Uganda
20-31 August
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In Transit - 18-19 August
Well, it’s been a rough couple of days. Our flights from Madagascar back to Johannesburg went well enough. After landing, we thought it would be a good idea to replenish our spending money for the next safari in Uganda. We went to an ATM at the airport. Someone came up to Renee while Dave was watching the bags and punched a button on the ATM machine with the guise of trying to be helpful. There must have been some sort of card reader in a rigged machine (although next to and part of a legitimate bank.) We didn’t know if anything untoward had actually taken place, but we felt very uneasy about the situation. It was difficult just getting the card back, and no money came out of the ATM. We called our banker immediately, but the system wasn’t in real time, so they weren’t showing any problems. A couple of hours later, however, in viewing our account on line, we discovered several pending withdrawal transactions had been made to the tune of over $2000. We were on the phone at the time with our banker (again) who immediately called the fraud department and had the card cancelled. Luckily, Renee’s card has a different number and is still active.
After the ATM card debacle, we called the B & B where we had a reservation for the night, only to find that there was no record of it, and the person who had made the reservation was off for the weekend. They kindly told us not to worry; they had a room for us, and they sent their van to collect us. They even held dinner for us and were very warm and welcoming.
The next day we had our flight to Entebbe, nonstop. I mention nonstop, because there was no reason why Dave’s bag should not have arrived with all the others. We were delayed getting out of the airport, because he had to file a claim for the missing luggage. When we did exit, we expected to have someone greeting us with our name on a placard. We didn’t see anyone, so a young girl offered to call our lodge to have them send someone. Just before the lodge vehicle arrived, we found the driver who had been sent for us. He was there all the while; his placard had our name at the top of it, hardly visible while he was holding it.
The next morning, Dave got his bag. The thought of shopping for new safari clothes in Entebbe, Uganda, was not a challenge we were looking forward to meeting. We got 2 stories regarding what happened to the bag. The one we believe is that someone mistakenly took it, and when they discovered the contents weren’t theirs, they brought it back to the airport. The locks had been ripped off of both of our bags, but the contents were intact.
Entebbe—21 August
This city looks downright prosperous compared to Madagascar. The streets are fairly clean, roads are paved and wide enough for the traffic, buildings are well made, etc. Security is very visible, however. We have a steel door in the corridor going to our room and another from the porch to the inside. There’s an armed guard patrolling the premises, high walls around the property and a sturdy gate which only opens to allow authorized vehicles inside. When we asked about it, we were told that because Uganda shares their northern border with Sudan, there is a heightened fear (and reality) of terrorism.
Ngamba Island
This morning we went to Ngamba Island, which is located in Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. Bordering its shores are Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Ngamba Island is home to the only chimpanzee sanctuary in Uganda. It is funded in part by the Jane Goddall Foundation. It is home for rescued chimps that live in the small forest on the island. Chimps now have an endangered status due to several reasons: being hunted for bush meat and for the pet trade, getting caught in snares set for other animals, and habitat loss due to deforestation. It seems to be a recurring theme—burgeoning populations are stripping the forests for fuel, and the land is then cultivated for farming, leaving little room for the animals to survive.
We went to a viewing area to see the chimps. We heard their raucous calls as they all came out of the forest. They know that at 11:00AM they will be fed, and their inner alarm clocks bring them to the feeding area a few minutes before 11, in anticipation of a meal. We enjoyed watching them catch vegetables thrown to them, and we took lots of photos. One of them used a stick as a tool to eat a carrot that had landed under the fence. Others hoarded the food, with hands and mouths full as they went back into the forest with their booty. It was easy to see just how strong they were. We were told that the chimps know they are stronger than humans, and care must be taken when dealing with them. The island is also home to a variety of birds, and Renee found a monitor lizard about 4 feet long while walking around taking photos.
NOTE: In keeping with our string of bad luck, a fan mounted to the wall of the hotel room came crashing down after our return that afternoon. Had Dave been sitting at the desk as he was accustomed to doing while using the computer, he would have had a fractured skull or a concussion at the very least. Or, if the computer had been there, it would have been toast. Same if the cameras were there. Lucky for us, none of that happened. Nothing was on the desk. Maybe our luck is changing!
Lake Mburo National Park — 21 August
This safari is the only “group” tour we signed up to do. As it turned out, there was only one other couple traveling with us in the group. They are an Australian couple, Doug and Carol, of approximately the same age as we are, and very pleasant, companions for us. Our driver/guide, George, is also a very personable young man. We are touring in a Toyota Land Cruiser, especially built in Tanzania for safaris.
We left Entebbe in the morning for our first destination, Mburo National Park, about a 5 hour drive away. The roads and towns and sights and sounds are indicative of a poor country, but not so poor as Madagascar. The trip was uneventful, and we arrived safely at the park.
The lodge is very basic—a roomy tent built up on a wooden platform with wood floors and real beds. The surprise came when we saw the bathroom sink—no running water. There was a pitcher of cold water and a thermos of hot water for washing up. The “bush” shower was explained to us. We had to give the room steward a time that we wanted our showers; he then carried hot water and filled a tank which operated the shower. The toilet was pretty normal. We looked back at the itinerary and saw that this camp is marketed as one “in the grand safari tradition”. Mm hmmm. The food is much better here than the last country.
After settling in, we went for an afternoon boat ride around the lake. We were pleased to get our best photos yet of 3 different kingfisher species and the African Fish Eagle, which is very much similar to the American Bald Eagle. Other game spotted here are various other water birds, antelopes called waterbucks, bushbucks, impala, zebra, Cape buffalo, warthogs and mongoose. Tomorrow we drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of the rare and endangered mountain gorilla.
Gorillas in the Mist AKA Ultimate Bootcamp Experience AKA We Survived the Trek! And Saw Gorillas - August 23-24
We left the lodge early in the morning, but not before gazing at the misty, mountainous forest in front of us where the gorillas live. We arrived at the park headquarters a couple of minutes later and received briefings on how we should conduct ourselves in the presence of the gorillas. (Etiquette, of course) The procedure went something like this. The trackers take a GPS location of the gorillas on the previous day. They then go out on your trekking day and start at the marked GPS site to try and locate them again, according to their movements since then. They pick up their trail, hopefully, and follow them. In the meantime, we received the briefings and were assigned to a particular family group. We then headed out, first by vehicle for about 30 minutes to the start of the trek. There, our first task was to join our guide and 2 guards with guns (AK47’s), which if any menacing wild animals were found, would result in shots in the air to scare them away. We also hired 2 porters to carry the backpack, water supply and lunch. As we turned around, we saw a primitive dirt road, which ascended steeply up the mountain. Our first thought was, “Are we supposed to walk up this road?” Well, yes, that was the idea! And did I mention that this trek was taking place at approximately 6,000 feet above sea level?
So, off we went with a group of 8 plus guide, guards, and porters. We climbed and climbed, stopping briefly to catch our breath and sip a little water. When we got to the top of the road, we hiked some more on a narrow path at the edge of some banana and coffee plantations. Finally, we entered the forest. The path seemed reasonable at first, but then we started a steep descent all the way to a rushing stream, which we forded by stepping on downed slippery tree limbs and rocks. I knew that this descent could only mean one thing. We would have to ascend again. And that’s just what we did, all the way to the top of the mountain. After 3 ½ hours or so of ascents and descents, we received word that the trackers had found the gorilla family. When asked how far away they were, we were told about another kilometer or so. By the time we reached the trackers, they told us the gorillas had moved. By now we had left the trail, the guards having macheted their way down a steep jungle slope for us to follow. To reach the gorillas now, we had to climb hand over foot back up the slippery, steep slope—the hardest thing we’d ever done. We finally found our family after more than 4 hours of trekking.
Imagine sitting in the middle of the forest and all around you are gorillas in the treetops! As they disturb the high foliage to eat the leaves and fruits, it feels like it’s raining, since all the debris from the trees is actually raining down around you. We spotted the patriarch, a huge silverback, at the top of a tree near where we were sitting. He was massive! Eventually, he and a few others came down from the trees and munched some leaves. They were a very active group, munching and moving through the forest. We tried to keep up with them, but our clumsy movements were no match for their agile ones. As if to say, “leave us alone”, the silverback threw down some small trees in our path to make our way more difficult. But at no time did we ever feel threatened or in any danger. We were allotted one hour for our visit. At the end of the hour, we ascended back to the path and had a break for lunch. Then we had to trek back to the starting point, retracing our ascents and descents. We had been hiking for 8 hours by the time we finally reached the vehicle for the trip back to the lodge. We had permits for a second trek the next day if we were unsuccessful in seeing the gorillas on the first day, but there was no way we could have done it again!
Queen Elizabeth National Park—August 25-28
Well, yesterday we learned in an email from Jared that an earthquake struck Virginia, with a 5.8 magnitude. An earthquake? Yes! Virginia, yes! Now today, in another email from Jared, henceforth known as the profit of doom, we found out that a hurricane is imminent in Virginia. I guess we’re missing all the action. Speaking of action, we’re sitting in bed in our canvas tent at 10:00PM listening to the sounds outside. We started hearing sounds from unknown animals a few minutes ago, which we now know are their alarm calls. How do we know? Because we are hearing the roar of a lion nearby. Did I mention that we’re in a tent made of canvas? Hope this one turns out ok!
The drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park only took an hour and a half from the gorilla forest. Upon entering the park, the first sight we beheld was the one that makes this park famous—the tree climbing lions. There was a male and female perched on the limbs of a very large, old ‘fig’ tree. The sun was shining on them in a way that you would wish for all your photos. We’re not aware of any other place where lions climb trees, and we’re not sure why they do it here. On the way to the camp we also saw 2 new species of antelope that are abundant in the park, the topi and the kob. Elephants and warthogs rounded out the drive in to the camp.
The camp is situated beautifully along the banks of a small, rushing river. In the tent, the sound of the rushing water and the bird calls soothe the psyche (except for the lion roar and alarm call tonight). We have another bush shower and a chemical toilet for night use. During the day, we walk to the flush toilets.
Next morning, we awoke to the sound of thunder and teeming rain, not the best weather when you’re camping in a tent alongside a rushing river. Our planned departure of 6:30AM for a game drive had to be delayed a couple of hours until the rain abated. We found on the drive this morning huge herds of Cape buffalo in addition to the animals already mentioned.
In the afternoon, on another drive, we found 2 female lions that we had seen that morning, only this time, one of them was asleep with their ‘kill’, a large topi. The other lioness was sitting guard. Another interesting find was a crested eagle, which we were able to photograph. When we returned to the camp, a hippo was cavorting in the river, turning somersaults in the water and playing. It was quite amusing to watch such a huge, lumbering creature making merry like that.
On the 27th, as we were leaving this camp for another part of the park, we came once again upon our 2 female lions sitting in a tree. Great for photos! Our destination today was the Kazinga Channel, a large channel of water connecting Lake George with Lake Edwards. After settling in a luxury lodge (more like a hotel), we took a boat ride on the channel, which was bursting with animal and bird life. Kingfishers, herons, ibis, yellow billed storks, fish eagles, cormorants, white pelicans, hippos, crocodiles and Cape buffalo all were residents happily residing together on the banks of the channel.
On the next morning, when we met our guide, George, for a game drive, he told us that when he went back to his accommodations the night before (near ours), he drove in to the parking area and saw a lion sitting at the front door. It moved on when it saw him, and he carefully went inside. We drove by there first and caught a glimpse of it as it ran into the bushes. It was still in the neighborhood. When we got back from the drive, we noticed that there were lion prints outside our building near our room, too. This lodge is the only one that didn’t provide an escort to us back to the room after dinner. Maybe they should start!
Kibale National Forest—August 29
After a 4 hour drive yesterday, we arrived at The Primate Lodge in Kibale National Forest. This national park has one of the few remaining wild chimpanzee populations. In addition, there are several monkey species here, including colobus, mangabays, bush babies and others. The lodge is situated in the middle of the forest. We were assigned our tent but had quite a walk to reach it in its secluded location. Although most of this safari has been spent in the forest, this was the first time we truly felt that we were completely surrounded by the jungle. Bird song was our music, and fluttering, flitting butterflies were our entertainment. We could also see some monkeys from our tent and the dining room.
Next morning, we went to the forest park office for a briefing before heading out to seek the chimpanzees. After about 45 minutes of walking, we heard their calls. Chimps are probably the loudest animals in the forest. They have several different calls, which humans have learned to interpret. When we found them, they were in the treetops feeding. Then, some came down to ground level and quickly disappeared into the foliage. They were just as active as the gorillas, so trying to photograph them through the trees and leaves was a challenge. After about three and a half hours of trekking through the forest (not quite as difficult as the gorilla trek) following the chimps, we returned to our camp. It was a beautiful, gratifying experience to see these totally wild chimps in their natural habitat living life as they all should be. In the afternoon, Renee was able to find and photograph a large, beautiful blue bird with a yellow and red bill and a crested head that she had seen.
Tomorrow, we head back to Entebbe to spend the night before flying back to Johannesburg for another night, and then, it’s on to the next adventure in India.
Final Thoughts
Uganda is a developing country much like others in Africa. The chief industry here appears to be farming. We’ve seen many more banana plantations than anywhere else. Coffee and tea are grown in quantity at higher elevations. There are also lots of herds of long horn cattle. As we’ve traveled here, we’ve seen many nongovernmental microbusiness development foundation offices. They give small loans to individuals so they can buy a cow or some chickens or seed to plant crops. We know that giving money doesn’t usually work out well. But, aid which helps people establish in some small measure a business interest of their own should do more good, since it helps them not only feed their family but gives them some pride and self assurance in their ability to succeed in work and life. There are also numerous organizations throughout the country making an effort to provide clean water for drinking. We’ve seen many schools, public and private, and many health clinics. The people here have been warm and friendly and helpful. Our guide has been superb. We found out that he was a soccer star on Uganda’s national team. The last group he guided was a BBC film crew. The safari camps were basic and not as luxurious as in Botswana. But, they seem to be good enough to satisfy most of the tourists who come here.
Chimps at Ngamba Island - Children on a Banana Plantation
Gorilla Trek - Hippo
Malachite Kingfisher - Yellow Billed Stork
Wild Chimpanzee - Taking Bananas To Market
Tree Climbing Lions
