Uganda - Aunt Anna and the ugly bird

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Guest writer: Anna Nilsson Spets

One of my top three favourite trips is definitely Uganda, a country I could definitely go back to. 

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This was not a solo trip, it was done with daughter Emma and brother-in-law Erik, we flew in from different countries and met up in Entebbe. Seeing the mountain gorillas was a dream that I had previously had to cancel due to unrest, now it would happen ... 

The swamp cone, there is hardly an uglier bird and this hideous bird can be seen in Lake Victoria. We take bodaboda, taximoppe there, clinging to a guy who drives so much. 

 In Port Alice, the boat awaits to take us out on Lake Victoria, the second largest freshwater lake in the world.  

After an hour, we switch to a smaller boat that makes its way through the greenery. 

 And we see many different herons, cormorants and kingfishers. 

Without the guide's help we would never have found it, a rather shy bird, the swamp coney. 

Ugly as hell, like an ancient birdie. It is considered a vulnerable species, meaning there are not very many of them. The swamp cone lives on fish, frogs and the occasional snake. It lays two eggs per year, one of which serves as a reserve. 

Thus the great adventure could begin, we set off towards gorilla country with Jackson, owner of the local tour company Bwindi mountaingorillas. Jackson is a super enthusiastic guy, speaks excellent English and likes Swedish meatballs. He grew up on the edge of Bwindi and began his career as a schoolboy carrying tourists' backs during gorilla treks. 

Stop for typical tourist photos at the equator. A clearly self-taught taxidermist proudly displays some stone dead tufted chickens and strange rocks that are supposed to protect against everything, especially snakes. 

The day's work is done, harvesting sugar cane and attending the market. Curious children watching the muzungi, the white people. 

In the evening, we check in at the super cool Kibale forest camp, monkeys of all kinds clamber and climb in the trees and we have supper before we bunk in the fixed tents. It is pitch black, undeniably, and the night's all awake animals sway me to sleep. 

The morning could not start better, a big tub of locally grown coffee and as the coffee freak I am, the coffee gets a high score. 

The jeep is ready and we drive through breathtaking landscapes. 

Bigodi swampland is located in Kibale NP, an area with rich bird life, we are guided on footpaths and trails and do not see all 200 species but very fun to spot the blue turaco.  

The vegetation is lush and epiphytes cling to the trunks. 

The next day it's time for chimpanzee trekking, boots on and out into the bush, thicket forest and patchy and the chimpanzee family has entrenched itself in the thicket and absolutely does not want to greet us. Finally, young Mr Chimpanzee comes clambering into view, he takes little notice of the visitors, sits in a tree and eats berries. 

Kibale NP has existed as a national park and protected area since the 1930s.  

Here you can check out 13 different primates, including the endangered red colobus monkey and the very rare black mouse marten. The monkeys converse by drumming on the trunks. 

There are of course other inhabitants of the forest, otters, wild boar and various deer, lots of birds and exciting insects. Unfortunately we did not see any cervids or leopards. To visit Kibale's chimpanzees you have to get a permit in advance, the permits currently cost 150 dollars. 

Queen Elizabeth NP showcases the animals of the savannah, a lion scouts from a branch clearing, elephants do their morning bath and the crowned crane does its hair.  

The national park is 2000 km2 large, nature type savannah, you can make a so-called game drive, but we continued on this day-long drive. 

The roads get worse and worse and the mud slides under the tyres, the jeep shakes and lurches. At dusk we check into the hotel with a view of the mist-shrouded mountains and hopefully its gorillas. Rushaga gorilla camp has budget rooms as well as fancier accommodation, food and service. 

In the next report about Uganda, you can read about the gorillas …

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Anna Nilsson Spets

60+ year old lady with a lifelong love for Africa. Emigrated to Flanders in Belgium and works with plants on a daily basis. Writes, takes photos and tries to inspire others to budget travel on their own. Blogs on "Anna's mix" about travelling, work, plants, writing and much more.

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