Highlight Anecdotes

My regular dhow crew consists of Philemon in his mid 30's , "deputy captain", acting captain when sailing the dhow out of the Tanzanian waters to Uganda [source page Philemon]. and Doi, now around 20 (nobody here is very sure of his age, our boat boy). Doi was 17 when we started sailing whith the dhow. I met him looking for his lost father, while being apprentice-carpenter on my shipyard [source page Doi].

Photo: Our daily after breakfast session, Doi teaching me Kiswahili, I teaching Doi English. My Kiswahili sounds as if I have a cigar in my mouth. No wonder: I have. But my father, visiting us, claimed that Doi's English also sounds as if he has a cigar in his mouth... One of our common exercises was making a Short History of East Africa, Kiswahili and English). [More on my adventures learning Kiswahili]

Since after three years he had not learnt much except some English, I decided to let Doi find a job at home in Tanzania.

One of our regular destination is Banda, a small island, home of Dominic. (go to: Summary Guide to Banda Island ) He runs a camp site there, reachable by outboard canoe ferries from the Entebbe and also from main Sese village and the more serious metal Entebbe ferry destination Kalangala. Down here some pictures (but you can go to: all pictures of Banda)

Photo: Dominic (I edited his torn shorts with some Photoshop) preparing clothes for mainland visit, four-head guard alert on pier end.
Sunset, at the rear of the photographer, is enjoyed from the very top of the "castle".

Photo: taken from the "castle" side: our dhow at sunset, two hippos, one in characteristic mouth spread, pay Banda Island an evening visit.
[Add sound to picture] [Summary Guide to Banda Island]     [a very fine Christmas at Banda (2006)]      [a superb Christmas at Banda (2007)]

Photo Banda South beach: After failed intimidation session gunboat from Entebbe ^{[password protected]} leaves without money, food, beer, or even milk,
my crew Philemon attempting to reduce damage risk caused by their baffling marine incompetence. They also have helicopters and fuel. Their Russian heli-instructors fly drunk to suppress the fear to fly the wrecks. We once had a helicopter flying 30 cm over our mast right after refusing beer to a gunboat. RPG's are available to the general consumer in Kampala but we decided not to go for them, after all, a new mast costs 4 euros. [More^{[password protected]}]

In 2007, August-November, we did our "Big Round", a dhow trip round along  all shores of Lake Victoria, counter clockwize [index page of our Big Round Logbook]

Photo: Mr. Malima's patrol boat, the location of Philemon's beating [Highlights: Under Attack]  [source page dhow kidnap] in Bukoba harbour [source page of this photo]

Photo: dhow jumping around on thunderstorm waves from one ear to the other, a tornado passing within 500 m, floor floating, water tossing around, right a tip of the captain's soaked bed sheet (last photo of the day, camera got wet and batteries had to be removed)    [source page]     [more pictures of Storms]

Photo: Kisumu bay, trapped in an 80 km² floating island [source page].

So far for highlights of our Big Round in 2007, August-November. [More? index page of our Big Round Logbook]

But....! Most of my time on the Lake Victoria I spend reading, and writing about what I read. This has always been my favourite activity, my way of life. Since my early retirement I am liberated of the depressing and irrational requirements of the academic format.

Bert Reads ... Bert Tells What He Reads