After another cold night in the tent, I got going early since I couldn't sleep anyway. About 60km to the Ugandan border, where they gave me a 3 month visa for $50, but then at customs took over an hour cause the rates show it is $20 for a month road tax, but they said it was a misprint and I had to pay $60 which is for three months. We argued for ages and then the chief said maybe I should return to Rwanda.
Now you have to drive on the left side of road again. The tar roads are excellent in Uganda, still in the mountains and the roads are fun to to ride, curvy and up and down all day long. Then had 74km of dirt roads to the park which were just as much fun through the park but not quite thorough the villages where they are in bad shape.
Arrived at the Community Camp site which is at the park entrance and is a great place stay with the restaurant feels like you in the trees and overlooks the jungle. Got a decent bungalow with breakfast included for $40 a night.
Really didn't do much, met with the kid I had met here in 2016 and hung out with them and over at the park HQ where they had wifi but the restaurant had no food or coffee. Was going to leave Monday but it was pouring down with rain so sayed another day.
DAY 47 TO QUEEN
ELIZABETH PARK 136km 6hrs
Had breakfast and was on the road by nine and the kid wanted me to meet his family and show me his house, so him and his uncle had their own piki piki and we rode to their houses and I got to meet the family and then we went our separate ways.
They allow motorcycles in the park as they do with most the parks in Uganda, so basically followed the same route I did in 2016, passing by numerous animals and then at the end just before the the tar road had a huge herd of ellie cross in front of me as I filmed them, and of course there's always one that has to brag and give a false charge to show his dad that he can take care of the herd if called upon.
The Bush lodge Camp is on the Kazinga Channel which flows from Lake George into Lake Edward. The Tents have two beds and lights, power outlets, really nice for $35 a
night and includes breakfast and the dinner is $15 for a five course meal which was really good. So stayed for two nights. Since I don't get to
ride my bike enough ,I went for a 140km cruise around the park and to the equator to kill some time. After coming out the shower an elephant came to visit me at my tent and then walked along the campsite snapping trees and shredding branches for hours.
DAY 49 QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK TO
LAKE ALBERT, KIKONKO LODGE 360km. 8hrs
Last time almost the entire way was on dirt roads, this time it it is all tar with a few kilometers of dirt roads, that's what happens when they discover oil near the lake. Was a long day and did get to drive through some tea plantations which was amazingly beautiful to see hundreds of acres of tea bushes all trimmed up, it almost looks like a carpet of leaves. Finally got to the camp which had no facilities to camp and wanted $15 to which I told him $10 is all i will pay and he agreed and then pitched my tent next to the pool on the sidewalk.
At 2am the wind started howling and since the tent was not anchored down, it started to bend and buckle with me inside awaiting the rain as the thunder clapped relentlessly and then the rains came and it bucketed down non stop for an hour and the it passed. Next minute the two girls were at my tent checking on me and insisted I go to the bungalow for the rest of the night as more rains are coming. So off we went to the nice bungalow ,they made up the bed and for me, they were so kind and the bed was oh so nice.
DAY 50 MURCHISON FALLS 185km
9-12-22
My tent hadn't blown into the pool ,so packed up and thanked them dearly for there concern and kindness. Same thing
FAL, the LS
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