Rwanda, Day 17

Posted on 01/12/2010 by admin

Crossing into Rwanda means that we are close to the mountain gorillas.  We first need to explore the more serious side of Africa and in Rwanda it is the Genocide museum.  Africa is a wonderful place and once under your skin hard to get out.  However, it is also a place where not so nice things have happened and also some very sad things.  It would be an injustice to our humanity not to learn from the errors made in the past and we need to remind ourselves that the human beings are capable of terrible brutality, that people are capable of doing such things all around the world.

The afternoon is spent in preparation for our next day’s hike into the Virunga Mountains to get close and personal to the mountain gorillas. The mountains can be seen in the distance from Ruhengeri and gives a very prehistoric feel to this upcoming experience.

Tip of the day: As a race of people we will only benefit if we take the time and reflect at such places as the Genocide Museum in Rwanda. Please take your time and do so.

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Day 15 and 16

Posted on 01/12/2010 by admin

As Nakuru National Park is famed for its Rhino, Queen Elizabeth National Park or QENP is famed for its Hippo.  You would have to be blind not to see a hippo in this park.  It is a guarantee! The best way to see these animals is on a game cruise.  The cruise travels in a channel between Lake Edward and Lake George and is said to have the highest density of hippos anywhere in Africa.   Here it’s hippo’s and buffalo are often seen mingling together at the lake shoreline.

To end a day in QENP is best done by have sun downers at the Mweya Lodge, where warthogs eat grass at your feet and striped mongoose catch their last insects for the day as the sun goes down over the lake.  Who says overlanding is all about roughing it?

Our night is spent inside the park in our tents listening to the symphony of hippo grunts, a cacophony of hyena woops and completed with a crescendo of lion roars.  It all makes for an entertaining night’s “sleep”.

The following morning started slowly but our patients were rewarded when we stumbled into a breeding herd of elephants.   These elephants differ from those we had seen in Kenya as they were forest elephants, normally only found in West Africa but pushed over into the park from DRC.   These elephants are smaller than the savannah elephants, a little darker and with different shaped tusks.   The focus was the very young elephants suckling on their mothers teats.  A lovely end to our time in this Park.

Chain of shame Renato (Day 15) &  Cheryl (Day 16)

Tip of the day: Hippos prefer to eat in the darkness of night because they are conscience about their weight.

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Drive Day to Mbarara, Day 14

Posted on 01/12/2010 by admin

Today’s drive day is not a long one but there are a few obstacles.  The first and worst of the day is the Kampala traffic and that is one that is never enjoyed. The next are more enjoyable, especially for women who like shopping as our first stop is at a local drum market.  We have to impose a time limit or negotiations can last too long.   Next stop is at the Equator and here we learn (or are fooled) about the effect the earth’s spin has on the way water moves down a drain.  We feast on local muffins and guacamole and chips for lunch.

The rest of the drive day is taken up by extremes in the back of the truck, especially with the tarps up.  Extreme reading, trying to read and keep the pages of the book from flapping.  Extreme hairstyles this is just amusing.  The most exciting is however extreme cards, trying to play a card game and having the same amount of cards in the pack at the end of the day as there was in the beginning of the day.   All these activities make the miles roll by.

Chain of Shame was worn by Carolyn.

Tip of the day: You cannot expect to have a hairstyle in Africa. Why do you think the locals have short hair?

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Entebbe, Day 13

Posted on 29/11/2010 by admin

Chimpanzees are under threat constantly in Africa due to over population, deforestation, witchcraft and bush meat trade.  To help preserve and understand these animals better the Island was given to mistreated chimps to provide them with a better life.    On the island visitor are welcomed and educated on the effects the pressures of man have on the chimpanzee population in Africa.   We visit the island via a local boat, a get to learn about what the island is used for and the progress that is being made to try and help wild chimps.  The tour ends with a feeding of the 44 resident chimps. They scream, hoot and plead for food all to our enjoyment.

Chain of Shame was worn by Lisa.

Tip of the day: Even though chimpanzees may occasionally throw things at you they are definitely not as accurate shot.

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Jinja, Day 12

Posted on 29/11/2010 by admin

Still can’t get photo’s through . . . will add them when we can.

Soft Power, Kayaking and Sunset Cruise!   Those who wanted to play and interact with the local school for orphans did so through the Soft Power volunteer program.  While a few people tried their luck with kayaking on the Nile and paddling down 7 of its rapids to a maximum of a grade 2.

We then regrouped for the trip to Entebbe where we spent the evening enjoying a Sunset Cruise on Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria.  This trip lasted 2 hours and we cruised around the shoreline of the lake while we enjoyed a few drinks,  a great feed and a stunning display of colour change on the clouds above our heads and the lake surface water as the sun eased into the horizon.  A great end to a few days camped by the White Nile River.

Chain of shame was worn by Mandy.

Tip of the day: All drinks are included on the Sunset Cruise so take your time and avoid a hangover.

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Jinja, Day 10 & 11

Posted on 27/11/2010 by admin

Still having hassles getting photo’s uploaded from here . . . .will add them as soon as I can!

Group Dynamics – Part 2!!   We have now all agreed that ’Shaggy’ is a truck.  Disrespecting ‘Shaggy’ by calling it a ‘bus’ now results in punishment by push ups.  Ten to be done each time this word is produced by anyone on tour.   Peter is not a bus driver and I am not a bus conductor so this punishment is a must.   The guys have decided that to even up the stakes on push ups I cannot say the word ‘guys’ and Peter can not say ‘man’.    Since this has been implemented  I have found it hard not say ‘guys”, much to the enjoyment of the clients.  Meanwhile Peter is avoiding all conversation with anyone in order to prevent the embarrassment of having to do push ups.

White water rafting!  Grade 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 rapids are traversed while on rubber blow up boats.  It is no wonder that occasionally you fall out and take a short swim in the Nile, but that is all part of the adventure of Rafting on the Nile and you never know when it may happen.  Everyone is  VERY friendly to the Raft guide, no wonder, when he is in control of the raft and the path taken by the group. . . . .Upset the guide and you may go for another swim!

At the end of the days exhilarating experience we get together for a BBQ and a few beers back at the camp and reminisce about the day’s adventure.  Later that evening a video is shown of the day’s Rafting reminding everyone of the enjoyment they got from be tossed out of the raft and into the might Nile.

Tip of the day: A Nile Special beer is much better at the end of a day rafting than the taste of the Nile River water during rafting

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jinja, Day 8 & 9

Posted on 27/11/2010 by admin

Unfortunately Ugandan internet access is a bit “quirky” at times & I can’t upload photo’s at the moment . . . .will add them as soon as I can!

Group Dynamics!!  The guys are now very familiar with the workings of the truck and their roles in making this safari a success.   so, we have now spiced the trip up with a few group “rules” and implemented a “chain of shame” which is no more than a little extra “bling” to be worn as punishment for 24 hours.    Once a person is nominated for doing something inappropriate, or for some sort of foolish shenanigans, the group votes as to whether or not the chain should be given to that person.   So far Steph has had to wear it for poor control of her beer glass, during a night out at a local bar.  Kyra wore it for not having faith in her tour leader when he guaranteed a rhino sighting in Lake Nakuru National Park.  I have recently worn the chain for allegedly having bad taste in music and wearing white socks with dark shoes.  Today Lydia must wear it for having a local man comment on her dress sense and stating that it was not conservative enough for a Uganda street market.

Village Quad biking!  Decked out in khaki overalls, bandanas, 1950’s motorcycle goggles and German style army helmets makes one feel as if they are going into the great unknown.  The ride takes us through local villages and along the shores of the White Nile all the while getting greeted by swarms of kids hanging out of their family huts.  Giving “high fives” whilst riding is a challenge, but after the first 50, you are quite confident at it.  Not a fast paced event but the 6 month old kids playing on the roads and paths need to be considered.  It’s a great way to see some of the Nile and get into the heart of the local villages and see local kids.

We had a three course meal at a local restaurant and at the end of our meal we are entertained by the local village children with singing and dancing and some local ‘rapping’.  A good evening was had by all.

Tip of the day: It is not a suntan that you get while Quad biking, more a fake dirttan.

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Lake Nakuru National Park, Day 6 and 7

Posted on 23/11/2010 by admin

Lake Nakuru National Park is only 6km from the centre of Nakuru town.  As you drive down the road to the main gate under the Pink Flamingo street lights the first sights are the scattering of local people lying in the sun with baboons meters away patrolling the grass for food, both completely oblivious to each other’s existence.

The vervet monkeys attach themselves to the vehicles waiting to enter the park, stealing food when you turn you back.  They are not afraid of jumping in the window to steal food even if you are seated in the car.  They are very cheeky monkeys.

We start our patrol of the park through the fever trees to try our luck at spotting l eopards.   Even though Leopards are numerous in the park they are the hardest of the big five to spot.   When they are found a plethora of vehicles descend to the sight to get a photo of this elusive animal.   A Leopard was spotted that afternoon and was soon surrounded by a multitude of white vans,  the advantage of ‘Shaggy’ is that it is higher than the vans and we get an unobscured view of this beautiful animal.

Next to take the stage was the white rhino, easily spotted on the grassy plains as they are massive animals.   So many were seen in our two game drives that we didn’t even stop anymore for photos as it was just another rhino.

A day spent in Lake Nakuru National Park cannot be complete without at least one photo of the Flamingos that reside on the lake.  To top it all,  a couple of lions walking by the truck just minutes before our departure through the main gates of the park.   All in all,  not a bad experience in this small National Park and completed our hunt for the ‘Big 5’, Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion and Leopard. . . all seen in less than a week.

Tip of the day: Do NOT sleep during game drives, you may miss something special!

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lake Naivasha, Day 4 and 5

Posted on 22/11/2010 by admin

After the dusty roads to and from the Masai Mara it is nice to reach a camp site with great facilities especially hot water and that’s what we got at Crayfish camp. Three nights to freshen up relax and enjoy this fresh water Rift Valley Lake. Some of the guys went for walks to the Green Crater Park to get close to giraffe, zebra and other antelope and some took bike rides to Hells Gate National Park and did what some adventure walking through the gorge.

For those who like the simpler things in life, a visit to Elsamere for a short documentary on Joy Adamson and then high tea in her garden overlooking the lake. I was lucky enough to watch the Colobus monkeys playing in her garden. They too like the look of the cakes for high tea and all steps have to be made to keep them out of the house and serving themselves.

Our last night was a birthday celebration. We had a local meal at a local bar. We were warmly greeted and got to experience a little bit of local culture outside the safety bubble of our overland truck. Even though the power was off for most of our stay and some of the drinks were warm, the price was just right to compensate for the warm beverages. For the ladies the most challenging aspect of the evening was getting enough courage to use the local toilet which made for some great laughter and interesting conversation.

Tip of the day: To completely enjoy a local meal you must accept the fact that your table of friends will be quiet for sometime at the end of the meal because they will be extracting the tougher morsels of meat from their teeth with a tooth pick.

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Masai Mara, Day 3

Posted on 22/11/2010 by admin

We will call this morning game drive “The lion experience”.  We saw 2 young male bachelor lions 3 km from the camp site, 1 lioness with 5 cubs catching the early morning sun rays, a single lioness drinking water by a stream, 2 lionesses with a young male lion snoozing in the morning sun, a lone maned male lion lying in the sun oblivious to our big yellow truck, and a lone female eyeing off a herd of about 60 buffalo and 10 elephants from her termite mound.

We cannot forget the herds of elephant especially the 50 or 60 that were seen together, or the herd of 25 Maasai giraffe.

The Mara is no more than 1500sq km and is a haven for many of Kenyas game species as we saw today.  It truly was an exceptional game drive.

Tip of the day: If a cup of coffee makes you want to pee, please consider refraining if game driving in the Masai Mara.  There is nowhere in this park that does not have lions and can therefore make a bush pee a once in a lifetime experience!!

Posted in a) 14th Nov 2010 Absolute Safari on Shaggy, Denis | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment