Sunday morning we’re up by 5 am to prepare for our
departure. True to his word, Joshua has
come in early to open the BV kitchen and provide us with a warm breakfast. We pile into Davis’ waiting SUV and head out
after refueling in Entebbe. The
newly-constructed bypass highway allows us to miss most of the morning traffic
jam heading into Kampala, but things get a little more bogged down on the
outskirts where we join our road to the west.
We make a short stop at the Equator village, and Nick debates the
attendant on the validity of Coriolis forces affecting the flow of water down
the funnels.
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| Nick experiments with direction of water flow in north & south hemispheres |
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| local girl collecting washroom fees at the Equator |
The little café delights us with iced coffee and latte
choices, then we’re back on our way through the rural countryside of lush
farmland.
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| countryside enroute to Lake Mburo |
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| roadside butcher shop |
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| charcoal for sale |
The roads remain good until we turn off to drive the 14 km
or so to the Lake Mburo park gate, which takes an hour or more. The park fee of $30 USD per Canadian plus
30,000 shillings for Davis buys us 24 hours of access. We’re pleased to spot zebras, water bucks,
buffalo, and a variety of bird species on our way to the lakeshore.
Lunch is freshly prepared, reflected in the 45-minute wait
after ordering. Our food arrives just at
the 4 pm departure time posted for the tour boat, but the staff reassure us the
vessel will await us finishing our lunches.
Monkeys and warthogs entertain us on the lawns around the restaurant.
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| tour boat awaits us as we await lunch |
The boat trip involves many great sightings of hippos, along
with fish eagles, kingfishers, crocodiles and water fowl. It’s amazing how a large group of massive
hippos can suddenly completely submerge and disappear.
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| this croc is extremely fast heading into the water as we approach |
Our lodging for the night is at the Rwakobo Rock resort,
just outside the park gate, and we arrive at dusk. There is a beautiful central dining hall and
reception perched on the high rock overlooking a watering hole and ranch lands
which extend for many kilometres. The
lighting in our huts is solar powered, but the battery has run low and lights
were left on during the day, so we arrive in virtual darkness. We were very fortunate to have remembered to
pack flashlights, and the staff provide us with oil lamps in lieu of solar
lighting. The full board dinner is
delicious, and everyone sleeps well except for Alicia.
Monday is another early wakening, with a quick breakfast and
heading out to the park gate for the 7:30 opening. We head out on some of the side trails and
worry that the vehicle may become impossibly stuck in some of the muddy
patches, but Davis proves more than equal to the task of driving us on this
off-road adventure. Giraffes were only
just being re-introduced to the park when Susan was last here in 2015, so we
are keen to spot some of the dozen or so inhabitants, but discussions with some
of the guides we meet, and the park staff fail to provide any reports of
earlier sightings.
We do find a couple of small ponds where buffalo are
enjoying a mud bath, and another couple where hippos are making a home. One guy treats us to some wide-open mouth
posturing.
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| a hippo on land is an intimidating sight |
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| this guy thought our van provided a nice perch |
With time running out before our hard deadline to vacate, Nick
suddenly shouts out and we spot a graceful brown neck about three hundred
metres away. Fortunately, the winding
trail brings us within 70 m or so of these beautiful, gentle giants. In total, there are six giraffes who meander
across the field in front of us, pausing to briefly munch on leaves or grasses,
or simply seemingly post for our cameras.
Returning to the lodge, we grab a late lunch then Nick drops
out for a nap while Alan & Sue start to lounge by the pool. When news of a staff volleyball game
circulates, Davis and Alan head over to join in the match. A lively game of Jenga follows dinner, our
skills no doubt enhanced by a round of tequila shots. Happily finding our solar battery has been
recharged to provide lighting, everyone settles in for a good sleep, except
Alicia, who’s been struggling to sleep well.
Tuesday, we depart around 10:00 and make a few stops in
villages along the highway to purchase ground nuts (like peanuts which are
dried in the sun rather than roasted), mangos and fresh pineapple which the
vendor kindly slices for us. All these
treats are packed with intense flavour.
Davis has a tough time negotiating reasonable prices, with a car full of
mzungus.
We stop for a rest on the outskirts of Kampala and are
caught in an impressive electrical storm and downpour. Jackie has been contacted by the grandmother of Olivia, Gloria, Daniel and Jovan. This family of 4 siblings was orphaned when their father murdered their mother in 2012. We met them at the Bright Kids home on our first visit to Uganda, and have fallen in love with them. The grandmother has indicated she is prepared to keep the children home with her, but would require support above her means to do so.
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| Olivia, Gloria (back), Jovan & Daniel |
Jackie meets us in their village after picking up some food supplies, and we make our way to their home. We're thrilled to be reunited with these great children, but disappointed to hear that Grandma left to visit a sick friend and is being held up by the torrential rain. The kids show us family albums and relate how happy they are to be reunited with their extended family. We decide to bring their case to our Kulikayo board to see if there is general agreement to take them on.
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| Daniel is reluctant to leave Alicia's lap |
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| Olivia shows some photos to Jackie while a neighbour friend looks on |
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| Nick & Gloria |
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| One last hug before we leave |
Reaching Entebbe at suppertime, we Google a restaurant which
may have vegan options, and settle on Faze 3, which is on the shores of Lake
Victoria. Everyone is happy with their
menu choices, but the lighting on the patio needs to be extinguished for about
10 minutes at dusk to avoid being inundated by the winged insects who come in
off the lake every evening at that time.
We did score some cold beer and Amaretto at Victoria Mall,
but Sue, Nick & Jackie have limited stamina and retire after 1 drink, while
Alicia & Alan join some German folks who are dancing and enjoying music in
the conference room.
