UGANDA Pt II plus KENYA Pt i

Uganda Pt II + Kenya Pt I

Yes a blog in two parts and here you need to concentrate as we start with Uganda Pt II or Goodbye Uganda followed by Kenya Pt I or Land of the “tree huggers”

GOODBYE UGANDA

After leaving Queen Elizabeth National Park we were heading for Jinja in the East of Uganda and a few days on the Nile. It was too far to drive in a day so we made a stopover at a campsite marked on our Africa maps that was called “Overlanders” It happened to be a families back garden on a hilltop overlooking Masaka Town, but was fine for an overnight stop. Next day we were up early and headed first for Kampala where we hoped the new bypass had helped the notorious traffic congestion but as it was still being built it didn’t really. OK some bits helped as we started around the outside but soon joined the old main road at the National Stadium named after a certain Mr Mandela and then it took over an hour to complete the next 6 or so kilometres.

National Stadium in Kampala

Once we had cleared that then it was an easy trip to Jinja and Nile River Camp. This was a place we had chosen to stop for 3 nights as we could sort out bits, clean out the car and restock on what was needed. The camp was lively and set up for overlanding trucks with good facilities, electric to hook the car up and a great bar and restaurant set up high overlooking the river. We met up with an Overlanding crew but not the same guests as we had met back in Bunyoni and asked them about life on the road We were also able to get information on the current situation in Kenya after the Elections. All was supposed to have calmed down after the troubles there had been in the previous few days. We also visited Jinja Town, a mixed town of plenty of 1920-30s Colonial buildings plus newer ones. It also seemed to us to be divided in two with the local “African” side with its small shops and big market then the “ExPat” side with coffee shops and restaurants. Once we had left Jinja it was a short hop to the border and into Kenya, our 5^th country so far.

Testing the waters

The Official source of The River Nile

Jinja old Colonial buildings

New and Old

Bright Colours in Jinja

The bar overlooking The Nile

Our busy camp for a change

LAND OF THE TREE HUGGERS

Jan and I visited Kenya and Uganda back in 2006 and that trip gave me my love of Africa. Some of the places in both countries we visited back then so once over the border we headed for Lake Nakuru National Park. Again it was to far to make in a day so we would need to stopover somewhere. The first part heading along the north shore of Lake Victoria we were in the Northern Hemisphere and were as far north as we were going to get on this trip. We soon crossed back south before Kisumu and drove into our first large town in Kenya. We saw a few burnt tyres on the road and assumed it had been an accident but then we saw more and more all over the roads. We then realised these had been part of the troubles form the previous few days. It was a little worrying as we knew what had happened 10 years ago after the last election when the country fell into civil war. This time, only a few days after the election the troubles ceased. Kisumu is a stronghold of the opposition party here so that was why that town had the problems. Our first stop was at a quaint old hotel built by the Brooke Bond empire in the tea growing area. The hotel, with the imaginative name of Tea Plantation Hotel was I suppose a grand old building in its heyday set amongst the rows and rows of perfectly manicured rows of tea bushes with a swimming pool and tennis courts. Sadly like the hotel it needed money spending on it and was what we would like to call “Shabby-chic” but sadly lots of shabby and certainly no chic! Still it was one night and we enjoyed it.

Jan "picking" tea

Tea Plantation Hotel

Lake Nakuru National Park is small as Kenyan parks go, an area of plains and woodland surrounding one of the soda lakes that form a chain running up the rift valley. When we were here in 2006 the lake had shrunk and that helped the flocks of 1000s of Flamingos. Now the lake is growing and the alkaline waters have been diluted meaning that very few flamingos are around now. We stayed 2 nights in the park and managed to see all the usual animals plus white and black rhino and lion. Our first night in the camp (and we were the sole campers) we had just cooked dinner over an open fire when we heard noises. It was pitch black as there are no lights. We shone lights and saw hundreds of pairs of eyes shining back. We had been joined in the camp by hundreds of buffalo. They left us alone so we got back to dinner surrounded by these beasts.

Want a few flies?

We saw this pair of males in the grass

Helmeted Guinea Fowl

A few of the remaining flamingoes

While watching the pair in the tree we did not notice this Mother and cub deep in the grass

Lots of Giraffe

We managed to see Rhino here

A Crowned Crane in front of a herd of Buffalo

White Rhino

After Lake Nakuru it was a short hop down the Great Rift Valley to Lake Naivasha where we are now. Another of the lakes that was full of pelicans 11 years ago but that lake has also risen. There are pelicans but nowhere near as many. The area has Geothermal springs and many old small volcanoes lineing the area.

A Superb Starling (Yes that is what it is called)

Black and White Colobus Monkeys

Sheep and goats in the dust

The camp we are staying at “Carnelleys Camp” and when we arrived there seemed to be a conference of “meditators” going on. At times they worked  together and at other times they sit crossed legged by the lake edge. Now you ask why the title of this part is called “Land of the Tree Huggers?” well remember the lions in Lake Nakuru? These lions like climbing, sitting and generally hugging the trees, Not only that but when we opened the tent up this morning just after 6.00, the delegates on this “Meditation” conference were sitting against or hugging the trees. What fun things we get to see.

Tree Hugging lions

This group spent a lot of time meditating so the monkeys joined in

Meditating under blankets

Next stop is our highlight when we drive into the Masai Mara and hopefully get to see the Great Migration crossing the Mara River. I doubt if there will be an update until early September after this one as we leave the Masia Mara and then cross the Serengeti so we cannot see internet being available.

Mike and Jan