This past weekend was a definitely a first for me. Though I strongly feel that I am not high maintenance (just maintained highly), there are certain things that I just don't do. Camping is one of them. I've NEVER been camping in my life. Bugs (many of which refuse to die if you just step on them), outdoor toilets, tents, no electricity, paying to rent a ratty towel, and cold water showers in an unspeakably filthy communal bathroom are just not my idea of a fun-filled weekend. But I am proud to say that I did it and survived.
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| Family of warthogs wandering the camp site |
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Red Chilli Rest Camp
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So to go back to the beginning, this weekend was my second trip out of Kampala. A group of us ventured north to Murchison Falls. The first stop on our journey was the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Though rhinos were once numerous in Uganda, they had been hunted and poached to near extinction by the 1980s with the last rhino seen in the wild in Uganda in 1983. In 2004, Ziwa was established to help breed the rhinos with the hope of eventual repatriation to the wild. The sanctuary allows pretty close contact with the rhinos. It was a hot trek in the bush but so worth it.
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| Rhino trekker and a pile of rhino poop |
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Baby and Mama Rhino
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The following morning, we crossed the river Nile and went for a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. There were legions of bird species, hippos, giraffes and 3 of the big 5.
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| Hippos in the background |
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| Hippo footprint |
That evening there was a trip to the top of Murchison Falls. At this spot, the massive Nile River converges and pushes through a narrow gap in the surrounding rocks making powerful rapids and mist.
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| sunset at Murchison Falls |
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| Murchison Falls at a distance |
The following morning was perhaps the highlight of the trip. Entering the rainforest to trek for chimpanzees was both exciting and scary. They went about their daily business without much regard for us. They were fun to watch in their various modes of courting and play.
That is what I would call an EXTREME camping trip. How did you feel afterwards? I would have been in HEAVEN as I loooove animals. The bugs are another story and I can only imagine how many different species of insects and spiders (the thought alone makes me cringe) you came across. From the pictures, it looked like you had a very enlightening experience. :)
ReplyDeleteHI Ashante. How did you hear about my blog? Thank you for all of your comments! I was relieved to get back to civilization after the camping trip. It was actually pretty peaceful while I was there and I felt like I had accomplished something.
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