GAME DRIVES AND OIL

We are at Paraa Lodge for 3 nights, and I am looking forward to relaxing.  It is beautiful and sprawling, and our room looksmover this part of the Nile, which bisects  Uganda's largest National Park.  450 species of birds make this park home, along with big game. Each morning we rise EARLY to a spectacular African Sunrise and hop on our dependable Land Cruisers and off we go to spot anything that moves.  The area is mostly savanna land with huge expanses of high grasses and incredible vistas as far as the eye can see. 

As we were slowly moving thru the park, we noticed a group of men with uniforms, coveralls, some type of surveying instruments, guns, caution tape, and glum faces.  Maybe a crime scene here in this vast open park?  Nooooooo........ OIL!   Oil has been found in one of the most remote beautiful places in the world......the Chinese are funding the exploration,and the India is supplying the machines, and some labor along with a few Ugandas.  They have quietly been exploring and drilling and are about to start pumping!!!  It would be like some other country finding oil in Yellowstone NP and drilling and pumping.  We were all so shocked, and just gobsnacked.  I was going to take a few pics out the window, but was warned not to.  Very serious.  We saw truck after truck driving the waste used in the drilling process out of the park.  We saw the wells.  We saw these very serious people surveying more spots.  We saw it all.  Sureal. Ham is upset about so many ecological issues...which are so valid, but also sees the mixed blessing it could bring to his country if handled properly, which is the big condundrum.  Uganda is very poor.  These other countries are rich, and once again, money speaks, and the people and the planet will probabaly lose.  I write this because it was not only shocking to us as park visitors, but in the following days we saw so much evidence of this ying and yang pull, and a glimpse of the future....maybe good, but probabaly bad.

RHINOS

A big reason to come to this country was to see African animals.  Unfortunately,  one of the most interesting, the Wide Lipped Rhino has been wiped out of Uganda by poaching and civil strife. Around 2005 with the help of a very large private land donation, the government decided to dedicate this extremely large piece of land to the rhino, and protect it and see if it could possibly make a come back.  This is not a farm or zoo, but a huge parcle of Ugandan land that was given by a private donor for this purpose.  The Rhinos are wild and left alone to breed and live completely naturally.  The ONLY thing different is that it is fenced and protected by guards.  It seems to be working, as they are breeding naturally, surviving, and their numbers are up to 13 now.  This is successful.  Because the Wide Lipped is a gentle grazer, unlike the black lipped, which is more dangerous around people, we were able to hike on the property with  rangers and observe the rhinos up very close.  We were given instructions on how to retreat IF a rhino felt threatened by our presence and came at us.  We were to select a tree and climb it fast!  I am not kidding.  There was one short incident where a mother Rhino did start to come at us...charge is too strong a word, but you could definetly tell she meant business.  I did go behind a tree, more like a sapling, but she turned and followed her baby.  

It was a thrill.  Steve really enjoyed it.  As of now there are no plans to release these animals back to the wild.  Poaching is still a huge problem in Uganda, and they would be wiped out again.  One of the young rhinos had the name of "Obama"........ Because his father was brought from Kenya, and his mother was brought from the USA.

FERRY ACROSS THE NILE

On the long driving day we had to make a destination by 6:00 pm.  We were headed for a lodge on the otherside of the Albert Nile branch of the Nile river. We were to take a ferry across and the ferry stopped running at dark.  For some reason, probabaly just so tired, when I heard "ferry", I wrongly assumed it was like one of our ferries.  Duh!  In Uganda?  

Driver Steffi was putting the petal to the metal as we bounced along alternating on a bit of paved road, then dirt, then gravel, then paved again.  It had been so hot and everyone was drinking alot of water, which, of course made us have quite a few bathroom stops and slowed us down.  Towards the end, everyone was just hanging on until we got to the ferry. Toilets in Uganda are holes in the ground, which are fine for the guys, but you know, women of the U.S. are not exactly thrilled to be squating all the time, and I was getting weary of it. Shout out to my KettleBells instructor, Adam, for making us do all those weighted squats in class!  I never realized how in shape I would have to be!

We got to the river, and two things happend.  The Ferry was broken and they were waiting for a "part" or something, and I could see by looking that this metal raft with a motor.....that it would not be having any toilets.  It was a low point in a long day.  I saw a latrine up the hill, and solely out of desperation, I trudged up to the little shack expecting the worst. I pushed open the door, and voila, a toilet,that actually   flushed, WITH TOILET PAPER! We never saw toilet paper, and just got used to carrying kleenex.  Also...it was clean!  Also, there was a sink outside with running water and soap!   It was so bizarre and out of place!  After using it,I stepped outside and saw two guys on a "boda boda" flying down the hill with some big metal part that looked like an exhaust system to me.  Our guys had been taking bets on the fact we were NOT going to make it across that evening, and where in the heck were we going to stay.  

Leave it to these ingenious Ugandans to jerry rig that contrapion, load the ferry (it could only take 7 cars and we were the last one on!) start the motor, and off we go crossing the Nile and landing just as it got dark.  For some reason, only a driver could be in the vehicle, so we all just walked on and stood as it crossed.  Check out the picture of the loading ramp I snapped.  And this was better than the one we unloaded on.  A few minutes more and we were in paradise....Paraa Lodge over looking the Nile.

Clean flushing toilet, and a ferry that did it's job, after 11 tough hours! Life was good...and a glass of wine awaited. 😄

ROADS

Simply put, the roads in Uganda are bad.  There are not many. They are in difficult terrain and of course Uganda faces many challenges trying to fix anything.  I give so much credit to Steffi and George for getting us to our first destination, for while we were onserving and criticizing, and moaning, and complaining, and sighing...they were on high alert while driving through the most difficult conditions with humor and ease.  I was thanking them later that night for delivering us safely to our lodge, and they said, "oh that was an easy day, not much traffic.!  11 hrs for 200 miles!!! We did pass(and wait) for some road construction, so it seems things are slowly changing. A word about the Land Crusier: while the "work horse" of the bush and the kind of power one wants to get out of difficult situations...comfort isn't a high priority.  I was squished, bounced, and my palm blistered by hanging on the the grab bar most of the way.

George and Steffi....best drivers in Uganda!

OFF WE GO...

We knew today was going to be a long drive, and we learned  the first rule of Ugandan travel: Do not ask how far...ask how long it will take....then double that!  We were to drive from Entebbe to Murchinson Falls in the northern part of Uganda.  It took over 11 hours to go 200 miles.  We were excited to board our sturdy Land Cruisers, and get to the rural areas.  First we had to drive a ways thru Kampala because....well, because there is really only one road.  We decided to not tour this Capital city because of recent terrorist threats and the fact that we stuck out like a moving target. From the time we left Entebbe, for the next 3-4 hours before we stopped for a potty break, we drove by and through mass poverty, unbeleivable traffic conditions, dirt, dust, and that was just to get to Kampla  a few MILES away!

The main stay of the Ugandan traffic mover is a small cycle nick named the "boda-boda", because it was first used to move people from "boarder to boarder" during the conflicts in Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, and Uganda.  Now, it is simply the quickest way to get somewhere, or get something somewhere because we saw these small motorcycles carrying everything and everybody for hire.  2  bulky but hardy Land Cruisers were no match for the agile cycles and their fearless drivers.

On the way to Kampala.

ENTEBBE

We made it and we are tired. Met our three Ugandan guides who will be with us thru thick or thin for the whole trip.  Ham is the name of our main guy, and it was it 42 nd birthday today.  He has a very soft voice and a strong accent, but big smile, and I am enjoying getting to know him.  We unloaded and rested by the pool in our hotel.  Weather is grand, actually...but there are alot of "developing county problems" that I am trying to look  at with huomor.  Like right befor dinner I heard a faint knock on our flimsy door, and upon opening was greeted by a young man with a couple BIG cans of bug spray asking if wanted our room and belongings sprayed. Well, hell yes!  Then I locked our passports and $$ in the room safe, but could not get it to open.  Imagine my disdain when I asked for help and another man came in and just pressed a "hidden" button...and open easy!  I do have internet, but it is convoluted and slow.  So far, we have no hot water...you know, just little things.!!!  Wine comes in the basic two flavors, and the food is surprisingly good. steve tempted fate today and ordered a huge  salad.  I had Tilapia caught, not farmed. We had a couple briefings, and yes, while Uganda is definetly third world and has over 35 million people in a country a tad bigger than Washington State...we were assured it was safe to walk around.  

We hit the road tomorrow for a long drive to Murchisson Falls.  The roads can be muddy, if it rains, and cause delays.....but  I am ready.  So tired.  Will try and up load a few pictures.

                            

UGANDA TREKKING ADVENTURE

I wasn't going to actually "start" the blog until we landed on African soil.....but since it is 4:00 AM here in Dubai, and I can't sleep...I guess I will post a few words.  We had an uneventful 14.5 hour flight from SeaTac, non stop,to Dubai,UE we will leave our hotel,Le Meridian, and catch the next flight which will land us in Entebbe early afternoon.

Why Africa, again?  So many reasons, and some are kind of odd.  Steve and I loved our Wildlife Safari adventure last year, and wanted more...but different.  This time we are headed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in NW Uganda to trek throughthis misty rainforest and try to see and observe the Mountain Gorilla.  The Bwindi area hold half (about 340) of the world's endangered Mountian Gorillas. They are only accessable on foot and we wil be accompanied by experienced trackers and "protectors" of the primates......and us!  If we are able to find them, we will only be allowed 1 hr or less to observe, and there are all kinds of rules to abide by.  I will be able to describe this part more as we get closer to that day.  The park is strict and only allows 24 people a day to trek.  And then, we must be broken into small groups..

Along the way we will be staying in different places including 3 solar powered "eco lodges" , and I am not sure about power, let alone wifi!  Haha

Tonight we are schedualed to be at LAICO Lake Victoria Hotel touted as a "classic colonial" style hotel overlooking the panorama of Lake Victoria.

In Uganda, it is still rainy season, and they are squarely on the equator...so I KNOW the humidity is going to be killer. I hope I am not sending complaint posts all the time abput the wet and heat...be forwarned.  We brought lots of rain gear, water prood boots, and gloves, and are ready!