Murchison Final

Sunday morning we arose at dawn, had some breakfast, and headed off to Murchison Falls for a one hour hike. On the way there we had to pass through some swampy land which is home to the nasty tse tse fly. These flies are notorious for being carriers of sleeping sickness, the disease that cleared the people out of Murchison a hundred years ago. Just as a side note, there haven’t been cases of sleeping sickness at the falls for many years. That notwithstanding, we were covered from head to toe in deet. Lovely chemical. My shirt got displaced and exposed about an inch of skin on my belly, so needless to say I got bit twice there. Those sobs hurt like hell!
The hike around the falls was incredibly beautiful. And a bit harrowing. The ground changes everyday during the rainy season, so big potholes open up and the slopes erode. The area is rich in the mineral mica, so the path sparkles like it has been strewn with glitter. Even the termite mounds shone. We had ranger as a guide and he took us to the prime places for photography, which you’ll see below. We went from the top to bottom of the falls then back up again. At the bottom it is so wet that you look like you’ve just stepped out of the shower. The ranger said that before white people came to the area, there were two kingdoms at Murchison—one on either side of the falls. Sometimes the women from one tribe would line up at the bank of the Nile, and the men from the other tribe had to try and jump the falls for their hand in marriage. Many died. The ranger said he’d never do that for a woman, then he looked at me and said, “Well, maybe for a mzungu girl,” and then asked for my email.
We stopped in Masindi for lunch again, and then headed on the long journey back to Kampala. I was so sad to the national park—it was so gorgeous and peaceful. And full of those giant animals I love so much. I can't wait for the opportunity to come back and spend more time out in the bush.

xoxo...G.