Bayimba Festival: An Idyllic Weekend On An Island

by AWAT LYNETTE (Uganda)

A leap into the unknown Uganda

I was already thrilled by the thought of the experiences I hoped to have from my trip to Lunkulu Island, Mukono for the Bayimba Festival of the Arts 2019. I had taken a while without travelling and to think. I was losing my sense of travel for lack of a better word. When the opportunity first showed itself through my twitter platform calling for bloggers and creative writers for an all-expense-paid trip to the festival in turn for online marketing publicity, I was reluctant and gave it a blind eye because I didn't find myself worthy, talk about self-doubt. A confirmation from my gut to apply for this opportunity came when two of my friends sent me that same advert. I whispered under my breath 'let's give this try', and guess what? I was chosen among the 10 bloggers to do this work of publicity. The joy of knowing you are cut out of the many to do something you love is fulfilling. The D-day for the road trip came as fast as a deer. The morning of 31st July 2019, the sun shone like it had been paid to do thrice what it was doing before. It was as hot as a furnace and was coupled with preparing and packing for what was a 5 day camp on an island. We were to meet at 2pm at Shoprite Lugogo, a city mall where the taxi would pick us all. I got there quickly so I could be the early bird that catches the window seat in the ride to get a hold of more fresh air and with ecstasy gaze at creation all through the journey. Getting to Lunkulu Island is not complicated and expensive, as a local taxi is 3000 Uganda Shillings (less than a dollar) from Kampala to Mukono. Also, if you want to travel solo, you will have to bear plenty of boredom. I was glad to be in the company of my fellow bloggers, and this made the journey seem quite short and exciting as we talked and caught up about current affairs, growth of the festival and how the arts industry in Uganda had evolved. Rapport was created so easily despite us knowing each other too little. When we got to Namazina Landing Site in Katosi, a small trading centre in Mukono. The only two options to get to Lunkulu was by use of a footbridge or the canoe. The footbridge was soaked up due to the concluded rainy season, so it was hard to navigate with luggage. We were left with the latter. My heart sank as soon as I heard we were using water transport. I am water phobic I almost went back home. At this point, I had mixed feelings because I wanted to heed to that little voice of adventure in my head. “Why don't you try something new?” I asked myself! When the boat arrived, I thought, let's do this! It was an engine boat, but it could also be peddled inasmuch it takes time. The patch of land between where we were and where the boat was, was soggy, so we had to be carried to the boat by the local people who make a few bucks from the "people mugging" activity. I had never really understood the "boat balance" theory till then. We had to sit side by side so we could actually balance the boat. The person in the middle had to keep fetching water out of the boat, so we do not drown. Not forgetting that this canoe had only two life jackets leaving the rest of us to the mercy of God if anything happened. Once we started sailing, my phobia for water went down. I felt a little safe, and it was a leap into the unknown. The feeling was riveting! During the 15 minutes of sailing time to Lunkulu from Katosi, I was able to take out my phone and take a few breathtaking shots! On arrival, the boat could not precisely reach the shores. The people waiting to receive us had to create a makeshift bridge out of crates of beer! Hilarious! We were here, finally!