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14.08.2011
Gilles - A long way to cross the Equator
After a straightforward flight Vienna - Istanbul - Entebbe, it was another eight hour drive from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi where I was to meet up with Heidi. The only pseudo highlight during this long haul is crossing the Equator, where all good tourists have their photo taken at the very landmark. Not to be missed is the demonstration of how water whirls clockwise or anti-clockwise when rushing through an outlet, depending on which side the Equator you stand. What a difference a few meters can make to physics! And yes, for the...[more] Category: Uganda
14.08.2011
Shakira coming to Heidi’s rescue
My safari from Rwanda to Uganda started promising. Like a Swiss clock the Rwandan “Matatu” whizzed me the 25 kilometers from Ruhengeri to the Ugandan border. I crossed on foot and hopped on a “Boda boda”, a motorbike taxi to Kisaro. Easy enough! The dark hole void of the usual crowd of passengers that served as the Horizon Bus station should have told me this was fishy. The young lad on duty pointed at a purple bus that was being washed and announced its departure for 03:00 pm. This left time for an extensive stroll through this...[more] Category: Uganda
15.08.2011
Batwa Pygmies at Lake Bunyonyi
Our boat gracefully plowed the dark waters of Lake Bunyonyi. Not a ripple disfigured the smooth surface, allowing the carefully terraced green hills to be mirrored in the deep lake. Banana groves and tall eucalyptus trees dot the steep shores and most of the 29 islands. Each has its own legend, like Punishment Island where unmarried pregnant girls were left to starve as recently as 90 years ago. Grey Heron, in the company of Grey Crested Cranes, the national bird, stalk the shoreline. Kingfishers happily bounce on the papyrus and...[more] Category: Uganda
15.08.2011
On the dark side of life
Hell broke loose around evening on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi: thunder, lightening and torrential rain. Minutes later the electricity went down. The generator only served the restaurant. The rooms were pitch-dark. It got so cold you could see your own breath. So we crawled into bed with our headlamps only to discover a leak in the roof of our room. Feeling sorry for ourselves, we soon remembered the villagers in their canoes returning home from the local market. They were paddling across the lake exposed to this horrible...[more] Category: Uganda
16.08.2011
Bwindi Rainforest - Home of Uganda’s last Mountain Gorillas
Rain set in once we arrived in the small village of Buhoma, site of the National Park’s headquarters. This worried us endlessly: trekking through the forest is difficult enough, but in ankle-deep mud? Besides, Gorillas do not like rain and hide in the dense forest. Even if you find them, making decent photos would be simply impossible. In the grotty, horrible room of the Bwindi View Camp, we hoped for decent weather for the next morning. Like eager beavers, we were the first to arrive at the headquarters. Within minutes we drove off...[more] Category: Uganda
17.08.2011
Meeting the Habinyanja family
High above our heads they were, up in the trees, loudly ripping off the leaves and moving swiftly from one branch to another. This was a surprise to us: all the pictures we had seen showed relaxed gorillas sitting on the ground surrounded by juicy, leafy vegetation. Pieces of wood came raining down on us. It was more an acoustic entertainment than a visual one, since we could barely see them. But they must have felt like pleasing us and moved on to a clearing where they settled in the high grass. There is nothing more soothing then...[more] Category: Uganda
17.08.2011
Buhoma highlights - Fiction and reality
Our room at Bwindi View Camp desperately needed an overhaul. However, the staff was lovely and the food ok. The best place was the restaurant’s terrace, the perfect place to mingle. Either we were competing with Italians for the best photos of the many birds in the surrounding trees or were queuing for a plug in the jungle of mobiles, cameras or laptops near the only power outlet. One afternoon, the beautiful singing of children reached our terrace. Naturally Heidi tracked it down and so did four Italians. Together we enjoyed the...[more] Category: Uganda
18.08.2011
Getting medical help in rural Uganda - A drama in three acts!
1) The night after the gorilla trek, Gilles woke up in terrible pain. His left eye was swollen and awfully red. As soon as it got light we asked one of the awakening drivers to take us to the village hospital in Buhoma. Our arrival caught the only person on duty, a sturdy nurse, by surprise. She left to get help. We waited in the doctor’s office, a two by two meter room, with a few pieces of old wooden furniture. Lots of faded sheets of paper tucked to walls and doors gave instructions as what to do when bricked by needles or how to...[more] Category: Uganda
19.08.2011
Queen Elisabeth National Park
The scenery is spectacular and unique, green islands seem to float in the golden colored savannah plains. At a closer look, these are dense shrubs surrounding a cactus tree. In the early morning with the mist nestled in-between, this view was quite mystical. The more serious game viewing is north of the Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Nevertheless, the true highlight in this park is a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel. Buffaloes wallow in the shallow water, next to large pods of hippos and the most...[more] Category: Uganda
20.08.2011
Hard work for little money - Eucalyptus turned Charcoal & Tea Picking
On one of our strolls in the hills around Lake Bunyonyi, we came across three young men neatly stacking newly cut eucalyptus trees. Five days of work had gone into cutting down the trees and piling up the stack, they told us. Adding that now they had to cover it with soil and set in on fire. After another five day this would produce 35 bags of precious charcoal. The guys, by pointing at a large piece of burned slope stressed how important it was to guard the smoldering fire. Others had obviously been less careful! The charcoal maker...[more] Category: Uganda
21.08.2011
Kibale Rainforest - Chimps are a lot like us
Kibale Rainforest is promoted as the best place for tracking chimpanzees in Africa. For us, it was definitely the easiest! After a short but brisk walk along a well trodden path, a large Chimpanzee family was thrashing through the trees and bushes, ripping off leaves, jumping, climbing, grooming each other or simply looking at us. An alpha male was sitting in a tree fork, waiting for a female (which was very obvious!), and studied us in a rather oblivious manner. The lady never came and eventually he trotted off to the clicking of...[more] Category: Uganda
21.08.2011
Gourmet food and a bit of safari feel
Not only chimps find yummy food in Kibale, also the visiting tourists. As soon as we arrived at the Kibale Forest Camp, the dinner menu was cited to us and our taste buds jumped in action, only to be forced to wait another couple of hours. These can be spent following a short walk around the camp or listening to the singing of the village children. The chef’s creations at the Kibale Forest Camp will not be forgotten, especially the chocolate cake, our first sweet dish in Uganda. In the nicely decorated restaurant, a large Belgium...[more] Category: Uganda
21.08.2011
Monkey business goes eco
Kibale Rain Forest has turned into a very successful ecotourism project that benefits all parties involved. The animals of course, the marveling visitors and the community, which receives all the income from the budding grass root tourism initiated back in 1992. Neighboring Bigodi Wetland, a high altitude swamp, hosts a large population of different kinds of monkeys and lots of birds. The local celebrity is the Great Blue Turaco. In flight its bright blue feather show best and give it a truly majestic look. This leisurely walk...[more] Category: Uganda
22.08.2011
Semliki - So what?
Semliki makes you sweat! The sudden difference in temperature when driving down from chilly Fort Portal is overwhelming. With 660 meters above sea level, it was the lowest point we reached in Uganda. Known for its vast variety of birds, Semliki National Park has attracted an increasing, but still small number of nature lovers. In 2010, about 3.000 visitors were counted. These include lots of local school kids, who primarily come to see the hot springs. We shared the mini - geysers with such a group, about 100 teenagers from a Muslim...[more] Category: Uganda
23.08.2011
Butiaba - Smuggler’s nest on Lake Albert
“Butiaba is the prime port for smuggling goods in and out of the Congo”, Paul confided to Heidi. This was back in Rwanda, where she met the Australian biker. Only a few words, but enough to awaken our adventurous spirit… Fate had it that weeks later we met Paul exactly in Butiaba. Our original plan was to join him in northern Uganda, where Paul was filming a documentary on former child soldiers. But time restrains and road conditions in the rain made it impossible. But also the trip to Butiaba was not without obstacles! The road...[more] Category: Uganda
24.08.2011
Outstanding game viewing in Murchison Falls National Park
A tiny roll on / roll off ferry takes a maximum of eight cars plus passengers across to the western banks of the Nile. This is where most of the animals are. Shortly before 07:00 am, all jeeps rush for the first ferry. Who would want to miss the lions? Chances to find them early morning are best, and they did not let us down! On both drives we saw two young males, one munching an antelope! Buffaloes, Antelopes, Jackson’s Hart Beasts, Waterbucks and Giraffes roam the park in abundance. Having seen an unimaginable wealth of animals in...[more] Category: Uganda
25.08.2011
Murchison Falls from below and on top
A tiny boat stirred by Captain Nelson navigated us slowly and gently up the Victoria Nile, heading to Murchison Falls. A bit of wildlife wandered along the banks, but otherwise it was the smooth ride and the witty co-passengers that made the trip special. Near the narrow gap, where the Nile forces its way through the rocks, our boat stopped midstream, giving us a few minutes to click away. The gushing waterfall was announced by small foamy chunks floating downstream. Informed passengers explained that these “white horses” are caused...[more] Category: Uganda
25.08.2011
Nile Safari Lodge - Just like paradise…
The Nile Safari Lodge, overlooking the Victoria Nile, is probably the most service orientated place we have ever stayed at. To give a few examples: cool, wet towels are handed to the dusty travelers every time you drive into the parking lot. While you enjoy your superb dinner your bed is being “prepared”, which means the wide mosquito net is lowered, ready for you to crawl into your bed. These are in large wooden bungalows on stilts, with a bathroom and an adjacent outside shower. Warm water is delivered upon request and filled into...[more] Category: Uganda
26.08.2011
Coughing Chimpanzees at Budongo Forest
Lucky us - famous Sauda was assigned to be our guide! She has become a bit of a celebrity as she became the first female ranger in Uganda 17 years ago. This bit of news even found its way into the Lonely Planet. The night before our chimps track, it had rained heavily. So when we finally found them in a huge fig tree, most of them where still in their nests, many coughing, feeling cold, wet and miserable… None of them felt coming down. Waiting high up for the sun to dry them off seemed more rewarding. Only slowly they came alive....[more] Category: Uganda
26.08.2011
Meeting Obama in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
We were not quite sure of what to expect - some kind of zoo or rhinos roaming around in the wilderness? Even after we arrived it was hard to tell. Apart from passing a guarded gate, nothing hints at the extreme measures necessary to protect the 10 rhinos that live in the 77 hectare large park. All we knew was that we could not wait to see these massive animals. Only once had we caught a distant glimpse of them in Tanzania. So within an hour after checking into our modest little room near the park head quarters, Raymond Opio, our...[more] Category: Uganda
26.08.2011
Poaching in Uganda
Only a casual conversation with Johann, the South African manager of the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, made us aware of the true dimension of this problem. Of course, we knew that rhinos had been hunted down for their horn and brought close to extinction. But we had no clue how bad the present situation was. British visitors to Uganda in the 1920s and 1930s described the country as being immensely rich in wild life. The years of civil war and the chaos of the Obote and Amin regimes drastically reduced the number of large mammals or...[more] Category: Uganda
28.08.2011
Jinja - At the source of one Nile
In 1862, the British explorer John Speke identified the geographical Holy Grail, the very place where the White Nile leaves Victoria Lake to start its three months and 6.650 kilometer long journey to the Mediterranean Sea. Back then, its exit from Lake Victoria was a bit more dramatic than today. It parted from the Lake via Ripon Falls, as Speke named them. However, these have disappeared in 1947 when the Own Dam went into business and swallowed them all up. So we basically marveled at the myth of this legendary place that now...[more] Category: Uganda
29.08.2011
Jinja’s many gems
Jinja took us by surprise. The second largest city of Uganda is surprisingly relaxed, quiet and free of the horrible traffic that plagues Kampala. “Main Street” is lined with small shops tugged behind a covered passage way, free of hassle and screaming vendors. Outside on the sidewalk various skills are on display, like seamstresses sewing brightly colored clothes on old Singer machines. Our favorite was an elderly man producing individualized stamps made from wood and rubber. With a tiny razor blade he carved name & address into a...[more] Category: Uganda
30.08.2011
Idd - El - Fitr at disappearing Bujagali Falls
Many Muslim families from Kampala, Jinja, and as far as Kenya used this holiday, which ends the fasting month of Ramadan, to visit Bujagali Falls. Dressed up the nine, they all were posing in front of the falls to have their photos taken. Many asked us to join in and happily accepted our offer to send the pictures via eMail. A bible yielding group with a preacher and a lot of Asians was less pleasant. Angrily they demanded to delete the photos we had taken. We simply ignored their aggressive behavior. Was it a secret sect? The...[more] Category: Uganda
31.08.2011
Volunteering at Soft Power Education
Hannah Small, a former overland bus driver, saw the need and poverty during her many tours through East Africa. In 1999, she returned with a project in mind. Counting on the support of tourists, she started in the village right next to Bujagali Falls. Today, Soft Power Education is a true success story. They run pre-schools, primary schools, a health clinic and a community center. The project has been even extended to other villages and regions. One of many great ideas was to invite volunteers even for a day, which is what most...[more] Category: Uganda
01.09.2011
The Livingston Feel - Rafting the Nile
Were there also village people around to haul his boat around unsurpassable rapids? We only needed such external help once. Otherwise the river did the carrying. But for most people, rafting is not so much about floating than about flipping over. Gilles’ raft turned over five times on the 27 kilometers of river travel. Heidi chose the rescue boat, which travels the same river but approaches the rapids less hazardously. From there, she watched in amazement how people and paddles were flung far from the rafts. So did the watchful...[more] Category: Uganda
02.09.2011
Grade 5 Rapids? Let’s look in Wikipedia!
There are six levels each referred to as "Grade" or "Class" followed by a number. The scale is not linear, nor is it fixed. For instance, there can be hard grade twos, easy grade threes, and so on. The grade of a river may change with the level of flow. Often a river or rapid will be given a numerical grade, and then a plus (+) or minus (-) to indicate if it is in the higher or lower end of the difficulty level. Also note that while a river section may be given an overall grading, it may contain sections above or lower that...[more] Category: Uganda
05.09.2011
Uganda - Killing your budget?
Uganda, one of the poorest countries, is NOT cheap... IF you live and move in the tourist bubble that is difficult to avoid when visiting the National Parks in a reasonable time! We chose the cheapest of the expensive options, a two week private tour for 2.900 USD per person for two weeks, including pretty much everything (transport, accommodation, three meals, all permits, park fees). What makes such a trip so costly? Permits and park fees are a big chunk (gorilla permit 500 USD p.p., two Chimpanzee permits at 100 USD p.p. each,...[more] Category: Uganda, Budget
15.09.2011
3 weeks in Uganda - Summary
Our itinerary In August 2011, we visited the string of National Parks in western Uganda, starting with Lake Byunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elisabeth National Park including the Ishasha Sector, Kibale Rain Forest, Semliki National Park, Murchison Falls National Park including Budongo Forest and last but not least Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This journey can leisurely be done in two weeks. Kidepo National Park in the north east we skipped, too remote and too expensive. The third week, we crashed at the fabulous...[more] Category: Uganda, Summaries
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