ROAD TRIP DAY TWO: Lake Nabugabo to Jacana Safari Lodge outside of Queen Elizabeth Park

Following a nice rest and Nescafe coffee, we were off to check out some Ugandan wildlife at the Rwonyo national Park. The goal....see as many wild beasts as we could without entering the gate! 

Mission accomplished! We managed to spot some warthogs, Topi, odd looking birds (of which John and Bob have all the names), DLC's (deer like creatures) and BEST of all....ZEBRAS! 

Breakfast to this! 

DLC (deer-like creature)
Waterbuck?

Rather large birds of prey with cool orange feet and beaks! 

I KNEW I smelled something!

"Who are you and WHAT are you doing in my
back yard???!!!" 

Having seen most of the amazing wildlife in this park (before we hit the gate) we opted to continue on to the lodge to get some much needed R&R after rising at the crack of dawn 2 days in a row! Eric, our intrepid driver, got us to our destination about 2-ish that afternoon. I must say, there is NO WAY IN H%$## that I would ever drive the roads of Uganda! I liken it to a video game dodging potholes, Bodas, cars, Matoke carrying bicycles, coal carrying bicycles, etc etc.

We had to meander down a rather long, narrow bumpy dirt road for at least 25 min before we hit a gate for the park and Jacana Lodge. A very nice gentleman informed us that we had to purchase park permits to even proceed to the Lodge. We walked to a park pavillion while colobus monkeys scrambled up into the trees (they are the long haired black and white monkeys). Sorry, moving too fast for any pictures other than remnants of leaves floating to the ground.

The Park office looked like 1/2 of a large Land Rover put up on blocks. Very interesting and good use of recycled products I would say.

Permit time! 

Walking up to the lobby.....WOW! 

Check in...a real Safari "feel"

The cabins sit on the edge of the crater lake
(where the hippos hang out making LOUD noises
ALL NIGHT LONG)hmmm...we were all thankful they didn't
knock the cabin pillars down

unbelievable DIGS...pictures do not do it
justice. 

My porch view!

CAN THIS BE REAL???

What can be better...see the hammock next to the fireplace? 

I was woken from a nice long nap with someone hollering my name from what sounded like right in front of my cabin. I looked out and found Eric there in a canoe...."wanna go for a paddle?" Heck YA! The paddles weighed about the same as a weight lifting bar which limited our distance to close to the shore. This is when I learned about the hippos. I was informed they are rather cranky with human visitors and getting anywhere close would not be a wise move.

I ended my afternoon on the veranda of the restaurant with a cold beer overlooking the lake and journaling. It cannot get any better, I thought to myself...I had not yet understood what awaited tomorrow.  John and Bob returned from their hike (on which they saw more monkeys as well as a hippo or two) Eric soon joined us all for supper.

It was soo amazing to be there in that open aired restaurant, hammock by the fireplace and soft lights contained in whicker basket covers....the crickets had a loud resounding hum that likened to the sound of wind chimes made out of broken glass. The night was inky black allowing the stars to shine through.

Every now and then, you could hear the growl like snoring-snorting sound (very hard to describe but Bob does a great impression) from the hippos. This would be all well and good save for the fact this went on right outside each of our windows throughout the WHOLE night. I think Eric was the only one who said he slept. I swear I thought they might have trained the hippos to hang out in front of each of our cabins to give us the real "feel" of Africa!