safari.

4.12.08

In Swahili, the word “safari” translates as “adventure”. And my experience at Murchison Falls National Park was definitely nothing short of an incredible adventure. However, I don’t believe it would ever be possible to capture the beauty and majesty of the African land using words. Even my photographs of the rich African land seem to lack the exquisiteness of Uganda’s nature. However, as challenged as I feel to describe it, I must attempt to share about my incredible three-day experience on a safari.
Within two days of a thirty-four year old Canadian volunteer arriving to the ICY house, Daniel was thrown into the East African experience on a long drive to the Northwest corner of Uganda for a safari adventure with Laura, Jed, Wilson, Collin, Jen, and me. Wilson not only acts as the director for ICY Uganda, but has also started up his own safari company, View Africa, which sends a portion of the profits of his work back into the ministry and volunteer funds.
After a six hour ride to the entrance of Murchison Falls National Park, we were able to pop up the top of the safari van, which allowed us to stand within the vehicle, and sit on top of the front and back roof. I sat on the front roof with Collin, which was exhilarating and nerve-wrecking, as I clasped my hands as tightly as I could to the top rack and balanced myself on such a small space. I considered that the only thing keeping me from flying forward off the roof and into the direct path of the speeding van was my grip, which encouraged me to squeeze my hands even tighter around the rail. With the wind whipping into my face and hair, and the sun beating down onto a gorgeous 360 degree view, I was in complete awe of the scenery. That is, until a swarm of tsetse flies fully attacked us, biting us and creating a dark cloud above our van. The driver raced out of the area so we would be safe from the insects who carry sleeping sickness.
As we drove deeper into the jungle, we saw monkeys swinging from branches over the dirt road, and slowed down to observe their playful character. It is such a different experience to see wildlife in its natural habitat rather than a zoo where I would have only had opportunity to watch such creatures before. I snapped my Nikon lens rapidly, trying to catch as many pictures as possible. Our drive to the safari camp ground took around two hours, as we stopped to observe more monkeys, water buffalo, antelope, and flocks of birds. Every now and then there were dense patches of brilliant colors dancing over the ground, as the butterflies fluttered above the grass. It was absolutely breath taking.
When we reached Red Chili Camp Ground, I was a bit taken aback by the warthogs, which lazily snored along the cabins and sidewalks, unmindful of the people busily walking past. Upon our evening arrival, our group took a walk down to Lake Albert where we watched hippopotami dunking their heads in and out of the water, creating ripples that reflected the setting sun in the purple sky. We had dinner at the camp ground outdoor lounge, which overlooked the Nile from the cliff, before going to bed early.
Our ‘game ride’ was scheduled for early morning the following day, allowing for us to watch the sun rise from the ferry, which transported our safari van across Lake Albert. We drove around the Safari Park all morning, traveling through prairie, forest, and jungle landscapes. The dark purple and gray clouds separated enough for the sun to peek through, highlighting the rich green, gold, and bronze shades of the land. Around a waterhole, we stopped to watch water buffalo sipping up last night’s rain, with small bright white birds perched on their backs. We came across giraffes with extravagantly long necks, more beautiful in person than I had anticipated, speckled with chocolate and chestnut colored splotches. They were curious and playful as they stared back at us, batting their long eyelashes. I was in shock at how close we were to them.
Of course, watching a small pride of lions whipping their tails around while they lounged on the prairie was an amazing highlight. We all got very excited when one of the lions began to trot toward an antelope, and transitioned into a stalking walk, with her shoulder blades prominently rising and falling with each slow stride. Her head was lowered to the ground, and we were certain we were about to witness a lion’s hunt, but she eventually lost interest and we all let out sighs of disappointment.
After several hours of exploring the African land, which stretched over rolling hills as far as the eye could see and met the horizon over the Congo-Uganda border, we began to head back for lunch. However, a herd a dozen gigantic elephants were just beside the road. Our safari guide had the van stop, and I excitedly took one picture immediately after another as they crossed directly behind our vehicle. I was sitting on the roof in the back, with the most extraordinary front-row seat I could have ever imagined. Sitting beside me, Jen was nervous about their close proximately, but I thought watching the trunks swinging, the massive ears flapping back and forth, and the magnificent steps of the elephants was a beautiful sight.
I didn’t believe that anything could top our experience on the ‘game ride’, but our afternoon cruise down the river and to the Murchison Falls was spectacular. Literally, every couple yards, a hippopotamus would break the surface of the water and bob its head up and down. I had never actually seen a hippo out of the water until the cruise, and was shocked at how large and aggressive the animal is in size, when it is not hidden under the contents of a body of water. Crocodiles sunned themselves along the banks of the river, and I was a bit nervous when the ferry driver attempted to parallel park along the bank to get close to a humongous crocodile. I happened to be seated along the edge of the boat, literally within the distance to reach out and touch it. To add to the suspense, all the observers who had gone to the second floor all rushed over to see the 14 foot reptile, which forced the one side of the boat to lower under all the weight. At this point, I was very uncomfortable to be at the level of the bank where the crocodile had been resting, and my heart almost jumped out of my chest when it bolted into the water a few feet from me.
At the climax of our cruise, we were able to watch the rushing water falling from the high cliffs above the Nile. The Murchison Falls were stunning, with a brilliant rainbow above one of the Falls. We had the opportunity to further explore the sight the following morning as we hiked above and below the falls.
The safari adventure captured nature in a way I had never had the opportunity to view it before, and opened up GOD’s creation in a completely different capacity. I feel as though I have seen something so spectacular, that it has become a part of me, and I shall carry it with me throughout the rest of my life. My only hope is that everyone would have the opportunity to see what I have witnessed with their own eyes, because there is nothing in the world that can even closely compare to the radiant and astonishing experience of being so deeply surrounded by the earth’s beauty.