Uhambo lwase-Uganda: Emthonjeni weNayile, ukuzwa umsindo webhola nehlathi lemvula

Umsindo wokuqala wohambo lwase-Uganda, kwakungewona impophoma, futhi kwakungelona ihlathi lemvula, kodwa ibhola elikhahlelwe kabi ebumnyameni base-Kampala. Ibhola lagxuma emgwaqeni obomvu, ladlula esondweni lesithuthuthu i-boda-boda, lagingqika laya phambi kwendawo yokosa ubhanana. Umthengisi akazange athukuthele, wagoba wasebenzisa isimbadada ukulikhahlela, walibuyisela ezinyaweni zezingane. Omunye wamemeza "Onyango," abafana abambalwa bahleka bahlakazeka, baphinde balijaha masinyane. Ngaleso sikhathi ngaqonda ukuthi ibhola lase-Uganda alikona nje umdlalo, lifana nolimi lomgwaqo oluvamile: ngaphandle kwenkundla, ungawuqala umdlalo; ngaphandle kwezicathulo zebhola, ungagijima.

I-Kampala yakhiwe emagqumeni, ukungalingani kwedolobha kunjengomdwebo wamaqhinga ongaqedwanga. Emini, amatekisi, amaveni amancane, izithuthuthu nabahamba ngezinyawo balwela umgwaqo owodwa omncane; ebusuku, izimakethe zibuyisa isivinini kancane. Izibani zemakethe yasebusuku e-Owino zilenga phansi, intuthu yenyama eyosiwe, iphunga lamalahle, ukushisa kwe-cassava ethosiwe nephunga lomhlabathi osanda kunethwa kuxubene. Umfana ogqoke ijezi leqembu lesizwe lase-Uganda wagoqa isikhwama sepulasitiki wenza ibhola, edlala phakathi kwezitolo. Njalo lapho edlala, abantu abaseduze bayamhalalisela. Ithemba laleli zwe alihlali libhalwa emigqeni yeziqubulo, izikhathi eziningi, likulelo bhola eligugile.

Ngosuku olulandelayo ukuya e-Jinja, amanzi eLake Victoria abenyezela ngewindi. I-Uganda ivame ukubizwa ngezwe lomthombo weNayile, ukuma ogwini lomfula e-Jinja, lo musho awusafani nencwadi ye-geography. Amanzi aphuma eLake Victoria, aqale ngokuthula abe yi-Victoria Nile, bese eya enyakatho, edlula emathafeni, ezihosheni nasemingceleni, ekugcineni abe ngumfula omkhulu oguqula isiphetho sezwekazi lonke. I-ikhweyitha nayo inqamula kancane emzimbeni waleli zwe, njengomugqa ophakathi ongabonakali: iNingizimu Nenkabazwe neNyakatho Nenkabazwe zixhawulana lapha, amanzi echibi, amanzi omfula, umhlabathi obomvu namazwi abantu konke kuya phambili ndawonye.

Ngabona umdlalo omncane ogwini lomfula. Amapali ngamatshe amabili, inkundla ingxenye utshani, ingxenye udaka. Omunye ugqoke i-Arsenal, omunye ugqoke i-Manchester United, omunye ugqoke ijezi le-Uganda Cranes eseliphelile. Unozinti omncane waziphonsa phansi, izandla zakhe zigcwele umhlabathi obomvu, wathi uma esukuma wahleka kakhulu. Ibhola lapha akulona ukubalekela iqiniso, kodwa ukubhala kabusha iqiniso okwesikhashana kube ngomunye umcabango. Ungahlala endaweni eminyene, ungabi nendawo yokuqeqesha efanele, kodwa inqobo nje uma ibhola lisezinyaweni, ikusasa lisengacatshangwa.

I-Murchison Falls yayimisa kungazelelwe lokho kucabanga okuthule. Imoto ifika e-Top of the Falls, umsindo wamanzi wawusuka ngemva kwezihlahla ucindezele phambili. Ngempela ukuma eduze kwensimbi, lapho wazi khona ukuthi akukhona umsindo ongachazwa ngegama elithi "ukuduma." Umfula wonke weNayile uphoqelelwe emgodini omncane wamadwala, usuka phezulu ushaya phansi, inkungu yamanzi ishaya ebusweni, kuhle kwengathi othile ubeke isigubhu esimhlophe eduze kwendlebe eshayayo. Umhlahlandleli wathi, umfula lapha uba nolaka, ngoba uphoqelelwe ukuba mncane. Kodwa ngabuka lawo manzi agoqekayo, ngabona kunalokho ukuthi afana nolunye uhlangothi lwabantu base-Uganda: bacindezelwe, kodwa abalahlekelwa amandla okuya phambili.

Ukuqhubekela eningizimu-ntshonalanga, indlela iqala ukungena ezintabeni. I-Uganda iyikhaya cishe lengxenye yama-mountain gorilla emhlabeni, futhi igama elithi i-Bwindi Impenetrable Forest aliyona inhlamvu. Akulona ihlathi onga "lingena" kalula, kufana nodonga oluluhlaza, olunomswakama, oluphefumulayo. Ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni, umlindi wehlathi endaweni yokuhlangana wachaza imithetho: abantu abayisishiyagalombili ngeqembu, uma usuthole ama-gorilla ungahlala ihora elilodwa kuphela, ungasebenzisi i-flash, kufanele ulandele imiyalelo. Wonke umusho wawuvamile, kodwa lapho izinkomishi zemvula ziwa emaqhumeni, wonke umuntu wathula, kuhle kwengathi ungena emasikweni amadala.

Izinyathelo zase-Bwindi zikhethekile. Akukhona umsindo wezicathulo ezihamba endleleni, kodwa umsindo wodaka olubamba amabhuzu, izimila ezidonsa emilenzeni, ummese osika amagatsha, izinyoni ezikude ziyeke ukukhala. Sahamba sadlula emasimini kabhanana, saphinde sangena emthunzini wezihlahla ezimnyama. Ihlathi lemvula alizange lilungiselele umgwaqo ophansi ngezivakashi, izindlela ziyashelela, izimpande zezihlahla zinjengezandla ezikhubekisayo. Ababekanye nathi baqale baxoxa, kamuva kwaba ukuphefumula kuphela. Umlindi wayema ngezikhathi ezithile, elalele irediyo yomkhondo, abese ephakamisa isandla ukusikhomba ukuthi silandele.

Cishe emahoreni amathathu kamuva, umlindi ongaphambili wehla kungazelelwe. Umoya wabanjwa. Amamitha ambalwa kude, i-silverback gorilla yayihlezi phakathi kwezihlahla, ubwele bayo obumnyama bunethe ngezimvula, ingxenye empunga emhlane ikhanya ethunzini. Ayizange idlale, futhi ayizange isamukele, yavele yaphula igatsha elincane, yalifaka emlonyeni yahlafuna. Eduze, amagorilla amancane ayegingqika, edonsa amahlamvu, njengezingane ezilwela ibhola emakethe yasebusuku yase-Kampala. Kodwa lapho i-silverback iphakamisa amehlo, ihlathi lonke lathula futhi.

Lelo hora alizange lihambe njengehora. Uyokhohlwa ikhamera, ukhohlwe udaka, ukhohlwe ukuthi uchithe amandla angakanani ukufika lapha. Abantu bahlala bethanda ukwenza izilwane zasendle "izindawo zokuvakasha," kodwa e-Bwindi, ubudlelwano buphendukile. Ngama-gorilla asivumele ukuthi sihlale isikhashana emaphethelweni okuphila kwawo. Adla amahlamvu, alale, asondelene, awadingi ukumangala kwethu. Lapho sihamba, ngabheka emuva, leyo silverback yayisiphenduke, njengedwala elimnyama elihambayo, ibuyela ekujuleni kwehlathi kancane.

Endleleni ebuyela e-Kampala, ngangilokhu ngicabanga ukuthi ibhola nama-gorilla kuhlobana ngani. Enye isemakhoneni emigwaqo yomhlabathi obomvu, enye isehlathini lemvula lezintaba; enye ingeyomsindo, ukugijima nokumemeza, enye ingeyokuthula, ibanga nokwesaba. Kodwa zombili zikhuluma into efanayo: I-Uganda igcina amandla okuphila kanjani. Ibhola wulimi lwethemba, izingane zisebenzisa lona ukuthi "ngisakwazi ukugijima"; imvelo wulimi lwesikhathi, i-Bwindi isebenzisa lona ukuthi "kufanele wehlise isivinini."

Ngomunye ubusuku bokugcina, ngaphinde ngaya emakethe yasebusuku yase-Kampala. Izimbawula phambi kwezitolo zenyama zazivutha kakhulu, umsakazo uphuma umsakazo webhola, amadoda amaningana azungeza isibuko esincane ephikisana ngesinqumo. Kude izingane zaziqhubeka nokukhahlela ibhola, ibhola lagingqika laya ethunzini, laphinde lakhahlelwa labuyela ngaphansi kwesibani. Ngakhumbula iNayile ethule iqala e-Jinja, ngakhumbula i-Murchison Falls ifaka umsindo wamanzi esifubeni, ngakhumbula i-silverback gorilla ehlathini lemvula ihlafuna amahlamvu ngekhanda eliphansi.

Lokhu yikhona engikukhumbulayo ngohambo lwase-Uganda: akukhona umbono owodwa we-Afrika, akukhona nje i-safari, izimpophoma noma ama-gorilla. Kuwumzila osuka enkundleni yomgwaqo uya ekujuleni kwehlathi lemvula. Uqala uzwe izingane zase-Kampala zimemeza ithemba, bese ubona amanzi eqala kanjani ogwini lweNayile, ekugcinini ufunde ukwehlisa izwi e-Bwindi. Lapho uhamba, umhlabathi obomvu usanamathele ezicathulweni, izinyathelo zehlathi lemvula zisezindlebeni, kanti lelo bhola eligugile, lisabonakala ligingqika ngaphansi kwezibani zemakethe yasebusuku.