U52 Uganda - The Impenetrable Forest, Queen Elizabeth Nat Park.
Tuesday, 9 May 2017 12:27 am
Our border crossing went well and all completed within a hour.
A note on road tax for those travelling in the DIY section of this web. See:
Uganda: Overland Uganda and The Border Crossing from Rwanda
The streets and country side is littered with it.
And the second thing is the people do not wave and they do not smile !
Such a difference in only a few hundred metres of an imaginary line.
The children are also asking “Sweet Sweet” and “Give Me Money !”
On the positive side it is fertile and beautiful.
The roads better than we expected and the more off the tourist path we get the more waves and smiles.
Now I know what it is like for fish in a fish tank!
I found some REAL African Jungle, finally.
We drove through some on the way today. Thick vine scrub, huge rainforest trees
Green Green Green.
Then back out into farm land !
The village women harvesting potatoes.
Todays destination and camp is Lake Bunyonyi.
U211: Bunyonyi Overlanders Camp
Cost: US$10/person
Today: 152 Kms
Africa Total: 39,062 Kms
Altitude: 1,983 Metres
Tuesday 9th May 2017:
Our day started at a reasonable time and into Kabale town, however it took more than 2 hours in the shop to get the Sim card with MTN to work.
Market day in the next village brings all the locals to town.
The day started at just under 2000 metres now we climb.
The farming on the steep slopes is amazing.
Into the Bwrindi Impenetrable Forest.
A wonderful drive.
We were lucky to spot a Black and White Colobus Monkey
U212: Ruhisa Gorilla Friends Community Camp
Cost: US$10/person
Today: 62 Kms
Africa Total: 39,124 Kms
Altitude: 2,341 Metres
Wednesday 10th May 2017:
It’s a Chameleon !
They want UGX 50,000 (A$25 ) for a picture...I offer then 1,000.
‘NO.... 2,000”
I climb back into the cab, OK OK 1,000 is OK ( A$0.40)
A couple of nice pics, then they just throw it into the bush !
Very soon, well after 4 hours of ‘lock to lock’ we are on flat savannah plains and the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Elephants and Water Buck but the tree climbing lions evade us.
We did get a good view of that Black and White Colobus Monkey.
Look a pack of baboons!
We’ll stop for a photograph.
Then this one casually walks over ...then jumps up on the vehicle.
Shit ! Windows up....
I had to start driving for him to leave.
U213: Myeyac Camp No2 Queen Elizabeth Nat Park
Cost: US4.50/person
Today: 270 Kms
Africa Total: 39,333 Kms
Altitude: 955 Metres
Big thunder storm brewing in the anvil shaped cloud
Thursday 11th May 2017:
A drive around the park today, no lions but plenty of Elephants, Kob, and Water Buffalo.
These two enjoying a mud bath until someone in a Fuso disturbed them !
As we are driving the N/S reading is ZERO.
We are crossing the EQUATOR.
No big black line through the scrub that I can see.
Check the surrounding craters here:
Back on the main road north
and the tourist sign for the Equator.
Actually it is in the wrong place and more than 27 minutes too far north.
“This is Africa”
Back onto country roads that wind through banana producing areas and more ancient volcanic craters.
We chose a community camp overlooking Lake Nkuruba, yet another volcanic crater.
Walked around the thick rain forest and the trees were alive with 5 different monkeys.
This one a Red Tailed Guenon
U214: Lake Nkuruba and the Enfuzi Community Camp
Cost: UGX 30,000 for 2 people+ truck ( A$11) We gave then 40,000
Today: 200 Kms
Africa Total: 39,533 Kms
Altitude: 1,525 Metres
Nice place with a very talkative Bishop looking after the Orphanage.
Tomorrow North towards Murchison Falls on the Victoria Nile.