King's Tombs

I slept a full 10 hours last night—I guess I must have needed it. After breakfast I set about trying to make a reservation at the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. For the second day in a row. I was no more successful today than I was yesterday. Now I’ve learned not to let them try and call me back. And when no one is in the office, the phone line miraculously turns into a fax line. I’ll try again tomorrow, but it’s difficult because the meeting point is an hour away and I need to arrange for a driver.

Today I went to Kasubi Tombs (Kasubi is Lugandan for grass), which was absolutely fascinating to learn about the history of Bugandan kings. The tombs are the former palace of King Mutesa I who lived there in 1880s and was the 32nd Bugandan king. The king still exists today (number 36) and is the great-great grandson of King Mutesa I. Today he has no power-- that has been relegated to the president. When the king dies, they say he has been lost because kings here live forever. When they are buried they are said to have gone to the forest. This palace is circular, with the king’s 10 official wives surrounding the main house. Each wife has a very specific purpose—there is one who sits next to the king, one who is the caregiver, one who tends to the kings regalia, etc… What is so neat is that the relatives of the king’s wives still inhabit these houses. Just behind the palace are the homes of the kings 79 concubines.

King Mutesa I and the 3 subsequent kings (Mwanga II, Daudi Chwa II, and Sir Edward Mutessa II) are all buried here, in the main house behind cloth made from the fig tree. Normally each king would have his own palace, but the arrival of Christian missionaries changed all the tradition here. In the center of the palace is a fire that burns as long as the king is alive, and since he never “dies” the fire still burns today. When he is ruling it burns in front of the palace, but when he is lost, it moves within. There is no sitting on chairs within the main house, only on carpets made from reeds. Not even the king gets to sit. They have two chairs (one for the king and one for the queen) inside the house sent from Queen Victoria. She didn’t know that chairs were not allowed or that the king had 10 wives.

My guide Richard was terrific. His knowledge of history was so comprehensive, and he took it as a great honor to be working there. I purchased some wall hangings that he painted on the fig cloth I mentioned earlier. He taught me how to play a traditional Ugandan board game called Omweso, and we sat inside the palace house playing the game for an hour. Warning: I’m making all of you play it with me when I get home. I found it at the project house, and I played by myself for a long time. The cook John thought it was hilarious.

After I left the tombs, I found my taxi driver still waiting for me. I had him take me to Garden City which is a large mall owned by the president’s wife. It even has a casino in it. The first restaurant I saw was called New York Kitchen, so I stopped in for a slice of NY style pizza (not even close!) and a passion fruit juice. Then the shopping commenced. I bought some lovely jewelry and a book on how to speak Lugandan. I also stopped at the sports store and bought a Manchester United shirt and winter hat. Sorry, Ricky, these are for me.

I took my first boda boda home. These are small motorbike taxis that whiz through traffic. It was actually pretty fun. Don't think I'll be trying that during rush hour though... Here are some pictures of Kasubi Tombs (and of some of the king’s wives relatives) and of my guide Richard playing Omweso. I hung the wall hangings he painted in my room on the other side of the sailor’s cross (for safe travel) that Rick had given me.

xo...G.