Tanzania, Africa

Let’s Go Tanzania …

Crossing over to Tanzania would be yet another long journey on our bus but of course with us travelling to over seven East and South African countries that can be expected.  Many of the borders that we’ve crossed thus far provide a very different and almost immediate change so even if there were no border you’d likely know you were somewhere else entirely anyway.  Leaving Kenya we left behind nearly any sense of greenery that was replaced with miles and miles of dust and brush.  Both Stijn and I felt like we had been mysteriously transported to Iraq or Afghanistan or somewhere equally desert-like but none the less quite beautiful if even for its stark contrast to many of the places we’ve been previously.

We arrived at a campground called ‘Snake Park’ and despite Stijn telling me repeatedly that it is only called this because there is a snake rehabilitation program and viewing area, I was however less than convinced and certain there must have been quite a number on the loose and far too close for comfort!  Stijn clearly didn’t feel the same way because before I knew it he had some sort of green snake around his neck!  After putting that creature back in its home and passing through the crocodile area which we
literally camped beside it was time for some local food.  The local women prepared what looked to be lovely roasted goat on a barbecue spit for the meat eaters and I enjoyed some amazing vegetables and salad with rice.  It’s been quite nice trying so much of the local food as often as we can even if mine is only three quarters of the usual meal!

The next morning Land Rovers came to the campsite to pick us up and take us out to Serengeti National Park.  The Serengeti was once a vast ocean but now more than a million years later it is a very dry and vast plain.  The park itself is over 27,000 square kilometers and is home to massive herds and packs of wild animals.  Unlike the Masai Mara there is not a lot of vegetation other than wild brush but there is a lot of rock formations that seem like island oasis’ in the middle of the dense plain.  Our crew consisted of two drivers as well as a cook and we all made the trek to the park to see what kind of wildlife we could observe and we weren’t disappointed.  Over the next two days we spent all day game driving where we saw just about everything you can hope to see in the amazing park and more.  Plenty of lions, cheetahs even the illusive leopards which are generally quite hard to find and we saw two… one of which was feeding on a Thompson Gazelle when we spotted it.  The leopards will actually drag their kills up into the trees to avoid having to share with other cats or fight to save their meal but I have to admit, it looks a bit shocking to see the legs of a gazelle hanging off a tree branch!

We saw many other amazing animals as well but the cats were the most amazing as they are harder to spot. The heard animals are literally everywhere in the park and while we were hoping to see a kill we weren’t disappointed by just how amazing and wild everything that we did see was!

Our evenings were spent in a wild camp inside the park without fences and amongst the hyenas, elephants and buffalo… or at least that’s what we saw.  We listened to the sounds of lions and hyenas and other animals but we were never really sure just how close they were.  Apparently lions and other predators pass through the camp quite regularly and our guide regaled us with a stories of freaked out campers and one when one of his groups was sitting around the fire and the lions came within mere feet of the group before carrying on.  One lady apparently wet herself and I think I would have done the same if that had been our experience but luckily we only had a few hyena’s and other animals come into camp to check us out while we were in our tents and relatively safe and even managed to have some amazing sleeps!

After five amazing game drives and two nights within the Serengeti we headed to the top of the Ngorogoro Crater where we would spend the night at another wild campground amongst the animals and one massive elephant in particular who came into the middle of our camp and decided to help himself to water from the water tank.  Our guide was quite good at keeping our group from getting too close as elephants can be extremely dangerous and much faster than one would expect, but other people seemed to think they were in a zoo and got very close eventually scaring the animal away but luckily without incident.  Our guide reminded all of us just how much respect needs to be given to these wild animals as they have had guests trampled to death in the past.

The next morning we were up early and made our way down the steep road into the crater. The Ngorogoro Crater was formed millions of years ago when the volcano imploded on itself and the vast crater floor dropped and a very special ecosystem was created.  The crater itself is 400 square kilometers and while most animals are able to get in very few are able to get back out causing very shallow gene pools and concern for some of the animals long term well- being.  None the less we were able to see more amazing animals up close including our first hippo that was out of the water.  Because of the altitude of the mountain, even the crater is much cooler than the plains of the nearby Serengeti which means the hippos don’t have to hide from the sun as much and are therefore much more active.  It was really neat to be able to see them grazing on land which they normally only do in the early morning or late evening.

After making our way back up the steep crater walls and back to camp for brunch we made the more than four hour drive back to meet up with our tour guide and driver.  We spent the night at Snake Park once again before making our way to Zanzibar for a few days of beach and relaxation.  We were quite taken aback when we reached our hotel- the first thing we saw through the lobby was the amazing turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.  Our little hotel was right on the beach and we all had private huts with nearly no other guests at the resort.  For the most part we could come and go as we pleased and even make our own drinks at the bar so we quickly settled in and made ourselves at home. 

The next morning Stijn and a couple of the other guys headed out early in search of some game fish for us to cook later that night.  Apparently the local fisherman hadn’t been catching too much in the recent weeks but luckily for us, they came back with a massive Wahoo fish which served as a beautiful meal for the whole group!  While the guys were busy fishing, the girls went to a national marine reserve for some snorkelling.  Sadly the water was a bit rough and the hour or more boat ride made the majority of us feel pretty queasy.    Once in the water it wasn’t much better as the waves were still quite large and we were all getting tossed around pretty badly.  I was only able to snorkel at the first site on account of the sea sickness but after a couple of motion sickness pills I wasn’t feeling too badly but they did make me pretty sleepy and both Stijn and I spent the majority of the rest of the day dozing in and out and until the barbequed fish was served up with a few cocktails… can’t get much more fresh or delicious than that! 

After yet another day of sunshine the following evening we were signed up for a booze cruise on the other side of the island to watch the sunset and of course have a few drinks.  Sadly Stijn was a bit under the weather and wasn’t able to make it this time but he enjoyed a quiet evening and even managed to get a pretty good internet connection so I think he was pretty happy.  Similar to the first cruise that we did on the Nile we had a beautiful boat but unlike the first time around there was no food and the drinks were far too strong or at least they were for a lot of the much younger tour members and before I knew it there was tears, vomit and the usual debauchery that seems to find 19 to early 20 somethings!  It proved to be fairly entertaining none the less and everyone was in bed before 9 p.m. once we arrived back at the resort!

This morning surprisingly everyone was feeling pretty good and after a nice breakfast we all packed up and took the bus into Stone Town, named after Livingston who almost single handedly brought down the slave trade in Zanzibar and in effect most of Africa as this island was the last stop for slaves before they were sold off and shipped to the rest of the world.  There is still a lot of evidence of the torture and disturbing conditions that these people were made to endure in the dungeons and memorials that litter this tiny island city.

Aside from the torture and torrid past Stone Town also offered some interesting markets including one particular meat and fish market where I nearly lost my lunch as I happened to look just as the cows head was getting a wood axe down the centre of it but sadly trying to escape all the smells and sounds that this offered, I ran right into the fish section which didn’t do much to rid my stomach of the urge to vomit.  The surprises weren’t over there as once outside there were a number of animal intestines as well as whole cow skins- I have to say I was much more at home in the spice and vegetable section of the market!

Tomorrow morning we will once again board a ferry back to mainland Tanzania and make our way over the next few days to Malawi.  Unfortunately late last night a ferry carrying over 700 locals to one of the other islands sunk and we were saddened to hear that over 350 are still missing and this morning over 150 people were confirmed dead.  It is yet another reminder of how difficult life can be for the people of Africa and just how different the standards for locals and tourists are.  While we easily sail from island to island on proper high speed ferries with no more than 200 or so people, this particular boat was stuffed to the brim with more than double its capacity and as a result hundreds of people have lost their lives.    This is a constant message in Africa and it is quite difficult to see just how hard life can be for the have-nots of this continent.  

Uganda and Kenya, Africa

Let’s go Gorilla Trekking … We happily arrived at the overlanders camp on Lake Bunyoyni all in one piece- I say this because on the last trip the truck nearly fell over a cliff and into the lake on the way up and all of the passengers had to jump out of the truck one at a time!  Luckily, this was not our experience!  The camp itself is set right on the lake and is one of the deepest lakes in all of Africa and perfect for swimming!  After a quick dip we made ourselves at home for the next few days before retiring early for what would be an early start and a long day.

Our trek started very early the next morning with our car arriving at 4:30 in the morning for the long and extremely bumpy drive to where our trek would begin.  The roads were treacherous all the way up and down several very narrow mountain roads, many of which had large mud puddles and even larger ruts from the big trucks making the trek up to the mountain-top villages.  Luckily for us we had a great little 4X4 vehicle and were able to negotiate all of the mud patches without too much difficulty with the more than four hour long drive provided stunning views the whole way up.  With the mud and a few stops for photo ops we arrived a little late and had actually missed the orientation.  It all worked out though as normally we would have trekked with a group of eight plus guides and trackers but in the end there was only us and one other couple.

As we headed the first of many steep ascends we were quickly reminded of just how many months we spent eating and drinking our way through Europe and other parts of the world!  We were amazed at just how quickly we went from terraced agricultural land and farms to lush, deep rain forest.  After the decent into the rain forest we started the first of many very steep trails up what would end up being four very difficult mountains in search of the Mubare family of gorillas.

The fourth mountain was an even more steep one than the previous three with a bit of a twist that we weren’t all that fond of… bush whacking sans a machete!  We were quite literally caught, cut, scraped and pricked with all kinds of sharp vines and thorns.  Once we made it to the top we stopped for a bite to eat while the guide went ahead to meet up with a few of the trackers to make sure the gorillas were in a good spot before we made our way down to see them.  The way it works is that the second you see one of the gorillas, your hour starts and you can only spend 60 minutes with them no matter how good or how poor the viewing is.  Luckily for us when we finally made our way down after four and a half hours of mountain climbing, bush whacking and sweating more than I have… I think ever… we made our way down to where the gorillas were.

The first thing we saw was the Silverback laying in the middle of the trail, stoking one of his female family members who was cuddling a tiny baby gorilla that was only about two weeks old.  It was absolutely stunning!  In total we were able to see 24 members of the Mubare family and nearly all of them were out on display and putting on quite a show for us.  As the gorillas moved down the trail we followed close behind and at one point two of the adolescent males starting beating their chest straight out of Godzilla and then one of them came rushing towards us.  We had been told that if this happened we would have to remain completely still… and we did… just barely!  As he charged us Stijn and I were right in front of his path but he stopped about a meter and a half from us and then began to pose for the camera!  It is indescribable to see these amazing primates in their natural habitat- they all seemed to have such vivid personalities and attitudes; some posed, some were shy while others played around and showed off for us!  It was if the second we saw them the previous four hours or so of the hardest climb we’ve ever made instantly melted away and we were elated to be able to be so close!

A couple of the gorillas got really close and one came right up to me just to make sure I wasn’t a threat and despite the VERY loud voice in my head telling me to run, I managed once again to stand still and he passed behind me and began playing with one of his siblings.  Sensing my uncertainty, Stijn then made his way over to me and put himself between me and the gorillas and just as he did so another one came running up and was grabbing on to the trees for leverage as he came closer he actually grabbed Stijn’s leg to propel himself past us- it was amazing!  Stijn was pretty excited that one touched him as they are allowed to touch you but not the other way around!  We had an amazing hour watching the gorillas interact and seeing just how human they are- we have 99.9% the same DNA as the gorillas and it’s absolutely apparent when you see them interacting so up close and personal. 

After our hour was up it was time to make the trek back out of the rain forest and back to the campground- luckily for us we were able to take a bit of a short cut out and were back at the car after only about an hour and a half of hiking.  We then headed out for the more than four hour drive back to meet up with the rest of our tour group and heard all about their experiences as well.

We arrived back at the campground shortly after 8:00 p.m. and had just enough energy to eat dinner and share some stories with some of the other trekkers.  By the sounds of it, we definitely had the hardest climb, some groups found their gorilla families within an hour, but our hard work was rewarded with a much larger group and much better sight lines than a lot of the other groups!  We couldn’t have been happier with our experience despite all the cuts, scrapes and sweat but our journey took a lot out of us and we made a quick exit and headed to bed!

Unfortunately Stijn woke up feeling under the weather and before long we were both suffering with bad stomachs, fevers and all kinds of bugs.  We spent the next two days at the amazing campsite resting and attempting to mend ourselves for the next leg of our journey!  Unfortunately this meant that we weren’t able to make the trip with the rest of the group to a local orphanage but we were happy to hear all of the great stories from the rest of the group.  Some people were so taken with the children, which I must admit happens quite easily, that they sponsored a child or in some cases two! 

Luckily we didn’t miss out on all the fun though as the last night at the camp a bunch of local kids came to sing and dance with us and it was quite a special experience.  We all got a chance to get up in the middle of the group with one of the kids and shake our booties a little bit and let me tell you, those little kids can shake their booties better than Beyonce!

Let’s Go Kenya…Again… The next morning we started the long trek back to Kenya over three days and made our camp at Lake Vinashia which is home not only to Maryl Streep’s house in ‘Out of Africa’ but also to a number of families of hippos!  Once we had all set up our tents we took out a few boats to get a closer view of the beautiful yet extremely dangerous animals.  Though Hippo’s are strictly vegetarian they are known to have been the cause of many a death, most likely by stampede, but none the less.  Our tour guide set out very strict rules about when we could and could not go near the lake as unfortunately they lost a passenger a few years back who decided not to heed the same advice and sadly was not heard from again.  Luckily our campground is surrounded by an electrical fence that keeps the hippos out when they exit the water to graze in the evening and early morning.

As we set out on the boats we were amazed by just how massive the creatures are and there were so many different families.  Each family occupies one particular area of the water as well as their grazing territory on land.  Oddly enough, with these creatures being quite dangerous, just up the lake is a public beach and when we drove by on our boats we were shocked to see half a dozen local boys playing in the water! 

The hippos were being quite shy as they tend to do during the day as they need to stay in the water to protect themselves from the heat of the sun as they don’t naturally have enough protection in their skin.  Luckily for us there is another part of the boat tour… we got off at one particular spot of the lake and were taken out into a large field where we were able to walk amongst the wild animals!  We were quite surprised at how close we could get to zebras’, water buck which are a bit like a caribou, wildebeests’ and giraffes’… we were literally walking among them!  

It was such an amazing experience that the next day Stijn managed to hire a fisherman to take us and a few of our tour members back out on the water.  This time, the hippos were out and about!  We were taken up the other side of the lake where we saw five large families, some of them with up to 40 hippos including young babies.  Because it was a bit cooler the hippos were more out of the water than they had been the previous day and we couldn’t have been happier with our impromptu tour… great idea Stijn!

The rest of the day and the majority of the next were spent getting ready to say goodbye to a large portion of our tour group and to prepping the truck and our camp supplies for our new members.  We were sad to see many of the people go that we had shared so many amazing memories and even though it has only been a few weeks, it’s amazing how quickly you get to know people when you’re camping and living out many of our dreams!  Luckily enough the new members of our group are great and I’m sure we’ll share many amazing memories with them as well!  And just as before, we are once again surrounded by Australians!  We are becoming well-versed in Aussie-talk and there are far less perplexed look than there was a few days ago!

After we were joined by the new group it was time for one of the highlights of our tour and the gem of Kenya… the Masai Mara National Park.  The drive was long but the landscape turned almost immediately into the quintessential African landscape.  Rough, wild bush with lone Acacia trees seemingly springing out of nowhere on the horizon- it is truly breathtaking.  As soon as we entered the park, our eyes quickly darted from one side of the truck to the other in search of the big five that are commonly seen here and we were not disappointed.  Almost immediately we saw massive herds of wildebeests’, antelope and impala.  Amongst the animals the park is literally littered with bones of animals that have served the food chain and have helped to sustain life in Africa.  Nothing is wasted of the animals…. The bones are picked spotless by various animals and eventually even the bones will be eaten by hyenas’, vultures’, storks’, and others. 

Carrying on through the park it wasn’t long before we spotted (pun intended) a beautiful cheetah lying in the grass sunning itself in-between meals.  It’s a hard creature to describe other than to say it looks like complete perfection… each spot is perfectly spaced amongst all the other perfectly sized spots all culminating with the most elegant faces.  But the Cheetah does face its’ challenges… even though it’s the fastest animal on earth it is not a successful hunter as it cannot sustain its speed long enough to wear out its prey.  It also is the only feline that does not have retractable claws leading some researches to question if the cheetah is really part of the feline species or perhaps actually a dog.  Whatever the classification, it is undoubtedly one of the most amazing creatures I’ve seen to date.  Simply stunning.

After a few rhinos’, more giraffes’, ostriches’, hyenas and wart hogs’ it was almost time to head to our campground within the park to spend out under the protection of three Masai warriors and enjoy a lovely Masai meal prepared by the local Masai women.  Amazingly enough just as we were heading back we came upon a pride of lions- both a male and female off one their own as well as four other female lions.  When lions mate, the male will take the female of his choice (as there are only one male to four or five females in each pride) off to the side and begin the rather tedious task of mating.  They will do the ‘deed’ every 20 minutes, each act lasting only 20 or so seconds, on and off for two hours.  It was quite a sight to see but more importantly it was just amazing to these majestic beasts in their own environment.  The males’ manes are so beautiful and lionesses are extremely elegant.  Not a bad way to end a game drive!

The next morning we were up and early for one of the highlights of our trip and probably the coolest things we’ve ever done… hot air ballooning over the Mara!  We had no idea what to expect as neither of us had ever done it before and we couldn’t have been more amazed by our experience.  As we took off we quickly climbed up over the park and before we knew it we were 2500 meters in the air!  Inexplicably, it didn’t even feel high and because of the gas it was nice and warm… perhaps too warm as Stijn’s scalp was getting burnt so we switched places and I soaked up the heat! 

The perspective of the park from that high is completely different from that you get on the ground- you can see all the animal tracks and watering holes and the far distant horizon.  We smoothly descended back to 50 feet or so to take in the animals waking up to begin their day and to forage for food.  Most of the herd animals were out and about first and while we didn’t see lions from the air we were quite lucky to spot (or rather hear) an elephant storming through the trees… what a sight!  We had the most amazing and perfect weather and the first cloudless day we’ve had in Kenya yet and it all combined to provide us with a truly thrilling experience! 

We could have spent all day up there but sadly we had to land at some point.  The basket had no wheels on the bottom so we all had to crouch down and sit on the bottom of the basket while holding onto ropes and prepare for landing… a few bumps and we were back on the ground and it was over before we knew it.  Luckily our package had even more in store for us!

Once we were all back on the ground we were picked up by a truck and driven a little further into the park where a massive breakfast complete with champagne awaited us!  It couldn’t have been a more amazing setting if we had dreamt it up.  Champagne was poured and the amazing breakfast was ingested and it capped off the most magical morning… I think we really have a thing for this ballooning now! 

On the way back to the campsite to meet up with the rest of the tour group we once again came across four female lions slowly starting their morning and getting ready for a day of hunting.  Unfortunately we didn’t get to see them make a kill but it was none the less amazing just to sit there and observe them in the wild.

Sadly once we were back at camp it was time to pack up and leave the park… I think we would have quite happily stayed put for many more days but we’ll have many more game drives to come and we did have an amazing stop on the way out thanks to our game drive guide and night protector Jonathan the Masai Warrior.  He and his village welcomed us into their homes and we got a taste of what Masai life is really like.  We were shown the traditional jumping dance that is performed at ceremonial events such as weddings or welcoming guests into the village.  The massive heights that the Massai warriors can jump is perfected over years of herding cows, goats and other domestic animals as they do not eat wild animals.  As they walk through high grass they must jump to ensure there are no lions or other predators that might cause problems for them and their herds.  It also comes in handy in finding wives as they have competitions and the warrior who can jump the highest gets to have the most wives! 

We were lead into their homes which are made by the women of the village and are constructed of sticks from trees and cow dung.  One home can take up to four months and can last up to twelve years.  Each home is designed the same way with two back rooms for young goats and cows.  The main living part of the house has two small beds, one for the young children and one for the parents.  Once children get to be too big they must live in their grandparents’ homes as there is no room for them as new younger children need to take their place.  There is however a guest room for visitors of other villages!  Each bed is covered in cow hide that is placed over wood.  In the middle of the room is a fire for cooking and for keeping warm and although they have all they need, they are by no means luxurious.  There is next to no natural light and it was only after a few minutes of being inside that we could actually see what we were looking at. 

After looking at the homes Stijn and I set off to look at the baby animals that were kept in behind the village.  The village itself is surrounded by twigs that form a circle to protect their animals in the evenings from any predators.  For this same reason, they aren’t able to grow vegetables or their animals and themselves would be at risk.  Stijn, as usual found himself a baby goat to cuddle, much to the chagrin of its mother!

Kenya and Uganda, Africa

Let’s Go Kenya… We arrived in Nairobi around 10 p.m. after a relatively quick flight from Amsterdam through London.  We arrived at our hotel and unfortunately it was dark already so we weren’t able to see much or get a real impression of Nairobi but we enjoyed a much needed good sleep.  The next day we spent getting over the lack of sleep from the flight over and in the evening we had our pre-tour meeting where we met our tour guide and the other people on the tour.  Everyone on our trip are doing different parts of the tour and so over the next two months people will come and go as most people are only doing two or three weeks.  We are lucky that we only have to change trucks and crew once for the last two weeks of our trip.

We left bright and early the next morning and drove through Kenya to Lake Nukuru National Park which is in located in the rift valley.  The park is famous for the large number of flamingo’s but it is also home to four of the ‘Big 5’ (lions, rhinos, buffalo, leopards and elephants).  When we arrived we were treated to our first meal aboard our truck Matilda who is fitted with just about everything you can imagine.  We enjoyed our lunch just outside the park with hoards of baboons just waiting to get their hands on anything and everything and despite our best efforts, one did make off with one of the girls sandwiches!

Once inside the park we were amazed by the stunning beauty.  Lake Nukuru is a soda lake originating from the volcanos in the area and is home to an amazing array of birds- most impressive of course being the Flamingo.  It so amazing to see them in person and I couldn’t get over just how pink they are- just like the plastic ones you see in gardens- and a seemingly absurd color for nature but incredibly beautiful. 

Our game drive lasted 6 hours and every second was amazing.  We saw zebras, giraffes, rhinos, buffalos, baboons, and of course a vast array of birds.  We were wildly entertained not just by the animals but by the road conditions as well- we were in series of vans and because of the amount of rain that there had been recently we were a series of vehicles stuck in the mud.  One after another, each vehicle being pulled out by the one in front of it and then pulling out the one behind it.  We had a great time but we were a little late getting to the campground which meant setting up our tents in the dark- or so we thought!  Luckily for us we were able to out all the tents into the covered eating area which also helped keep us all dry.

The next morning was another early one as we headed to an amazing campsite on our way through to Uganda.  The campsites here are nothing like I was expected- we are not roughing it by any means.  Every campsite has bars and all kinds of facilities along with upgrade options.  This particular campsite was over the top and was where Bill Gates stayed in 2009 on his visit to Kenya.  Apparently he had all of his bedroom furniture flown over for his stay and left it in his suite.  It is now the Bill Gates suite and for $65 you can sleep in his bed!  After looking at all of the options Stijn and I decided to forgo the options for the comfort of our tent- after all it was only day 2 of 58!  Apparently everyone else thought differently as we were the lone tenters!

Let’s Go Uganda… En route to Uganda, the scenery was shocking.  It is so much more lush and green than any of us expected and really stunning.  As we waited for our visas to cross over the border we struck up a game of volleyball with the local boys and reluctantly bought bananas and other wares only because it was too hard to say no!  By the time we got back on the truck we had bunches and bunches of bananas and no one was hungry! 

When we arrived we had about an hour before we headed off to a sunset cruise on the Nile River.  It was absolutely stunning but we spent most of our time chatting with the other tour members and having many drinks!  Luckily for us we have a few other river activities planned, not to mention the amazing view we have from the campsite itself!  Needless to say the party carried on when we got back to the campground bar.  We had a great time getting to know everyone on the tour and for the most part no one got too carried away- apart from one self-inflicted black eye and a few great photo ops! 

This morning we all stumbled out of our tents at various hours and rather than sitting around feeling terrible, Stijn and I opted to go quading with a couple other people on the tour for a few hours.  We had the most amazing time and were completely orange with mud by the time we got back!  The best part, aside from the mud, was the amazing villages that we went through.  All the kids ran out of their houses when they heard us coming and stood on the side of the road and waved with such enthusiasm!  A couple of the local boys came by when we were stopped to climb on the quads for a few pictures as well!  Unfortunately a desperate chicken who was attempting to flee flew right into the wheel well of my quad and met his untimely death when the quads behind me finished him off.  While the chicken was clearly suicidal (and therefore not my fault) we were saddened to have killed a food source for the village but with any luck they were at least able to eat it.  I can’t believe I’ve killed a chicken and I’ve only been here for three days! 

After we got back from quading and in much need of a shower we decided to test out what’s called the ‘shower with a view’… and what a view!  The shower has been built on the side of the hill overlooking the Nile River and the front wall is cut out.  While the water wasn’t warm we still lingered a little while just to take it all in. 

This evening we were treated to a proper Ugandan meal by one of the ladies who lives in the village of Jinja.  It was an amazing array of local food consisting of sweet potato, plantain, rice, peanut sauce and spinach.  It was quite delicious and it was amazing to see how she wrapped it all in banana leaves and layered each item.  It was certainly a treat!

It is only day three and already we are on cloud nine and having the most amazing time.  It is nothing like we expected and so much better than we could have hoped.  We have so many amazing things to look forward to it’s impossible to pick just one!  We hoping to cram in as many activities as we possibly can and really enjoy every second of this amazing place.

Today we opted to take in a full day of rafting on the amazing Nile River… and what a day it was!  Stijn and I have rafted a few rivers some of them bigger than others but are more or less pretty well versed with class 4 and 5 rapids… or so we thought!  The day started quite gingerly with a nice breakfast and then into the river to practice some skills which included a practice raft capsize, a skill that normally isn’t required as the idea is in fact to stay in the raft, particularly with the higher class rapids.  Let’s just say we’re happy we practiced!

After having successfully navigated the first two rapids at class 4 and having quite large stretches of flat in between, we opted for a more difficult line down the following class 5… what a mistake.  We barely hit the first wave before flipping and being a class 5 meant that the rapids were fast, furious and many.  We were all thrown from the raft immediately and I ended up being dragged under by the extremely strong undercurrent and tumbled around as if I were in a washing machine for far long that I would have liked.   Once I finally managed to pop up I was then hit repeatedly with rapids making any breath next to impossible and eventually came up about 100 meters downstream from everyone else.  Luckily a rescue kayaker came and picked me up but let me go a little prematurely as I was soon after sucked back out by the current and he had to come back for me.  Once I had myself sorted, the first thing I did was look for Stijn and he was of course the only person from our boat that I couldn’t see and just then his paddle floated by me.  Fearing the worse, I quickly made my way back to the other boats and was relieved to find that he had been picked up by the rescue boat and was just fine.  Though he had endured his own dramatic experience as well having also been dragged under by the undercurrent and sent through a very long cycle in the washing machine before finally being able to come up for air and being rescued- what an ordeal!

The next rapid we opted for a less difficult line but for whatever reason we still flipped however this time it was far less dramatic but none the less rendered us exhausted.  The rest of the day we managed to stay in the boat and made our way to the end and were served an amazing barbeque dinner before making our way back to our campground to heal our wounds!

Despite the somewhat dramatic experiences we still had an absolute blast.  We’re quite certain we’d never be able to raft the majority of those rapids in North America so it was an interesting experience.  The rafting company played a DVD of our day in the bar later that evening and the second it was over we both headed off to bed completely exhausted.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Kampala where we will stop for a day before heading to Lake Bunyonyin where we will trek to see the Silverback Gorillas.  The entire group is trekking so we have been broken up into several groups as only eight people are allowed up for one hour per day and there are a number of overlanding groups to fit in.  Stijn and I will trek on August 23^rd so we will have a few free days before we head up the mountain.