When your garden comes alive

I recently moved into a new house in bugolobi Kampala specifically selected for its garden and the potential to create my own little Eden. Over the last couple of months myself and my very hardworking gardener “Jeffrey “have been painstakingly clearing a very overgrown garden to reconstruct my vision of the perfect patch to have a relaxing weekend after a hard working week.

Well into our fourth week of replanting the now cleared area with a variety of Ugandan plant species guaranteed to provide our little haven down the line, I regularly found myself on the deck at night with the dogs inspecting the progress in the rays of the floodlights, that were now also in place to provide just the right kind of lighting to feature the oasis we were creating.   

On this particular evening the dogs started to run around and bark at me, scout my trusty German Sheppard and protected tugged at me, and in an instance I noticed what seemed like all the birds in Kampala emerging from our large well established fig trees.

 

Peering through the garden, while birds flew past the flood lights creating shadows and eerie sounds it looked as if the plants and trees started to vibrate or move. I had this sinking feeling that a heavy construction vehicle was moving through my garden and destroying everything in its path. I just couldn’t see it.  

No, this wasn’t the result of some well grown weed or hallucinate drug but it definitely caught me off guard. As I ran into the house I noticed everything was shaking, fridges, standing fans and crockery started to vibrate. We moved outside and were joined by the staff that were definitely not as concerned as I was.

I later realised they knew this all too well; when they casually informed me not to worry as it’s just another earthquake. Having never actually experienced an earthquake before, I can remember thinking that they definitely didn’t include this one in the guide books. One more reason to visit Uganda I thought to myself – “Come visit Uganda and survive your first moderate earthquake”

After some web searching we now know where it started and educated ourselves on Uganda’s tremors

The facts:  The earthquake was a  M 5.7 Earthquake, that occurred 51km W of Kigorobya, Uganda. We were informed to expect aftershocks (Even though I must add that we only heard about this after we experienced the actual aftershocks). These secondary shockwaves are usually less violent than the main quake but can be strong enough to do additional damage to weakened structures and can occur in the first hours, days, weeks, or even months after the quake.

Three moderate earthquakes shook Uganda's Albertine region this week, causing little damage but raising concern about the quake-prone country's preparedness in the event of major seismic activity.

According to Uganda’s Department of Geological Survey and Mines, in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, the first of the three quakes - with a magnitude of 5.2 - occurred on the afternoon of 2 July, while a second, measuring 5.4, occurred late in the evening on 3 July. A third, measuring 5.7 and described by seismologists as "dangerous", took place at 01:22 am on 4 July.

The tremors were felt mainly in Kampala, Hoima and Kagadi in Midwestern Uganda and in Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre and earthquake-report.com

"This is an area of seismic activity. The occurrence was due to weakness of the earth faults, which resulted to faulting," Fred Tugume, the principal geophysicist in the Department of Geological Survey and Mines, told IRIN. Faulting is a sudden lateral or vertical movement of rock along the earth's surface.

Environmentalists have expressed concern about the possible environmental impact of on-going oil drilling around Lake Albert, the epicentre of the earthquake. However, Ugandan authorities insist the earthquakes and the oil activities are unrelated. Oil companies exploring in the area say oil can be safely extracted with minimal harm to the environment.

"Earthquakes have been there. We live with them. However, this repeated occurrence is worrying. We are going to analyse the phenomena and see why," Tugume added.

We experienced a couple of tremors since, and we now too are used to a little giggle and jive as part of Kampala nightlife. I have since decided that it’s a part of Uganda and actually find it interesting that I survived my first, be it a moderate earthquake. My bucket list didn’t actually include an earthquake but has since been updated and now reflect 11 must do things before I die, its cheating but I couldn’t resist.

 

For those of you wondering, I lost a tree in my little piece of Eden in the process but that garden has actually been enhanced by this. I now have a nice sunny spot to grow vegetables that’s not visible from my porch leaving my vision intact.

Story by C.T Schalkwyk , Premier Safaris Uganda

Hanging with the “Hairy People”

Tracking Uganda’s Mountain Gorillas -  by Corne Schalkwyk

In a small country about the size of one of South Africa’s smaller provinces, you will find it all: from forests and fertile soils, animal life and a wide diversity of tribes, rivers and lakes to lush vegetation thick with chirping birds, and savannahs where wild beasts prowl. This is Uganda, where you will feel welcomed by the warm climate and the bright smiles. You would be forgiven for asking what to tackle first. My first mission in Uganda was to track down the “hairy people” that inhabit the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Meeting the “hairy people” of Uganda for the first time is an exciting and truly memorable experience. Nothing prepares you for the emotions you experience when you first see a Silverback gorilla in its natural surroundings. Although there are different subspecies of gorilla, these mountain gorillas cannot be found in zoos, as they don’t survive in captivity.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the south-western part of Uganda on the rim of the Rift Valley. The mist covered hillsides are sheltered within one of the oldest and most biologically varied rainforests in the world. It dates back more than 25,000 years and is home to approximately 400 different plant species. This “impenetrable” forest also protects a population of about 400 mountain gorillas – approximately half of the total remaining mountain gorilla population in the world.

Premier Safaris arranged for me to visit the area in an attempt to track the historical Mubare gorilla family, one of the first families that were habituated in Bwindi. After the tragic death of their leader, the group dwindled in numbers to only five gorillas.

We took the winding – and sometimes terrifying road up the mountain through breath-taking misty scenery to reach our base camp, aptly named Silverback Lodge. It was pouring with rain when we arrived and my guide, Erick, explained that this is normal for the area, as it rains almost daily on the mountain.

At the lodge, the general manager pointed out the last location of the group that I was about to track. The next morning we had an early start from the bottom of the mountain as we retraced the gorillas’ path from their previous evening’s nests. Erick explained that they make a new nest every evening at about 19h00. Trackers then use these nests as a starting point from which to track the group.

The steep incline of the mountain with its slippery red clay is not for the unprepared, and I was very grateful that my guide provided me with a walking stick, even after I had initially indicated that I didn’t think I would need it. The scenery and incredible diversity of plants and birds en route, however, more than made up for the long, arduous climb.

We finally reached the group a couple of hours and two mountains later and slowly approached them while being careful to stay out of sight. My first glimpse was of a Black back gorilla of about eight years old that suddenly came bursting into view, dragging a female along behind him.

Apparently this is how they steal females from other groups to add to their own. This must be how the new Silverback – the son of the previous leader – has managed to grow the Mubare family from its original five to its current eight members.

With great excitement we observed the family, sometimes a little closer than was planned, as individual members would suddenly make their way towards us, observing us with as much curiosity as we did them. They displayed uncanny human-like characteristics, such as the young member who threw a tantrum because he had to wait while the Silverback had his fill of a plant that resembled a water fuchsia.

When it was time to leave the “hairy people” and make our way down the mountain, I felt a distinct sadness as I glanced over my shoulder to get the last glimpses of the Silverback as he disciplined a member in the group.

It is a sight that I will cherish until I can return once again to this small piece of the “Pearl of Africa”.

For more information on primate safaris or national parks in Uganda visit www.premiersafaris.com or email reservations@premiersafaris.com.

The Wilder Shores of Love – By Corne Schalkwyk

 

I was not expecting – while travelling through Africa – to stumble upon a romantic story of a European couple that wholeheartedly inspired and enthralled me. But this is exactly what happened when I visited Chobe Safari Lodge in Uganda.

 

Located in the Murchison Falls National Park, this five-star lodge is undoubtedly the gem in Uganda’s crown of tourism destinations. With breath-taking panoramic views of the Nile River, coupled with the sounds of its frothing rapids, the lodge will indeed set a new standard of excellence in Uganda.

 

I was fortunate enough to be able to join well-known author and anthropologist Julian Monroe Fisher on the second phase of his “Great African Expedition” to retrace Sir Samuel Baker’s early exploratory route through what is today known as Uganda. We were also joined by the great-great grandson of Sir Samuel Baker, David Baker, who shared some delightful titbits from the Baker family history.

The events of Florence Baker’s life read like a novel. Born in the 1840s into an aristocratic family who was murdered in the Hungarian revolution, Florence fled to the Ottoman Empire with her nurse. She was next heard of living in a harem, barely in her teens. In 1859, she was presented at auction, and it was in this most unlikely of settings that she met her soul mate. A widower and committed abolitionist, Sir Baker attended a white slave auction in Bulgaria and rescued the beautiful blonde girl 20 years his junior. Despite having being bought by the local pasha, Baker stole her away and the couple fled back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

They lived in central Europe for a while but Baker was intrigued by the escapades of his friend, the explorer Speke, and his quest to find the source of the Nile, and so developed a great yearning to go to Africa himself. This led to a life of danger and excitement, as well as a passionate exploration of the uncharted interior of Africa in search of the source of the Nile.

Their expedition into the African wilderness was to be no less dramatic than Florence’s early life. Sam and Florence were to suffer years of deprivation and conflict with local tribes before their fortitude brought them the ultimate victory.

 In 1864, Baker and Florence finally arrived at the shores of a lake in what is now Uganda, and identified the place where it was joined by the White Nile. Baker christened the lake “Albert”, after England’s late Prince Regent. Upstream, the couple discovered the mighty Murchison Falls, where the Nile flows through a seven metre-wide cleft in the rocks to plunge 45 m below, forming a spectacular rainbow. Baker named the falls in honour of the then-president of the Royal Geographic Society, Sir Roderick Murchison.

After their incredible adventures, notoriety of the unwed couple turned into fame: he for his discoveries, she for her resourcefulness, and together for their unconventional romance (they later married).

Today, those enchanted by the romance and derring-do of Africa’s great explorers can sit in unrivalled luxury in Uganda and let your thoughts drift back to a time gone by while you take in the whimsical Nile that inspired many a paragraph in Sir Baker’s dairy.

For more information on the Explorer in Residence programmes with Premier Safaris or accommodation at Chobe Safari Lodge, email reservations@premiersafaris.com