Perhaps it was the long energy-sapping drive
from Kampala along bumpy, dusty, thirsty roads; perhaps it was my lazy bones
grumbling, perhaps it was the warm reception at my final destination, I cannot
tell. Only thing I can say about Paraa Safari Lodge—You had me at Hello!
I kept looking behind me; had I been
mistaken for a celebrity come for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of
Kampala? I couldn’t tell. The attendants were swooning over me with such care,
I almost blushed, unused as I was to too much attention. After hours on the road, stiff, tired, hungry,
chocking with dust in my throat, in my hair on my skin, here I was, an
overnight Celebrity!
The ambience is cosy and warm and grows on
you like old shoes. I felt like I had lived here for years. Maybe time stood
still as my bond with Paraa strengthened over the coming hours. I don’t
remember whether background music played or whether that’s a construct of my
flawed memory.
Maybe it was the soothing
sound of the River Nile that licked at the feet of the Lodge, I cannot tell. All
I know is that whatever hand crafted the Lodge had had a good childhood. I felt
at home instantly.
The buffet was food for the gods and
catered even to the palettes of the pickiest eaters. I gorged myself on exotic
and traditional food. The desserts were laid out neatly on a unique table
crafted to resemble a boat, complete with decks. On the top deck were original artefacts of
yesteryear. I marvelled at the
ingenuity.
The message was not lost on me; here I was
in Murchison Falls National Park, one of the last frontiers of the virgin wild
in Uganda, unblemished by human corruption, and before me were tools used by
explorers who saw this beautiful country as it once was. Brilliance!
In my next blog, I go take me some snaps of
the beautiful wild animals. Watch this space!
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