After three days birdwatching in the Entebbe area (see previous post) our little group is about to grow in numbers. First to join us is bird guide Tonny ( not to be confused with Tony who we shall met later on). He meets the three of us on the Lake Victoria View Guesthouse roof as we are waiting for the rest of the group’s arrival. As he is to be our birding guide for the next 10 days, I fire a few bird questions at him and play calls of the first bird that comes up on the player app on my phone; he answers the questions to my satisfaction and is completely baffled by the calls ( correct response as they are of an Abyssinian Scimitarbill – a rare and normally silent bird). Humphrey and Rupert, somewhat taken aback by my harsh grilling of Tonny, hasten to extend him a warm welcome; whereupon he announces that he will now give us a “briefing”. He launches in to a monologue on a wide range of topics that looks to be anything but brief . Luckily for me, at that moment the rest of our party arrive and I excuse myself to welcome them, arrange their accomodation and congratulate them on their impeccable timing.

My brother Saul, family friend Yehudit and her chum Judy, all veterans of last year’s Uganda trip, have arrived from Israel. Later in the night Yehudit’s other friend Monique lands from Paris to complete our group.

Next morning, after an early breakfast and reports from the night (Monique’s shower failed to deliver hot water) we set off. Our destination: Murchison Falls National Park. First we must get out of the Kampala metropolis. This does not take too long – we have only a couple of junctions to negotiate. However the colorful roadside scenery awakens Judy’s journalistic intincts (she used to be a TV reporter). Tonny keeps warning her about having her camera snatched when she sticks it out of the window and then, when we are stopped at a traffic control, she starts taking photos of the policemen/women. Horrified, ( I have visions of day- long delays in police interrogation rooms) we all beg her to desist and Tonny mollifies the upset (and poorly paid) cops . Somehow we get through without any trouble and are soon speeding along on the road to Masindi. I must admit the pictures came out nicely – Uganda’s finest are sharp dressers.

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A couple of hours later we make an early lunch-stop at the Kabalega Diner, a roadside restaurant . I order far too much food (especially Avocado starters) and after eating what we can, coffee and a quick look around ( gift shop, Ruppell’s long-tailed Starlings and rest-rooms) we are back on the road . We pass through Masindi town, and turn off where a sign points to Murchison Falls National Park. The landscape of human settlements we have been passing – mud-brick houses, maize and plantain patches – is now replaced by trees, lot’s of them, a forest. This is Budongo forest and before long we arrive at the National Park’s entrance gate where we are welcomed by a baboon and papers to fill in.

From the gate it’s a short drive to Budongo Eco-lodge, our final stop today. It’s a lovely place with little cottages set in the forest and a team of expert forest guides. We have made good time and I am keen to get everyone checked in to their rooms so they can have a bit of a rest before our afternoon activity. But – oh dear – we must first have a briefing. The manager himself, all smiles, charmingly describes in exquisite detail the meal plan, toilet facilities, charging points and many other aspects of our stay. Briefings seem to be the latest fashion in Uganda’s growing tourism industry.

An hour or so later we meet up for our forest adventure. Our main aim is to meet some of the Chimpanzees living in the forest here. They are used to visitors, so if we can find them we should be able to spend some time at close quarters with them. But this is also a birding hot-spot where some Congo-Guinea Biome rarities and local endemics can be seen. We will go in two groups – Rupert and Humphrey with bird specialist Dan, the rest of us with Steven who hopes to find us some Chimps. Inevitabely, there is a briefing first; mercifully short – I have already instructed everyone to put their trouser bottoms in to their socks to keep ants out – the guides see how ready we are so no need to waste time.

We walk round the back of the reception/dining room/lobby, pass between two trees and suddenly we are in another world. With all these briefings and avocado starters and whatnots I had completely forgotten why we are here. I breath in the forest: the giant trees, soft wet leaves underfoot, green everywhere you look …

Dan points out Mahogony trees and strangler figs, spiders and centipedes as we make our way slowly in to the lush forest. Then we spot a dark figure sitting by the path short way ahead. A Chimpanzee! We approach slowly but the Chimp walks off in to the forest. Dan follows (presumably to have a few words with him) and shortly after they both re-appear, the Chimp settling on a low branch in a tree just above us. He is joined by a pal and after a short exchange of hoots they go about their business, chewing leaves and occasionally glancing down at us (checking with Dan if they are doing OK). Mission accomplished, very nicely.

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Humphrey, Rupert and bird guide Steven have joined us in the meantime and after admiring the obliging Chimps, report some top-notch birds. I am particularly jealous of their seeing Pavel’s Idallopsis (a rare forest babbler) and decide to join them when they move on. However, we have hardly gone a few paces (passing a third Chimpanzee hurrying along the path – late for his appointment with Dan ) when after a rumble or two of thunder the heavens open and the rain pours down. We all have rain coats so we plod on for a bit, but the birds know better and are nowhere to be seen (although Steven catches a glimpse of a very desirable Nahan’s Francolin ) and the rain shows little signs of stopping soon. So we call it a day and return to the Eco-lodge.

We enjoy a splendid briefing at dinnertime about all the possible eggs and trimmings we can order for our breakfast, followed by options and combinations for our packed lunches tomorrow from a shy waiter who seems as amused as we are. Everyone seems in a good mood, it has been a successful day and I sleep like a log that night.

Next morning we depart the Eco-lodge with time to spare . We are still all in the one mini-van – Hamza will be joining us later today with a second vehicle so we can split the group, the idea being that the birders and the non-birders may often want to stop and look at different things. Tonny is concerned about road-works along the way – Chinese construction teams are widening the road and are at the moment busy on this tricky section where it descends in to the rift valley and meets the Nile River. There are no big hold-ups but the road works interest some of our group and various birds of prey perched on roadside trees interest others – we make it to the ferry with only minutes to spare. Good thing too as the next one only leaves in two hours and we have booked a boat for a trip up the river – on the other side.

All is well and soon we are all aboard our motorboat and heading upriver. We take our time exploring the banks and Islands of Papyrus on our way up to the falls. There is plenty to see: Hippos and Waterbucks, a huge Bull Elephant, Giraffes, Crocodiles and birds all over the place: Fish-eagles, Kingfishers, Weavers, Herons, Jacanas, Swallows and many, many more – the rare Scarce Swift for one.

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After a short stop in a Papyrus patch (failed atempts to tempt Papyrus Gonoleks and White-winged Warblers out of hiding with playback) we come round a bend and there are the falls in full glory. And – a pair of rare Rock Partincoles sitting (appropriately) on a rock. The current here is really strong but we (well, the skipper actually) manage to tie up for a brief comfort stop ashore before we head back downriver.

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Our time is almost up. This shoud be a quick journey with the current but a strong wind is pushing up waves on the wide stretches and our skipper has a hard time finding smooth water for the flat-bottomed boat. It’s a slow and bumpy ride and we all get a bit wet. Then we discover a herd of Elephants have joined the solitary bull we saw on the way up and have to make a stop for them.

Very late back at the ferry we step back on to terra firma. It has been a fantastic trip – lots of animals, birds and plenty of excitment, and it’s only the middle of the day!

Hamza has arrived from Entebbe with our second car – a small Toyota Landcruiser – and after giving him a warm welcome we settle down for lunch at one of the picnic tables nearby. We are joined by a family of friendly Warthogs who behave themselves and wait patiently for us to finish eating before going around the table in search of scraps.

After lunch we take a bit of break at the nearby fancy Paara Lodge – coffee on the terrace, overlooking the Nile. Then it’s time for our evening game drive to the delta – the low lying area along Lake Albert, between the inflow of the Victoria Nile (the one we just navigated) and the outflow of the White Nile (which goes on for about 6000 Km to the Mediterranean).

The sky has clouded over and now forms a backdrop of greys, blues and purple to the green grass and trees of the savanna. As the weather, so the mood – at least mine; after the thrills and spills of the morning now it feels more relaxed, contemplative. The car roofs are open and we drive slowly along the red-earth track through herds of Antelopes, Buffaloes and Giraffes. . It is a beautiful afternoon.

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There are also plenty of birds too. The stars are a pair of the uncommon Denham’s Bustard , huge yet graceful, we run in to just before reaching “Delta point” , the end of this track.

Here is a a wide open space within site of the lake shore. There is a small concrete hut – a toilet! We are allowed out of the car and everyone is happy to stretch their legs and enjoy the beauty of the the place and the moment. Three Side-striped Jackals watch us warily from the edge of the clearing.

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Tonny is very concerned about arriving late at the lodge, but I tell him to relax – such a lovely evening is to be enjoyed to the max. I also like the idea of driving back in the dusk/dark – we might see something interesting. And we do: along the road a single land-cruiser is parked. We pull up alongside and there, a few yards from the track are a lioness and her half-grown cubs. They are just shadows in the near-dark, and when the mini-van arrrives behind us they move away and melt in to the darkness. It’s just a glimple, and I hope we will see more Lions.

I have booked us a night at Pakuba Lodge – it’s one of the few lodges actually inside the park and has 4 stars. Should be pretty good I reckoned. We arrive in the dark to scenes of hectic activity. The place is packed and just before us a group of about 30 (of course) Israelis arrived. It’s a bit of a shock after our serene afternoon but we are all pretty chilled out so we wait patiently for our turn to get our rooms and the inevitable briefing.

Then at the dinner buffet we discover there’s not much food left – the Israelis have done a pretty good job on it and the staff don’t have much left in reserve. We manage on scraps but this is not quite the 4 star hospitality I had expected. Choice for our packed lunch for tomorrow is cheese sandwich or cheese and tomato sandwich. Same goes for the hot water situation later in the rooms (Monique is particularly affected – I have found a trick with the taps to produce lukewarm water but it doesn’t work in her room). I usualy don’t worry too much about this stuff – it’s not what I come to Africa for after all – but this place is really a bit too much.

I am up early and enjoying Spotted Palm-Thrushes, Black-and-white Cuckoo, all sorts of Sunbirds and the bright red Bishops. Saul joins me, then Rupert and Humphrey and later the others and we make the best of what’s left of the breakfast buffet. Hardly surprising, there is no bread left at all, just a little fruit juice and some cold and hard fried potatos. We make do with fried eggs and some pankakes rustled up by an enterprising staff member.

Today we have just a drive ahead of us, so I have scheduled a late start. We are ready to go when I check our luggage and realise we are missing one item – Saul’s suitcase. I know he was up early and put it outside his room so I’m pretty sure I know what has happened. But the lodge staff insist on a search for it – to no avail: it has been taken by another party! I naturally suspect the big Israeli group but an hour later we recieve whatsapp images of their luggage – no little blue suitcase. The staff are tracking down other guests and Tonny wants to wait – but I insist – it’s time to go, we’ll hear from them when and if.

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We have a long drive ahead of us, all the way to Kidepo in far North-East corner of Uganda. Saul seems pretty unconcerned about his luggage – he has most of what he needs in his backpack and I can lend him a few bits and pieces. At midday we stop in Gulu town and Tonny, Saul, Humphrey (who is a doctor) and I set off in search of a pharmacy – Saul has realised he needs some medicines which are in the missing suitcase. Following directions given to us at the filling station where we have parked, we arrive at a tiny pharmacy – I can see doubts all over my brother’s face. But inside, the elderly pharmacist proves to be extremely knowledgeable and finds replacements for all the missing medicines – we are all suitably impressed. We stop at a restaurant to eat our cheese/cheese and tomato sandwiches with some much nicer local samosas. And finally news of the suitcase – it has been found in the luggage of a Chinese tourist who left the lodge just before us. They are having lunch en-route to Kampala (at the same restaurant where I ordered all those Avocado sarters two days ago). That’s a long way away and in the wrong direction, so we ask them to leave the suitcase there and we will try to figure something out.

After Gulu we leave the paved road. There are almost no cars on the road and fewer settlements. The landscape gets wilder, the mountains steeper – we are entering the Karamoja region. In the last light of day, under heavy rain we reach our destination, Kidepo Savannah Lodge.

Next time: Will Saul be reunited with his suitcase? Will Monique ever have a hot shower? And all about box-wrenches. Dont miss part 3 !