Having finally escaped Kampala and started on the journey back to Semliki we hit another hurdle upon arriving in Fort Portal. The camp vehicle needed fixing before it could take us to camp and so we were yet again stuck somewhere we didn’t wish to be until this problem could be sorted.
Being so close to Semliki and yet unable to reach it was hugely frustrating and I was so desperate to return to camp that I even began to seriously believe that walking the remaining distance was a legitimate option!
We ended up staying two nights in Fort Portal, and those nights were far from pleasant thanks to a sinus infection that I had developed due to the vast quantities of dust and fumes I had inhaled in Kampala and the insistence of the woman who owned the shop below my hotel room to blare out painfully bad disco music from a loud speaker 24 hours a day!
Thankfully the car was eventually fixed and after 8 days, reams of red tape, many miles of bumpy roads and several sleepless nights I am safely back in Semliki.
I spent the last leg of the journey from Fort Portal into camp elated and relieved to have finally cleared the last week’s hurdles and I even managed to get that previously elusive Rift Valley shot to make the trip even more wonderful.
Being stuck away from camp has made me appreciate even more how special Semliki is and how lucky I am to be here. I shall now continue my chimpanzee chasing with renewed energy and enthusiasm and will make the most of every minute that I have left of this Ugandan adventure.
Written on Monday 9th August
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