After a few days of unwinding at a garden Backpackers on the outskirts of Kampala (with awesome wifi connections), we decided it was time to go. Even though we’d be back on a bus, it was only suppose to be four hours to Fort Portal (we figured six at the most). After only four and a half hours on a half way decent paved road, we arrived, found a travel agency, booked a B&B and a car/driver for the next day.
The area is known for a series of crater lakes and nearby rural villages (who have been supplementing their agricultural income with modest eco-resorts or as we like to call them, campgrounds).
Our guide Meable, all of 20 years old, was on loan from the town to assist the locals in their development. We spent a couple of hours meandering through fields and villages learning about their lives. Much of this land is owned by a British vanilla concern with an arrangement to provide local jobs at the plant (for export) and rent free land for living and personal production farming.
One thing about Uganda, individual greeting is compulsory, and not simply hello or hi, but some inquiry as to their well being and that of their families. This is so ingrained that often the response to a simple hello is “fine thank you and you”. As we approached groups of pre-school children we could hear them practicing with each other in English shouting “hi, how are you?” and then giggling as we reached them and responded.
That afternoon we drove to the Kibale National Forest for some Chimpanzee tracking. Our group consisted of an American couple on the last two weeks of an 11 months world trip and another couple from The States who were part of a church mission for orphans (kids not chimps). After our ranger briefing, we began the hunt through some pretty dense woodlands, but only catching glimpses as these apes seemed to be toying with us, scampering away as we got anywhere within photo range. Then some squawking on the walkie-talkies and we were off through the bush, this time we apparently were being led in circles and as far from any convenient path as possible. I know Chimps are suppose to be smart (they share 97% of our DNA), but could they be leading us down the proverbial garden path?
After about an hour of this, we emerged to a clearing, a marshy area frequented by forest elephants. Yes, these primate cousins are quite smart, using leaves as cups to drink out of puddles made from Elephant footprints. At this point they appeared oblivious to our snap happy group, as we were allowed to approach them (about a half dozen) to within a few metres.
Quite a rewarding day, with no mishaps! Well not so fast. We exited the forest to learn that our car was having brake problems and we’d have to travel back to town with the American world travelers. Fine with us, some journey stories shared, some laughs and then their car broke down – ran out of gas. We were quite the spectacle for the locals lounging on the side of the road awaiting resolution and trying to decide if we were the jinxes (this was around the time we learned of the civil unrest in Tunisia which we had visited some two months earlier).
After about an hour, we got a ride the remainder of the way back to town with the other American couple and their group – who seemed genuinely worried when we explained both our vehicles had broken down. We made it safely to town and proceeded to wait for the next six hours for our midnight bus (scheduled eight hours) south to Kabale. Were we out of the woods yet…stay tuned?
After about an hour, we got a ride the remainder of the way back to town with the other American couple and their group – who seemed genuinely worried when we explained both our vehicles had broken down. We made it safely to town and proceeded to wait for the next six hours for our midnight bus (scheduled eight hours) south to Kabale. Were we out of the woods yet…stay tuned?
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