After 7 different planes, 1 boat, 4 cars and countless miles behind us, we are again home and back to reality. We arrived home around 5 pm yesterday and were happily greeted by the dogs and the bird. It's good to be home of course.
This trip was amazing. We loved Africa the last time we were there which is why we chose to go back and this trip again confirmed that. Africa is an amazing place that everyone should experience and visit at some point. Of course there are huge differences in the 4 countries we've been to there in culture, language, society, wildlife, but the one constant has been the people and their true love and pride of their land. They really enjoy having people come see them and where and how they live. This are some of the nicest people we've ever interacted with and want to share that with the world. They may not have much in material goods, but everywhere we went they asked us to please be there "ambassadors" to our friends and family back home. Of course, we are not blind to the fact that western travels brings money to the area - this is the reality and, yes, a major reason they want people to come. But, we never felt that we were a means to an end only. The welcoming and openness was genuine.
Tanzania offers some of the most fantastic animal viewing in the world. We saw more animals in one day than we did in probably a week in Botswana (we loved Botswana and this by no means changes that - there's more to see there, or anywhere for that matter, than just the animals). If you were going to make one trip to Africa to see these animals, Tanzania - especially in the Serengeti during the migration - would be the place to go. In total we saw countless lions and hyena, at least 8 different cheetah, including the 3 cubs, and 3 different leopards. Not to mention of course the hundreds and hundreds of zebra, wildebeest, warthogs, elephants, giraffe, and others. We want to just mention a few people along the way that made the trip there special - of course Paul our guide was with us the whole time - he was good, but again he was not Stephen! Moses at the Lemala Camp went out of his way to make us comfortable and to make sure we everything we needed we had.
Uganda, though, was special. The viewing was spectacular there as well - not as dense in the traditional safari animals as Tanzania, but the gorillas and the chimpanzees were an unforgettable experience. The people of Uganda were amazing - because it's a less popular destination than their nearby neighbors of Kenya and Tanzania, they are not spoiled by western travelers. Hopefully this will stay that way. We will not soon forget the children who come running from the fields and from their gardens as we drove or walked by yelling "Mazunga!" - white person basically! And they all chime in with "Hallooo!" "How are youooo?" There's always the little extra "ooo" on the end! Many little kids, that all the English they knew. Unfortunately, in the larger populated areas close to popular tourist stops, they also have learned "give me some money". The funny thing, though, is that most of the kids probably don't know what that even means!
Our guide Stephen was amazing - made the trip that much better for us. We immediately clicked with him - personality and guide style and everything. He was personable and told us about his family, but at the same time could drive for hours and not say much at all - which was fine with us. There's a large part of the trip that is just watching the world that is going by. The people at Gorilla Forest Camp - Ian, Bruce, and Michael - were great. Aubrey and Claire (and the dogs of course) at Ndali were great as well - if ever they needed someone to "watch" the camp while they're away, we'd volunteer in a second!
The trip reminded us again at how cruel and sad nature can be. The wildebeest migration, while amazing in its scale and design, is at the same time an incredibly sad thing. These animals constantly walk for miles and miles in search of water - making the same circle through Tanzania and Kenya for probably thousands of years. To ensure their survival, most calves are born around the same several week period, yet thousands of these calves don't see their 1 week birthday. They get lost from their mothers which is an immediate death sentence - some chase after the safari vehicles hoping that the large moving object may be their mother. You can hardly bear to look back and see this poor little animal using it's limited energy to try and catch up to the car. The cars of course are probably part of the problem as while we drive around, we scattered herds and break up mother and baby. Even more sad are the poor little ones who've laid down and just lift their head up as you go by, but have resigned themselves to the inevitable. The lucky ones will be hunted by the large predators. The others will die of dehydration and starvation and then be eaten by the vultures and hyenas. You want to stop and pick up these refugees - but realize that this is the reality of the natural world. Their death feeds others and the circle goes around. Also, not sure our neighbors would appreciate wildebeest in our backyard!
Lastly, again, Karen and I spent virtually every minute together for the last 16 days. Again, there's nobody else that I would want to have with me and to experience this together. Thanks to her - for the patience to wait for me to be "finished" photographing something - for her near-camping experience at the tented camp - and for everything else in between.
One note has to be an acknowledgement of of the travel company we used for this trip - Natural Habitat Adventures (www.nathab.com) and particularly Aly who worked with us on planning the trip. They did an amazing job and we plan to use them in the future. If anyone is considering a trip, check them out - they've got trips all over the world not just Africa. Some look very cool - if only we had enough time off work and unlimited resources, we'd do many of them!
Enjoy and happy travels.
Jon
[One note on the blog - as you can see, I have updated the last few days of the trip that we had no access for completeness. I hope to at least put a few photos on the blog soon and maybe some video (if I can figure out how to make the files smaller). I will update the photo website as soon as I can.]
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Leaving the Serengeti
We left LaMala tented camp just after sunrise and did a game drive as we headed toward the airstrip. It is astounding to me how many animals there and how relatively simple it is to find them. Right outside the camp, there was a cheetah drinking as some Marabou storks (huge ugly vulture like birds) looked on. We saw herds of Thompson’s gazelle, zebras and wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, some lions, hyena and even a glimpse of a leopard. The plains stretch on to the horizon and the views are amazing. We arrived at the airstrip at around 11 am and took our little propeller plane to Arusha, where we were met by Alphonse. We went to a little shopping area briefly and then had a very large and very good lunch at the River Lodge. We are now in a day room at a hotel for a few hours to freshen up before we head to the Kilimanjaro airport (on the other side of Arusha from where we landed this morning) to head to Dar Es Salaam then to Amsterdam and then to home!
-Karen
-Karen
The Serengeti Day Two
We awoke early and ate breakfast while watching an amazing sunrise and set off just after dawn. We started the morning by watching some lions and then moved on when it appeared that they had settled in for a long nap. We saw two kinds of jackals, two napping cheetahs, and then drove south in search of wildebeest.
This is the time for the wildebeest migration as they follow the water. There are hundreds of thousands of animals moving in large herds. This is also the time that the baby wildebeest are born and within minutes of birth are able to stand and follow the herd. Several of the babies we saw were so young that they still had the remnants of the umbilical cord remaining.
Unfortunately, they do not imprint fully on their mothers until about 20 days of age and in the confusion of the herd, many get separated from the mothers. Sometimes, the wildebeest run because they are scared and get separated from the babies; sometimes there is just such a huge number that the babies get confused and become separated; and sometimes the babies lay down to rest and the grazing mother seems to just wander off. Unfortunately, these babies will not be claimed by another mother, and if they are lost, wander pitifully looking for their mother until they die of dehydration or at the hands of a predator. As many as half of the babies will die at this very young age after being separated from their mothers. It is so sad to see these little lost babies wandering around far from the rest of the herd.
On the plains, we also saw zebra and a large herd of eland. We spotted a reedbuck and a very small antelope called a dikdik, which is a small antelope about the size of our beagles but with slightly longer legs. On the way back to the camp for lunch, we spotted several hyenas lounging and cooling off in shallow mud puddles.
After lunch and a brief siesta, we saw a few giraffe wander very close to the camp. Then, we were out for another game drive. We saw zebra, many wildebeest, giraffe, the four lions from this morning still napping, and the mother cheetah and her three cubs that we spotted yesterday walking and they lying in the grass. We saw a large male giraffe drink from a water hole, which is incredible awkward for these usually graceful animals and when they are most vulnerable. We stopped by a lake where there are flamingoes and then found a leopard eating a baby wildebeest at the base of a tree. She had already dragged a second wildebeest into the tree, where it was suspended high above the ground. After watching her eating for a while, we were able to witness her dragging the remaining wildebeest into the tree and then bound onto another branch for a rest. Unfortunately, it was getting late and the sun was setting, so we headed back to camp. The dinner tonight was served outside near a bonfire under the millions of stars. It is amazing how clear the sky is and how many more stars you can see here as compared to at home. The night sky is absolutely glittering. We, however, are tired and are headed to bed. Tomorrow, we will have a morning game drive and then start the long journey home.
-Karen
This is the time for the wildebeest migration as they follow the water. There are hundreds of thousands of animals moving in large herds. This is also the time that the baby wildebeest are born and within minutes of birth are able to stand and follow the herd. Several of the babies we saw were so young that they still had the remnants of the umbilical cord remaining.
Unfortunately, they do not imprint fully on their mothers until about 20 days of age and in the confusion of the herd, many get separated from the mothers. Sometimes, the wildebeest run because they are scared and get separated from the babies; sometimes there is just such a huge number that the babies get confused and become separated; and sometimes the babies lay down to rest and the grazing mother seems to just wander off. Unfortunately, these babies will not be claimed by another mother, and if they are lost, wander pitifully looking for their mother until they die of dehydration or at the hands of a predator. As many as half of the babies will die at this very young age after being separated from their mothers. It is so sad to see these little lost babies wandering around far from the rest of the herd.
On the plains, we also saw zebra and a large herd of eland. We spotted a reedbuck and a very small antelope called a dikdik, which is a small antelope about the size of our beagles but with slightly longer legs. On the way back to the camp for lunch, we spotted several hyenas lounging and cooling off in shallow mud puddles.
After lunch and a brief siesta, we saw a few giraffe wander very close to the camp. Then, we were out for another game drive. We saw zebra, many wildebeest, giraffe, the four lions from this morning still napping, and the mother cheetah and her three cubs that we spotted yesterday walking and they lying in the grass. We saw a large male giraffe drink from a water hole, which is incredible awkward for these usually graceful animals and when they are most vulnerable. We stopped by a lake where there are flamingoes and then found a leopard eating a baby wildebeest at the base of a tree. She had already dragged a second wildebeest into the tree, where it was suspended high above the ground. After watching her eating for a while, we were able to witness her dragging the remaining wildebeest into the tree and then bound onto another branch for a rest. Unfortunately, it was getting late and the sun was setting, so we headed back to camp. The dinner tonight was served outside near a bonfire under the millions of stars. It is amazing how clear the sky is and how many more stars you can see here as compared to at home. The night sky is absolutely glittering. We, however, are tired and are headed to bed. Tomorrow, we will have a morning game drive and then start the long journey home.
-Karen
The Serengeti Day One
We left this morning at 6:30, which was right around sunrise, and had an amazing morning where we saw tons of animals. Very quickly we found a group of hyena and then a second group that included some young babies. They are very curious and come right up to the car… but scamper quickly back into their den. Then, we saw two separate cheetahs, a zebra being consumed by some vultures, the two lions responsible for that kill, some elephants, and several gazelles. We went back to the camp for breakfast at about nine, then we were out looking for game. We saw a mother cheetah and three cubs plus the young zebra she had killed for them to eat. We watched them eat for a bit and then lay down to nap. We then found a leopard in a tree and watched him for a long while. We saw some more hartebeest, gazelles and zebras. We returned to the camp for lunch and we are leaving soon for more game drives.
It has rained for about ten minutes, which is good, because it is very dry here. Everything gets coated by this very fine dust. It makes its way into very crevice and you return from the game drives coated in a fine layer… and really appreciating a shower!
It has rained for about ten minutes, which is good, because it is very dry here. Everything gets coated by this very fine dust. It makes its way into very crevice and you return from the game drives coated in a fine layer… and really appreciating a shower!
To the Crater
We left Plantation Lodge at about 7:30, after waiting about a half hour for our guide, and drove along the nicely paved road to Ngorogoro Crater (from the Maasai word for big hole) which was a volcano that collapsed three million years ago and forms a 102 square mile area surrounded by walls that are 2,000 feet high. There is only one way in and one way out and there are thousands of animals living at the bottom including warthogs, Thompson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, Hartebeest, lots of zera, lots of wildebeest, some lions, some elephants, and some rhinos. Many of the wildebeest and the zebra had babies and it was great to see so many at one time. After leaving the crater, we drove to the Serengeti (from the Maasai word for endless plain) and saw more gazelle and zebra. After getting lost and having to stop to ask for directions twice, we finally arrived at Lamala Tented Camp.
These are tents that have a small attached shower, with a tank that is filled with hot water by the staff at your request, and a toilet, and a bed. This camp is mobile and is taken down and moved depending on where the animals are. We had a quick shower and dinner and then went to bed.
The water on this trip has been interesting. Of course, you cannot drink or brush your teeth with the tap water – you use bottled water. At most places, like Jacana Lodge and Ndali, the water is pumped from the local lake, which is yellow or muddy colored and smells slightly swampy. Here the water is heated in a metal tank over a fire and has a wood fireplace smell.
These are tents that have a small attached shower, with a tank that is filled with hot water by the staff at your request, and a toilet, and a bed. This camp is mobile and is taken down and moved depending on where the animals are. We had a quick shower and dinner and then went to bed.
The water on this trip has been interesting. Of course, you cannot drink or brush your teeth with the tap water – you use bottled water. At most places, like Jacana Lodge and Ndali, the water is pumped from the local lake, which is yellow or muddy colored and smells slightly swampy. Here the water is heated in a metal tank over a fire and has a wood fireplace smell.
Leaving Uganda...arrival in Tanzania
Going backward a bit here, but wanted to update as completely as possible...
We left Ndali while it was still dark and made the six hour drive back to Kampala, where we started. After a brief meeting with Lydia again, we went to the airport to fly first to Nairobi and then to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. The second part of the trip was on my least favorite type of plane – with propellers, but was a reasonably sized plane. (There is another coming that I am dreading.) We could see Mount Kilimanjaro and its snow-topped peaks from the plane (well, I had a glimpse and then closed my eyes again and battled nausea). Upon landing at about seven, we were met by our guide, Paul and drove to Arumeru River Lodge, passing Mouth Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru on the way. This lodge consists of ten “chalets” with two rooms each, which a completely modern bathroom and a main lodge with reception, a bar and a restaurant. Tomorrow morning, we start the next part of our adventure.
Uganda was amazing. The gorillas were definitely the highlight of the trip – despite the grueling hike to see them. The people of Uganda were so very nice and really went out of their way to make sure that we were very comfortable. Stephen, our guide, was wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. He did an excellent job taking care of us and pointing out the wildlife, including many bird species and even plants. While everybody was great, the staff at the Gorilla Forest Camp and at Ndali (especially George) was really exceptional. The people really made the experience a special one for us and we would recommend this to anybody who is interested.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
We were on the road again at 7:30 and drove through the fairly modern city of Arusha. Near Arusha, which is in the shadow of the mountain, it is green and lush but very quickly it becomes more dry and savannah-like. The entire road today was paved and there were actually some other cars. We passed several Maasai people in their traditional cape like outfit herding cattle and goats.
We arrived at Lake Manyara National Park, where we did a 5-6 hour game drive. The park itself is fairly small and is dominated by the lake. We saw hippo, giraffe, cape buffalo, flamingoes, warthog, elephants (including a tiny baby), zebras, impala, ground hornbills, a dikdik (very small antelope), baboons and vervet monkeys. The variety and abundance of wildlife is astounding. There is a hot spring area too. The views are great. Unlike Uganda, where it seemed like we could drive for hours and never see another car, this is much more crowded with tourists (including many children). This is understandable given the amount of wildlife that can be seen and the relative ease of getting to the park; however, the isolation gives you a sense of nature that you lose when there are other people and cars around.
After the game drive, we headed to Plantation Lodge, which was a former coffee plantation. The room here is huge and quite luxurious. It is actually an entry room with a table and a small patio, a large bathroom, a small sitting room, and a large bedroom with another small patio. We had a nice walk around the grounds with a guide who identified many of the plants, learned about coffee growing in the area, and saw the lodge’s large gardens. We are going to have dinner and then we are off again tomorrow for yet another early start!
-Karen
We left Ndali while it was still dark and made the six hour drive back to Kampala, where we started. After a brief meeting with Lydia again, we went to the airport to fly first to Nairobi and then to Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania. The second part of the trip was on my least favorite type of plane – with propellers, but was a reasonably sized plane. (There is another coming that I am dreading.) We could see Mount Kilimanjaro and its snow-topped peaks from the plane (well, I had a glimpse and then closed my eyes again and battled nausea). Upon landing at about seven, we were met by our guide, Paul and drove to Arumeru River Lodge, passing Mouth Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru on the way. This lodge consists of ten “chalets” with two rooms each, which a completely modern bathroom and a main lodge with reception, a bar and a restaurant. Tomorrow morning, we start the next part of our adventure.
Uganda was amazing. The gorillas were definitely the highlight of the trip – despite the grueling hike to see them. The people of Uganda were so very nice and really went out of their way to make sure that we were very comfortable. Stephen, our guide, was wonderful, knowledgeable and friendly. He did an excellent job taking care of us and pointing out the wildlife, including many bird species and even plants. While everybody was great, the staff at the Gorilla Forest Camp and at Ndali (especially George) was really exceptional. The people really made the experience a special one for us and we would recommend this to anybody who is interested.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
We were on the road again at 7:30 and drove through the fairly modern city of Arusha. Near Arusha, which is in the shadow of the mountain, it is green and lush but very quickly it becomes more dry and savannah-like. The entire road today was paved and there were actually some other cars. We passed several Maasai people in their traditional cape like outfit herding cattle and goats.
We arrived at Lake Manyara National Park, where we did a 5-6 hour game drive. The park itself is fairly small and is dominated by the lake. We saw hippo, giraffe, cape buffalo, flamingoes, warthog, elephants (including a tiny baby), zebras, impala, ground hornbills, a dikdik (very small antelope), baboons and vervet monkeys. The variety and abundance of wildlife is astounding. There is a hot spring area too. The views are great. Unlike Uganda, where it seemed like we could drive for hours and never see another car, this is much more crowded with tourists (including many children). This is understandable given the amount of wildlife that can be seen and the relative ease of getting to the park; however, the isolation gives you a sense of nature that you lose when there are other people and cars around.
After the game drive, we headed to Plantation Lodge, which was a former coffee plantation. The room here is huge and quite luxurious. It is actually an entry room with a table and a small patio, a large bathroom, a small sitting room, and a large bedroom with another small patio. We had a nice walk around the grounds with a guide who identified many of the plants, learned about coffee growing in the area, and saw the lodge’s large gardens. We are going to have dinner and then we are off again tomorrow for yet another early start!
-Karen
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tanzania Update
This is unfortunately going to have to be short and no photos again - we are not able to use our own computer at this stop, so can't upload what we've already written or photos.
We left Uganda, sadly, yesterday and fly to Nairobi, Kenya (not really sure why) then on to Arusha, Tanzania. The flight from Kenya to Tanzania had propellers and happy to report everyone did fine. (We'll see about the 12 seat plane back from Serengti!) We were picked up at the airport by our new guide, Paul. He's good, but he's no Stephen (from Uganda). We then went to our lodging for the night which was a few minutes from the airport, but was very nice. Had a nice dinner then went to sleep.
We woke up this morning at 6:30, ate breakfast and were out by 7:30 to Lake Manyara National Park where we did about 5-6 hours of safari driving. There were tons of animals - elephants, giraffe, antelope, warthogs, and lots of birds again. We say a leapard kill in a tree, but unfortunately, no leapard eating it. We arrived at the Plantation Lodge, an old coffee plantation converted to a lodge. Our room is great - huge and very nice. We took a short walk around the property, and then are going to eat dinner.
This may be the last update until we get home - not sure about the internet beyond.
Enjoy!
-Jon
We left Uganda, sadly, yesterday and fly to Nairobi, Kenya (not really sure why) then on to Arusha, Tanzania. The flight from Kenya to Tanzania had propellers and happy to report everyone did fine. (We'll see about the 12 seat plane back from Serengti!) We were picked up at the airport by our new guide, Paul. He's good, but he's no Stephen (from Uganda). We then went to our lodging for the night which was a few minutes from the airport, but was very nice. Had a nice dinner then went to sleep.
We woke up this morning at 6:30, ate breakfast and were out by 7:30 to Lake Manyara National Park where we did about 5-6 hours of safari driving. There were tons of animals - elephants, giraffe, antelope, warthogs, and lots of birds again. We say a leapard kill in a tree, but unfortunately, no leapard eating it. We arrived at the Plantation Lodge, an old coffee plantation converted to a lodge. Our room is great - huge and very nice. We took a short walk around the property, and then are going to eat dinner.
This may be the last update until we get home - not sure about the internet beyond.
Enjoy!
-Jon
Monday, February 16, 2009
Blog Update
As you can see again, we have posted a few days now that we have some brief access. This is bonus internet time as we're using the wireless at the house of the owners of the Ndali Lodge which was nice of them to allow us to invade their space. Because we don't want to take too much of their time, won't be able to post photos, but will try to get some up tomorrow night when we arrive in Tanzania. There should be internet there at that hotel of the first night...should is the key word!! Enjoy the words for now...
-Jon
-Jon
Chimpanzees...
This morning after breakfast overlooking the amazing view, we drove about an hour to Kibale National Park. In the morning, we did a walk through the marsh where we saw numerous bird species including the Great Blue Turaco, which is fairly rare. We also saw two other species of monkeys: the grey cheeked mangabey and the red colobus. We then had a traditional Ugandan meal at a place called Tinka’s. We ate sitting on the floor on woven mats. The meal started with some of the local tea flavored with a bark that had a cinnamon-like taste. The bulk of the meal included cassava, squash, rice, boiled green mashed bananas, spinach and carrots, beans, corn meal wedges with peanut sauce and sesame sauce. It was very good and very filling. After digesting for a short while, we went for to see the chimpanzees that this area is known for. We walked briskly through the forest, which was flatter and less dense than at Bwindi, and found a group of about twenty chimpanzees eating in a fig tree. Unfortunately, they did not come down from the tree so we just caught glimpses of them in between the leaves. There was a baby that was clearly interested in us and kept peering down at us. It was wonderful to see them. Afterwards, we returned to Ndali, where we showered and are packing in preparation for part two of our journey.
-Karen
-Karen
Onward to Kibale Forest
We were on the road for an early game drive before sunrise and were rewarded with a sighting of a hyena. We saw two groups of lions and enjoyed the scenery. After breakfast, we were on the road heading north out of Queen Elizabeth National Park. We crossed the equator again and then had to change our second flat tire of the trip. We stopped in a town for gas and a replacement for the spare tires since we had used both of them. Then, we continued on our way to Kibale, through lots of little villages, past fields of cotton, coffee, and lots of bananas.
We arrived around 2 pm at Ndali Lodge, which is high on a hill overlooking Nyinambuga lake with the Ruwenzori mountains, some topped with snow, in the distance. The surrounding hills are lush and green, some with natural growth and some used for crops. The lodge has a central area with a dining room and an outside patio, with an amazing view of the lake, where we ate lunch. There is a pretty pool, complete with inflatable floating rafts, and five resident dogs, who are quite friendly. The rooms are thatched roofed cottages that have a nice patio, where I am sitting and typing while I enjoy the view and listening to the birds. There is only some solar electricity here but everything else is candle powered.
After lunch, we went for a two hour walk around the lake with the dogs for guides. The walk took us through tall elephant grass that is about ten feet high, past gorgeous vistas of the lake, through a banana field, and through a small village before circling around back to the lodge. Now, we are just going to relax until dinner and tomorrow’s adventure.
-Karen
We arrived around 2 pm at Ndali Lodge, which is high on a hill overlooking Nyinambuga lake with the Ruwenzori mountains, some topped with snow, in the distance. The surrounding hills are lush and green, some with natural growth and some used for crops. The lodge has a central area with a dining room and an outside patio, with an amazing view of the lake, where we ate lunch. There is a pretty pool, complete with inflatable floating rafts, and five resident dogs, who are quite friendly. The rooms are thatched roofed cottages that have a nice patio, where I am sitting and typing while I enjoy the view and listening to the birds. There is only some solar electricity here but everything else is candle powered.
After lunch, we went for a two hour walk around the lake with the dogs for guides. The walk took us through tall elephant grass that is about ten feet high, past gorgeous vistas of the lake, through a banana field, and through a small village before circling around back to the lodge. Now, we are just going to relax until dinner and tomorrow’s adventure.
-Karen
Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Last night we slept serenaded by a bunch of frogs, including some that sounded like quacking ducks, some like wind chimes and some making “boing” noises. Awakening before dawn, we had breakfast and set off on the road to do a game drive through the northern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Almost immediately, we saw some lions lounging in the morning sun and then move into the shade as the African sun very quickly heats up the landscape. We saw several birds, more wart hogs, antelopes, and elephants. We even saw another monitor lizard crossing the dirt track through the park. The landscape is gorgeous with grasslands punctuated by acacia trees, umbrella trees, and cactus like trees all with the Mountains of the Moon in the background at the Congolese border.
We arrived around lunchtime at Myewa Lodge, which is situated in a beautiful location on Lake Edward, which is connected to Lake George by the Kazinga Channel. This is a more hotel like place and, while certainly not bad, lacks the personality of the other places we have stayed. This afternoon, after lunch, we will be doing a boat trip on Lake Edward and then another evening game drive. More later….
Part II
After lunch, which we ate surrounded by small yellow weaver birds that tried to eat some of our meal too, we went to the boat launch. The boat trip went from Lake George through the Kazinga Channel to Lake Edward. Along the way, we saw lots of hippos and cape buffalo in the shallow water trying to keep cool. There were elephants, a few crocodiles and lots of bird species including Goliath heron, saddlebill and yellow bill storks, skimmers, pelicans, terns, pied kingfishers and Egyptian geese. Near Lake George, we saw one of the eleven fishing communities that exist within the park.
In the evening, we took a game drive through an area where the land is pockmarked by craters from former volcanoes. Some are porous and have just vegetation, some are fresh water lakes and some are saltwater lakes. Some salt collection is done in the saltwater lakes and there are flamingoes. The scenery is amazing and the sunset, although obstructed by clouds, is gorgeous. We got back to the hotel around 8 pm, ate dinner, and went off to bed, tired after another busy day.
-Karen
Last night we slept serenaded by a bunch of frogs, including some that sounded like quacking ducks, some like wind chimes and some making “boing” noises. Awakening before dawn, we had breakfast and set off on the road to do a game drive through the northern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Almost immediately, we saw some lions lounging in the morning sun and then move into the shade as the African sun very quickly heats up the landscape. We saw several birds, more wart hogs, antelopes, and elephants. We even saw another monitor lizard crossing the dirt track through the park. The landscape is gorgeous with grasslands punctuated by acacia trees, umbrella trees, and cactus like trees all with the Mountains of the Moon in the background at the Congolese border.
We arrived around lunchtime at Myewa Lodge, which is situated in a beautiful location on Lake Edward, which is connected to Lake George by the Kazinga Channel. This is a more hotel like place and, while certainly not bad, lacks the personality of the other places we have stayed. This afternoon, after lunch, we will be doing a boat trip on Lake Edward and then another evening game drive. More later….
Part II
After lunch, which we ate surrounded by small yellow weaver birds that tried to eat some of our meal too, we went to the boat launch. The boat trip went from Lake George through the Kazinga Channel to Lake Edward. Along the way, we saw lots of hippos and cape buffalo in the shallow water trying to keep cool. There were elephants, a few crocodiles and lots of bird species including Goliath heron, saddlebill and yellow bill storks, skimmers, pelicans, terns, pied kingfishers and Egyptian geese. Near Lake George, we saw one of the eleven fishing communities that exist within the park.
In the evening, we took a game drive through an area where the land is pockmarked by craters from former volcanoes. Some are porous and have just vegetation, some are fresh water lakes and some are saltwater lakes. Some salt collection is done in the saltwater lakes and there are flamingoes. The scenery is amazing and the sunset, although obstructed by clouds, is gorgeous. We got back to the hotel around 8 pm, ate dinner, and went off to bed, tired after another busy day.
-Karen
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Day One
We left Bwindi Impenetrable Forest this morning and drove into Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is in the far western part of Uganda and part of the Great East African Rift Valley. After a short pause to change a flat tire, we went into the southern part of the park. The terrain here is totally different. It is much more open and savannah like. We saw some elephants in the distance, more topi and some Ugandan Kob, which are similar to impala. In search of spoonbills, we went to a marshy area. We did not see the spoonbills but we did see several plovers, herons, and very beautiful and colorful bee-eaters. There was a large monitor lizard too. Then, we ate lunch along a river where there was a herd of hippos in the water. At this point, we were right across from the border with Congo. We drove through the Ishasha area in an effort to see tree climbing lions in the umbrella trees, but did not spot any. Continuing north, where there are several lakes and it becomes more forested again, we arrived at Jacana Lodge (named after a bird species) at about four in the afternoon.
Our room at Jacana lodge is a lovely wood cabin on the shores of a crater lake. There is a small screened in porch, where I am sitting, that has a gorgeous view of the lake and the mountains in the Congo in the distance. There is a bedroom with a wooden peaked ceiling, and a bathroom with a shower that has pebbles for the floor. The electricity here is by generator and is only on for a few hours in the evening and from 6am until 8 am in the morning.
We went for a walk and caught glimpses of three kinds of primates: black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and olive baboons. Unfortunately, it started thundering and threatening to rain, so we have returned to our cabin. Tomorrow, we continue further north in Queen Elizabeth National Park…
-Karen
Our room at Jacana lodge is a lovely wood cabin on the shores of a crater lake. There is a small screened in porch, where I am sitting, that has a gorgeous view of the lake and the mountains in the Congo in the distance. There is a bedroom with a wooden peaked ceiling, and a bathroom with a shower that has pebbles for the floor. The electricity here is by generator and is only on for a few hours in the evening and from 6am until 8 am in the morning.
We went for a walk and caught glimpses of three kinds of primates: black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and olive baboons. Unfortunately, it started thundering and threatening to rain, so we have returned to our cabin. Tomorrow, we continue further north in Queen Elizabeth National Park…
-Karen
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Gorillas Day Two
Our day started similarly to yesterday with a pre-dawn awakening followed by the briefing at the Bwindi park offices. Then, we took a car ride to the territory of the H group of gorillas. We walked through some local fields growing yams and tea before reaching the boundary of the Impenetrable Forest. Today’s hike was longer and as before some of it seems to be straight uphill. This is definitely the most difficult hike I have ever taken. Again, thankfully, the porters and the guides were great.
We caught our first glimpse of the gorillas while they were way up in the treetops feeding on leaves and fruit. It is amazing how these strong huge animals are so agile on seemingly small branches. This group has two mature males who are silverbacks, who are brothers, several females and juveniles including some very small babies. After feeding for a while, they came down from the trees. Some of the females and several juveniles settled in a clearing to rest under the watchful eye of the more senior silverback. The expressions are amazingly human and the silverback was resting his face on his hands with such a serious pensive face. The young ones were wrestling and playing. We had the opportunity to sit and watch for a while and see the interactions. After a short while, the silverback decided it was time to move on and the entire group moved off into the forest. Again, the experience was amazing. The interaction between the young gorillas is like young children, tumbling on the ground, bothering the adults, wrestling and generally being silly. The mothers snuggling the babies and the silverback supervising was incredible.
Of course, we then hiked back… and we are now resting at the lodge. This afternoon we are going to visit the local clinic.
-Karen
Part II
This afternoon, we went to the local hospital. You can see their website at www.BCHC.ug. The visit was amazing. They serve a community of approximately 40,000 people and do an amazing amount with very little. They have approximately sixty beds, including a pediatric ward, a small neonatal area, inpatient men and women’s wards and a maternity center. They tackle problems like malnutrition, malaria, AIDS, and intestinal parasites daily. The amount of outreach they do is extraordinary. It was re-inforced to Jon and I how wasteful we are in Western medicine. I am sure that Jonathan and I will be trying to drum up some support and supplies for this little hospital. Tomorrow, we are off to Queen Elizabeth National Park…. At the Jacona Lodge. We will not have internet for a few more days but we will update more when we do.
-Karen
We caught our first glimpse of the gorillas while they were way up in the treetops feeding on leaves and fruit. It is amazing how these strong huge animals are so agile on seemingly small branches. This group has two mature males who are silverbacks, who are brothers, several females and juveniles including some very small babies. After feeding for a while, they came down from the trees. Some of the females and several juveniles settled in a clearing to rest under the watchful eye of the more senior silverback. The expressions are amazingly human and the silverback was resting his face on his hands with such a serious pensive face. The young ones were wrestling and playing. We had the opportunity to sit and watch for a while and see the interactions. After a short while, the silverback decided it was time to move on and the entire group moved off into the forest. Again, the experience was amazing. The interaction between the young gorillas is like young children, tumbling on the ground, bothering the adults, wrestling and generally being silly. The mothers snuggling the babies and the silverback supervising was incredible.
Of course, we then hiked back… and we are now resting at the lodge. This afternoon we are going to visit the local clinic.
-Karen
Part II
This afternoon, we went to the local hospital. You can see their website at www.BCHC.ug. The visit was amazing. They serve a community of approximately 40,000 people and do an amazing amount with very little. They have approximately sixty beds, including a pediatric ward, a small neonatal area, inpatient men and women’s wards and a maternity center. They tackle problems like malnutrition, malaria, AIDS, and intestinal parasites daily. The amount of outreach they do is extraordinary. It was re-inforced to Jon and I how wasteful we are in Western medicine. I am sure that Jonathan and I will be trying to drum up some support and supplies for this little hospital. Tomorrow, we are off to Queen Elizabeth National Park…. At the Jacona Lodge. We will not have internet for a few more days but we will update more when we do.
-Karen
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Gorilla Day One Continued...More "Free" Gorillas!
After resting at the camp for a few hours, we went into a nearby village for a “cultural walk,” where we saw the school, how bananas are made into wine and gin, visited the local medicine man, learned about how tea is grown and harvested and saw some traditional pygmy songs and dances. The school has 450 students in grades 1 through 7 and has only seven teachers. They study math, science, social studies and English. On the way back to the camp, as we were walking along the road, we saw people peering down into a ravine. We looked down and saw gorillas! It was the group that we say earlier today, that was grazing down in a site that was easily visible. We could clearly see the silverback relaxing in the leaves. We watched a mother make a bed of leaves and settle in with her baby for the night. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and the gorillas were mostly resting for the evening, so we headed back to the camp for dinner. Keep your fingers crossed for another good sighting tomorrow!
-Karen
Just a quick note...we have just finished dinner and it's finally a clear night. There are about a billion stars in the sky...a sight that we can never see at home, no matter how dark it seems to be outside.
-Jon
-Karen
Just a quick note...we have just finished dinner and it's finally a clear night. There are about a billion stars in the sky...a sight that we can never see at home, no matter how dark it seems to be outside.
-Jon
Gorillas Day One
Sorry no pictures yet, hopefully later today if the internet will cooperate. The experience today was amazing - worth traveling to the other side of the world for. Seeing these animals in the wild is not like the zoo - not even close. See Karen's descriptions below. More later.
-Jon
Gorilla day! So, we got moving before sunrise (again) and were at the National Park office (where you get briefed about the rules) around 7:45. In the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, there are three groups of gorillas that are habituated to humans as well as a few wild groups for a total number of about 300, or half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. The three groups have long Swahili names, so am going to refer to them by the first initial for ease. Group M is the smallest group at ten members and the one they have been tracking the longest. Group H is the largest at 22 members and the group we will be seeing tomorrow (hopefully!). Group R has 18 members and is the family that we followed today. The park issues eight passes for each group so only 24 people a day can go see the gorillas and the time is limited to an hour to minimize disruption. The park sends out trackers each morning to find the groups and they radio to the guides. They can be anywhere in the jungle so you can walk up to eight hours to see them and, of course, it is not guaranteed that you will see them at all. They are continually moving as they eat up to 60-80 kg (120-160 pounds) of vegetation, leaves, and fruit daily. The groups are families consisting of a dominant male (the silverback), several immature males, females and babies.
At the park headquarters, you are given an introduction, hire porters to carry your backpack plus lunch and water, and head off into the forest.
Impenetrable is definitely a good adjective for the forest. There are trees, of course, vines, and very dense underbrush with small plants and ferns. The ground has fallen leaves and is wet, so it is slippery. The walk was uphill and within ten minutes, sweat is pouring down my back. You are required to wear long pants and long sleeves so it is extra hot. Thankfully, the porters help with an extra hand to pull you up the hill. I was out of breath and feeling out of shape within about twenty minutes, although I am proud to say, that I was not the most pitiful in the group. There are some paths but very quickly, we were off the path following our guide who was hacking through the dense vegetation with a small hooked machete. Lucky for us, we walked only a little over an hour, when we found the gorillas.
It was amazing. Really, I cannot describe how intense and unforgettable the experience was. They are all grazing on leaves with younger ones wrestling and playing. The mothers are clearly watching over the small ones. The faces, expressions and hands are amazingly human. It is impossible to see these creatures and not believe that Darwin was absolutely right. They are definitely interested in us. They are very agile (unlike us) through the dense forest and can even climb up trees. They definitely know that you are there. While I was watching two very small young gorillas play and tumble on the hill near me, a larger juvenile ran past me and gave me a little shove on the shoulder. The silverback is huge and his strength is apparent. They all break tree branches and vegetation easily as they move through the forest. They move through the forest, pausing to much on leaves, as we struggle to keep up. Fortunately, they were moving downhill and back towards the starting point. The hour was up way to quickly and we headed back down towards the main camp.
We definitely needed to shower and then this afternoon, we are going on a cultural walk. Tomorrow, we will be back again and hope for another astounding experience.
-Karen
-Jon
Gorilla day! So, we got moving before sunrise (again) and were at the National Park office (where you get briefed about the rules) around 7:45. In the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, there are three groups of gorillas that are habituated to humans as well as a few wild groups for a total number of about 300, or half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. The three groups have long Swahili names, so am going to refer to them by the first initial for ease. Group M is the smallest group at ten members and the one they have been tracking the longest. Group H is the largest at 22 members and the group we will be seeing tomorrow (hopefully!). Group R has 18 members and is the family that we followed today. The park issues eight passes for each group so only 24 people a day can go see the gorillas and the time is limited to an hour to minimize disruption. The park sends out trackers each morning to find the groups and they radio to the guides. They can be anywhere in the jungle so you can walk up to eight hours to see them and, of course, it is not guaranteed that you will see them at all. They are continually moving as they eat up to 60-80 kg (120-160 pounds) of vegetation, leaves, and fruit daily. The groups are families consisting of a dominant male (the silverback), several immature males, females and babies.
At the park headquarters, you are given an introduction, hire porters to carry your backpack plus lunch and water, and head off into the forest.
Impenetrable is definitely a good adjective for the forest. There are trees, of course, vines, and very dense underbrush with small plants and ferns. The ground has fallen leaves and is wet, so it is slippery. The walk was uphill and within ten minutes, sweat is pouring down my back. You are required to wear long pants and long sleeves so it is extra hot. Thankfully, the porters help with an extra hand to pull you up the hill. I was out of breath and feeling out of shape within about twenty minutes, although I am proud to say, that I was not the most pitiful in the group. There are some paths but very quickly, we were off the path following our guide who was hacking through the dense vegetation with a small hooked machete. Lucky for us, we walked only a little over an hour, when we found the gorillas.
It was amazing. Really, I cannot describe how intense and unforgettable the experience was. They are all grazing on leaves with younger ones wrestling and playing. The mothers are clearly watching over the small ones. The faces, expressions and hands are amazingly human. It is impossible to see these creatures and not believe that Darwin was absolutely right. They are definitely interested in us. They are very agile (unlike us) through the dense forest and can even climb up trees. They definitely know that you are there. While I was watching two very small young gorillas play and tumble on the hill near me, a larger juvenile ran past me and gave me a little shove on the shoulder. The silverback is huge and his strength is apparent. They all break tree branches and vegetation easily as they move through the forest. They move through the forest, pausing to much on leaves, as we struggle to keep up. Fortunately, they were moving downhill and back towards the starting point. The hour was up way to quickly and we headed back down towards the main camp.
We definitely needed to shower and then this afternoon, we are going on a cultural walk. Tomorrow, we will be back again and hope for another astounding experience.
-Karen
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Blog Update
As you can see, we've updated the blog from the first couple of days of the trip - sorry about it all at once, but this is the first internet we've had. We will have internet access for the next couple of days...slow, but it works. Watch for further updates on the gorilla treks for the next couple of days.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Lake Mburo to Bwindi
We awoke early to the sound of thunder and pouring rain. Fortunately, it slowed to a drizzle in time for our 7 am pre-breakfast walk but it meant that the walk was a wet and muddy one. We did see zebra, topi, and impala while we were walking. You definitely get a different sense of the landscape when you are on foot. The air smells very fresh and the sounds of birdcalls fill the air.
After breakfast, we left the lodge around 10 am and set off for the very long and very bouncy ride to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. I keep thinking that sounds like something from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The roads were primarily dirt and although we passed a few small towns, there were mostly small farms growing banana, potatoes, and tea. There were some people drying coffee beans in front of their houses. The seven-hour drive took us to the west part of the country, which is mountainous and the views are gorgeous. Finally, we arrived at the Gorilla Forest Camp. To get up to the Camp, it is a 91 step climb… I think to get you in shape for the hiking in the forest. The room is a tent but with a door and a bathroom that is open to the outside. We do have internet access though… so we are going to update today!
Tomorrow starts our long trek to find gorillas!
After breakfast, we left the lodge around 10 am and set off for the very long and very bouncy ride to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. I keep thinking that sounds like something from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale. The roads were primarily dirt and although we passed a few small towns, there were mostly small farms growing banana, potatoes, and tea. There were some people drying coffee beans in front of their houses. The seven-hour drive took us to the west part of the country, which is mountainous and the views are gorgeous. Finally, we arrived at the Gorilla Forest Camp. To get up to the Camp, it is a 91 step climb… I think to get you in shape for the hiking in the forest. The room is a tent but with a door and a bathroom that is open to the outside. We do have internet access though… so we are going to update today!
Tomorrow starts our long trek to find gorillas!
Entebbe to Lake Mburo
After a quick breakfast and trip overview by Lydia, we set off with Stephen in our trusty Land Cruiser. We passed through the capital of Uganda, Kampala, stopped at the equator line, and drove for a total of five hours to Lake Mburo National Park. The road was one car in each 
direction but paved then entire way to the park. Along the roads, there were many small towns, mostly storefronts with people’s living quarters behind them. The wares are clustered so we passed several furniture makers, then several stores with brightly colored stools, then several stores with drums. There are several farms and people selling fruits and vegetables along the road, including sweet potatoes and large green jackfruit. We also passed some cows, which have huge horns, some of which appear to be three feet long.
At the end of our drive, we arrived at Mihingo Lodge, which consists of ten tents and a common room. After a delicious lunch of cold asparagus soup, followed by potato salad and quiche for me (lamb for Jon), we freshened up in our room. The room is a wood deck with a thatched roof from which a canvas tent is suspended. Adjacent to it is the bathroom, which is also a thatched roofed screened in room. The shower is a pipe with the shower head from the ceiling that pours onto some rocks in a crescent shape and when you shower you have an amazing view of the entire valley. The entire lodge runs on solar power and it on a hill above the park with amazing views.
At about three, we left the lodge for a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. We saw many bird species and several antelope species including the ubiquitous impala, duikers, waterbuck, topi and the shy and elusive eland. There were several zebras including the cutest zebra babies! We returned to the lodge and went to see bush babies! They are nocturnal primates that are sort of a mix between a small monkey, a squirrel and a cat. Unfortunately, because their eyes are sensitive to light, we could not take photos of them. We had a nice dinner but the weather got cold and blustery so we went to bed right after dinner.
direction but paved then entire way to the park. Along the roads, there were many small towns, mostly storefronts with people’s living quarters behind them. The wares are clustered so we passed several furniture makers, then several stores with brightly colored stools, then several stores with drums. There are several farms and people selling fruits and vegetables along the road, including sweet potatoes and large green jackfruit. We also passed some cows, which have huge horns, some of which appear to be three feet long.At the end of our drive, we arrived at Mihingo Lodge, which consists of ten tents and a common room. After a delicious lunch of cold asparagus soup, followed by potato salad and quiche for me (lamb for Jon), we freshened up in our room. The room is a wood deck with a thatched roof from which a canvas tent is suspended. Adjacent to it is the bathroom, which is also a thatched roofed screened in room. The shower is a pipe with the shower head from the ceiling that pours onto some rocks in a crescent shape and when you shower you have an amazing view of the entire valley. The entire lodge runs on solar power and it on a hill above the park with amazing views.
At about three, we left the lodge for a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. We saw many bird species and several antelope species including the ubiquitous impala, duikers, waterbuck, topi and the shy and elusive eland. There were several zebras including the cutest zebra babies! We returned to the lodge and went to see bush babies! They are nocturnal primates that are sort of a mix between a small monkey, a squirrel and a cat. Unfortunately, because their eyes are sensitive to light, we could not take photos of them. We had a nice dinner but the weather got cold and blustery so we went to bed right after dinner.
Leaving Home...Saturday to Sunday
We left our house at noon on Saturday (after kissing goodbye to Darwin, Lucy, Spike and Phoenix) and drove to Newark Airport. Our flight for Amsterdam left on time and we arrived approximately six hours later, which was 5:00 am Netherlands time. We spent about four boring hours in the Amsterdam airport before boarding our flight for Entebbe, Uganda. Amazingly this flight left on time too and about seven hours later we landed in Uganda. It was approximately ten pm Uganda time, or 2 in the afternoon on Sunday home time for a total travel time of about 26 hours. Ugh. All in all, things went smoothly and it was an easy (but long) trip.
Upon arrival, we paid for our visa, got our bags, passed though customs and met our guide, Stephen. Unlike our prior adventures where we had multiple different guides, Stephen will be with us the entire time. The only ATM at the airport did not work so we will need to find another (which may be challenging). Then, we drove about 15 minutes to our hotel, the Victoria Lake hotel, which is clean. Being that it is after dark and we are tired from traveling, I don’t have too much else to say about the hotel or Entebbe. Taking a shower always feels very good after a long trip!
Tomorrow, we wake up early (as seems to be a theme on our trips) and we are off!
Upon arrival, we paid for our visa, got our bags, passed though customs and met our guide, Stephen. Unlike our prior adventures where we had multiple different guides, Stephen will be with us the entire time. The only ATM at the airport did not work so we will need to find another (which may be challenging). Then, we drove about 15 minutes to our hotel, the Victoria Lake hotel, which is clean. Being that it is after dark and we are tired from traveling, I don’t have too much else to say about the hotel or Entebbe. Taking a shower always feels very good after a long trip!
Tomorrow, we wake up early (as seems to be a theme on our trips) and we are off!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Off Again...
Well, it's time again to get out in the world and see what there is to see. This time, we are heading back to Africa - to Uganda and Tanzania in eastern Africa. Last time we were in Botswana and South Africa in southern Africa.
Why Uganda? The wildlife again - mostly the chance to see mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild and about 300 live in Uganda. The others are split between Rwanda and Congo. This is one of the only places to see one of our closest ancestors in their natural habitat. We then added on an extension into Tanzania to the Serengeti plains. It is the perfect time of year to be there as the "great migration" passes through this region from February to March. The migration is the huge circle that the African plain animals follow yearly - basically following the rains and then subsequently the grass. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and antelope follow the route. And, as the food goes, so do the lions, hyena, wild dogs, and other array of predators and scavengers that follow them. The circle of life, right?
Unlike India where we had fairly reliable internet access at most points along the trip, we are expecting scarce, intermittent access, if at all along the way. There are places we expect to have some access, although it may be unreliable and slow, so there may not be pictures posted until we get back. We will do our best to keep the blog updated as we can.
Here's our itinerary for those who want to follow along:
Saturday, February 7- Leave US to Amsterdam.
Sunday, February 8 - Arrive Amsterdam, connect to flight to Entebbe, Uganda.
Monday, February 9 - Travel from Entebbe to Lake Mburo National Park (about 5 hours by car), an area with a vast array of animals, but supposed to have many leopards.
Tuesday, February 10 - Depart Lake Mburo and drive (6 hours) to Bwindi National Park - the so called Impenetrable Forest
Wednesday & Thursday, February 11-12 - Daily treks into Bwindi to see the gorillas. The park is extremely protective of it's gorilla populations. The issue only 27 gorilla permits per day (we've had ours booked since before we went to India). There are 3 family groups of gorillas that have been sensitized to having human contact. These are the only groups we are allowed to view. The guides split into 3 groups and trek to find the families based on their previously known areas they were in. As they move around to feed, they send guides out early to get an idea of where they may be. The hikes into the forest can be anywhere from 1-6 hours depending on where the gorillas happen to be that day. Of course, there are no guarantees that you will find them at all. Our experience with bush guides in the past, though, has been impressive, so we are pretty optimistic. Once we locate the families, we are able to quietly watch them for about an hour before moving on.
Friday, February 13 - Leave Bwindi and drive (4 hours) to Queen Elizabeth National Park. More traditional safari here - this area is home to (supposedly) famous tree-climbing lions - a fairly unusual behavior for lions. We may have chance to visit a bat cave, but we were told that it's been closed to the public recently - something about someone contracting some disease that you don't want. So, we'll see about that one...don't want to worry any parents any more than we need to at this point!
Saturday, February 14 - Another day in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Sunday, February 15 - Drive 3 hours to Kibale Forest National Park; here is the home of many primate species including the chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and red tail monkeys among others. There are thought to be about 500 chimpanzees in the park.
Monday, February 16 - Kibale Forest; the place we are staying in Kibale has no electricity - so definitely no internet! Should be a unique experience without electric lights. I remember how dark it was at night in Africa the last time we were there. We'd never seen it that dark - the sky was amazing and clear. You can see thousands of stars.
Tuesday, February 17 - Drive back to Entebbe (6 hours) to fly to Tanzania.
Wednesday, February 18 - Drive from Arusha, Tanzania to Lake Manyara National Park. This area is known for a large population of flamingos, along with your other "traditional" safari game.
Thursday, February 19 - Drive 4 hours to Serengeti National Park. We will pass the Ngorongoro Crater, but not go into the crater itself.
Friday, February 20 - Saturday February 21 - Safari in Serengeti.
Sunday, February 22 - Fly back to Arusha, connect to flight home - via Amsterdam again. Arrive home on Monday, February 23.
On these long drives, we will have opportunities to stop along the way in villages and towns and see the local people.
Hope you enjoy following along.
Enjoy.
Karen & Jonathan
Why Uganda? The wildlife again - mostly the chance to see mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild and about 300 live in Uganda. The others are split between Rwanda and Congo. This is one of the only places to see one of our closest ancestors in their natural habitat. We then added on an extension into Tanzania to the Serengeti plains. It is the perfect time of year to be there as the "great migration" passes through this region from February to March. The migration is the huge circle that the African plain animals follow yearly - basically following the rains and then subsequently the grass. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, zebra, giraffe and antelope follow the route. And, as the food goes, so do the lions, hyena, wild dogs, and other array of predators and scavengers that follow them. The circle of life, right?
Unlike India where we had fairly reliable internet access at most points along the trip, we are expecting scarce, intermittent access, if at all along the way. There are places we expect to have some access, although it may be unreliable and slow, so there may not be pictures posted until we get back. We will do our best to keep the blog updated as we can.
Here's our itinerary for those who want to follow along:
Saturday, February 7- Leave US to Amsterdam.
Sunday, February 8 - Arrive Amsterdam, connect to flight to Entebbe, Uganda.
Monday, February 9 - Travel from Entebbe to Lake Mburo National Park (about 5 hours by car), an area with a vast array of animals, but supposed to have many leopards.
Tuesday, February 10 - Depart Lake Mburo and drive (6 hours) to Bwindi National Park - the so called Impenetrable Forest
Wednesday & Thursday, February 11-12 - Daily treks into Bwindi to see the gorillas. The park is extremely protective of it's gorilla populations. The issue only 27 gorilla permits per day (we've had ours booked since before we went to India). There are 3 family groups of gorillas that have been sensitized to having human contact. These are the only groups we are allowed to view. The guides split into 3 groups and trek to find the families based on their previously known areas they were in. As they move around to feed, they send guides out early to get an idea of where they may be. The hikes into the forest can be anywhere from 1-6 hours depending on where the gorillas happen to be that day. Of course, there are no guarantees that you will find them at all. Our experience with bush guides in the past, though, has been impressive, so we are pretty optimistic. Once we locate the families, we are able to quietly watch them for about an hour before moving on.
Friday, February 13 - Leave Bwindi and drive (4 hours) to Queen Elizabeth National Park. More traditional safari here - this area is home to (supposedly) famous tree-climbing lions - a fairly unusual behavior for lions. We may have chance to visit a bat cave, but we were told that it's been closed to the public recently - something about someone contracting some disease that you don't want. So, we'll see about that one...don't want to worry any parents any more than we need to at this point!
Saturday, February 14 - Another day in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Sunday, February 15 - Drive 3 hours to Kibale Forest National Park; here is the home of many primate species including the chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and red tail monkeys among others. There are thought to be about 500 chimpanzees in the park.
Monday, February 16 - Kibale Forest; the place we are staying in Kibale has no electricity - so definitely no internet! Should be a unique experience without electric lights. I remember how dark it was at night in Africa the last time we were there. We'd never seen it that dark - the sky was amazing and clear. You can see thousands of stars.
Tuesday, February 17 - Drive back to Entebbe (6 hours) to fly to Tanzania.
Wednesday, February 18 - Drive from Arusha, Tanzania to Lake Manyara National Park. This area is known for a large population of flamingos, along with your other "traditional" safari game.
Thursday, February 19 - Drive 4 hours to Serengeti National Park. We will pass the Ngorongoro Crater, but not go into the crater itself.
Friday, February 20 - Saturday February 21 - Safari in Serengeti.
Sunday, February 22 - Fly back to Arusha, connect to flight home - via Amsterdam again. Arrive home on Monday, February 23.
On these long drives, we will have opportunities to stop along the way in villages and towns and see the local people.
Hope you enjoy following along.
Enjoy.
Karen & Jonathan
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