Murchison Falls

Before I tell you about our trip to Murchison Falls, can I tell you when I travel I’m pretty easy going. I’ll try strange foods, I don’t mind not showering, or cold showers, I rarely wear makeup, a hair dryer- what?, hairy legs yeah yeah. BUT my friggin hairy eyebrows send me RIGHT over the edge….and let me tell you getting them waxed here in Gulu is not going to be happening….if I moved here I’d have to teach someone how to thread, well I’d have to learn how to thread myself and then teach them. Seriously, on my layover in Brussels or in Chicago, I’m hunting down the airport spa and paying whatever amount they want, because I have TWO HUGE caterpillars growing on my forehead. I hate plucking my own eyebrows, so that’s not an option, so here I sit with really bad eyebrows…moving on!

Saturday morning, Beth and I hopped in the van with our trusty driver Jack. It took about 3 hours to arrive to Murchison Falls. As soon as we got into the park, we started seeing a variety of animals in the antelope and deer like categories, we also saw some elephants way off in the distance. We stayed at Red Chili Camp, Red Chili is a UK hostel chain here in Uganda at MF they have Bandas (which are like walled structures) and then a variety of tent like structures. We booked a 4 person tent, because that was all that was available at the time. The Nile River runs through MF National Park (duh Murchison Falls is the Nile River, but you probably didn’t know that until now). Where we came into the park, you have to cross on a “ferry” (really a barge like thing that holds 8 vans) to cross over to Red Chili. While we were waiting for the ferry, we saw hippos in the water and a herd of elephants (probably like 10) down the river from where we were standing. We took the ferry across, checked into RC, had a bite to eat and then crossed back over the ferry to meet up with our Game Drive Guide. Can I tell you that damn ferry drove me crazy. I asked one of the employees of one of the lodges why they don’t build a bridge and he said “they make a lot of money off that ferry”, which I presumed, but also during the height of rebel activity I’m sure the government didn’t want to provide an easy way across the river either.

We picked up Tigris and we headed onto the game track, at first we were all sitting in the van but then Beth and I decided to climb up onto the roof of the van into the luggage carrier. My first thought of course “I love 3rd world countries and their lack of liability concerns. Some of the most fun things I’ve ever done would NEVER be allowed in the states.” My second thought “I’ll probably die doing something I’d never be allowed to do in the states”. My third thought “I hope when it happens I’m having fun”.

This afternoon- we saw: Water Buffalo, Water Bucks, Elephants, Giraffes way off in the distance, a bunch of antelope-y/deer –ish kind of animals and THREE lions. Beth and I kept coming up with what/how we wanted to see things “I want to see a male lion with his mane”, “I want to see a male lion roaring”. I want to see a hippo standing up in the water, yawning…our order kept getting taller and taller. The first lion we saw we had to drive “off track” in fact every lion we saw we had to drive “off track”, which is posted as illegal, but you have to do it if you want to see lions. Yesterday on our second drive as we were bumping along I thought “so what happens when your van gets stuck from being “off track” and you’re 30 feet from a lion?.....”thankfully I didn’t have to find out the answer to that question. The first lioness we saw was lying next to a very dead water buck, we don’t think she made the kill as her neck was very badly wounded from a poacher’s trap, we don’t believe she would live. It was quite sad. We later saw two more lions (one male/one female) napping.

After our drive we headed back to catch the last ferry of the night. Typically when there are more than 8 vans you really have to be ready to jocky for position, otherwise some “rat bastard” is going to take your spot, even if you were there before them. There were only 8 vans waiting for the ferry, so as the vans started to load onto the ferry, Jack was sauntering back to the van after a chat with a friend. I’m sitting up front with my flips kicked off, he hops into the van and the battery is dead that’s right D E A D. He jumps out of the car to the battery, which was located behind my seat, I hop over to the driver side barefooted (it’s a stick thankfully I know how to drive one), he starts banging on the battery, yelling for a torch (flashlight). I yell to Beth there’s one in my blue bag, she can’t find it, I say give it to me find the torch, as I’m turning the ignition, watching all the vans get loaded onto the ferry. Jack yells something like “hold the ferry we are coming”. A few more bangs and the battery starts, Jack shuts the door, runs around the van, I hop back into my seat and we have a good ol laugh as we make our way into the last position on the ferry. Shew…such a fun story!!

The next morning we headed out for another game drive. We finally saw a ton of giraffes or as Jack calls them Grrr-affes. Personally, I’m digging the Grr-affes, opposed to the giraffes. I was up top of the van again, Beth stayed down below. As we are cruising along the road, perfect day, wind through my hair, I’m thinking to myself “I’m riding on top of a van, in Africa, looking at wild animals. I’m a very lucky and blessed girl”. It was so awesome.

Tigris received word from another guide where the lions were located so we made our way there, remember I’m sitting on the roof of the car. We see one lioness and we are like 30 feet from her, we then see another lioness and we get about 30 feet from her, we then see a lion walking towards us in the distance…..another van was right next to us and Beth was hanging out the window. Both guides were telling Beth and another man to stay inside the vehicle…I’m going “hello I’m on roof….do I need to be worried”…they were like no you’re fine…I clearly lived to tell about it, but I’m not going to lie, I was on the verge of peeing my pants.

We saw a ton of elephants, more grrr-affes, water buffalo, etc. etc. We then went back to Red Chili for lunch and then drove to Murchison Falls (the namesake of the park). I haven’t seen Niagara Falls, but MF is wicked, there is not a chance you’d survive. I’ll post video once I get back to the states. Again it’s Uganda so there is no railing or anything from protecting you from falling in, being pushed in or jumping in, the force is incredible. In fact when Idi Amin ruled Uganda he was accused of forcing many people over the falls to their deaths during his reign. If for some reason you’d survived the falls (which truly would be impossible) you’d get eaten by the crocodiles at the bottom.

After the falls, we started to make our way back to Gulu, we stopped at the UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) staff quarters. Jack knows a bunch of the guys that live there and he also knows George the hippo lives there…we got about 30 feet from George with NOTHING between us…George seems to be accustomed to the people, but I was still scared.

On our way out of the park, we saw a few elephants cross the rode in front of us. We had to bribe our way out of the gate as it’s $30/per 24 hours/per person, which we didn’t know and had overstayed our time. Luckily I had been really sweet to Rose the day before and Jack knows her well, so he gave her 30,000 shillings (about 15 dollars) opposed to the 60 we would have had to pay. We then headed to Packwatch (definitely misspelled) to buy gas to make our way back to Gulu. The park has a shell station but it is very expensive, so we headed to Pacwatch (still misspelled) to purchase black market fuel….I could tell Jack didn’t like or trust the kids who were selling the fuel, but it was our only option. This kid in a red shirt was motioning to me, his friend said he had no money (I don’t believe the red shirt kid spoke English). I said I wouldn’t give him shillings, so he motioned to the almonds and cranberries I had next to me, so I gave him those and a granola bar I had in my bag. Pacwatch was very destitute, had no electricity and once again put into perspective how our world is so different.

We made it home just fine and had a good time telling Jen all about the fun she missed.

Today we are off to one of the camps we gave beds to, to learn more about how they’ve been sleeping and have a bit of fun with them. Yeah can’t wait!!