Saturday is the perfect day to relax and enjoy the weekend. And so it was. At about 11am, we had gathered at the Beach House in Ggaba. Perfect strangers to one another, a group of about 15 people easily connected because we had all been invited by a mutual friend – Alison Porteous, the proprietor of One Minute South, a boutique attraction on Bulago Island.
It was her birthday. The vibe was right; good people introducing themselves to each other and sharing breakfast. Ever had tequila for breakfast? You get.
The birthday girl was on her feet much of the time as she said hello, sharing a joke or hearty laugh with a friend. Alison is a people-person but also a lover of nature. On board was a unique party animal, not in your usual speak but an actual animal – Dora – who kept running from one end to another, taking stops to be petted.
The dog pal, who seemed from the Beagle or Jack Russel family seemed to be in jovial spirits and never tired from keeping company to whoever called on her name. Well, we arrived at One Minute South to a warm welcome into the flowery and lush compound, and the welcome area that says a thing or more about Alison – a collection of artefacts, mostly antiques decorated the walls, a cupboard, bookshelf, huge arch doors and windows, and more. You could tell there is a story about each of the items and books.
The network here was only stable in some areas, which should be a good excuse to step away from city life and reconnect with yourself and nature.
The chef and his team were busy and the evidence of their culinary expertise preceded their physical presence with the aroma of their delights, teasing our taste buds and triggering our mouths to water in anticipation of what to expect.
We were invited to lunch in the open compound by the shorelines of the lake. Under a huge tree shade were tables, made from boats, laid and a serving point set up at the open outdoor kitchen counter.
We started digging in and boy, oh boy, what a tasty meal!
The conversations over lunch were as interesting as they came – from the need for Ugandans to know such options to party to things that tickled nostalgic memories.
As the sun set, it was time for some of us to begrudgingly return to the mainland. But before embarking on the return journey, your writer had a short chat with Alison, who in the company of her horse and donkey, expressed gratitude for the new age, the untapped potential of marine tourism, the story of her new boat, Silver Fulu, which has quite an organic story to it and her efforts to save fish in Lake Victoria: a story that you should read about soon.
Happy Birthday Alison.
