TAKE YOUR FAMILY (OR GIRLFRIEND) TO THIS ONE SPOT IN KWANIA AND THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU FOREVER.

Ongwen Laodog

Got Agwiciri

If you are thinking of a well spent weekend in Lango with the family or your ‘gang’ or your significant other, but all the places you are thinking of seem ordinary and dull, then I have a suggestion for you!

“Hey LC, why should we climb this rock? It looks ordinary, we are in a hurry.” I asked the local council chairperson of Agwiciri.

“There is a spot up there marked long time ago by the British. Three small holes. It’s magical. You need to see it.” He answered.

I love things of old, heritage stuff. That statement by the LC got me curious. Now I must find out what the British were up to up there.

For anyone who knows Lango fairly well, once you mention the name “Agwiciri”, he or she will think of the Agwiciri found along Lira Aduku road. That Agwiciri is in Kole district. But there is another Agwiciri in Kwania district. It’s a lake side village so leisurely and slow.

The Agwiciri village we are interested in is in Atongtidi Parish, Cawente Sub County in Kwania District. In the village, there is a rock not quite the size of Ngeta in Lira but it’s a lot more fun. The payoff for hiking it is bigger than what you will get from hiking Ngeta.

But looking at it, you would be forgiven for dismissing it as mundane uneventful. But you will be missing a lot if you allow that thought to take over and triumph.

I don’t know much about rocks but this rock seems perfect for hikers and rock climbers. It’s the only rock in Lango region that has a proper concrete paved trail to help hikers reach the top.

I had the opportunity of hiking it recently. The drive to it from Aduku town is around 30 minutes. The road is marum but fairly smooth. No one complained about the road on our way there.

Upon reaching Got Agwiciri I almost suggested to the team I was with that we should go back because it’s soo ordinary. It took a bit of nudging by the local council chairperson to convince us to climb it.

“Don’t worry, I won’t lead you to climb the rock from the hard trail, that’s for us here. You city people can’t manage that one.  I will show you the easy trail’’ he continued.

We settled for the ‘easy’ trail. You see, Got Agwiciri has two climbing trails. One is for hard-core climbers and the other one, the one that’s paved is for the not-so-geeky hikers.

The 'Easy' Trail

Apart from being the perfect rock to climb or hike, Got Agwiciri is also a sacred rock. In the past the locals would perform rituals for rain making from a cave on the side of this rock. The cave that used to be used for this purpose has never been scientifically explored. According to the local council chairperson, since there is no one left alive with rain making knowledge in the area, no one has entered that cave for more than 40 years. He suspects there could be relics like old pottery, spears and seeds used in the rituals untouched still in the cave.

Got Agwiciri is also the only rock outcrop that stands at the shores of Lake Kwania. This is quite unique when you think of it for a moment. A water body like Lake Kwania using my rudimentary knowledge of science would collect at the lowest point. But then here we have a situation where just standing next to it is the tallest land mass for miles and miles around. Actually the highest point in Kwania. So you could say here we have the lowest and the highest points in Kwania next to each other.

But let’s put that science away for a moment. On the way up while hiking, one is presented with an array of flora and fauna. The rock is a haven for a variety of medicinal plants. Some are rare medicinal plants not easily found anywhere else in Lango.

The rock is also blessed by an array of wild animals and birds. If you are skilled in tracking deer or you are just plain lucky, you might spot some deer. Monkeys are not as shy as deer so your chance of seeing a monkey on your way up the trail is plenty.

But whatever the case, please make sure you reach the top of the rock and stand on the ‘spot’. That’s where the ultimate magic and payoff is. If you reach the top, you will understand why the Kwania tourism office refers to the Got Agwiciri as ‘The Rooftop of Kwania”.

It actually took us shorter than I anticipated reaching the top of the rock using the easy trail set aside for ‘fat city people’. But I was blown away by what I saw from the top of Got Agwiciri standing on ‘the spot’. Nothing I have seen in Lango so far compares to this.

The phenomenon is hard for me to put in to words but I would think of it like a movie plot of a movie about a bad CEO who lives in luxury while his workers live in filth. In the movie, a low ranking worker worked for the organisation for years without stepping into the CEO’s office. He has always thought that all in the organisation, including the CEO, led hard lives. Then one day he is invited into the CEOs office. He climes the stares expecting to find something better that what’s in the offices of the other workers. But upon reaching the 12^th floor or whatever, he is overwhelmed by what he is seeing. Turned out the CEO lives in complete luxury. His office is a complete contrast from the dull dirty offices with old broken furniture he is used to seeing. That’s the feeling I had when I reached the top. I expected something nice alright. You would expect any LC to strut his stuff so when this LC said the place is magical, I discounted it. But it turned out, the LC was right, this place is magical and out of this world.

The top of this rock is fairly flat. But in front to me is the most spectacular view I have ever thought possible in Lango leave alone Kwania.

Seeing this for the first time, one of the many thoughts that came to my mind was “why is no one telling the world about this?

While I was awestruck, the LC had wondered ahead and was now standing on ‘the spot’. “You haven’t seen much yet. Come and stand on this spot”. He called out. So I went and stood on ‘the spot’. And boy oh boy…

360 degrees of panoramic pure splendour was what I was marvelling at. This is what you expect to see in photoshoped pictures in magazines but not in real life in Lango. So I was thinking, did someone ‘photoshoped’ this landscape?

But let me first tell you about ‘the spot’. ‘The spot’ itself is a set of three drilled holes about 3 inches wide each. Together they form a triangle. Am not sure what the British used them for but they could be one of the points used by surveyors of those days. The LC says in the past there were some metal framework there has since been vandalised. You can also see that someone tried to dig near them.

So I stood on ‘the spot’ and looked out. My jaw dropped. Imagine the different shades of green of the surrounding crop fields. Each crop field giving out a different shade of green. Hundreds of fields giving out different shades of green.

Then the undulating shorelines of Lake Kwania snaking in and out of view like some invisible hand worked on it. Then the marked dark green edges of the fields somehow making the whole ground look like some one’s abstract painting. Add to that the sparkly blue-green lake waters looking fresh and the blue skies with the fluffy clouds floating above the lake looking like cotton wool.

The Magnidicent Viw From The Top Of Got Agwiciri

If you are faint hearted, the result of this mix of beauty will make a few drops of tears run on your cheek. Tears of joy. It’s such a gripping and profound moment that you will never forget.

Please don’t forget to take a selfie. I have been taking photographs for the last 30 years or so and my instinct whenever I find myself in such a situation is to reach for my camera and take pictures but this time I almost forgot. 

So don’t forget to take some pictures. You will need them later. They just might help you relive this moment for months and years to come.

While you soak in the beauty, don’t forget to feel the gentle fresh lake breeze. They climbed the rock to reach you and cool your body from the heat you generated from the climb up. Notice that the air has fresh smell of nature in it. In my case, I thought I caught the smell of papyrus reeds which I love a lot. It has a way of making me thirst for water instantly.

Did you bring a pair of binoculars? Now is the moment to pull it out of the pouch. After enjoying the beauty of the surrounding locale, peer into the horizon. Try to locate the Bukungu and the Nakasongola rocks (yes you can see Busoga and Buruli regions from up there), also locate the Akokoro and Ibuje rocks. And Got Kagaya in Kaberamaido.

Got Agwiciri is the perfect place for camping and picnic. So if you have a corporate function or indeed any outdoor function, and you are planning. May be you are looking for someplace unique, and out of the way, please take your function to Got Agwiciri in Kwania. It will be a memorable one.

Ongwen Laodog is a heritage enthusiast based in Lango.

How to reach Got Agwiciri.

You can contact the Kwania Tourism Office on +256 774 127 022 for assistance in accessing the rock. You will also be advised on the other unique attractions in Kwania.

If you want me to be your guide, am happy to do so. You can reach me on +256 785 345 614.

You can also call the local council chairperson Mr. Diro Patrick on +256 778 385 149 who can guide you around.

Don’t forget to buy your refreshments from Aduku town. But you can also get cold water from the nearby Alidu trading centre. Whatever the case please buy your refreshments, etc from Kwania. That way you will be supporting the local economy and helping the local people appreciate the value of preserving such sites.