Monday: After a good night’s sleep in Robert’s new home in Apapai, I stepped out of the darkness of the traditional grass-thatched house I had shared with Felicity, Inna and Kerstin into the cool morning air as the sun was rising. The grass was wet with dew. It was hard to believe how hot the sun would get in just an hour or two. Surrounded by the sound of many little birds twittering and singing in the abundance of bushes and trees, I set off quietly with my camera – but little birds in thick shrubs are hard to spot, let alone photograph!

 

After a leisurely breakfast and once again packing our cases and the minibus, the intrepid five set off, in Robert’s safe hands, but this time accompanied by Maggie, her little niece Blessing, Arakit and Ilemu. We dropped Kerstin on the main road to go back to Soroti and then stopped briefly in Kalaki to meet Jeniffer Ayoo, a young woman sponsored by my neighbour, Lynn (who sadly died several years ago although Barry still lives next door). Jeniffer is now the MP for Kalaki and wanted us to see the the training institute (supported by a small farm) she is building and resourcing and, like her driving school, has named after Lynn.

 

Jeniffer kept to her word and “released” us after half an hour to continue our long journey west to Murchison Falls National Park. We left Teso, for the last time after 35 years of involvement – a poignant moment for me, as we entered Dokolo. (A week later, their highly regarded UPC MP, Cecilia Ogwal, died, prompting a national outpouring of grief and tributes, even from Museveni.)

The main road to Arua and the Park branches off the Kampala-Gulu road near Karuma Falls (where a dam and HE power station have been built on the Nile since I was last here). The landscape and environment changes immediately. Between here and Pakwach (75 miles of tarmac, much of which is in a terrible condition and being repaired), the road passes through the northern edge of the Park, so there is always the hope of seeing wild animals. Everyone became alert, hoping to be the first to spot something other than the ubiquitous goats and cows. The first animal spotted is always the most exciting. As usual, it was a family of Olive Baboons scattered beside and across the road, hoping for titbits whilst oblivious to the dangers of the thundering lorries driving to and from the DRC and South Sudan to the west. Three hours later, as we approached the bridge over the River Nile and Pakwach, we were lucky enough to see a very large elephant in long grass close to the road, as well as hippos and a crocodile in a small pool.

 

We arrived in Pakwach as it was getting dark and stayed in basic local guest house close to the bridge I have used many times. We walked up the main street to find a simple meal of rice, beans and chicken stew and also bought food for breakfast the next day.

 

Tuesday: We left at 6.15am, while it was still dark, and headed for the nearby entrance into the Murchison Falls National Park, entering the Park before sunrise. We had just one day in the Park, basically taking our time travelling through it on our way back to Entebbe, so there were no second opportunities. There is now a new tarmac road right through the Park, with a long bridge over the Nile – it’s no longer necessary to wait for the rather primitive little car ferry to get across. But the network of little dirt tracks for driving along to look for wildlife are still the same. We were fortunate that Robert knows the Park, its wildlife and its many tracks very well. It was an amazing day, with more species of animals seen than any of us, including Robert, had ever seen in a day. But we saw hardly any elephants – no sign of family groups.

 

Some of us caught a frustrating glimpse of two leopards in the undergrowth by the track – could they be counted as having been seen, if not by all of us?! We drove on past some giraffes to the “hippo pool” where it is safe and permitted for people to get out of the their vehicles and walk around. It’s the regular place for having picnic breakfasts. The water level had receded and there weren’t any hippos to see in the water nearby. There were also fewer birds than usual around the water’s edge. Robert, who makes friends so easily, was soon chatting to other guides and drivers – and was told one of the leopards was now resting up in a tree by the track. We didn’t need any encouragement to quickly pack away our breakfast and drive back to where we had glimpsed the leopards although we did stop on the way to watch a lioness by the track who was eyeing up a man on a small motorcycle whom we didn’t envy!

We weren’t disappointed when we got back to the trees. There it was, languorously draped over the branch of a large acacia tree! Leopards are rare and very shy, therefore hardly ever seen. I’ve only ever seen one on two occasions, both in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. We couldn’t believe our luck.  

 

We had lunch at Red Chilli Camp just south of the Nile and then crossed back for the three hour boat trip up the Nile towards the spectacular Murchison Falls and back. It was a lovely way to spend a very hot afternoon and enabled us to see some huge Nile Crocodiles (one of which even threatened our large motor boat) as well as other animals and birds. The most beautiful were the Red-throated Bee-eaters perched on dead branches and at nest holes in some sandy cliffs.

We had hoped to then drive round to walk to the top of the Falls, but they now charge $15 each extra and it was approaching dusk so we continued south through Budongo Forest and the southern gate to Boomu Women’s Community bandas where we stayed the night.

 

We had seen so much, beyond our expectations: Elephants, Hippos, Cape Buffalo, Rothschild’s Giraffe, Hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Oribi, Olive Baboons, Vervet Monkeys, Spotted Hyaena, Leopard, Lion and Crocodiles – but surprisingly, not a single Waterbuck.

Before we left their home, I had asked Arakit and Ilemu which animal they were most wanting to see: “Lions”. Afterwards, I asked which they had liked most – they both immediately replied “Giraffes”. There is something so extraordinary about giraffes, with their long necks, somewhat gangly legs and their unique cream and brown chequered patterns. Although their legs and necks can deliver almost lethal punches when fighting each other, they are non-threatening, endearing and strangely graceful when they move, with sensitive, gentle faces, soulful eyes and soft lips (with which they somehow manage to eat thorny acacia trees).

 

Wednesday: We continued our journey southeast back to Entebbe but decided to stop off on the way for another treat –  a short rhino-tracking walk in Ziwa Rhino Reserve to see the Northern White Rhinos, the rarest rhinos in the world. They became extinct in Uganda in 1983 due to conflicts and poaching. However, Ziwa has a very successful breeding programme. Starting with six imported rhinos in 2006, they now have 38. They are guarded 24/7. We saw four rhinos, each very sensibly sleeping in the shade of bushes – it was far too hot for them to be bothered with charging foolish onlookers!

 

There were some beautiful butterflies by the Park entrance.

 

Thankfully, you no longer have to fight your way through chaotic traffic in Kampala to get to Entebbe as there is now an Expressway by-passing the city. We arrived back at Hapa (Henry) Nganwa’s home in time for tea on the verandah followed by a lovely meal of traditional Ugandan food in the evening (matooke, groundnut sauce, fresh dried peas, stewed chicken and rice).

 

Thursday: We went on an early-morning boat trip from Entebbe to Mabamba Swamp, about an hour away on the fringes of Lake Victoria, to look for the rare, elusive and prehistoric-looking Shoebill.

It was a miserable morning: cold, dark and raining. We all envied Felicity who had decided to have a relaxing morning before starting her long flight home in the afternoon! However, as the boat was pushed and pulled through the papyrus and tall reeds, the rain stopped; it began to warm up as the sun started to burn through the clouds.

And we were rewarded by watching a Shoebill about 25m away for about an hour while it preened itself, fished and just contemplated life (and us?)!

 

After 17 days together, we were sad to say goodbye to Felicity after lunch, when she started what turned out be a very long journey home with added delays. This marked the transition for the rest of us between a fortnight in Teso, followed by two weeks of being exploring southwestern Uganda and our earlier lives in Uganda.

Robert and Patrick took the minibus into Kampala for servicing and repairs while Inna and I went with Peace and Babu to William Nganwa’s home in Kampala for a mini Nganwa family tea party to share memories of our shared childhood in Mbarara as well as students and throughout adulthood, both in Uganda and the UK.

 

Driving through Kampala needs courage – not for those who are risk-averse!

 

While Dennis and I and our relatively small families all live in England, the extended Nganwa family is now very big and scattered all over the world. But they still all gravitate back to the Nganwa home in Ruharo just outside the old town of Mbarara in Ankole, southwestern Uganda. It is here that they gather every Christmas; and it’s here that those who have sadly already died are buried. And it was to Mbarara and the Nganwa family farm that we were heading the next day.