Uganda to Kenya

I suppose the easiest thing to say about all the places I’ve visited on this trip is ‘Lovely People. Amazing Scenery’. I try not to say that too often as I know it would soon get very very dull, but I’ve been sat here for half hour now and I can’t think of anything else to say about Uganda. In fairness, I don’t think I really did it justice. It may have been because it represented the end of the trip that I had planned, but I think it probably had more to do with the fact that I was absolutely itching to get into Kenya. I just couldn’t wait. The reason being that the Great Wildebeest Migration is in town and its billed as one of the most spectacular events in the world.

Unfortunately, most of the safari lodges sell out months and months in advance for hundreds and hundreds of dollars, so I wasn’t too hopeful that I would be able to get in to the park. But I thought I may as well turn up and see what happens. I arrived on one of the local ‘matatu’ buses and pitched my trusty tent in a camp next to a Masai village just before the main gate. I hung around for a day or two hoping to hitch a lift with some other tourists, but it seems that no-one was too keen for me to crash their honeymoon or trip of a lifetime.  So in the end I decided to go it alone. I managed to hire an old land cruiser and a Masai guide for 100 dollars a day and off we went. I’m not sure how to spell the guys name, but it sounded like Smiley, which was quite fitting because he was a miserable sod.  One really good thing was that I didn’t have to pay the extortionate entrance fees because I was traveling with one of the Masai. I’m not too sure how legal that was, but the rangers seemed too respectful, or, more likely, too scared, to confront us as we drove through every day. Great! And having our own wheels was perfect as it meant we had the freedom to move around as we pleased and to get into the best spots.

There were animals everywhere! Absolutely everywhere. The Migration consists of about 4 million wilderbeest and about a million zebra and other animals. It’s like a predators’ wet dream. There were lions eating lunch to the left and cheetahs having dinner to the right.   I’ve never seen anything like it.  I didn’t know where to look. Probably the most dramatic event is when the animals want to cross the Mara river. We saw about a dozen crossings during the three days we were in the park. Most of the animals make it across safely but every now and then one of them slips and falls or can’t quite make it up the other side and its not long before they are picked off by the waiting crocodiles.

I’ve seen quite a few amazing sights on my travels but this one will take some beating. Here’s some pics. I hope they do it justice.

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