Hi Everyone
I did not sleep much as I wondered about the coming days. We ate breakfast at 5:30 and left at 6 for our morning flight to Bwindi. As the one engine plane flew over Lake Victoria, I spotted morning fishermen laying their nets and the world seemed so at peace. When we left Lake Victoria behind, lush vegetation seemed all around. Small villages dotted the landscape and after an hour we landed.
On all my previous safariās, when you land, you can spot some wildlife near the runway or in the short distance. I have previously seen lions, zebras, buffalo and antelopes on my other safari arrivals. Not this time. We landed in a sort of lush agricultural area and small houses surrounded the runway. Our drivers were waiting for us and we boarded for a ninety minute drive. The road went through small villages where people had opened their stores and lots of locals were milling around. We passed some coffee and tea plantations and the road finally gave way to dirt and rock. Then it got rough. We bounced up and down, through some more villages and past some schools. The driver told me that school is not mandatory and school costs the parents $100 for every three months of schooling. Many people cannot afford it, so their children remain home and eventually do manual labor.
We finally arrived at our camp. It is called āMahogany Springsā. Lunch and refreshments were waiting for us. We were then given our room keys. My room is spacious, but basic. Mosquito nets are required. I have a nice small veranda overlooking a lush mountain. We are almost on the border with the Congo and during the drive, the driver pointed out the border. The lodge is situated about a mile from the Bwindi Wilderness or where the gorillas are.
At 3:30 we gathered for an afternoon bird walk. Everyone brought their cameras and our guide began to point out species. The problem was that all the birds he pointed out were tiny and with so much vegetation, it was hard to spot them. I decided to let the group keep on walking and I waited at an area and hoped for the best. Some birds arrived and I was able to get some good pictures. I then decided to go back to my veranda and sit with my camera. Had much more success doing this.
Before dinner, we went over what is going to happen tomorrow and the recommended camera settings. Wake up is at six, breakfast at 6:45 and then onto why I came on this trip and why I decided to not go home early.
Love
Larry