Uganda and One Notorious Stork

Our friends Stefani and Jared moved to Uganda nearly five years ago. I've always wondered what their life there was like. I had imagined life was difficult for them, that they've sacrificed so much to be there caring for those whom the local culture didn't value. Did they live in a hut?  Did they feel safe raising two young children there? Had they found friends?

We'd always thought it would be neat to visit them and see their life in Uganda. Since we would be so close in Kenya, we decided to spend a week with them before heading home.

Already exhausted from our late night flight from Nairobi, we arrived in Entebbe, Uganda at 2am and waited inside the airport until our birding guide and driver arrived to take us to Mabamba Swamp. I was in search of a very special and unusual bird, the Shoebill Stork. We boarded a ferry to cross an arm of Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in Africa and the source of the Nile River. Here you see the ferry unloading trucks and passengers. It's shocking how tight the trucks are packed together.

Once on the other side, we took a short drive to yet another boat. 

The red dirt roads contrasted with the lush green grass and palm trees. 

It was early morning, so lots of people were on their way to work and school.

My guide, making arrangements to board our next boat, this time a small wooden canoe, 

to navigate our narrow passage thru the swamp. 

We saw other birds like this African Jacana as we moved thru the water to a more open area.

And then we saw it, the Shoebill Stork! And not just one, but two Shoebills, which was amazingly good fortune, and so close to our boat!

This is how we "parked" to take photos and video of the storks.

What makes them so interesting? Well first of all, they're about 5 feet tall, gray and have the eyes of a cold-blooded crocodile killer. They use their giant Dutch shoe-shaped bill to capture prey, then slowly open their mouth just enough to allow the critter to stick it's head out thinking escape is possible, when suddenly the bill snaps shut and decapitates the prey before swallowing it whole. If that's not creepy enough, they generally lay two eggs, but only one baby will survive. The strongest will push the weaker baby out of the nest and the parent will reject it after that.

Found a sunbird in the parking lot. I consider this Africa's version of a hummingbird.

Cattle slowing down traffic.

It's not unusual to see boda bodas (motorcycles) hidden beneath large loads of produce, supplies, or belongings. I once saw complete sections of metal fencing being transported this way, held only by the passenger!

Boda Bodas are often used as taxis. I felt very uneasy seeing people ride "side saddle" and they don't even hold onto the driver. Our driver warned us that it is very dangerous to ride one in the city and as many as 10 people are killed by boda accident PER DAY in Kampala alone! 

Another popular mode of transportation is by tuk-tuk, 

a three-wheeled motorcycle with extra seating for passengers or items.

The landscape is very beautiful. The lush, green, tropical environment was very different from where we'd just been in Kenya. Here you find many sugar cane and tea fields.

Finally we arrived in Jinja, first to Ekisa, the home and school for children living with disabilities, which Jared runs and then to their home. Ok, now, remember the questions I had before our arrival? Did they live in a hut?  Did they feel safe raising two young children there?

Sometimes you just have to laugh at the pictures your mind creates.

Even by the first night it was clear, Stefani and Jared have created an absolutely beautiful life for themselves! Jinja is a hub for NGOs and adventure (rafting) companies, so there are many Westerners (Americans/Canadians/etc) in the area and therefore a variety of restaurants marketed to them. After two weeks of pretty much the same rice, meat and ugali everyday in Kenya, we were seriously craving a hamburger, and the first restaurant they took us to did not disappoint. They have a special sandwich that has a schnitzel (thin crusted chicken patty) on top of a hamburger. In addition to the great food, the restaurant overlooks the Nile River. It's hard to beat this view!

<------- Click NEXT to read more about our time in Uganda.

On Safari in Kenya {Lake Nakuru National Park}

You can't go to Africa and leave without going on safari, so on our last day in Kenya, we went as a group to Lake Nakuru National Park, in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Even before we made it to the park, we saw zebras and baboons along the road. Upon arrival at the park, our drivers raised the roof of the van to enable us to stand and have a clear view while we drove thru the park.

This little baboon family was so adorable! 

They were sitting right outside our van, so we were able to watch them for a bit.

A new animal for us, the Bushbuck.

There were so many zebras, you could get bored of them, well, I couldn't, but maybe you could.

Warthogs have such odd-looking faces.

This sweet impala couple has a little friend. Do you see him? 

A red-billed ox-pecker is on the male's neck.

Thompson's Gazelle

The top of Baboon Mountain, afforded us some amazing views. 

Flamingos, zebras and who knows what else are down there in the lighter green area.

While peering into the water from above, look closely for birds nesting in the trees.

We spotted these beautiful African Agamas sun bathing along the cliffs.

Crazy to think we're about 10,000 miles from home! 

Such varied habitat here between the mountains, lakes, and savannah. 

I was really, really excited to see giraffes! 

A quick lesson: THIS is a water buffalo. 

Those things you see in the United States those are BISON. Hope this clears things up a bit.

Our friends in the other van taking photos of some baboons.

Of course I was excited to see the birds just as much as the mammals. These Grey-crowned Cranes, the national bird of Uganda, were one of my target birds. I ended up seeing and identifying 51 species within the park and 114 in Kenya. 

Yellow-billed stork

White Rhinos

This was the most exciting spot for me! As we finally approached the lake, I spied a sea of pink! Lake Nakuru is famous for being a gathering place for up to two million flamingos of two different species! Today, thousands of flamingos were gathered along the water's edge. I could not wait to run straight to them. The uniformed man, armed with a rifle, tempered my excitement. Would he let us go see them? Yes, with him escorting us, we could go a little farther, but not much and only for a few minutes as we were running short on time. I'll have to save my flamingo hugging for another day.

The armed guard who made sure I didn't try to take a flamingo home with me. 

OK, he's actually guarding the rhinos, but I'm certainly not going to try to take a rhino! 

The views overlooking the national park on our way back to Nairobi were fantastic!

So long Kenya. It was quite an adventure!

Next stop, Uganda.