Weekend at the Fishing Lodge Hotel

After a day-long journey and an eventful two days working in the field, my two colleagues and I had the rest of the afternoon on Saturday and all day Sunday to enjoy our time in the Adjumani district. We located a nice accommodation about 15 miles outside the center of Adjumani called the Fishing Lodge Hotel. When we arrived, there was a young man who greeted us in the lobby who called himself James. He showed us around the property, including the main “lodge” area equipped with a rack of fishing poles, the pool (which looked more like a murky pond) but which James insisted was cleaned and treated daily, and the two individual cabanas made of cement and a grass roof. We were informed that there was no electricity in the cabanas, and later we came to find out that there was hardly more than a few drops of water that trickled out of the shower heads.

My cabana at the Fishing Lodge Hotel.

Nevertheless, the lodge grounds were very picturesque with big trees and a view of the Nile River. As I sat in the outdoor area of the lodge facing the river, I saw small herds of goats and cows migrate through as they grazed on the grass and leaves, as well as groups of small monkeys casually scamper across the grounds in the same way squirrels do in the U.S. There were also lots of small to medium size lizards that scurried all over the place, even popping up in my cabana bathroom. Despite the rugged conditions, it was a quiet and peaceful escape. We also enjoyed the fresh food. And fresh it truly was. When we ordered lunch on the first day of our arrival to the lodge, James told us we had the option of fish or chicken. The fish came directly from the Nile River outside and the chickens were raised right there at the lodge. When one of my colleagues discovered that ordering chicken meant they were going to slaughter one of the animals right then and there, he opted for the fresh fish instead.

Spotting monkeys in the trees at the lodge.

A view of the Nile River from the Fishing Lodge.

Fresh fish from the Nile River.

On Sunday we decided to go on a boating tour of the Nile River. James and his companion who also called himself James were our navigators. We took a small wooden boat equipped with two paddles and a motor. One James situated himself on the front of the boat while the other posted himself at the back. We had to push our way through the green vines and floating plants to get to the open water. Once there, we toured the river for three hours, stopping once to climb up a rocky mass, where we discovered the skin of a snake that must have been about 6 feet long! I was glad we only found the skin. We spotted lots of different kinds of birds as we moved about the river and waved at the small fishing boats where people cast nets into the water. It was a relaxing ride along the river.

Our little river boat for touring the Nile.

Spotting birds along the Nile River.

The remnants of a former inhabitant.

My colleagues, our boat guides, and me on the Nile River.

In the evening, the night sky was absolutely amazing. When I looked up, I saw a vast array of brightly shining stars scattered across the sky. This was certainly in contrast to the smoggy view of the night sky in Los Angeles! James gave us battery operated lanterns to guide our way from the main lodge area to our cabanas in the evening. I appreciated the starry sky even more as I utilized the outdoor shower by the pool to bathe. The water pressure was significantly better than that of the shower in my cabana, so I sneaked across the grounds from my cabana to the pool, turned off my lantern, and enjoyed the hum of the insects as I showered under the stars. It was a strangely freeing feeling to shower outdoors. I suspected that I shared my sleeping space with a variety of lizards, spiders and mosquitoes who managed to find their way into my cabana. Fortunately, I had a mosquito net around my bed for protection from all the critters. By the end of the weekend I was sun burnt and bug bitten, but ready to start the busy week ahead.