EnterUganda

. Kampala, Uganda.

By Timothy Bukumunhe

I'll start off this time if you don't mind. Hotel Riverside is one of the better hotels in Rukungiri town, or so we were led to believe - a sort of Hotel Africana of Rukungiri. It is important for you to have an open mind when you check in, because many of the creature comforts you expect to find in hotels these days are simply lacking.

Okay. How open-minded do I have to be?
I'll give you an idea of the place and we'll take it from there. Riverside has about 45 habitable rooms, with more under construction. Reception is devoid of soul so we launched an offensive on the lounge-cum- bar and we had to hastily retreat. The bar is wellstocked with empty crates of beer and there are a few bottles of spirits here and there. The sofas, I am afraid to say, were well past their time and there was a dust-coated television just sitting there, probably wondering why nobody was bothering to take it to the repair shops.

I get your drift. But when you were shown to your rooms, was the hotel vindicated?
Again it depends on how open-minded you are. Some of the people in my group felt uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in a room which did not have its own bathroom or toilet. With a bit of haggling, we managed to get other rooms we were happier with. It's the size of the single bed that shocks. It is minute. Apart from the bed, there is one huge rickety table. And in the bathroom, there is no distinction between the toilet floor and the shower. Can you imagine!

No television set?
No. And when it came to our first meal of the evening, we were politely informed that there is no food, so we had to go into town. Breakfast was simple and light. The standard breakfast here is a meal of are things that sort of resemble fried eggs, slipped between two huge slices of bread. There is a choice of coffee, tea or beer.

Are you telling me there was no menu on offer?
You said it. Ordering food at Riverside is done verbally - the waiter just reeled off a list of the things they had plus the special of the day: offal's and more offals.

And what about cost? Will it break me to stay there for the weekend? Would you go back?
That depends on your bank balance. The charges were sh15,000 for a double and sh10,000 for a single. Is that way out of your price bracket? And about going back, it all depends on who you are. As I said at the beginning, you have to be open. I am a simple man with simple needs, but one thing I find it almost impossible to be without is television.

THE CROWD: On the weekend I was there the crowd was a number of representatives from UTV, WBS, The Monitor, The New Vision and MTN
THE TOILETS: Squat down bowl toilets in some of the rooms.
THE GOOD POINTS: Not having a squat down bowl toilet in my room.
THE BAD POINTS: Squat down bowl toilets in some of the rooms.
HOTEL RIVERSIDE, is located in Rukungiri town and is run by Fiona Kyomuhangi. For reservations, call 0486 42455.

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