The Uganda Workout (Kibale, QENP and Nkuringo)

[Bush dog]

I just discovered this report that makes a change. I did not read it completely but had a careful look at the pictures that speak for themselves.

It's a great report, the pictures are excellent and some are even more than excellent. I remained silent before some of the apes, landscapes and populations images.

Thanks a lot for sharing.

[Game Warden]

@@pault Can you check your inbox, I've sent you a message about the trip. Thanks old chap. Matt.

[Atravelynn]

'Do you have stamps? (This was not a given at rural Ugandan post offices - twice we were told the stamps would be arriving in a day or two)" You resurrected a Uganda memory that otherwise may never have surfaced again. It was funny when it happened, and funny now. There's a QE post office I believe.

 

I'm glad you were not mooned on the Kazinga Channel but I'm sure you would have tastefully incorporated it into your beautifully composed and exposed (ha ha) photos.

 

More wonderful people shots and scenery, tea plantations, etc. Your Lake Mutanda is other worldly.

 

I think I forgot to mention how funny the Monty Python photo was from earlier in your report, speaking of composition.

 

"And as it does, the hour was gone in 5 minutes." Gorilla time warp I think it's called. You made the most of your 5 minutes. Such crisp clear portraits of the gorillas.

 

Typos all fixed. You did use BIF once which I looked up. I'm figuring it is Before I Forget rather than Butt in Front, but the latter is funnier.

 

"BIF in general would of course have been better without a white sky..."

 

Slowest person in front is often the MO in gorilla tracking from what I recall so you did the group a favor volunteering for that role and then proceeding slowly.

 

Your description of the strength of the manly porters is spot on. I've even had a woman porter who was just as tough.

 

Another fabulous PaulT Perspective Report!

Edited November 26, 2014 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

Thanks for your croc response to my question a few posts back. More crocs just adds to the tremendous variety that is Kazinga Channel. There also was an anthrax scare a while back that was affecting hippos. I think that ran its course. Go Kazinga! I hope it continues to provide a habitat for the multitude of birds that call it home, for the animals that seek water, and the fishermen that make their livelihood from it.

[pault]

Thank you @@Atravelynn

 

Butt in Front???

 

So sorry.... BIF stands for 'birds in flight" in silly photographer's code. As in....

 

"Wow. You really got some great BIF this trip. Awesome."

"Thank you. Love your BIF too"

 

There is a secret handshake as well.

 

Duh.... and I claim to dislike acronyms.

[pault]

And thank you very much @@twaffle. Sorry, I was saving a response for the final installment that is now very late.

 

@@Bush dog. You should read it completely, Every single word and typo. Haha! Seriously though, Uganda dies make a change and since you probably have to fly in via Nairobi anyway it is easy to add on some days in Kenya or Tanzania to get your fill of cats and no people.

[Atravelynn]

What a delightful Batwa experience for you and for us. You seem to know just which shots to present in color and which in B&W. "Eerily beautiful" to use your words, and so evocative, all of them. You even made the most of the canoe trip with less than ideal conditions.

 

Hamlet and the bones is more eerliy odd than beautiful, though.

 

What a fascinating suggestion you made about figures appearing out of the darkness like ghosts. It just goes to show how catering to visitors across many cultures can be daunting.

 

The otter activity looks promising. Maybe your wife had enough climbing around at high altitude so she opted for the less arduous activity.

 

I'm glad your skiing excursion ended without injury.

 

If you offered some of your photos to the Batwa Trail people, they would definitely encourage visitors to go. Your photos depict a very exciting and eye-opening experience; they really capture that eery beauty.

 

Before I Forget, so BIF is birds in flight. I learned something about birds, photography, and butts. Your reports are always enlightening on many levels!

Edited November 30, 2014 by Atravelynn

[Atravelynn]

 

It's a great report, the pictures are excellent and some are even more than excellent.

 

Right, even more than excellent!

[KageraSafaris]

Well narated experience of my Uganda - I remembered the encounter with Elephants in Kibale on the way to pick tourists from the chimp tracking. and the photography is superb! I agree with you - Uganda has a amazing photo opportunities with landscape, people and animals.

[TravelinTeacherAU]

Combing through the archives, I came across this wonderful report. Thanks so much @@pault for the gorgeous photos and prose. You really took me along for the journey.

 

I probably won't ever be able to make a primate safari because of my poor conditioning (due to a heart defect at birth). I can walk great on flat surface, but tire quickly with steep hills. However, your description of the porters makes me think twice. Maybe I could hire a couple of them to get my butt in gear!

 

Again, thanks for this stellar report. Your landscape photos really demonstrate the beauty of Uganda.

[CaroleE]

@@pault

 

I was having a look at your profile and spotted this trip report. I am going to read it properly and slowly tomorrow but I have to say this bit about the chimps really made me chuckle:

 

'Contrary to expectations there are hills in there, there are massive bloody elephants running around that are distressingly easy to see, and those early Tarzan movies were not making it all up - there are vines that wrap around your ankles, plants that grab you and try to rip your clothes off like an over-eager teenage beau, and even swamps of black mud that would suck German tourists down to their doom if there wasn't a ranger and porter there to pull them out.'

 

You missed out the rangers explaining that if you see one of the 'massive bloody elephants' the best thing to do is run. Fast. So how are you supposed to do that with the mud, vines, trees, very big and deep elephant foot prints to contend with? Plus it's quite dark under all those trees!

How do I know about the very big and deep elephant foot prints? Well I was last in the group when we came accross one. There wasn't any space between it and the trees therefore you had to walk on the sides of it. So, yes by the time my turn came round, the rest of the group had weakened the sides. Cue me slipping ever so slowly into the very big and deep elephant footprint, desperately trying to grap a tree/plant/anything which didn't have spiky bits or biting ants on it to stop me slipping further in. Naturally this didn't happen and I ended up with one very muddy, wet, brown foot! Nicely contrasting with the very clean, dry, grey/blue boot on the other foot. There was however one positive: by the time we had finished the walk my boot was completely clean from all the leaves etc I had walked through

[pault]

@@CaroleE Yes, we came across those elephant footprints too. Substantial holes they make. I remember in one spot it was like negotiating a minefield. I forgot to mention them in my list of hazards because none of our party fell in one (unless that whole swamp/ bog areas was just one big elephant's footprint!).

[CaroleE]

@@pault

 

What a fantastic TR and I'm only aboiut half way through!

 

Chimp photos are stunning. Bords shots are fantastic. People ones are just as fine!

 

Also loving your wriitng style.

 

QENP: very true that it has its own unique 'appeal' I too remember being surprised and somewhat overwhelmed by the number of pied kingfishers, fish eagles, hippos, crocs etc etc I saw from the water. We also had a similar miserable boat trip but can't remember if it was also on the Kazinga Channel (it was 7 or 8 years ago) will have to dig out my itinerary and see,

 

Looking forward to reading the rest and seeing what other 'adventures' you have.

[Tom Kellie]

~ @@pault

 

Such vibrant colors!

Seeing these for the first time tonight was a pleasure.

You've set a high bar — if any of my images ever had such a polished look, I'd blush with pride.

Very, very nice.

Tom K.

[Peter Connan]

@@pault I have no idea how I missed this whole report, except that I tend to spend my time in Southern Africa (literally and on the net).

 

What a lovely report with absolutely stunning photos (your new camera and your post-processing do really well at high ISO's) and stunningly engaging writing! I enjoyed every post.

 

The "mystery photo" back on page one: you must have held the camera pretty straight as you fell. One can achieve a similar result by shooting off a tripod at a slow shutter speeed while zooming in or out.

[xelas]

@@pault

 

Thanks to your writing skills and your fabulous photography I have made a fantastic journey in only one afternoon! Chimps, gorillas, all the birds but what makes your TR special are B&W photos. Rarely I have seen such storytelling photos as yours.

The colours of Sony sensor are something special; in old days Fuji Velvia 50 would have been the only comparison.

 

And thank you also @@Peter Connan for bringing this report up and into my viewfinder. It seems that we both have had a great afternoon, maybe even reading at the same time!!

Edited July 11, 2015 by xelas

[optig]

This is an awesome report with great photos and I have been to Uganda which also makes me long to visit Uganda again.

[pault]

@@Peter Connan Thanks for a potential solution to the mystery. You are probably right, And thanks for you kind comments too.

 

@@xelas and @optig I am very glad you enjoyed it. Thank you both!!

[Super LEEDS]

@@pault 2 words for next time: Go-Pro.

 

What's the deal with eating in front of the chimpanzees? They don't want a taste?

 

Can't believe your wife didn't go on the gorilla trek if you don't mind me saying. Did you forget an anniversary or somat?!

 

Wonderful stuff, I'm heading to Ruaha with you shortly.

[pault]

Hahaha.... I probably forgot a few anniversaries along the way somewhere but not sure that had much to do with it. She has her own ways @@Super LEEDS What can I say?

 

Chimps are not even slightly interested. Didn't even glance at my banana.

[Super LEEDS]

Chimps are not even slightly interested. Didn't even glance at my banana.

 

Now that is interesting.

 

What's with all the black and white pics? I thought it was to cover the poor light in the 'jungle' - if its for 'art' reasons then say no more. Nuff said.

 

Did you take any video at all? Would love to hear the racket the apes made.

[CaroleE]

@@pault

 

Really enjoying this TR. Stunning photos! Particularly like the landscape view just after arriving at Chameleon Hill Lodge. I think this one stands out because of the blue. Not that the others and the b&w ones aren't great.

 

Good to see that the big waterbird colony on the Kasinga Channel hasn't moved AT ALL in almost 8 years. Cue a shout of 'I know exactly where that it is' on seeing those photos! Fishing village looks pretty much the same as well. I also remember a pretty bad boat trip but I think that was in the Murchison Falls bit of QENP.

View of Lake Bunyoni looks just as beautiful as I remember. Ok, enough of my memories, time to read on as it's Paul and the gorillas time

Just realised I can still edit the last reply so here goes.

Your words and pictures combine to make a truly great TR. Loved reading this and seeing the photos. A fantastic mix of wildlife, people, landscapes and humour (always important in my book )

The early morning photos into Congo and Rwanda, Simply wow! 'Child of the volcanos' is fab but the 'untrusting fisherman' one really stood out for me. So many textures going on in that shot. More stunning viiews in your walks around the lodge. And then we have the gorillas. I was so pleased to read that your legs/knees allowed you to experience them. I visited the same group so I know how daunting that walk/stagger down and back up is! You are so right the hour does fly by. Fanatstic shots of the gorillas and so close! I know this is a cliche but it is a once in a lifetime, never to be forgotten thing to do.

Thank you for spending the time putting this TR together. Really enjoyed it.

Edited July 23, 2015 by CaroleE

[ZaminOz]

Wow @@pault I am in awe of your human photos... You animal ones are darned good too, but your human pics capture so much!

[pault]

@@ZaminOz. Thank you. Taking pictures of people is bit of a minefield but very rewarding. I would love to do more of it but here in Bangkok everybody wants the airbrushed look and imy wife has dictated we rarely leave the conservancies on our next trip to Kenya. I'll get back to it though.

 

@@CaroleE thanks for your additional comments. I just noticed you'd edited the post. I imagine very little has changed since your visit except for the loss of a few more trees and addition of a few more people.

 

@SuperLEEDS. Sorry, missed you too! No, I did not take video and I should start doing that. It's just something I have never done as my wife used to take video. She went off it a bit and hasn't replaced her camera though and so we had no video at all this trip. Time to read the manuals for my cameras perhaos?

Edited July 30, 2015 by pault

[Patty]

What a wonderful read! The photos aren't too shabby either I cackled so hard I almost fell out of my chair a few times.