#Weekending Ku Lakeside Escape

If I live long enough, I intend to end up in Hollywood as a director. As a storyteller, the big screen is probably the zenith of what you can achieve. I’ve already had a taste of directing after a 2015 animated movie script writing workshop by Bayimba Academy & Crossroads Digital Multimedia Ltd that was facilitated by Deborah Asiimwe. At the end of it, we produced a short animated movie called OMUNA about breaking free from the corporate world to chase one’s dreams and passions. Among the workshop participants, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a director. You can sample it here,

Anyway, 3 years later and I’ve decided to start making serious moves in that direction. Inspired by fellow creative friends, especially Nimusiima, I’m starting from phone videography. Apps came for us banange. The one I used for this is called Quik and I thank the creators for helping me look like I know what I’m doing. Thanks for the recommendation Mu Gasha. For those that might be thinking of embarking on a similar journey, Uganda Blogging Community community has a training this weekend on phone photography and videography facilitated by Dilman Dila. Reach out to him to book your slot.

This, my first video, is of a weekend trip some friends and I took to Lakeside Escape in Mukono to celebrate the birthday of one of us. Using a boat via Lake Victoria is the shorter route but we chose to drive instead. The surrounding area is a forest of sorts and this made for a scenic drive. This was slightly ruined by a combo of the state of the road, which wasn’t all that bad, and low nature of the cars we were using which left us cringing every time the car bottom made contact with the surface.

But once we were there, we forgot all about that and soaked ourselves in the tranquility of the place. We might have paid for the rooms but we spent the least time there because of all the other outdoor activities they have on offer. Bike riding in the forest, football, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, swimming, board games, a well-stocked bar, several portable speakers to allow each group to play their own music….we were thoroughly entertained. This place is proper deserving of it’s escape name and having Lake Victoria as a backdrop to all this was just nyongeza. The only thing that could have been better IMO was the food which was basic for its price tag. I’ve since been informed this is because their kitchen is undergoing an upgrade so future visitors shouldn’t have problems in this department.

One of my friends as we were arriving commented about how it’s rare to have such establishments done by Ugandans and how the ones by Ugandans are usually not as well done as those by non-Ugandans. This saddened me because I suspect, even though he denied citing realism instead, that this declaration is a potential case of that post-colonial self-loathing that lingers in our subconscious. If you are observant enough, it’s something you see often starting from the top with the way the government keeps on giving lucrative contracts to foreign companies for work that can be done locally. What do you think, am I just putting my head in the sand regarding our own mediocrity?

Away from the heavy philosophical stuff, I hope you enjoy my video producing and directing debut. Once again, happy birthday Moses and thanks Nina for choosing this cool location.