Yep. We have discovered - to our very great horror - that TATS is a fraud, run by a con man. After three weeks of trying to make it work and giving him every opportunity to make it right, we finally came to our senses and called a halt to the charade. Stranded in Kenya in a vehicle on its last legs and with no money for repairs, food or lodgings, my friend called in some favors.
One of her students in London is from Uganda; he called his father, who called Rich Man, aka Knight in Shining Armor, who rode to our rescue; KSA insisted that we get back to Kampala - which we did. We flew in from Nairobi yesterday - KSA had a driver and car meet us at the airport and deliver us to a ritzy country club resort (which he owns). He's installed us there, each in one bedroom flats, at his expense for our remaining time here. And he's offered to arrange additional excursions so that he can make up for what The Thief of Kampala (hereafter TK) did to us. This guy is one of the richest men in the world, so ... it's quite an experience, to be treated with such respect and care after three weeks of being treated like idiot children.
We are just now completing our complaint against TATS, who is being investigated by both the police and the Ugandan Tourism Association for fraud and illegal activities.
All that said - the countryside and wildlife we've seen have staggered us by their beauty and abundance. Uganda is lush and tropical green; the part of Kenya that we saw was high savannah and beyond the ability of photographs to capture. I adore Kenya, and will be back. To say it is gorgeous is a massive understatement. We ran out of superlatives at our very first national park.
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