Uganda and Rwanda

The Nile River August 31, 2024 This morning we were up at 5:30, leaving at 6:30 for a drive to the launch area where at 7:00 we began a 4 ½ hour trip downriver on the Nile to look for wildlife.  It was primarily birds, and it was astonishing.  None of the five of us on the trip are birders, but we took pictures as if we were, and I’ll post a few.  Those of you who are birders, this is an amazing place.   Before we left I took a couple of photos on the premises of our lodge.  There is a herd of waterbucks who spend the night on the grounds, apparently because lions don’t like light and there is sufficient light to make the waterbucks feel safe:  There also is a flock of resident maribou storks here.  These have been described as the ugliest bird in the world; they stand about four feet tall and are, indeed, strange:  A common sight as we cruised along the river bank was pods of hippos:  We found an African fish eagle having a fish for br...

 August 30, 2024 Murchison Falls National Park I've had no time to blog; this is a very short summary of a very long couple of days.  Yesterday morning we flew to Murchison Falls National Park in northwest Uganda, and immediately began our first game drive, which lasted until dinnertime.  We then checked into our game lodge, had dinner at 7:30 PM, and went to bed for our 5:30 AM wakeup call today.  We had a five-hour game drive this morning, and immediately had lunch, following which we drove to the Nile River and had a boat game drive.  The list of animals we've seen is enormous.  I don't have time to do any significant editing or writing.  I'll just send a couple of photos, as I need to get to bed for another 5:30 AM wakeup tomorrow morning. Some samples of what I've seen follow.  First, a very cute Patas Monkey--we've seen literally hundreds: Next, a baboon from one of the many families we've seen: The very funny-looking wart hog: The hartebees...

August 28, 2024 Entebbe, Uganda   Yesterday was a day of rest, recovering from the trip over.  We are five on this pre-Rwanda extension to Uganda, and everyone seems lovely.  The hotel is an oasis of peace, quiet, and air conditioning, with the chaos of a busy city just down the street from our hotel.  Four of us went out to dinner last night at a local restaurant and had a nice meal. This morning we met up with our Uganda guide, Alex, and began by touring Entebbe in the Land Rover (three rows, all with great windows).  As we drove around, Alex gave us some facts about the country.  First, although there are elections, they are not to be trusted.  Everything is corrupt, and the poverty is extreme.  Catholicism is the most prominent religion, but there is a growing number of Muslims, who currently make up 12% of the population.  Yet he emphasized that most people’s survival is on the cusp, and nothing else matters, not holidays, religion, ...

  Monday, August 26, 2024 Arrival in Entebbe, Uganda The trip was long but otherwise uneventful.  I drove to Toronto on Saturday, and Sunday morning flew 12 ½ hours Toronto-Addis Ababa.  Despite leaving late, we made up time, and the 90-minute connection for the flight to Entebbe was easy.  Once again, politics seems to affect airplane routes, as we avoided the direct line to Ethiopia which would have taken us over Sudan.  Instead we flew southeast over northern Egypt and down the Red Sea, coming back to the African continent over Eritrea:  The Addis Ababa airport is great for people-watching, as Ethiopian Airlines is the largest carrier in Africa, and there are people in all kinds of dress.  The women are the most interesting, as some are wearing skin-tight tights and crop tops, while others are completely covered with only the eyes showing.  The airport boasts three prayer rooms—one for Muslim men, one for Muslim women, and a Chabad one for ...