Tuesday, June 28, 2010

We did some game viewing on the way out of Lake Mburo National Park. This park has a great deal of prey but few predators as it is a relatively small park. However, Joseph tells us that Lions were spotted here last year for the first time in over 50 years. This could be a problem as there are many cattle both in and outside of the park. The cattle here have extremely long and curved horns that sometimes meet in the middle. These are called Ankole cattle and they are not supposed to be inside the National Park lands. If they are found there, they are rounded up and placed in “cow prison,” a small corral in which wayward cows are placed until their owners bail them out of prison and take them home. We were speculating that last night’s dinner might have been an unlucky prisoner.

Leaving the park we took some great video of the yellow beaked lapwings entertaining us with a road side show, a momma nad baby veret monkey and a herd of 200 or more Ankole being driven down the road directly at us. Among the highlights of our viewing this morning were many small herd of Impala, Waterbuck and Zebra. A red beaked kingfisher, many beautiful blue starlings, a pair of sacred ibis, a spoon billed ibis, and a black headed heron.

We stopped at Mbarra to get petrol and the girls opted to use the local loo. The first option had shoes but no feet and when the door was pushed it pushed back. Occupado. The second option proved to be somewhat lacking in amenities. Let’s leave it to say that the women came back feeling the necessity to wash their feet and cover themselves with purel.

The ride to Bwindi from Lake Mburo takes 7 hours so we stopped for a late lunch at Chumbura Gorge. The Gorge is about 150 feet deep from the edge and is surrounded by Savannah. But the Gorge itself is rainforest and is home to a group of Chimpanzees. One of those chimps could be seen on the other side of the Gorge in a tree on the top eating from a fig tree. That means he climbed at least 100 feet just to eat his lunch.

Joseph informs us that Chumbura means “I can’t find it.” This comes from the fact that people who lived along this river would have their things washed down the river after a flood. Since the river empties into the Kazinga Channel and eventually Lake George, they would inevitably come back from their search for their things saying “I can’t find it.”

We took the Ishasha Road to Bwindi and arrived there in the late afternoon. Buhoma Lodge is where we are staying in Bwindi and we must be up at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday to go Mountain Gorilla Tracking. More on that tomorrow.

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Monday, June 28, 2010

For Janis and Christie it was their first full day in Africa and a very full day it was for all of us. Janis and Christie started the day by going for a walk outside the Boma compound in Entebbe. This being Monday morning they found themselves walking to school along with the local school children (in uniform of course) in the neighborhood. The children were much more comfortable with them when they explained that they were school teachers from America and were coming to Uganda to teach here. The children here are very endearing. They are quite obedient and very conscientious students.

After breakfasting on the veranda at the Boma we were on the road early to get our errands done. Don’t worry Barbara, the books are safe and sound at the Jane Goodall Institute in Entebbe, but the most fascinating experience was buying Christie a new pair of hiking boots. Joseph our guide and driver finally was able to locate a place that sold boots in amongst a set of stalls that sold absolutely everything imaginable. Of course the road is dirt, but then there is an open ditch running with something foul smelling in it along the length of the shops. We had to either jump the ditch or walk over a rickety pallet to get to the shop that sold shoes. Christie found the shoes she wanted and with great good luck they actually fit her. She paid the Muzungu (white person’s) price, but at $17 it was still a good deal. Shopping accomplished.

On the road to Lake Mburo we crossed the equator and took the requisite pictures, and ate really bad cheeseburgers for lunch. But the most important thing was that Janis bought her husband Rob a set of salt and pepper mini-baskets in exchange for the very expensive camera Rob had bought her for the trip. Seems like a fair exchange, doesn’t it? A high-end electronic device for a 50 cent pair of baskets. However, we are very thankful as Janis’ high-powered lenses have gotten some great shots for us, and she has become our official trip photographer.

Back on the road to Mburo, I had brought along a two pound bag of Red Twizzlers for emergency purposes, and the bad cheeseburgers seemed like enough of an emergency to me. So we passed them around and Joseph called them red sticks. Then Joseph stopped by the side of the road to answer a mobile phone call. It is the custom here in Uganda to pull over to the side of the road when speaking on a mobile phone. Some children in school uniform were walking home for lunch and approached our vehicle. So we decided to give each of them a “red stick.” They didn’t know what they were, but knew they were good and it made our day to “interact” with them and take their picture.

Arriving at Lake Mburo we started to see animals even before we entered the park. Today we saw Zebra, Baboons, Waterbuck, Bush Bucks, Antelope, Impala, Cape Buffalo Topi, Ugandan Cobb and Elan. Christie, Janis and Steve went on a short walk to a game blind to watch animals arrive at the watering hole. We came back to Chris and Steve’s cabin we found Chris entertaining a group of Vervet Monkeys in the trees outside the cabin porch. It was hard to know who was more entertained, Chris or the Monkeys.

We took a short rest before going to the Mahingo Lodge dining room. On the lower deck there the staff was feeding fruit to some local bush babies and we were able to see and animal that most people have heard or heard of, but few have seen in the wild. A superb dinner in the dining room and then an early to bed evening for us as we have to be on the road to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest by 8:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The Boma

The Boma is very colonial looking. It's enclosed in a compound close by Lake Victoria (all of Entebbe is close by Lake Victoria) behind a steel gate guarded by a man with a rifle. Despite the gun they people here are very friendly and helpful in every way. The Boma is run by an Irish ex-patriot and appears as if it could have been the setting for any number of scenes in the Jewel in the Crown. Breakfast will be served at 7:30 this morning on the veranda overlooking the garden.

Joseph is our driver and guide from Wild Frontiers, and like all of our previous experiences with these folks he is knowledgeable about everything we see from the wildlife to the government to the local shopping areas. Christie had the sole break on one of her hiking boots and will have to get a new pair this morning. She's shopping already, Scott! Our plan is to drop off our boxes of books for the Kasiisi library at the Jane Goodall Institute this morning and then get on the road to Mahingo Lodge (http://www.mihingolodge.com/) for tonight. We are hoping for a late afternoon game walk in Lake Mburo National Park




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Schiphol

We got to Amsterdam 30 minutes early due to strong tailwinds. We're a little tired since it is 8:30 in the morning here, but our bodies tell us it's 2:30 in the morning. We have 4 hours to wait for our next flight to Entebbe, an 8 hour flight over Europe, the Mediterranean and on to Africa. We hope to be able to see the Sahara as we fly over. Good thing the coffee here is high test.

Off We Go

We're sitting by Gate A13, all checked in. Barbara Stevens was with us at check in to make sure we got the Kasiisi Project boxes through, and to wish us well. Chris' new hip made going through Security a spot of bother. But we made it through and are watching Ghana vs. USA on the big screen at Game On in the terminal. Ghana is leading 1-0 and I think I may end up owing Koojo Mathew a beer unless the US can come from behind as they did against Slovenia. Here's a picture of our intrepid travelers as we head off for the first leg of our 17 hours journey (13 hours in the air). We'll update in Amsterdam if we get access.

Anticipation

We are all making last minute arrangements as we prepare for our flight this Saturday. Four of us, Christie Wyman, Janis Fathman, Chris Thurston and Steve Shaw will be departing from Logan on the 26th. We will meet with the Krimsky/Kee family when we get to the Field Station in Kibale National Park. Pam Bator and Cindy Mahr will be following later, as they will be doing other work for the project, outside of the schools.

The four of us from Country School will be going on a week's safari before we travel to the Field Station. Here is a copy of the itinerary for this group.

• June 26 leave Boston 5:05 p.m.
• June 27 arrive in Entebbe 7:30 p.m. Stay at Boma (one night)
• June 28 travel to Lake Mboro Stay one night at Mahingo Lodge (
• June 29 (game walk in the morning at Mboro) travel to Bwindi (stay at Bahoma Lodge)
• June 30 at Bahoma (Gorilla treking)
• July 1 and 2 at Ishasha (lions)
• July 3rd travel to Mweya (2 hrs) Kazinga Channel boat ride, then travel to Kibale
• July 4th rest day at MUBFS
• July 5th and 6th work in schools (one day at each school)
• Wed. July 7th Mugusu market lunch at Mts. of the Moon
• July 7th and 8th work in schools
• Sat July 10 Kanyanchu (Chimp trekking)
• Sunday July 11 Ndali Lodge
• Monday, July 12th at Kasiisi school
• Tuesday, July 13 visit Secondary schools, Ft. Portal
• Wednesday, July 14 travel to Entebbe, Dinner at the Boma at 5:00 p.m. (flight at 9:50 p.m.)
• Thursday, July 15th arrive in Boston 1:10 p.m.

Of course all of this is subject to change as we travel. We'll keep you posted as we are able to have internet access. Anyone who is sending mail to Uganda should drop it off at Country School by the end of the day on Thursday, June 24th.