We find out quickly from Kampala, our destination is Murchison Falls National Park, but until then we will need a few days. On perfect tarmac road it is about 200 kilometers to Hoima, the last major town before the tar changes into a red soil road.
On this road it’s about 100 miles to the National Park, not to manage on one day. Never mind, the scenery is beautiful and it always interesting on the road. Sun is setting and we need a place to sleep. Supposedly there will be one in a few kilometer. We are skeptical, then surprised, that there is in the middle of the jungle a small community campsite.
The next morning we head back a bit, and soon we can see Lake Albert in the distance.
In the middle of nowhere a bit of tarmac appears, the joy is great, but lasts not for long, because the piece is just 800 meters long and probably served to mimimize the mud on this steep part that would make the road impassable.
The last meters to the campsite it leads through small villages and tall grass, the site is simple, pit latrine and bucket shower with cold water. The location is beautiful. We spend a funny evening with plenty of beer, tomorrow Alexandra and me want to leave early to the Murchison falls, Steffen and Steffi will take care of Tara, she is not allowed into the National Park.
The track is good and we are progressing fast. We see no animals, but once we stop, the vehicle is covered with tsetse flies, the carriers of sleeping sickness. Window remains closed, indoors it is suffocatingly hot, we are glad that Tara was able to stay at the campground.
The view of the Nile and Murchison falls is gigantic, the Nile flows restless till it is squeezed through a seven meter wide gorge and plunges 43 meters into the depths.
The spectacle is tremendous. The park owes its existence to an epidemic of sleeping sickness in the region, where 13,000 square kilometers had to be evacuated, and long remained deserted. This kept the area untouched and was later declared a national park.
The tsetse flies are nasty and we leave, we still want to go to the Nile, where there is a ferry across the river.
It connects two parts of the park. However, it can not be used free of charge. Our trip was short lived, we pick up our friends from the camp and head towards Fort Portal. Also not to make in one day.
