7-8-07

we got up at 4:30 so we could leave at 5. the matatoo was pretty on time but he didnt get fuel the night before so we had to ride around and search for a gas station that was open and had fuel. once we were on the road we opened up our breakfast of pineapple and hardboiled eggs. we got to the park gate and had to wait for them to open it. they finally opened it around 7. we rode a little while longer and got to this really nice hotel inside the park. we stopped to get the story on the ferry and make sure the arrangements for the second group were all right. we found out that the ferry wasnt going at 9 so we had an extra hour so we decided to chill and have a cup of coffee. it was soo good that we did that.
when we crossed the river on the ferry we heard that the roads were very muddy. some of the matatoos were turning around. our guide said we would make it. the roads were really bad and we saw some people stuck and such. at one point we were all out of the matatoo pushing. the mud was like cement. then when we got it moving we had to run to catch up to it because it couldnt stop or it would get stuck again. once we passed the first two big hills the roads were fine, well fine for africa. my legs were covered in bruises from the bumps and such. it didnt help that i spent most of the time hanging out of the window

or on the top.

we thought we were going to have to rush so that we could leave on time but we decided not to rush and just ride to kampala in the dark. it probably wasnt the safest decision but we just couldnt rush through this experience. especially when our guide got a call that they found a lion resting under a tree.

we saw tons of antelope.

one lone elephant

buffalo

giraffe

boars

and a dung beetle...seriously these things roll these huge pieces of dung to their hole in the ground home

bamboons

we didnt leave the safari til 5 or so and the 6 hour ride to kampala was ahead of us. we finally got to backpackers in kampala at 1130. our matatoo driver was pretty exhausted. you never hear them say they are tired and ours said he was very tired. he had driven all day long! even though amy called 100 times they gave our beds away so for the 9 of us they had 6 beds, all top bunks, not bedding, and no mosquito nets! emmay and kevin decided, since they werent getting up to go rafting with us, that they would go somewhere else so only catherine and margo shared. we found some bedding, enough for everyone to have sheets and just bundled up to keep the mosquitos off. it worked out fine, no one got bitten up and we were all so tired we all slept all night.