Nice outing to Ssissa

Today I got to go on a bit of an adventure with my new flatmate and two of my other friends here (one of whom's flats is also nice -- if not quite as exciting as this one -- and has a very inexpensive vacancy that'd probably be my first choice were I making a longer return).

Anyone, the other (from whom I'm subletting now, actually) is getting a quiet civil marriage at the end of this week (!), and is planning their party which will be in a month or so (alas, after I've returned to the States), and wanted to check out this potential venue for it. Her fiancé is still out of the country (until Tuesday, I think?) for work, so he couldn't come, which is too bad. He's Ugandan and does refugee law work, and she was doing research work and coordinating local research being done for US academics (but currently looking for a job, I believe). Needless to say, they're both really, really smart.

The place is a little ways (maybe 20km) outside of Kampala on the road to Entebbe, so not all that far, but all told the trip took about an hour there. It's this sort of lodge place (with a shooting range, of all things) up on a hill facing the lake -- a really, very beautiful place.

You wouldn't know you're so close to the city -- it, and the road to it, felt nearly as remote as the farms I visited in Mbale for work. There's very little in the way of visible construction between it and the lake, too. The vistas are absolutely stunning, and the whole place was just really nice and just being there for a couple of hours was a wonderful contrast to the noise and intensity of the city.

I've got some great pictures from it that I'll post up next time I'm on a connection that's sufficient for that sort of thing. I'll add a link.

Anyway, I think they're going to have it there, she really liked it a lot, and so did all of the rest of us who came, and it sounded pretty shockingly inexpensive. There are also a few cabins around it so I think some of the better friends will stay there a day or so.

At any rate, it's nothing all that exciting to report, but it was a very nice outing; fun and quite relaxing. Definitely a nice change.

And I'm very jealous I won't be able to make it to their reception thing there.