We awoke before the blistering sun made its appearance along the horizon in order to break camp and depart on a morning game drive. Once again, very little of Queen Elizabeth Park’s wildlife was out and about for our viewing pleasure- we simply did not have good luck this go ’round. We did pass one group of elephants, and a spunky young male mock-charged us. A few sleepy waterbucks and some guinea fowl scuttling across the road were the only other creatures we saw that morning, and by the time the sun began rising in the sky we were bumping along the dusty road out of the park.
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hammercock nest
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tough guy!
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It wasn’t long before the terrain began to change dramatically. The flat dusty plains faded from our rear view mirrors and we ascended into lush, mountainous land. We twisted along the winding road, and drove through steep, interlocking ridges. The scenery was absolutely beautiful!
Around mid-day we happened upon a large, flat field, just perfect for our lunch. Within moments of stopping the truck, curious children appeared from the surrounding hills. They clustered closely around us, grinning shyly. While we shared very little of the same language, we communicated through charades and smiles. The children were fascinated by our cameras and urged us to take their photos, and immediately wanted to see them on the screen. They would squeal with delight and then retreat a few feet and pose for more.
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Not sure that everyone was thrilled to have their photo taken… 😉
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Perhaps the most beautiful face in Uganda!
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Back aboard the truck, as we moved through the mountains, I noticed that the trees looked different. Here they grew incredibly tall, with thin, willowy trunks. They made all our surroundings take on a more whimsical, magical appearance.
Late in the afternoon we arrived at Bunyonyi Overland Resort on the edge of pristine Lake Bunyonyi. What a place! Every inch of that campsite offered absolutely stunning views! Curvy, terraced hills plunged dramatically into the water, creating a rippled reed-lined bank. Much of the steep land surrounding the lake was terraced, and tiny plumes of smoke could be seen rising from homes. Later in the evening rhythmic drumming and singing floated gently on the breeze from these homes down to our ears as we drifted to sleep.
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The sun was beginning its descent in the sky as we pitched our tent adjacent to the plump palm trees along the water’s edge and quickly changed into our swim wear. A short walk around the headland led us to the mokoro (canoe) rental station. Perched oh-so carefully in our wobbly wooden mokoro, we cautiously paddled out into the lake where we sat, breathed deeply, and soaked in the surrounding beauty.
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As serene and perfect as the moment was, we were not destined to just paddle atop the water’s glass-like surface, we were meant to swim in it. I mean, come on, we were out in the middle of Uganda’s deepest lake (the second deepest in Africa), how could we NOT swim in it??? Isaac and Lucy plunged into the chilly (or wait, they called it “refreshing”) water without any hesitation. It took some persistent coaxing on their part before I buried my nerves and dove gracefully (read, slipped and belly flopped!) in as well. The thrill of swimming in a 6500 ft lake was indescribable! With hearts racing, we all marveled at our bodies’ awareness of the water’s great depth- this did NOT feel akin to swimming in a 6 ft pool! All three of us then began the task of peer-pressuring Larnie, who had NOT planned to swim, and therefore NOT worn a bathing suit, to strip down to her undies and join us. It took some convincing, but I’m fairly confident that our persistence rewarded Larnie with one of her most memorable experiences to date!
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After splashing about for some time, we then donned our “thinking caps” for the tricky task of loading ourselves back into the mokoros from the water. Let’s just say my attempt to exit the water may have been even less graceful than my entrance to the water, and I may or may not have resembled a beached whale for several minutes! Still, I was successful, even if I wasn’t pretty!
Unfortunately, upon returning to our campsite we were informed the hot water had gone out, so our dreams of hot steamy showers slipped right down the drain! We decided to bundle up and make ourselves steaming mugs of amarula cocoa to get warm. That did the trick! Then we all sat happily along a raised balcony together, gazing upon the beautiful lake, giggling about our mokoro mishaps, as the light drained from the sky and the stars rose above our heads.
