Day 6 - Of African Queen, Kings and Presidents

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‘Here is to royalty’ (uit The Sun also Rises - Ernest Hemingway)

The Masindi Hotel was founded in 1923 and is almost a century young. At the time it was built by the local railway company in Masindi, where goods coming from East Africa found their way to Europe. The Masindi Hotel became a stopover for travelers crossing the area. After years of government ownership, the hotel has been privately managed since 2000. Our nearly centenarian proudly carries her title as Uganda's oldest hotel. 

Over the years, the hotel has gathered a rich, almost royal history. First there was the residence of Hollywood royalty. In 1951, the filming of ‘The African Queen’ starring Hollywood stars Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn took place in Congo and Uganda. While filming in Masindi, both stars stayed at the Masindi Hotel. Book room 4 and /or 6 for a touch of Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart, by the way, won an Oscar for his role.

One of the most notorious guests was the literary king, the American writer Ernest Hemingway. He stayed at the hotel in 1954 to recover from a memorable week. Believe it or not, Ernest survived incredibly,  two plane crashes in just a few days. He was seriously injured and spent some time in the hotel. His injuries did not stop him from frequenting the hotel bar where he undoubtedly had his regular place. A ‘scotch and soda’ in his uninjured hand, telling stories of his unlikely adventures in Africa. It was also his way of dealing with the pain of his various injuries such as damage to the spine, liver, kidney, spleen and first-degree burns to the face and arms. ‘Wine is a grand thing. It makes you forget all the bad’(Ernest Hemingway).

After the plane crashes, Hemingway would drink more than ever before. Today the bar still bears the not very original name ‘Hemingway Bar’. Reserve room 8 for divine Hemingway inspiration.

And then there is the ‘uncrowned’ royalty, the uncrowned heads of state.

However, as head of state you can get away with anyting. Especially if you suffer from some form of megalomania. For example, former President Idi Amin wanted to be addressed as follows  'His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Lord of All the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular ', and claimed the unofficial title of 'Uncrowned King of Scotland '. Anyone wants to add anything? Megalomania was not the only downside to Idi Amin. Because while he assigned himself a title of different lines, his subjects had a different title for him. ‘Slaughterer of Africa’ ​​does not come out of nowhere. Over 500,000 opponents were eliminated during his reign of terror. Rumor has it that some were fed to the crocodiles, from others Amin kept the heads in his freezer. Rumors or not, the rumors are persistent and stories of cannibalism keep popping up.

Even though the Amin years are far behind us and the political situation is somewhat more stable, freedom of speech remains a sticking point and opponents of the current leader continue to disappear regularly. Idi Amin and current President Museveni regulary have stayed or stay at the Masindi Hotel. Tonight I get a room in what we will call the presidential wing, the rooms that are hired for the high visit.

There is history and history. There is history that has shaped the world of today, history that you want to see, feel, that you would have liked to be part of. And then there is history that you cannot shake off. History that still has repercutions in the country to this day. And I'm not talking about the silver screen legacy of our Hollywood stars, or friend Ernest's literary will. It is about the bloody, dramatic history of large parts of Africa, from which also Uganda didn’t escape. Their successful struggle for independence was followed by a politically unstable situation with genocide, personal enrichment and abuse of power. The Ugandans have not had much luck with their leaders.

Maybe I should have done a ‘Hemingway’to get a good nights sleep in the Presidential Wing because somehow, the presidents' sick minds are still wandering around here. Not helpfull for a good night’s sleep. But yes, for me it is only one night without lots of sleep, for the Ugandans it is something they have been carrying all their lives.