Now let's be less succinct: Last I left you I was headed into Kampala for the evening. After some time spent downtown we headed into our compound where I hung out with my first Americans! Two Peace Corps guys and, AND, get this: We found the basketball games! Given it was the opening games of the first day, but I was so excited I was near tears and vibrating all over the place. I had such a fun time with my Americans, just high fivin' and betting dollar beers over plays. Africa AND basketball? Sign me up!
Early the next morning we took off for Murchison Falls with our safari group of six other folks, which included two OTHER Americans! (One of whom happens to be your neighbor in Milwaukee, Johno! Small world!)
After about six hours we reached the falls; I don't want to be a spoiler but it were the best part of the weekend. They were just absolutely magnificent. Stunning. Exquisite. We hiked in to look from the front.
And then our guide brought us up above, practically on top of them!
The pillar I am standing on is the remnants of a bridge that was built to cross the falls. It only lasted a year before a storm wiped it out.
Looking down the Victoria Nile from atop the falls.The power that passes through there every second was mind boggling. I took so many pictures, I couldn't get over the scale and force of what the Nile's bringing to the table. After a couple of hours, drenched from mist, we left for our lodge; I was in desperate need of a camera charge.
After getting settled into our tents we were given the low down on the hippos and warthogs that wander into camp at night. I l-o-v-e hippos but they're not exactly cuddly or an animal with which you want to get up close and personal. Have you ever seen the Parent Trap? There's the scene when the woman hits sticks together to keep mountain lions away? I couldn't find any sticks but that is EXACTLY how I felt! I did see a warthog and her babies, though. Warthogs are hilarious looking, their tails stand straight up like flags going into battle and they have a bad hair style, like a circa 1989 mullet. (I mean bad in the sense of Michael Jackson, RIP.)
Hakuna Matata. And yes, that song was sung extensively throughout the trip. What muzungus. This warthog may or may not have been right outside my tent because I may or may not have poured dried corn as a bait to lure her in. I'm such a hypocrite.Now here's the bad news. My camera, more or less, didn't charge. It was almost as if we were out in the bush in sub-Saharan Africa and the power source wasn't too strong. Go figure. I was SO disappointed but in a way, it forced me to really enjoy the moment and that was rad. I did take several flip videos but as a disclaimer: My pictures aren't great.
The game drive:
The famous red dirt; found everywhere. And by "everywhere" I mean it never comes out of my hair, clothing, bag, skin - it's pervasive. But kind of awesome looking.
Giraffe's are the funniest animals, eh? These are three males, the two larger ones kept "necking" each other to try to start a fight. I had all my money on the one on the right.
This is our guard, Simon. He was standing atop our cruiser looking for a lion that we'd gotten word was out in the grass. Seriously- the best camouflage I have ever seen (or not seen) because we never found her!
Talk about an animal that doesn't get enough credit. A water buffalo is one big, lumbering beast. There were herds of them everywhere; it was kind of like Uganda does Dances with Wolves.
Two antelope fighting. This was another creature that was EVERYWHERE. Normally, I wouldn't have been all that fascinated by them but I read the book Born to Run a couple of weeks ago and now I think they're pretty amazing. Anyone who has read that book knows what I am talking about and anyone who hasn't read it - what are you waiting for? Go get it!
This little lady and her mother were the first animals we saw Saturday morning. Quite the welcoming party.
My first hippo! The Nile is filled to the gills with hippos but this guy had most likely lost a fight and been cast out of the river to nurse his wounds and recover his pride. What a doll.The boat trip:
That afternoon we went on a raft down the Nile and saw more hippos than I could count. It was also poured. Monsooned. Almost swamped the boat. That's such a comforting feeling, the crocs surrounding the boat as the rain is POURING down.
Speaking of crocodiles, here is one having lunch with (from) a dead hippo mid-river. The hippo's stomach was already totally gutted and on our return to dock, the entire carcass had been cleaned.
Here's a group of hippos in a slightly more life like state. Aren't the beautiful? I was so smitten with them.
Here's my final picture of the day, it hints at the rainfall to come.
Like I said, I was frustrated I couldn't take more/better photos but the scenery was so unbelievable. There's always the initial rush of seeing the animals but in the end, it was the brilliance of the landscape, the ethereal light from the sunrise and the majesty of the sky that really captured my heart. I actually cried on the boat ride, it was that moving.
On Sunday morning we departed Murchison for a rhino sanctuary, this was particularly cool as we trekked on foot. There are only nine rhinos left in Uganda and they're very closely monitored.
I was a little skeptical about our safety advice: "Run and find a tree to climb."
But, we only had to skedaddle once and I felt very confident in the guide's abilities.
You'll all be relieved to know my camera righted itself and charged in full last night; crisis averted.
Have an amazing week! Go Green! :)
Love, love and more love,
FES
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