The road into camp

The last stage of our journey was around a two hour drive along some of the most scenic roads I had yet encountered. As we wound our way down the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains into the Rift Valley the view was truly breathtaking. The roads got progressively bumpier as we got closer to camp, which was good as that and my excitement kept me awake and able to enjoy the views.

Once down the mountains we reached the savanna that makes up much of Semliki National Park. As he drove, Edson pointed out guineafowl, a francolin, Ugandan kob and a warthog to name just a few. Seeing the animals from my well-studied wildlife guides in the flesh was fantastic, and Edson promised that we would see even more wonderful creatures over the coming weeks.

Eventually we reached the project-site and I got my first glimpse of where I would be living for the next ten weeks. I loved the camp immediately.

Set right at the border of savanna and riverine forest the camp looks out over stunning and varied views in each direction. Duncan and I will be sharing a large and well-equipped tent during our stay, which has a verandah with a great view out over the forest that I soon discovered is a brilliant spot to watch birds from. The camp has long-drop toilets, a cold shower and a kitchen and is provided with electricity via a solar panel. What more could I need?

That evening Duncan and I met the Ugandan camp staff and Ugandan Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers who live on camp, all of whom are lovely. After a brief excursion to watch the football world cup semi-final at the staff compound of the nearby safari lodge, I gratefully got ready for bed. As I drifted off to sleep I thought eagerly of what tomorrow might bring.

Written on Wednesday 7^th July