Map of Uganda
August 8, 2016
Our world has changed considerably. I am now sitting in our boma at Wildwaters Lodge near where the White Nile exits Lake Victoria. The sound is roaringly loud, but wonderful to my head. I cannot hear the tinnitus.
We arrived in Entebbe yesterday late afternoon. Had a smooth entry into Uganda until Mark’s bag did not appear on the carousel. He waited 30 minutes, then went to the bathroom. Upon returning from the bathroom, he suddenly spotted the bag sitting on the floor in the middle of the by then empty baggage claim area. Disaster averted. We departed the airport with our new driver, Dixon, in a Toyota Land Cruiser with Uganda Safari Company printed on the sides. Then we got the news that it would take 2.5 to 3 hours to drive to Jonathan Wright’s house where we planned to stay. The busy Sunday evening social traffic was so bad through Kampala that it took 3 full hours to get to Jonathan’s place near Mukono, a small town east of the city. We knew his house was in an isolated location. We just did not know how isolated. The dark, bumpy, dusty, tedious trip was, however, worth the trouble. His house is large, rambling and most appealing with stucco and heavy beam construction. It is in the middle of 1500 acres of forest with views from the veranda looking out at the city far in the distance.
He greeted us at the door at 10pm and made us each our first drink since arriving in Sudan. Scotch, of course. Then he escorted us directly to dinner on the veranda, where his staff had laid out a delicious family style meal. By now you must be wondering who is Jonathan Wright. We met him 14 years ago when he guided us on our first tour of Uganda. He was the owner of a small company called the Uganda Safari Company. At the end of the tour, he invited us to his house in Kampala where we had dinner with him, his wife Pamela and their 2 kids. Two years later, we were back in Uganda to revisit Scott and Carol Kellermann and spent a few days with Jonathan visiting a concession he had just secured to set up a game lodge at Kidepo in the northwest corner of the country. We camped there in a rustic cabin for a few nights and toured around with him checking the place out. It is now a successful game lodge. (That was the day we left Kidepo by small plane, flew back to Kampala, dropped Jonathan off and flew on to the tea plantation air strip, where we planned to meet Scott. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard and our inexperienced pilot crashed the plane on landing. No one was hurt, but the plane was totaled along with some tea plants.)
We have kept up with him be email over the years and wanted to reconnect on this trip. During the last 12 years, his business has grown considerably and he now has his hand in a number of activities, including the lodge we will visit in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest called The Clouds. Pamela and his now adult children, are in Canada, where she is from, so we did not get to see them. At midnight we called the evening quits and dropped into bed. The place is so quiet it reminds me of the Clarke Ranch.
Politically, he believes Museveni is a reasonable president as he is strong and keeps the country stable and safe even if he is a dictator. The county is growing at 5% a year, new roads are in the process of being built and people are happy to be working. When Jonathan first came to Uganda as a child, he remembers the population being around 5 Million. Today it is 35 Million.
This morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Jonathan, walked around his grounds and talked until almost 1pm. Finally, we departed with Dixon on the two hour drive to this lodge. Jonathan planned this adventure for us and we had no idea what to expect. What a trip to drive and drive on bad dirt roads and finally stop in the middle of the forest.
Wildwaters Lodge arrival dock.
Canoe arriving to take us to Wildwaters Lodge
Then I got out of the car and heard the roar of a raging river, although I could not see it for the forest. We walked a short distance down some steps to a wood landing and there we were at the edge of the immense Nile River with a small boat being rowed to meet us. Asked I, are we really going to get in that little row boat to cross this river? Yes said Dixon. I gulped and happily put on the offered life vest. It was a bit precarious with us, our stuff, Dixon and two boat men in this canoe shaped row boat. However, we did not row across the river, but out to the edge of the current which propelled us a short distance to another wood landing on a small island. We were greeted by staff with the usual wash cloth and welcome drink and escorted along a series of elevated wooden walkways to the outdoor dining area, where we were given the welcome talk and served lunch.
The view of the Nile rapids from the dining room at Wildwaters.
Our boma or bungalow, one of 10, overlooks Nile River rapids near the river’s source, Lake Victoria. The river is immense and very loud. Mark informs me it is the largest river in the world, followed by the Amazon and the Yangtze. Our Mississippi is 4th.
The facility is in a jungle-like forest. Walking on the ground is nearly impossible, so there are elevated boardwalks from the bomas to the dining hall and the helipad, where those who can, arrive. As there is really no place to go, we hung out in the room, watched the rapids pass by our boma and read and wrote until dinner. We were in bed shortly after dinner. Lights out at 11pm when the generator is turned off.
Interior of our Wildwaters boom
August 9, 2016
Luxury in the wilderness occurred when we were delivered Cappuccino’s in our room at 7:30am. Not quite as luxurious as arriving by helicopter, but more than good enough.
After breakfast I plan to go fishing for Nile perch. More later.
Adventures with Julia 