DAY 4
Waking up to a wet pillow at 4:10 as my alarm went off, wasn't a great feeling, even though the rain sounded great around
1
in the morning. I'm not used to waking up / or sleeping and being warm ,
I like it. No breakfast, just a pack up and go morning. The whole truck
was asleep till around 7 when we stopped at the EQUATOR. Millions of
pictures later and maybe even purchasing a lame certificate saying I'd
"stood astride in the court yard of Uganda @ 0degrees latitude,
032degrees Longitude East..." lame I know but I'll probably never be
back here so I figured why not. We later pulled up along Queen Elizabeth
National Park and 8 of us transferred into a smaller game viewing
vehicle then drove towards the forests where the chimpanzees are found.
We began walking through the grasslands into thicker bush and down the
valley towards the river. The ground was dry and stable at the beginning
but got more treacherous. Where we were walking was very steep. I was
right behind the ranger and was following his positioning of his feet
with great detail. We crossed a wooden bridge (no guardrails) and began
exploring the other side of the river. The air was so thick and humid,
sweating was a continuous process. Ducking and side stepping the
numerous bugs flying around the green damp environment. The trees were
roughly about 50metres tall and towered over us. It took us about an
hour and a half to find them, trekking back and forth through the thick
forestry. I slipped twice and landed on my butt both times haha clumsy
me . I also got stuck in mud that was like quicksand, my one shoe got
stuck but luckily it was saved by the American guy on the trip (thank
goodness! I was so grateful) while stepping forward in my sock my other
shoe got stuck but I managed to pull it out. Now walking with shoes
filled with mud (oh well) we continued climbing up and down until we
heard the chimp "screeching" (sounded like they were dying in my
opinion) so we began a marathon trek in their direction. We saw two
baby's playing as well as a bigger male, leading us to believe we had
come across a small troop. The chimps moved so quickly and so
majestically. They then began moving across the river so we doubled
back and crossed the river again. Our guide then realized he had
misinterpreted the size of the troop. We even got to watch the chimps
attempt to hunt Black and White Colobus Monkeys. I'm not a big fan of
watching animals kill other animals so I was relieved when the Colobus
Monkeys managed to escape. Watching the chimps jumping from tree to tree
above our heads was very surreal.
We even saw two young chimps
tickling each other and making a big noise. The America (who saved my
shoe) made noises similar to them and they responded which was amazing
to hear and watch. After watching the Chimpanzees for just over two
hours we walked/climbed back up the valley towards our vehicle. My shoes
were caked in mud and so were my pants ( I looked absolutely
delightful, we all had a good laugh). The vehicle then dropped us off at
our campsite Simba Camp (driving with the roof up and windows wide open
as we all smelt incredible haha, we also saw two elephants along the
way ). We arrived to our tents already set up, the joy I felt was
indescribable. All I wanted from life at that moment was a long shower.
Although the water was not particularly warm it was heavenly. After
dinner Sav and I were sweeping and mopping the inside of the truck which
was full of red dust that was previously mud and we were rewarded with
s'mores from the other guests. The s'mores where made of roasted
marshmallows and Nutella in between two biscuits, absolutely delicious.
DAY 5
I
woke up hot and sweaty at around 8. Posted my last couple blogs in the
morning (wifi, yay!). The South African couple were doing their chimp
trek today while 4/6 of the others went on a game drive. It is clear
that my packing skills are terrible as I could barely find anything in
my locker (messy me). A cleanup was needed! I emptied all my clothes and
zip locks out then resorted all the clothes into one locker while
putting my bag and the other stuff in my other locker. (Hallelujah for 2
lockers, I think I definitely overpacked). The others Came back with
stories of seeing a male lion in a tree which apparently only happens in
Northern Africa. While on a walk, another person from our tour group
was turned around as it "was unsafe for her to walk around without
protection" by Robert Mugabe (a police officer haha) she even got his
cell number, too funny. Once we were all back at base camp we started
playing "Presidents and Assholes" which ended with every rule involving
alcohol or a sip of Waragi (the most famous/hectic Ugandan gin) it's
definitely not one of my favourites, bleh. (although I believe gin
tasting is becoming more popular in SA).The wifi was amazing once
everyone was in bed, I had a long conversation with my parents and a
really good friend which put me in a great mood. This was further
enhanced as some big storms developed throughout the night. (As a little
girl I loved sitting on our balcony at home with my dad and watching
the storms. The intensity is magical.
DAY 6
An early wake up call allowed for a lot of reflection time while driving
to a nearby local town who's name escapes me. After being in such a
good mood and place in my life I've realized I want to focus on the
positives surrounding me. We had a local buffet then continued onto Lake
Bunyonyi. Once we were set up, a couple games of "Assholes and
Presidents" took place.(basically the pack is split between players and
you continually have to put down a higher card unless the person before
you puts down an eight ,its eights below, until someone can clear the
pack with a 2 or joker).|Tomorrow morning we have to wake up just after
four to leave for the Gorillas. Eeeep, I CANNOT WAIT ! At one point I
was concerned that I might get sick and that would mean no gorillas but
luckily I am still feeling healthy.
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