Sunday, June 28, 2009 – Safari at Murchison Falls
So, this weekend my group traveled to Murchison Falls “state park” – about 3 hours away from our home Gulu. We took another mutatu (taxi van) which is always a nerve-wracking experience after our trip to the rhinos. But the trip down was nice. I got to listen to music the whole way which is always good. But the road is pretty terrible. After about two hours of bumping and bouncing, we finally got to a paved road…but that only lasted for four miles. Then we got on another dirt/trench road…good times.
But as we entered the park gate, I felt like we were already on safari. The animals were grazing the plains and as we drove by, they just stood and stared us down. We drove in the park for about an hour before we reached the ferry to go to the campground Red Chilli. While we were driving in, because there were so many animals, we decided to go ahead and ride on top of the mutatu like on safari, since the animals were out. The top of the mutatu filled up pretty fast…and being as smart as I am, I volunteered to not go up on top just yet because I knew that it would mean I would get to go up first on the actual safari. Instead, Abbie, Lauren, Mary Kay and I sat on the bars in the windows and hung off the side. It’s hard to explain, but it was awesome! I did get a little nervous at times hanging out on the side of the mutatu with so many cape buffalo around. But they just stood frozen. They had such a serious stare-down. It was insane…I think they just look angry because they are insecure about their haircuts. There were also hundreds of bushbucks – kind of like deer – and hart beasts…also like deer/antelopes but bigger with really long snouts. They have a very serious face…but I think they must be really sweet. And they are also really funny when they take off running…kind of awkward like me.
Then, we came across a family of elephants in the middle of the road. A little baby! Precious…we went slowly so as not to alarm the father and make him charge.
That night we slept four to a tent. I was so scared because there were signs all over warning us about the attacks of wart-hogs, hippos, lions, etc…but, I survived. Even after coming across two sleeping warthogs…they could’ve snapped my leg in two!! But they didn’t…
Sidenote: You turned me into a newt! I got betta…
Sunday morning we woke up before dawn to head to the ferry, to get on the mutatu, to go on safari. The sunrise over the Alberta Nile was impeccable! On the ferry we ate our packed breakfast of cheese sandwiches, fresh pineapple, boiled eggs and juice boxes. Yum.
Our mutatu was the first off the ferry…it was so exciting! I felt like we were in Rat Race because all of the land rovers and tour companies started racing out to be the first in line…but we won! We had a great guide! The safari lasted about 4 hours. I got to ride on top! Thrilling. The whole experience was amazing. We saw so many buffalo and giraffes and warthog families and monkeys and elephants and many more AND…lions! It is not typical that you are able to see the cats on safari because they are so crafty at hiding…but we saw 6! In two different spots. So freaking amazing…I was actually hoping to be able to see one hunt, but maybe next time.
The birds are so beautiful too…I have never even seen some of these colors before. We also came across a bull elephant feeding in the brush. After standing on top of the mutatu for a few minutes to take his picture, he started to get angry and faced forward to us completely, ears out and tusks up, as though he was about to charge in order to warn us to back up. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time! He backed down…he knew better than to mess with this! Just kidding…he could’ve ripped me limb from limb in a heartbeat.
The whole ride was just an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget.
OH! And we got to walk with 27 giraffes! It was one of the most majestic sightings of my life! To actually see 27 giraffes crossing the plains of Africa was one thing, but to get to walk 100 feet away from them…so peaceful. They are full of grace…possibly my favorite moment.
After the safari, we ate lunch at Red Chilli and then got on a small boat to travel down the Nile for two hours to view Murchison Falls. We saw numerous families of hippos…it was terrifying also. They seem so sweet, but when they get angry, their little beady eyes can be so scary! The crocs were pretty great too…I kept having a feeling like vertigo that, what if I involuntarily throw myself overboard – like in that M. Night Shyamalan movie - crazy tunes. They could all snap me in half too! Morbid, but really exciting also. :)
The falls were so beautiful. We couldn’t get too close because the currents were too strong, but along the way we saw the spot where Ernest Hemingway supposedly crashed his plane and was stranded for two days.
After the boat ride, we got back in the mutatu to head home. Abbie and I sat in the back, which is not the best spot because it gets the worst of the bumps. On our way out of the park, all of a sudden I heard, “POP – PHEEEEEEEWWW”…the back, left tire blew – the one I was sitting on top of. Not a problem…Dennis, the driver ( of course his name is Dennis), can just get out in the middle of the wild, with all the animals around staring and put on the spare, right? Unless, of course, that was the spare!!! Dennis had changed it the day before because the original tire was so low. So, he just put the old tire back on. Now, as someone who has driven on a sketch tire before, you would think that you would drive as carefully as possible knowing that you did not have any back-ups, right? Unless, of course, you are a Ugandan mutatu driver named Dennis. In which case, you drive like a bat out of hell on the bumpy roads. I have never been more frustrated in my entire life. And of course, two hours into the ride, as is expected, I heard, “GUH-DUNK-GUH-DUNK-GUH-DUNK…”. Finally Dennis heard it and stopped the car. It was now very dark and we were in the middle of the bush. Not the best place for a bunch of muzungus. So, I stuck my headlamp out the window for Dennis to look at the tire…it was shredded. He decided that our best bet…since of course we had no cell phone service…was to keep riding on it until Sunday, the boss, could come meet us. AN HOUR!!! A WHOLE HOUR we rode on the rim…through the trenches…I was so angry and frustrated, but I find that in these situations it’s best to just keep repeating in my head… “this too shall pass”…and to breathe...oh, I forgot to mention that it started raining. After an hour, Sunday came to meet us and changed the tire and we rode the remaining 20 minutes or so on the good tire. But when we got home, we realized that Doreen made enchiladas so all was well again.
So, this weekend my group traveled to Murchison Falls “state park” – about 3 hours away from our home Gulu. We took another mutatu (taxi van) which is always a nerve-wracking experience after our trip to the rhinos. But the trip down was nice. I got to listen to music the whole way which is always good. But the road is pretty terrible. After about two hours of bumping and bouncing, we finally got to a paved road…but that only lasted for four miles. Then we got on another dirt/trench road…good times.
But as we entered the park gate, I felt like we were already on safari. The animals were grazing the plains and as we drove by, they just stood and stared us down. We drove in the park for about an hour before we reached the ferry to go to the campground Red Chilli. While we were driving in, because there were so many animals, we decided to go ahead and ride on top of the mutatu like on safari, since the animals were out. The top of the mutatu filled up pretty fast…and being as smart as I am, I volunteered to not go up on top just yet because I knew that it would mean I would get to go up first on the actual safari. Instead, Abbie, Lauren, Mary Kay and I sat on the bars in the windows and hung off the side. It’s hard to explain, but it was awesome! I did get a little nervous at times hanging out on the side of the mutatu with so many cape buffalo around. But they just stood frozen. They had such a serious stare-down. It was insane…I think they just look angry because they are insecure about their haircuts. There were also hundreds of bushbucks – kind of like deer – and hart beasts…also like deer/antelopes but bigger with really long snouts. They have a very serious face…but I think they must be really sweet. And they are also really funny when they take off running…kind of awkward like me.
Then, we came across a family of elephants in the middle of the road. A little baby! Precious…we went slowly so as not to alarm the father and make him charge.
That night we slept four to a tent. I was so scared because there were signs all over warning us about the attacks of wart-hogs, hippos, lions, etc…but, I survived. Even after coming across two sleeping warthogs…they could’ve snapped my leg in two!! But they didn’t…
Sidenote: You turned me into a newt! I got betta…
Sunday morning we woke up before dawn to head to the ferry, to get on the mutatu, to go on safari. The sunrise over the Alberta Nile was impeccable! On the ferry we ate our packed breakfast of cheese sandwiches, fresh pineapple, boiled eggs and juice boxes. Yum.
Our mutatu was the first off the ferry…it was so exciting! I felt like we were in Rat Race because all of the land rovers and tour companies started racing out to be the first in line…but we won! We had a great guide! The safari lasted about 4 hours. I got to ride on top! Thrilling. The whole experience was amazing. We saw so many buffalo and giraffes and warthog families and monkeys and elephants and many more AND…lions! It is not typical that you are able to see the cats on safari because they are so crafty at hiding…but we saw 6! In two different spots. So freaking amazing…I was actually hoping to be able to see one hunt, but maybe next time.
The birds are so beautiful too…I have never even seen some of these colors before. We also came across a bull elephant feeding in the brush. After standing on top of the mutatu for a few minutes to take his picture, he started to get angry and faced forward to us completely, ears out and tusks up, as though he was about to charge in order to warn us to back up. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time! He backed down…he knew better than to mess with this! Just kidding…he could’ve ripped me limb from limb in a heartbeat.
The whole ride was just an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget.
OH! And we got to walk with 27 giraffes! It was one of the most majestic sightings of my life! To actually see 27 giraffes crossing the plains of Africa was one thing, but to get to walk 100 feet away from them…so peaceful. They are full of grace…possibly my favorite moment.
After the safari, we ate lunch at Red Chilli and then got on a small boat to travel down the Nile for two hours to view Murchison Falls. We saw numerous families of hippos…it was terrifying also. They seem so sweet, but when they get angry, their little beady eyes can be so scary! The crocs were pretty great too…I kept having a feeling like vertigo that, what if I involuntarily throw myself overboard – like in that M. Night Shyamalan movie - crazy tunes. They could all snap me in half too! Morbid, but really exciting also. :)
The falls were so beautiful. We couldn’t get too close because the currents were too strong, but along the way we saw the spot where Ernest Hemingway supposedly crashed his plane and was stranded for two days.
After the boat ride, we got back in the mutatu to head home. Abbie and I sat in the back, which is not the best spot because it gets the worst of the bumps. On our way out of the park, all of a sudden I heard, “POP – PHEEEEEEEWWW”…the back, left tire blew – the one I was sitting on top of. Not a problem…Dennis, the driver ( of course his name is Dennis), can just get out in the middle of the wild, with all the animals around staring and put on the spare, right? Unless, of course, that was the spare!!! Dennis had changed it the day before because the original tire was so low. So, he just put the old tire back on. Now, as someone who has driven on a sketch tire before, you would think that you would drive as carefully as possible knowing that you did not have any back-ups, right? Unless, of course, you are a Ugandan mutatu driver named Dennis. In which case, you drive like a bat out of hell on the bumpy roads. I have never been more frustrated in my entire life. And of course, two hours into the ride, as is expected, I heard, “GUH-DUNK-GUH-DUNK-GUH-DUNK…”. Finally Dennis heard it and stopped the car. It was now very dark and we were in the middle of the bush. Not the best place for a bunch of muzungus. So, I stuck my headlamp out the window for Dennis to look at the tire…it was shredded. He decided that our best bet…since of course we had no cell phone service…was to keep riding on it until Sunday, the boss, could come meet us. AN HOUR!!! A WHOLE HOUR we rode on the rim…through the trenches…I was so angry and frustrated, but I find that in these situations it’s best to just keep repeating in my head… “this too shall pass”…and to breathe...oh, I forgot to mention that it started raining. After an hour, Sunday came to meet us and changed the tire and we rode the remaining 20 minutes or so on the good tire. But when we got home, we realized that Doreen made enchiladas so all was well again.
Hey Schwetty! Guess who´s in your first hour class again?! Yeah, it's me! You're sooo LUCKY!
ReplyDeletebeing around those animals and the raw power that exists there is overwhelming...life-changing...
ReplyDeletemiss your face!