Wednesday, April 25, 2012

            Today we were up bright and early to leave our hotel in Mityana and head towards Mburo Lake National Park for the safari! We piled in the van and took off for our 7-hour drive. Some of us slept, some of us chatted, and some of us simply stared out the window watching the beautiful scenery all around us. After 3-4 hours, we saw signs telling us that we were approaching the equator! Anxious, we climbed out of the car and each took turns taking pictures at the huge sign marking the equator. One foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one in the Southern! Officially in two places at the same time! There was an “equator instructor” who showed us some interesting facts while we were there. Did you know that on the Northern Hemisphere water drains clockwise and in the Southern Hemisphere it goes counterclockwise? There were buckets set up on either side and he demonstrated which way it swirls as it drains by dropping a flower on top of the water and watching the direction it moves. When you are directly on the line of the equator it doesn’t swirl either way, but rather drops straight down. It was very fascinating!  

About noon we stopped at a bar/restaurant for lunch and tried to wait patiently for fish. It ended up coming out mostly raw and we were pretty unhappy, and at that point behind schedule. We snacked on jerky and Oreos most of the way to the park and were eager to get there. The drive into the park only made us more excited! We put up the top of the safari van and all stood up on our seats so we could get a better view of all the animals. We were rushing to get to the lake for our boat ride so couldn’t stop for the black faced monkeys, zebras, impalas, water bucks, or bush bucks although we knew we would have opportunities later.

When we reached the lake we met our guide, Andrew, and quickly got in the boat. He was very educational and had a good eye for picking out the shy animals in the area. We saw curious hippos peaking out from under the water and a few small crocodiles sitting up in the sun getting warm. We saw a single water buffalo and Andrew told us that when they are alone, they are most dangerous because they have been exiled from their herd. Typically they are shy, but when they are banished they will be quick to defend themselves in any situation, even if there is no danger. We saw a lot of birds in the trees surrounding the lake: the African fish eagle, African Fin bird, and the King fish bird. It was astonishing to see such great, majestic animals so close in their natural habitat.

As the sun started to set, we got back in the van and headed for the lodge we were staying at. By the time we got there, it was pitch black outside and we got lost in the jungle for a bit. It was relieving to see lights and the staff warmly greeted us with fresh juice and a hot meal. Although it was dark, we were very surprised with how nice the accommodations were. It resembled a tropical beach hut; such as you would see in Hawaii! Only having been open for about 8 months, everything was new and suitably set up for us. We were exhausted and full from the dinner so we quickly fell asleep under a gorgeous starry sky. Tomorrow we will continue our safari and the head back to Kampala to stay with Pastor James and his family once more before the women head back home to America.