues with that, but pure traffic safety reasons: there are lots of small trucks, donkey carts, all kinds of fancy transporters and else moving in the night without any lights and without any rules whatsoever. You don’t want any “physical encounter” with a donkey cart in some wee hours midst of the landscape. Therefore, should we see that we cannot reach our destination latest around 2100, we would stop and sleep.

We would stay one day in Adjumani, do our audits and other inspections needed, then proceed the following morning to Yumbe, our second destination. Yumbe is slightly westwards from Adjumani, some 60 km by “road”, which may take anywhere between 2 and 8 hrs, depending on several factors, the critical one being the ferry crossing the Nile. The ferry is not too large, there are lots of trucks crossing, the ferry schedule is rather of improvised character.

Homewards, back to the south, we would then leave Yumbe ideally in the morning, take slightly western route, passing through Arua, targeting to arrive back to Kampala best case still by daylight late afternoon, or latest early evening hours.

Nile crossing by ferry

We had a leased Land Rover, the classic one, usually used for overland fares and safaris in most places on the continent. Despite its age, still a lovely machine, sturdy, goes everywhere anytime. The garage where we took the car guaranteed it is in the best condition, freshly checked/serviced. Even a/c works perfectly, the guy said. Indeed it looked fine from outside, with quite nicely kept interior. Way up to the north, true pleasure drive, all went well.

Except for Seth the driver. Generally a nice guy and a good driver. He thought he speaks English. Considering the long hours we had to spent in the same 2 m³ of space we did not want to debate that. And that was not the main thing. Dear Seth was like a radio, broadcasting 24/7, telling us all kind of stories in his English without a single break. Except for nominal stops at occasional stations, to fill up the gas n grab some food. Otherwise Seth was always “on”. Sincerely, even if we tried, we did not understand much, if anything, of his stories.

But ok.

Our return path, as mentioned, would be the western route via Arua, then crossing Murchison National Park, then straight south to Kampala and finally Entebbe.

Murchison National Park is a protected wildlife area larger than the state of Luxembourg, or, in US terms, larger than the state of Delaware (land). Being an open space, all kinds of animals roam anywhere anytime, solo, or in herds.

Driving by night there is not recommended, to avoid unplanned encounters with a buffalo fleet, or an elephant family, or whoever else. Driving by day requires attention because herds roam freely. It is their home, the road is intruder, the car may be felt as an alien.

But it is a beautiful drive.

So we decided to leave Yumbe early, just after the breakfast, which magically went almost until noontime.

The first 2 hours’ drive went nicely. From Yumbe to the main paved road takes about 1 hr unpaved track passing through picturesque villages and beautiful landscapes. Uganda is generally a stunningly beautiful place…

On our way Seth spotted a man carrying obviously a freshly cut jackfruit on his shoulders. If you have not seen a whole jackfruit in its natural environment, it is a huge abt 20 kilo oval-shaped thing.

• Seth: oh, a fresh jackfruit! We buy that!

• Us: Seth, what the hell are we going to do with that monster?

• Seth: eat on the road, and what’s left, when we arrive home.

So be it, the huge thing joined the ride. Luckily.

The next hour went smooth, we reached the main, paved road, and proceeded to the south. Almost at the entrance to Arua, a small city in the northwest part of the country, the car stopped. Not the engine by itself, but the gear blocked. Seth took a look under the car: the transmission shaft broke, fell off. Not quite a “gentleman failure”. Luckily, we have been just ahead of entering Arua city, so phones, traffic, etc. all worked. Seth managed to arrange two mechanics to come to the site. They took their time but ok, we have not been tied to any flight schedule or else, so time we had.

It was already early afternoon, kind of a lunchtime-time. We felt all of us a bit of hunger and a lot of thirst. As for the catering, food, drinks, at that breaking point there were no street food huts or anything, so now the jackfruit had to come into play.

Seth, proudly: “see, I told ya, this is a good thing”.

He cut the fruit in half, then cut slices for all of us.

If you have never tasted fresh jackfruit, Let me tell you: it is f a b u l o u s .

In Europe once I had a jackfruit-based sauce-like something, where I could not define not the colour nor the taste or smell. The whole glass landed in garbage after the first test spoon. My jackfruit products rating went to “avoid at all cost”.

Understandably, when Seth handed me my slice, I was very, but very sceptical. And then the slow bite, careful, just in case. And then, the amazement. The fresh fruit tastes amazing, I have no words to describe. It is worth a plane ticket to Kampala, and a car ride somewhere into the villages, to enjoy that taste. Soft, juicy, just wonderful.

Needless to say, what was left of our “monster” was not what you see on the photo above.

In the meantime while we have been working the jackfruit, the two guys have been dealing with our transmission issue.

The mechanics said they could not fix it properly, but they have fixed it to probably hold for 10-15 km, which is enough to reach the city and a repair garage in a snail driving tempo.

So it was.

We managed to reach the city centre, Seth found a mechanics garage, they took the car, and started immediately taking the whole transmission thing apart.

the garage

They said they need some spares, and it will not be finished “today”. OK, fine with us. It was anyway already deep into afternoon, so the troop decided to find a cozy hotel, take a rest, and do the best out of the day, go for a pleasant evening, some good food, beer, relax.

We found a pleasant hotel, where we have been served good food as well, went out for a beer (yes, they have damn good beer there!), and as per impromptu master plan, just had a nice evening.

Next morning Seth picked up the car, repaired, with the “garage warrantee”. I think we left Arua around 0900, with ambition to reach Kampala by daylight, mid-afternoon hours.

Nice plan.

The first 3 hrs drive went smooth, we crossed the Nile, entered the Murchison Park territory, enjoyed the fantastic scenery and all the wildlife which could be seen along the route.

crossing the Nile

fabulous savanna landscapes

Somewhere in the middle of the Wildlife Park our car stopped.

Again.

The gearbox blocked, probably broke, and in consequence engine died.

In the middle of “somewhere”. At that moment equal to “nowhere”.

The “garage warranty”.

Early afternoon hours. No shade. 35°C in non-existing shade. No a/c. No stepping out due to animals which could pop in out of any bush any time. Not quite recommended for a human encounter. No telephone signal at that very spot. Traffic density: similar to space vehicles between Moon and Mars. One tourist jeep rolled by. We have been waving like crazy showing them to stop. They have been happily waving back to return us our greetings. And drove on.

Seth said, we are 6 km off to the next ranger station at Murchison Falls. But who is going to WALK there 6 km ?? No volunteers … not even Seth, who was native countryman. So we sat shortly, discussing how to cope with the situation.

Seth tried the engine. Since the gearbox was blocked, the shift was left stuck in gear position, so when Seth turned the key, the car “jumped” forward meter or so. Not an option for 6 km, the battery would never last so long. Seth tried with brute force to “unstuck” the gear shift. Eventually the gear shifted into 1st, but not fully. Still, as Seth was releasing the clutch carefully, the car started moving slowly. Slow walking (“jumping”) tempo, but still. The sound coming from the gearbox was weird tho, something like having screws in a juice mixer. But the car was moving.

It took us over an hour to reach the ranger station at Murchison Falls. Few downhill stretches allowed us to pick up some speed, then lose it again to snail tempo for the next stretch. We had no a/c, we switched everything unnecessary off, not to “irritate” the engine and keep moving forward. “Snailing”. Us all overheated sitting in the “can under the sun”, but at least safe inside the car. Walking outside along the car, an occasionally roaming lion, buffalo, or an elephant might come to a different idea about their afternoon.

I think so much praying within one hour and in a 2 m³ cubicle has not been registered anywhere so far.

Anyway.

There we are, with a ranger at the Murchison Falls parking point. Steamed hot, thirsty, hungry, tired. It was mid-afternoon, time we thought to be already entering Kampala. But here we are still hours away midst the landscape.

Rangers had no food, but we got drinks, which was fine. And cell signal was good. So we could reorganise.

We have been really mad at the garage who rented us the car in “best, freshly serviced condition”. Abe, our local team chief who now took the lead, first called the garage, citing them all the chapters and verses. Resulting in a new car being sent to pick us up, but we had to wait for the next three hours or so.

Gosh. The second day. Like the mirror of the previous day, us still on the road back, arrival not in sight. Yet.

Loyal to our philosophy of the most recent evening, we decided to make the best of the waiting hours. Abe said Murchison Falls are about a 30 mins hike, so we should go there, enjoy the scene, and keep us fresh next to the waterfalls.

a thermites dwelling along the trek route

wild waters just before the falls, where Nile suddenly narrows

Murchison Falls

Nile waters flow quietly into Lake Albert after the falls

What a stunning beautiful place! The Falls, and the nature around. If our destiny was to have a car that breaks every few hours, at least that same destiny could hardly have chosen a better spot.

We enjoyed intensely our short trek, the river, and the stunning roaring falls. Murchison falls are the narrow spot, forcefully squeezing Victoria Nile through an 8-10 meters wide canyon, water plunging 45 meters into the Devil’s Cauldron below, to then quietly enter Lake Albert. Nile originates in Lake Victoria, therefore the first part of the Nile, the first approx. 500 km up to Lake Albert is called Victoria Nile. From there on, Nile continues its travel northbound as White Nile, to reach the Mediterranean after approximately 6500 km.

Murchison Falls are not the highest or biggest ones in Africa, but one of the most powerful, in terms of sheer force of water squeezed through that narrow gorge.

The views are stunning, with permanent white water mist and rainbows, and fierce green of the surrounding jungle. The few photos here may give an idea but can never fully translate the live experience.

The Nile and beautiful waterfalls, the jungle, our trek, made our waiting time a breeze. Arriving back at the ranger station, the new car was already waiting. Long story short, we parted with Seth, who had to stay with broken Land Rover, waiting for the tow truck.

This time the rest of the drive went truly smooth, with an obligatory stop for feeding (yes, everyone was starving hungry).

Shell stations host quite a decent restaurant

We arrived to Kampala early evening at breaking of the darkness.

entering Kampala, finally the “Arrival” …

The local team split, they have been staying in the city, whereas I proceeded to my temporary Headquarters to Entebbe (Kampala to Entebbe are some 15 min drive).

at my Entebbe place, night breaks in

I closed the mission enjoying the Lake Victoria view along with a nice cold pint of Nile Special, an excellent local beer brand.

Arrival. The poem is a true “long story made short”.

Dear Reader, I hope you like the story. During my decades of travel I have lots of stories in me.
I hope the next one will be coming out soon, kindly ask the Muse to hit me again.

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© Dean M. 2026 All rights reserved
All Photos © me myself 2023, driving through Uganda