Lions!

Our one big regret about our Namibia tour was that we had never gotten to see lions up close. We had witnessed a hunt from afar which was certainly exciting, but had never gotten very close to wild lions. Well, our trip to Queen Elizabeth did not disappoint. We came across a pride of about 10 or so lions, resting in the afternoon twilight. There was a herd of Kob (Ugandan antelope) in the distance that they were eying and a few even got up and started making their move toward their dinner before we had to exit the park. Needless to say, it was the highlight of the trip.

Emma leans out of the car wind to show just how close these guys were to the vehicle.

The Kichwamba Escarpment

Visited Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda over the long Easter weekend. Spent 2 nights there which wasn’t nearly enough, but had to return for Reid’s work and the kids’ school. The kids had two weeks off prior to Easter while the Rwandans were commemorating the 1994 Genocide. So, only Good Friday was allowed for Easter break.

Had to cross the border and drop $50 USD per person (even the kids) for a single entry permit. The border procedures themselves were risible to say the least. We asked of several people what the process entailed and managed to get ourselves through to the other side. On the way back, though, we were informed that we had skipped a step upon original entry at customs regarding the vehicle. The gatekeeper, who was attired like any ordinary Joe was hesitant to let us through. He sought advice from 5 gentlemen, also dressed like ordinary Joes, seated in plastic garden chairs reading the newspaper outside the Ugandan customs office. They seemed to concur that these stupid muzungu just didn’t know any better and could be allowed through since the form in question wouldn’t be needed on the Rwandan side. Mind you there is no posted signage about what steps are required and we read nothing in regard to this in any of our guidebooks. We just smiled frequently and apologized profusely even though it was in no way our fault. The most ludicrous part was the gate passes we were issued that were written on scraps of paper torn out of an exercise notebook—these were presented to the guard at the gates so that he could be assured that we had gone through immigration. Well, let’s just say that it was a far cry from Immigration at the Atlanta airport!

Queen Elizabeth Park was an absolute delight to visit. Part of the Western Rift Valley, and nestled near Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains, the park is host to elephants, hippos, gazelles, a wide variety of birds and lions which can be viewed up close and personal. Thanks to our intrepid guide, Mathew, we even managed to spot some tree-climbing lions as well, unique to this part of Africa.

Knowledgeable, friendly and jolly, Mathew got just as excited as we did every time we spotted a group of elephants or a pride of lions. He was hanging out of the car windows, snapping away with the photos just as we were despite having grown up here and having been a guide for many a year. He was truly a joy to spend our day with. He can be contacted through the Kingfisher or via the following mobile numbers: (256) 0773241474 or 0702148424.

We stayed at the Kingfisher Lodge high on the Kichwamba Escarpment where the view over the park and lake clear to the mountains is unobstructed and simply breathtaking. Even the kids were impressed with it. Of course, the series of tiered pools of varying depths dug out of the hill side didn’t hurt either. The rooms consist of circular thatched roofed huts that are adequately furnished with a sitting room between the two bedrooms of the family suite. It certainly wasn’t one of the most luxurious places we’ve ever stayed at, but with the friendly, courteous staff, the inclusion of both breakfast and dinner in its reasonable price, the Kingfisher definitely gets our unequivocal endorsement.

The whole family agrees that a return trip to Uganda is definitely in order. We hear that one can eat crawfish at Lake Bunyonyi---so we figure as displaced Cajuns it’s our duty to go and partake!

Pictured above: kids at the edge of the Kingfisher terrace atop the Kichwamba Escarpment overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Why did the Elephant Cross the Road?

Obviously the vegetation's better on the other side!

Mama and baby crossing the road. They were part of a larger group that was so well camouflaged it was hard to see exactly how many made up the group. We could hear them quite well, however. The sounds of which are what I imagine brontosaurs and triceratops sounded like foraging during the Jurassic.

Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

We've been difficult to impress since our Namibia experience regarding the viewing of wildlife. In Queen Elizabeth, we got some very close up views of animals we only got to glimpse from afar in Namibia. It was delightful. Extended post to follow, providing my internet is up for it!!!

Bat Colony on Napoleon's Hat, Lake Kivu

Fruit bats taking flight from their perches among the guava trees and enormous cactus trees of Napoleon's Hat, an island in Lake Kivu, Rwanda. This was supposed to be in video format, but the internet apparently couldn't support the upload.

Birds of Lake Kivu

Lake Kivu is home to an amazing diversity of birds. We can't even possibly upload all of the photos of the different species we spotted while there for only a few days. Suffice it to say it is a bird lover's paradise.

Hey Larkin, want to help identify this guy?

Lake Kivu

We went to Lake Kivu over the April 8th weekend and to the town of Kibuyé. Lake Kivu separates Rwanda from the Congo. About a three hour drive from Kigali, it makes for an easy weekend jaunt. Driving in this country, however, is always an adventure so one never knows how long it might take to get to one’s destination. We saw the aftermath of two very ugly accidents on the way up and back, which did not make us feel very confident about getting there and getting back. Enough though about Rwandan driving because I could write a dissertation on the subject!
Kivu is a huge lake whose waters are of a greenish, blue hue. Millions of years old, it’s part of a volcanic system that spews methane every 10,000 years or so. Massive extinctions of fauna ensue when this occurs, so there are very few types of fish that live there. Because of the paucity of fish varieties, there are no crocodiles, nor hippos that inhabit its shores. It’s also extremely deep and breathtakingly beautiful. That beauty is essentially due to its unspoiled nature. There are very few “hotels/resorts” dotting the shoreline in and around Kibuyé. Although this area has been inhabited and cultivated for centuries, one still gets the impression that he’s looking at pristine territory.
Small islands dot the surface of the lake and most are named for their distinctive shapes like Star Island which you guessed it, looks like a star from a bird’s eye view and Napoleon’s Hat, which is shaped like the little corporal’s head gear. We took a boat tour with some local guides, Cassim and Azam, in a rickety old boat that we had our doubts would make it through the promised two hours. This was probably the best part of the entire adventure, nonetheless. We had the whole boat to ourselves and when we got to Napoleon’s Hat, Azam led us around the millipede, bat infested island on a nice hike. Guava trees, ponderous with their ripe fruit are a source of food for both. Cows and goats also inhabit the place and we had to be careful where we stepped because we obviously were on the same well worn path used by cows, goats and humans alike. According to the guides, at some point in the island’s history, cows and goats swam over and populated the place. It looked like an awfully far swim to us, but one never knows about such things.
We came across a group of fishermen on a break from fishing the little tiny minnow-like fish that are sold fresh but also dried in huge mounds and sold in the Kigali market. They also catch larger Tilapia, but it’s really not a very lucrative profession given their appearance. The boats are made of wood and look like they date back to the third century or so. There are long, curved poles extending from the sides that pull the net through the water. The boats have no motors, nor wenches and are entirely man-powered.
The highlight of the boat tour had to be by far the bats. A huge colony of fruit bats inhabit Napoleon’s hat and we managed to find them once we got back in the boat and swung around to the other side of the island. The guides made a general ruckus to get the bats out of their hiding places and airborne. It was like watching some B grade horror movie seeing them fill the sky. Huge in comparison to the insectivore variety, it wasn’t difficult to see how they attained their size given the incredible amounts of guavas and other fruits available as a food source.
We stayed at the Comoran Lodge. It’s owned by a French woman. It was a lovely place and we were quite comfortable. Unfortunately, the lodge’s restaurant fare left quite a bit to be desired even though we did partake of Bisque à l’écrévisse (crawfish bisque) the first night. Its rather remote location, however, limits other dinner options. Breakfast too was a bit Spartan for the American palate, but our stay was most enjoyable and relaxing, nonetheless.
We especially enjoyed spotting, trying to identify and photographing the wide variety of bird species that inhabit the area. We still haven’t bought the bird guide, so we’re going to post a few that we couldn’t identify and hopefully our former Fulbright buddies from Nebraska will let us know what they are. We did come across the beautiful Bishop in all his glory, a number of Kingfishers, fire finches and a whole bunch of exotic fellows that left us clueless.