A getaway at Governors Club Gayaza

It was nice to finally get away from the chaos in the city, to lie back, read, eat, sleep and stretch in a serene environment.
After two years of hurried moments together, going on dates and thinking about getting back home because the baby sitter is charging $10 for every hour and considering that the count begins the minute we stepped out the door – this break was much needed. I knew that coming back to Kampala would give me the chance to leave Mich at home and go on a date with Sam where I would actually be present with him – body, mind and all.

I found out about a fantastic get-away location somewhere out of town. After I made enquiries I received a call almost every other day to confirm when and at what time we would be arriving. When the owner himself called, I thought this is really serious, this place must be something else.
The journey was long and dusty; it felt like we were driving to the end of civilization. We set out at about 3:30pm and were on the road for about an hour before we got to the last land mark we had been given. We asked a guard for directions but instead he signaled us to follow him, that was strange because we were driving and he was on foot. Anyway we drove slowly behind him until we reached a gate then he showed us the way. But we were thinking, he could have easily given us the directions from the start, there was nothing complicated but he certainly made us feel like it was a secret hideout that one doesn’t speak about idly.
There were no shops near by but stretches of grass and more grass, Sam hoped it was worth the drive because there is nothing like getting to an island and realizing that it’s not all that and yet there is no turning back.

We loved the place, it was certainly an oasis right in the middle of a desert, worth the journey. We drunk it in, and our thirst was quenched. A huge house built right in the middle of a huge compound, surrounded by huge trees. Once inside its gates you forgot the busy, chaotic, jam packed, potholed, dusty city with all it’s cares outside. The flowers and potted plants looked like they each had a personal gardener whose life depended on seeing them flourish. Nature smiled upon us with a contentment that we couldn’t deny because the feeling was mutual. The breath of fresh, pure, clean air, birds cooing and chirping, cows mooing, goats bleating in the distance, the sound of the wind tickling the leaves as they swayed from side to side served as a medicine for the body and mind.




I felt like I was visiting a rich uncle who happened to be out of town but gave us the key to his house and the services of his servants.
Two young men tended to us for the entire time we were there, they cooked some really awesome meals.
As we waited to have diner I read the novel that I’d carried – “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Hosseini Khaled. Simply amazing, I love his nark for detail, his descriptions of places and events is so rich you could literally see it happening. But even with all this I could not deny the hunger pangs that were pinching at my intestines. Meanwhile the Youngman in the kitchen was not helping because the whiff sailing into the sitting room was to die for. I begun to thank God for the ingredients – cooking oil, onions, green pepper, tomatoes, carrots, I thanked God for chicken and all those nice things and all this an hour before it was ready.
By the time we were invited to the table I was in sprint mode.
I found it interesting that we were never asked what we wanted to eat, we ate what the cook thought best for the day. It was kind of nice anticipating and guessing what was for dinner, the surprise was part of the fun.
The pillows were brick-hard, the room was boiling hot but it was still good to be there.

Next morning I managed to catch the sun rising, it was a magnificent sight. With the sounds of the animals rousing, belting out good mornings to each other, birds warming their vocals and then singing sweetly, the smell of the morning dew and looking up into the clear blue sky, there is no doubt in my mind that there is a God and creation rises to honor Him.
Later that morning with the sun not yet in full glare, we went horse riding through the village. Ibrahim taught us how to mount a horse, place the left leg in the hook and swing the right leg over the horse to get onto its back. I went first, when it was Sam’s turn, he swung and the next time I looked he was down on the other side of the horse. Turns out that he swung a little too hard hehehe. Now I laugh but it wasn’t so funny then.



Ibrahim also told us that to make the horse trot or move faster we had to kick it sides, to stop – pull the rope tight around its mouth, to move left or right – pull the rope in that particular direction. It’s amazing how well trained the horses were.
People in the village hardly see the horses and when they do they prefer to keep their distance, I was thinking ‘what kind of harm would a horse do to some one who isn’t bothering it?’ but anyway …
I think horses are one of the most elegant animals I know. I love the fact that they are not too big, they are steady, goodness they are just beautiful, what else can I say?
Hmm! Reminds me of the fact that I still get teary eyed watching ‘Animal Farm’, especially when ‘Boxer’ is being taken away.
The children on the other hand were thrilled, they stopped what ever they were doing, run up to the road side and shouted ‘embaraasi, embaraasi’, I imagine that is the word for horse in luganda.