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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 26, 2011 07:00 PM Out of Africa...
It was almost midnight when boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) took me from the hostel to the airport. They charged 5000 UGX - like 2 dollars only - for the regular taxi you will pay three times more...
The flight to Brussels was on time.
My next African Voyage is over. I liked it very much. Winston Churchill called Uganga "The Pearl of Africa" and I think he was right: Uganda offers great landscapes and most friendly African people... A visit to the South Sudan was also very interesting - quite new experience to me...
My friends write that spring already comes to Poland. So it is the time to come back to my Wojtkówka to plant the flowers and vegetables... and to enjoy my country...
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Mar 25, 2011 07:00 PM Back to Kampala!
There are few different bus companies going from West Uganda to the capital. I can recommend "Link". They do not stop so often on the way and charge the same price: 15000 UGX for the ticket to Kampala. It took me 5 hours.
In the west the road is paved, but as you come closer to the capital it became bumpy, dusty with traffic congestions... Kampala itself is crowded, chaotic and hard to survive...
I went directly from Kampala to Entebbe, where international airport is located. There is nice backpackers hostel on the Church Road (much nicer then in Kampala) - they charge 13000 UGX for the dorm bed. Recommended!
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Mar 24, 2011 07:00 PM Chimpanzees are coming for breakfast!
I do not know why the Uganda authorities charge so much for the park visits: Yesterday they told me that few hours visit in the park when they track chimpanzees cost 99 USD per person and you have also to pay 30 USD for entry to the National Park! 129 USD - not for me! I met in the guesthouse overlanders traveling on the big truck. They spent the day before 5 hours in the park and did not see chimps!
At the breakfast time the girls fron the guesthouse gave me the call: chimps arrived! Yes, they arrived to eat fruits on the tree just near the guesthouse. Four of them! I took some pictures before they escaped trough the tea plantation. So I had chinps for free! (I also saw them before in Sierra Leone...)
There are nice crater lakes around the Kibale National Park. I was walking from village to village enjoying scenery and taking the pictures of the lakes... I hope you will see them soon!
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Mar 23, 2011 07:00 PM Elephants on the road...
Today after breakfast I went down to the main road crossing Queen Elisabeth National Park (she was here in 1954)...
Matatu arrived soon and they thanks God had a space for one mzungu and one backpack :) Few after kilometers I saw three elephants crossing our road. But soon they dissappeared in the bush. Then we saw a family of baboons...
The African nature is great here!
Back in Fort Portal I hoped to see Rwenzori (Moon Mountains) Range. Sorry - it is the end of dry season and they are in the clouds. From time to time - in the morning or just before sunset it is possible to see them in the little "windows" in the clouds...
In the afternoon I went by another crowded vehicle to Kibale Forest National Park famous for monkeys. On the edge of the park in the old tea plantation house there is nice guesthouse - they have two cheap rooms - I stay in one of them for just 20000 UGX. Great views around!
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Mar 22, 2011 07:00 PM Queen Elisabeth National Park - Uganda
I spent the night in the park hostel - it is expensive - 57000 UGX incl breakfast... but located in the heart of the wildlife...
At 6.30 am my guide Adolphe came with his car and we started 3-hours game drive on the gravel park roads.
Yes, I saw a lot of animals, but sorry no lion or leopard. You must be lucky... Next time.
My guide left me on the main road and I took pubic transport to the Kyambura Gorge. It is good tourist trap! My 24-h park permit was still valid here - but with this permit you can only take a pictures from the view point. Nice view. But to get into the gorge you have to pay 50 USD, to see the river and the monkeys living there. Not worth! I did not and walk back in the heat to the main road - some 2,5 km.
Some 10 kms forher on the main road I found exceptional place - Kingfisher Lodge located on the escarpment 150 m above savannah. Great place!
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Mar 21, 2011 07:00 PM 200 hippos, maybe more...
In the morning I took matatu - crowded microbus to get to the gate of Queen Elisabeth National Park. Do you know matatu stories? As many stop as possible, waiting time to fill-up unlimited, driver's relax-stops... This time the stone broken fuel tank... The fuel was leaking on he pavement... I took boda-boda to Kasese and then another matatu going to Mbarara.
But I disembarked on the equator... Yes! - there is the marker on the road. So I am on the equator again... I crossed it many times in the past. Probably the most impressive was a place on Sao Tome islands. The most imposing monument is in Ecuador... Here in Uganda it is small...
Soon I hitch to the Park Gate. Somebody took me from the road to the Mwaya Camp inside the park - like 22 kms. An I was on time to join the boat trip along the Kazinga Channel - full of hippopotam. There were more then 200 of them. Also buffalos, elephant and a lot of birds... Great trip, worth 15 USD you pay!
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Mar 20, 2011 07:00 PM African red, outback roads...
It took me whole day to move from Masindi to Fort Portal
near he border of Congo.
Unpaved, red and bumpy African roads. I changed the crowded cars four times going from village to village.
Terrential rain - the car on the old tires is sliding downhill on the red mud - very emotional!
At dark in Fort Portal I found cheap Continental Hotel out of service. Travellodge Inn is more expensive but no choice!
Fort Portal will be my base to visit the national parks.
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Mar 19, 2011 07:00 PM I foundPolish church in Uganda!
Back in Uganda I found near Masindi Polish church built by the Polish refugees from Stalins's Soviet Union during the 2nd world war...
It is hard to believe that therewere almost 5000 of them living in the camp located 27 kms west of Masindi.
Sunday. I attended the mass celebrated in swahili language - as the only foreigner in this remote and nice church. Great place...
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Mar 17, 2011 07:00 PM Upper Nile River
Due to the lack of accommodation in Juba they built here on the bank of the Nile several "camps" - mostly a/c cabins and open air restaurants, where you can stay for 120 USD and more per day.
Thinking about sailing down the Nile? Yes, there are barges going down from the jetty near the Oasis camp but keep in mind that it is nor safe nor quick journey - it takes weeks to get to Kosti where next Nile bridge is located. How many of safe water and food you should take for such a journey?
Road travel to the north is also very complicated due to the landmines, destroyed, bridges and the fightings at the border areas. It seems that at the moment nobody controls the situation... There is only one relatively safe road back to the world: to Uganda....
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Mar 16, 2011 07:00 PM Boda-boda to Konyo Konyo
I like very much those "twin" names. They are funny. Do you remember Puka Puka or Lapu Lapu?
Boda boda - the motorcycle taxis are the main means of public transport in Juba. You have to agree the price before you jump on. It is 2-5 sudanneese pounds, depending on the distance.
In South Sudan they still use Sudaneese currency. In the bank or official exchange office 1 USD is worth about 3 pounds. But the money changers on the street they will give you 3,40 and more.
I took boda boda to go to Konyo Konyo market - one of the biggest in the city. It is colorful, but the supply of the goods is poor - Juba is far from the world, and everything comes via long way through Kenya and Uganda. And that's why it is more expensive! To buy western food and drinks go to JIT supermarket in Juba Town. It is expensive! I prefere to buy banana, mango and pineapple on the streets...
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