30/07/2022 Saturday - Crater Lakes to Queen Elizabeth NP
Left the rather lovely Turaco Treetops early in order to do the community run “swamp and village tour”. it was raining hard on and off. we decided to start with the village, and it did stop raining whilst we were regaled with how to make coffee (as in right from the start - husking and grinding the beans), but started again when we went on our walk. Amazing amount of birds, even just along the roadside that we had to walk along before dropping down into the swamp area! highlight 6 x crested cranes plus a brown parrot amongst others. But challenging to walk, hold umbrella, binos, camera etc etc. very enterprising community, who are really pulling it together to harvest the tourist market.
Lovely scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth NP through the spectacular crater lakes. And I had to grudgingly admit the farms were very picturesque.
Our guide peter is a wealth of information and able to fill us in on all sorts of things, ranging from geography, language, government, history and local culture.
Thinking back on the dinosaur fossil of last month. We talk of carbon, and climate change. The carbon we are releasing from fossil fuel came from somewhere - ie that primordial atmosphere. The prehistoric forests must have been vast and they captured all that atmosphere, and basically buried it, far underground. And we have, in the space of a few short decades, released the genie from the bottle. It’s a theme that all good stories are made of from the Hobbit, to the Bible to traditional beliefs - where evil lives far underground, and wrecks havoc when it surfaces. We want to be buried in the earth, a sacred ritual. Its mother earth that holds our demise deep within. All a cognitive dissonance. Funny what you think about on long car drives.
31/07/2022 Sunday - Queen Elizabeth NP
Predawn start for game drive which was rewarded with a lovely spotty hyena crossing the road before we even got to the park! I persuaded Peter to head to lake George rather than scout around with all the other game drivers looking for lion which I am sure made him the laughing stock of all the other guides. It was a worthwhile excursion, we saw a lovely variety of animals and birds and at the end, 2 very nice adolescent lions right on the road all to ourselves, until another vehicle arrived. Peter was possibly more thrilled than us! Another highlight was a wonderful pod of hippos looking just like a pod of beans, in a mud bath, they made it look so sublime! And made us late for lunch back at the lodge, but we managed to scoff it down and head out again for our cruise up the Kazinga channel which links lake George to Lake Edward. We didn’t make it as far as lake Edward, there was enough to see in just the section we travelled up to satisfy everyone, and as it was we did the canal drive to the Lake Edward peninsula through glorious giant euphorbia forests with lots of lovely birds, and a nice elephant encounter. Returning home we made our way through to the spectacular crater fields - again, spectacular in spite of the inclement weather. We were able to glimpse a bit of the Rwenzori foothills, but could not see the escarpment on the otherside. Haze a mix of cloud, but also the smoke from the enormous amount of 'controled burning' that they do at this time of year. Peter has given us a good explanation of this, but it is quite vast. Lets hope the science behind it is not the same as the Tsetse control departments 'science' of the 60's. Other than the smoke pollution, the blackened ground looks apocalyptic - though lots of predators (birds primarily) cashing in on roast dinners.
I have really started to notice the comraderie amongst the guiding fraternity here in Uganda, and the slight tension between ‘experienced’ versus ‘professional’ guides. Peter is part of the latter, and has a vast network and they constantly share tips, experiences and knowledge. They all know whose in the park with them and will delight in letting their colleagues know when they spot something interesting- the view amongst them all, which they take very seriously, is that we (eg Sue and I) are not just guests of Peters, we are guests of Uganda. The ‘experienced’ guides are the ones that have been doing it a long time, many of whom started out as taxi drivers who were engaged to drive intrepid tourists to various places but knew very little about the wildlife, geography, history etc of Uganda. They have been in the game a long time now and are not interested in changing (doesn’t that sound familiar….!), or seeking to add value to the experience, their objective being to get their own client through their To Do list quickly and efficiently and get a good tip, bugger everyone else. I can now understand a bit more why Peter got so annoyed with the guys back in Murchison NP whose safari vehicles were ‘hogging’ the leopard and not letting anyone else in - a scene that has not been repeated since - everyone has been very considerate and keen to ensure all visitors, not just theirs, get a good experience.
01/08/2022 Monday - Queen Elizabeth (QENP) to Bwindi Impenetrable forest
No lazy mornings for us! We were packed, breakfasted and on the road just after 8. We took the scenic route south, through QENP right down to the famous Ishasha region.
Many highlights on the road down - 3 huge bull elephants, all sporting some of the biggest ivory I have seen! masses of buffalo, and the rare blue monkeys. The weather improved drastically with sunshine spilling out on a regular basis lighting up stunning panoramas that look exactly like something out of National Geographic. Made it to the south of the park, and after herds of Topi - a rather curious looking cousin of our handsome Sable Antelope further south, we found a shoebill! and what a remarkable creature it is. quite awkward looking with its impossible beak, long skinny legs and upright stance - looking like a cartoon caricature. Has a lonesome air about it. It was patrolling a splendid pan, teeming with animals and birds. and a great elephant that materialised out of nowhere whilst we were focussed on the Shoebill. Then off to go find us a tree cat... the famous tree climing lions of Ishasha. There are a number of giant Fig trees resident down that end of the park, with great big horizontal branches, perfect for lounging on. Each tree on the circuit complete with a ring road. Useful in terms of protecting the tree from the 'controlled burning', but am faintly relieved that there were no lions in situ, as the circus / merry go round would have been quite challenging. Having exhausted ourselves looking at and looking for animals, we exited the park and started to climb into the hinterland, and up into Bwindi. Not far as the crow flies, but long winding roads that switch back and forth up the mountains, alternating between the farms, tea plantations, tree plantations and the magnificent forest. I struggle not to get morose when confronted with the forest and humanity sitting side by side so starkly. The void of the cleared forest, the earth running in red rivers, and then the soaring cathedrals of the trees in the remaining forest, where the streams run clear in spite of the downpour that we drove into. And then i cannot help admiring how pretty and productive the agriculture is - ignoring the tea plantations which on the scale of mono culture are not big at all - the rest a patchwork of horticulture - every acre terraced and covered in a medley of bananas, mangos, peanuts, potatoes, millet, maize, jack fruit all carefully cultivated and intergrown. The villages, houses and kiosks perched in a very picturesque fashion on impossibly steep slopes. the kids that shriek and laugh in delight with the tourists passing through, and the adults flashing big smiles - certainly got no feeling of impassive resentment towards “rich tourists passing through”.
Checked into our very quaint accommodation - high in the mountains, on the edge of the forest - mist descending all around us. and the temperature plummeting as the huge storm rolled in
02/08/2022 Tuesday “Madonna and Child”
Amazing thunderstorm last night - felt like we were in the thunder, not below it. Peter appeared at breakfast, late, looking tense. I asked him about his abrupt departure yesterday evening. He carefully broke the news that the gorilla permits are in fact for tomorrow. Bugger. We agreed we would try our luck and go to the tracking station. and our luck was in. 2 others had not pitched, so we could technically take their place but Peter had to sort the permit transfer in double quick time - a notoriously impossibly task even with advance notice. Deserves a gold medal. Off we went down the muddy track in pouring rain, with a couple of misgivings - wondering if waiting till tomorrow might have indeed been a good thing. concerns about our gear and whether it would fail or not (shoes / dry bags etc).
The long muddy steep and treacherous path made me feel like I was indeed on a pilgrimage to see the great sage in the center of the sacred forest. Romantic daydream but not so far fetched really when you think about the last few years. 2hrs in we found the family, lolling on a steep hillside, surrounded by vines and what looked like nettles. The big male silverback in charge, was reclining in splendour on a matt of giant leaves, while his newest wife, or mother of his newest baby was nearby. i was entranced by her as she cuddled and loved and kissed her little baby (only a month old). I admired a couple of others, but was just drawn back to her - the ultimate “Madonna and Child”. As i was the last of our little group to arrive, when our hour was up i made sure i was the last to leave - and was rewarded by the big male standing up and flexing his muscles! very cool (but the mother and child was still my favourite!). Long hike back out, but buoyed by the elation of the encounter. Our guides had done a good job of matching groups (only 4 groups of 8 go out a day). I am sure while we are entertained on arrival at the ‘tracking station’ by some traditional dancing, there is a frank and possibly entertaining discussion on age and fitness levels of various clients. We were in an intermediate group, and our fitness levels were well aligned. It was a cheerful and chatty group that came out, and even some sunshine. The rain had miraculously stopped as we got to the gorillas, and steadily cleared.
Muddy and tired, Peter chaperoned us to our next accommodation at the lovely Arcadia Resort on a hill overlooking sublime Lake Bunyoni. I had no idea how astonishingly pretty this 'lake district' is - crater lakes or lava made lakes filled with islands (29 in Bunyoni) - all pretty whether still untouched, highly cultivated or resortified.
Again that juxtaposition of emotion when I reflect on the day and the gorillas. How little habitat is left. How resource hungry my life is compared with the people here. How hypocritical I am having flown all the way across the world. But if i, and others, don’t fly to these places, and spend lots of money, they hold no value to the immediate communities who see conservation as a luxury. In NZ living off grid is a luxury, in Africa it is a necessity. In NZ we are beginning to understand that conservation and biodiversity is a necessity (possibly a little too late even!), but here in Africa its a luxury unless there is a compelling case. I have heard people talk of community engagement models, and Jane Goodall speaks of the progress that has been made - a hugely inspiring woman, and great champion for conservation that we had the fortune to go to a few years ago, but the biggest highlight for me was to see and experience this in action. To be honest, when I came away from the Goodall talk, I was just a little bit demoralised as I didn’t really believe the community model would work in Africa. So to see bits of land being relinquished back to the forest, regenerating, because the communities can see more value in letting their land go back to native forest was quite possibly one of the biggest highlights for me, and gave me permission to feel hopeful as well. The place we stayed at last night was built and run by the community, as are all the ‘tourist’ centres around the forest and of course all the guiding and managing of the forest and its resources including the gorillas - all local community. And come to think of it, all the activities we have done over the last 10days are all run and staffed by the local communities.
03/08/2022 Wednesday. Lake Bunyoni to Lake Mburo
Long and winding drive from Lake Bunyoni and the highlands to the flat plains around the Ankole region. Passed quarry workers on some of the hillsides - slate and gravel and very haphazard. Labour intensive but better than getting earth moving equipment in which would disappear mountains in minutes and employ a fraction of the people. Down through banana plantations, pinapple and papyrus and starting to see more Ankole cattle as we entered the Ankole region, home of this eponymous cow with its improbable horns. I grudgingly admire them, while simultaneously wishing there were less of them. Less intensive agriculture but still very mixed. lots of eucalypt trees, can see why, as they can be harvested multiple times and grow fast. As we approached lake Mburo the landscape started to resemble Zim - much driyer, flatter, with lots of acacia, and even granite outcrops. Entered park at Sanga gate, met almost immediately by Impala and Zebra - 2 animals that are so common in Zim, but absent from all other parks in Uganda. Because we like stopping and checking things out, we were running short on time, Sue and I were booked in to do a horse ride at 4. So it was going to be a case of check in, dump our stuff, dash out, go riding, back for a quick dinner then out again for a night drive. I was exhausted just thinking about it. Mihingo lodge was so lovely, and our chalet so super that within minutes Sue and i opted to forgo the horse ride and just hang - go for a swim, enjoy a G&T. Early dinner, and then off for night drive. am not a fan of night drives, my experience to date has been unrewarding. And same would have been for this one, except we did run into a very handsome leopard, who was clearly focussed on hunting. we were able to follow her for a bit, and enjoy watching her supple grace (and clear annoyance at the intrusion). Then an unusual spotting of what we think was a water mongoose on the way back to the lodge.
Did a bit of background reading on Lake Mburo. A chequered history not unlike Gonarezhou. Yet another region that received the attentions of the colonial / pre-independence tsetse fly experts and their darstardly control methods. In this regions case, they started with slaughtering everything. This proved ineffective, so the following year they went 'scorched earth' chopped and burnt every tree, this too proved ineffective - the regrowth 'bushification' seemed to increase the tsetse fly and make them more voracious than ever. So they got out the insecticide, and killed every insect and thereby bird. 3rd time lucky, and indeed they did succeed in eliminating the fly and thus make way for the ubiquitous cow. Quote from Brian Herne in his book African Safaris*:
"They employed vast teams of African hunters with shot-bolt rifles... with orders to shoot every single animal, irrespective of age or sex. Everything was to be exterminated. We watched in horror and anger. They did slaughter everything they could.... anything and everything that crossed their gunsights. The wildlife was decimated almost out of existence... after the grass fires in July, the plains were richly scattered with bleached skeletons and gaunt sun-dried carcasses."
One wonders, surely at some point you look at a cow and wonders if its worth it?? And then of course, the ongoing battle between the demand for space from population growth, and the need to create sanctuaries and reserves of biodiversity... a story that continues to unfold across the globe.
04/08/2022 Thursday “a bout of the Rats”
Short lived indulgence of freshly made coffee delivered to our door before we dashed off - Sue to go for a game walk, and self to go on the deferred horse ride which was a far better arrangement. It was only me on the ride, so we got to do lots of cantering around and chasing zebra. It was fun. Back to lodge to shower and have breakfast and leave to Entebbe, not before swinging past to actually see lake Mburo - my idea - and not very rewarding given it added 2 hours to our day. In addition to this, I then had the realisation that i probably needed a RAT test for tomorrow for flight back to Harare, given the layover in Kigali… argh.
As our road trip came to a close, with the impeccable driving by Peter - I had started to notice a curious harmony in the chaos of road traffic. Coming from an orderly world of New Zealand, it just seemed completely mad. But after goodness knows how many kilometres, I was able to appreciate the courtesy and communication that is constantly exchanged between drivers - with a vast range of hand signals to convey messages, greetings, questions, alerts. A fascinating Highway Code.
05/08/2022 Friday
3am start to the airport complete with my certified negative RAT test that was WhatsApped through to me nigh on midnight, as they promised to my dubious belief. It was not required after all… perhaps they only want it when one comes from Harare? My spot of retail therapy conducted at both Entebbe and Kigali came back to haunt me as I suddenly realised that Zim customs may have an issue. I ran into an issue many years ago whereby if one enters the country twice within a one month period one is liable for 100% duty. Its not that I had brought that much, it was the fact that I had absolutely zero US $ on me and had no idea how I would pay if I needed to! As it turned out most of the bags from the flight did not come through and i was able to march through the Green Route complaining vociferously that there was indeed nothing to declare!
I got in touch with the very helpful RwandAir ops manager who explained (in a somewhat exasperated tone) that he knew exactly where our bags were. They were in Kigali, where they had left them. On account of the fact that the flight needed to get to Cape Town after its stop in Harare. And given “the Situation” in Zimbabwe with no fuel/AvGas, they had to carry extra on board and where too heavy so had to leave the bags behind. Sigh. Over the course of the (long) weekend it became even more apparent why there was a shortage of AvGas - as multiple flyovers of migs and other jets where conducted in honour of Heroes Day (Monday) + Defence forces day(Tuesday) celebrations. Yay. The bags surfaced on the next flight from Kigali on Sunday, after I had delayed my return to Bulawayo by 2 days. Which was actually a bonus and gave me more time to spend with Ruth - we don’t often get a chance to have 1 on 1 time so a bit of a treat.
So, to conclude and to reiterate my intro in Part 1. Nothing irritates me more then tourists who go somewhere for 2 weeks, dash about, and then think they are experts on the country and pontificate ad infinitum on its many virtues - perceived from the airconditioned comfort of their vehicles, and swish hotels. I realise I risk being the same so do take my experience with a grain of salt! In my defence, the contrast with Zimbabwe is too vast to ignore. Even the mere fact that there are tourists, dashing about, filling up all the available accommodation - speaks volumes compared to this country which used to be a hugely popular tourist destination, with so much more to offer! Or that you can go to the ATM and draw cash. That people there are reluctant to take US dollars, as its too much of a hassle (you actually get a lower exchange rate for small denominations if you deign to change cash). And the value of the local currency did not halve over the course of the visit which is more then can be said for what’s transpired with the currency here in Zim over the last 2 weeks (and 22 years!).
*plagerised from Bradts rather good guide to Uganda, and highly recommended for a good read regardless of whether you thinking of going to Uganda and or are just interested in the place.
