Day 3/4

Tuesday May 30th/ Wednesday May 31st

The day that the fact that we were doing an overland tour really sets in. We had some serious ground to cover. We’re talking 300 kilometres in two days. Which would be fine in a day under regular circumstances, but the roads here are hardly up to par. The only road out on day one was being completely torn apart, leaving us with a very rough grade that we could barely break 40km/h on. Poor old bus truck. It was a rickety old thing. We were all praising the fact that we were running on half capacity; so we could all stretch out on our own seats if we wanted.

This was the day of our first grocery store experience here. The bus exterior gets searched by guards upon entering the secure fenced parking lot. We locked windows and disembarked. The group stayed close together, through security/metal detectors, and into a modern shopping centre. We picked up snacks and junk food for the most part, (later discovered they were quite disappointing). Soda, water, fruit, chips, chocolate. We’re well fed by the crew, a full 3 meals, so we don’t get a chance to get hungry.

These few travel days were from before sunrise to after sunset. But we had places to be and gorillas to see. We arrived on day 3 in Eldoret in a rain squall after a day of driving through pouring rain. Nearly everyone upgraded to hotel accommodation that night, we weren’t about to set up a tent for the first time in a mud puddle in the dark, and get soaked. We hit the beds early that night, hot showers, clean sheets, real (albeit firm) beds for a change.

Up through lush valleys, down through small dusty villages. Past kids in uniforms walking to their schools and city centres with women selling goods with babies on their backs. A fellow passenger yelling “sweets” as she tossed candies out the windows to anyone that seemed interested. People would swarm, filling their hands and pockets, squabbling over what they could find in the tall grass. There are literally people everywhere. There is garbage everywhere as well.

The only way to really see the country side.

Day 4 consisted of another full driving day and our first African border crossing experience.

The weather had cleared right up. Pleasantly warm, dry, refreshed. Months of planning had relieved the stress associated with visas, but we were still anxious not knowing what to expect with the whole process. Chris our guide was priceless. He was like our mother chicken, and the ten of us would follow him around. We all got through, even with some slight visa issues.

We were good to go.

Just had to wait for the truck bus to be processed. 2-3 hours. Luckily we were permitted to wait on the bus, while getting hustled by local sellers, slanging snacks. I had a tasty roadside samosa, received through the window, while we waited. Didn’t even get sick.

The memories fade and blend together where Kenya ended and where Uganda began. But I’ll always remember the smell as we descended into the city. The burning, chemicals, melting plastic and pollution. If cancer had a smell, it would be Kampala. It was nauseating; an explosion of people. People that had never seen a bus full of tourists. Eyes wide; theirs as well as ours. People stopped in their tracks and the sight of us.

Parts of the city were old, historic, small sand coloured buildings seemed to be built almost touching. Covering the hillsides of the city. Bathed in the soft light of the sunset, the rosy tone must’ve made it more appealing. As we get closer to our camp we drive through residential neighbourhoods. Universities, apartment blocks, compounds with 30ft high concrete walls with razor wire adorning the tops. Armed guards standing at gates, waiting for secret codes.

We get to Red Chili at dusk. It’s an oasis in a sea of poverty. They’ve got a pool, pool bar, restaurant, hotel rooms. We camped, on green grass. They got our hopes up with a chance of wifi, but it was apparently not working the day we were there (still not working 4 days later when we came back through).

We set up the tent before sunset blanketed the valley with darkness. We helped with dinner, tonight was a more local meal, a mild goat curry with a floury paste traditionally used to scoop up bites with your fingers. It was good, the meals were always good, no one ever complained. The group hung out and chatted, we absolutely lucked out on our group. Sister tried repeatedly to connect to the wifi, but no luck. With the early mornings and long days we were all pretty bagged.

Day 5, Thursday June 1st

Kampala to Bunyoni

We stopped for snacks again, in a strange crossroads type town just before the lake. It was dusty, bustling with people. We saw another tour group on their way to the gorillas; it was bizarre. I had an iced coffee, yes, with ice. Probably not the best idea in hindsight, but I wanted some caffeine, and I didn’t get sick, so that’s 2/2, definitely pushing my luck, or establishing the fact that god loves me.

We arrive at the Lake Bunyoni Resort pretty early (for us) and check into canvas tents, try again to connect to wifi (not likely) and sit down to discuss gorillas. The group of 10 was split into 2, the 3 couples and the 4 females. I think it was decided we would go the second day, but then that was changed later. Chris had to set up things for us regarding which group of gorillas has viewing available and for how many people and what not. In the end we went the first day. It was some insanely early departure time, obviously.

It had been a week of no contact with home so sister was becoming excessively anxious about contacting family. I ended up calling home… yes, it was expensive. Once I figured out the calling code I was on a roll. The morning of our departure I even called the boyfriend, he was shocked, he assumed something was horribly wrong, but everything was fine. Just figured I’d call and say I loved him in case a silverback decided to take me into his gorilla clan and I couldn’t escape.