Jacci was a star. We thought that the three of us would have to brave the buses again to get to "the Switzerland of Uganda". She had a few days before she went off to see the gorillas, and we knew it sounded like a pretty good place to be. And after three years of managing the area for Explore, I thought that it was high time I actually did go and see it!

After an enlightening trip into Murchison Falls National Park, and braving the chaos in Kampala once again, we were in our backpackers making some plans, when Jacci pulls out the trump card; the ace! "I think I might have got us a lift," she said.

She explained that she had met these two guys who had a land rover and where heading the same direction we were. Their destination was undecided, but it was in the general direction they wanted to go. Funny what conversations you have in a mixed dorm….and who could refuse a good looking girl who knows how to flirt?! "But," there is always a but, "there might not be a whole lot of room in the back. You guys have a look, and decide from there. Ok?"

I had a feeling a crowbar would be needed to get Jacci off that seat in the morning. Regardless of what we said.

Nicolai and Matt turned out to be fantastic blokes taking a bit of time off after their MBAs. They were having a boy's own adventure. Drive from Cape Town into Africa as far north as possible. And then head back to Cape Town. Only limitation, be back by end August. With a fully equipped landie, Africa was their oyster and thankfully, they were heading the same direction we were!

"If we do a little re-pack of the back here and here, we should make a little more room here and here." Nicolai cheerfully suggested when we had a look at their wonderful beast. With Cape Town number plates too! Providence had provided. "You can up your stuff in here or on the roof. Up to you. It is no skin off our nose." He went on to tell us about some other Germans that they gave a lift to somewhere in Botswana. I stopped listening when I heard the words screaming, water and flooding the vehicle! But it sounded fun. And they mentioned that they tended to drive fast. It seemed to get better and better.

Measuring the angles and the distances, I though we would be more comfortable if we sat on that 2 foot long, half a foot wide bench one forward, one back. That way we could share similar space and our hips wouldn't grind together! Jacci would have the "luxury" of the other side's narrow bench. Witch….

The journey down was long and uneventful. As promised the boys drove like the clappers. Even those long distance buses were left trailing in our wake! The landrover didn't take those potholes in its stride, it ate them up for breakfast!

Lake Bunyonyi is a revelation. Where you might think that Uganda was just savannah, scrubland and woodland, this place is not. If you have travelled through SE Asia or China and have seen the terraced sides of hills, then Lake Bunyonyi is similar. Add in pine trees and blue gums where there are no farms, terraces or roads, make the soil the rich African red colour, make sure that the hills are steep and that the lake is a cool deep blue colur with the odd ripple to disturb the elegant surroundings. Do this and you have imagined Lake Bunyonyi well. Throw in some islands and that is where we all spent time.

It was a place that friends had raved about before coming onto Softpower. They were right! Bunyonyi Amagara is a haven of peace and tranquility. And fantastic cooking. No word of a lie, it was here that we had the best food in Uganda! With a covered platform opening onto a verandah that overlooks the lake, called a geodome, and a skylight that was our home. It was awesome to lie in bed and see the hills on the opposite shore emerge from the African night! While we were here, there was not that much sunshine. Which was a shame in some respects. We couldn't watch the solarpowered DVDs. But then again, we did swim in the lake and watch the sun go down from the little jetty! Did everybody like it? I think that they loved it. It was far better than we ever expected. Thanks to Clare and Ian for their personal endorsement of the place and the geodomes! It was the last we saw of Matt and Nicolai. They were heading into Rwanda and we were staying an extra day. But, being the guys that they were, they taught us some new games that had us all laughing so hard it hurt. Now, who wants to learn "this is how I bounce my stick"?