Friday, June 26, 2009
More East Africa pictures
This group of zebras were resting their heads on each other. There is also a baby nursing.
Some interesting facts about hippos. They are quite dangerous. Even though they are herbivores they will attack humans (and they have huge teeth!). Hippos graze at night but spend most of the day in the water. Hippos can't swim so when you see them in the water their feet are touching bottom.
Everywhere we went there were women carrying things on their heads. These two women were great! They were working at a demolition site. They are carrying buckets of bricks on their heads.
We followed this young male chimp for more than an hour. At first he was in the treetops feeding on figs. Eventually he came down from his tree and then we tagged along behind him on the ground in the forest. It almost seemed like he was leading us. He would look back to see if we were there. At one point he stopped and sat for about 5-10 minutes. That's when I took this picture. Soon he took off again and it was clear that if he wanted to lose us he could do it easily.
Some interesting facts about hippos. They are quite dangerous. Even though they are herbivores they will attack humans (and they have huge teeth!). Hippos graze at night but spend most of the day in the water. Hippos can't swim so when you see them in the water their feet are touching bottom.
Everywhere we went there were women carrying things on their heads. These two women were great! They were working at a demolition site. They are carrying buckets of bricks on their heads.
We followed this young male chimp for more than an hour. At first he was in the treetops feeding on figs. Eventually he came down from his tree and then we tagged along behind him on the ground in the forest. It almost seemed like he was leading us. He would look back to see if we were there. At one point he stopped and sat for about 5-10 minutes. That's when I took this picture. Soon he took off again and it was clear that if he wanted to lose us he could do it easily.
East Africa pictures
This is the glacier on the top of Mt Kilimanjaro taken from Horombo Hut.
This male lion looks exactly like a lion should look. I couldn't believe we got so close.
In the Serengeti there were thousands of zebras. The guide said there are probably over a a quarter million. The patterm of their hides are mesmerizing.
I don't have many gorilla pictures. There were 2 problems. The majority were on my stolen camera and the low light in the forest meant that most of the ones I have are not clear. This one is the silverback eating bamboo.
This male lion looks exactly like a lion should look. I couldn't believe we got so close.
In the Serengeti there were thousands of zebras. The guide said there are probably over a a quarter million. The patterm of their hides are mesmerizing.
I don't have many gorilla pictures. There were 2 problems. The majority were on my stolen camera and the low light in the forest meant that most of the ones I have are not clear. This one is the silverback eating bamboo.
East Africa
We went to 6 countries in East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Some of the places with magical names that we saw are Ngorongoro Crater, Mount Kilimanjaro, the Serengeti, Lake Tanganyika, Olduvai Gorge (the cradle of humankind), Bujumbura (the capital of Burundi).
Naturally, the animals were the highlight of the trip. We went on a 4-day safari in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. I climbed Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route. We went on a wildlife drive in Nairobi national park, Kenya. We went on the Kazinga Channel launch trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. We went to Parc Nacional des Volcans in Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas and we went to Kibale Forest in Uganda to track the chimpanzees. Both primate experiences were astonishing.
When we were in Gisenyi, Rwanda we walked across the border at Lake Kivu to Goma, DR Congo. Gisenyi is a beautiful resort town on the shore of the lake. It's hard to believe that just across the border (also on the shore of the lake) is a different world. The DRC is currently a very dangerous country, including the possibility that the local armed forces are known to use rape as a weapon of war. The contrast when we crossed the border from Rwanda could not have been more stark. The place is filthy. The people look at each other suspiciously, there is a huge UN presence including an enormous compound with mounted guns in the corner turrets. To make matters worse for the people of Goma, the volcano Nyiragongo erupted in 2002 sending a stream of lava right through the center of the city. The lava covered 40% of the city. Large parts of the center are still lava fields 7 years later. It adds to the desolation of the place.
The most negative experience I had occurred in Kampala, Uganda. This was near the end of our trip. I was robbed by a pickpocket who reached in my purse and stole my small camera with over 1000 pictures from all of the wonderful places I had been. I am devastated to have lost them. How foolish I was to not have it secured when I walked on the streets! I keep thinking of all the "should'ves, could'ves" Second guessing myself about how I could have prevented the theft. I lost all interest in taking pictures after that. I HATE Kampala. It is a HORRIBLE place. I have never felt so negative about a city. I can usually find something redeeming about the places I visit but Kampala will forever be the worst city I have ever visited. Dirty, ugly, dangerous.
I had 2 cameras with me on the trip. The majority of my photos were taken with the stolen camera. I continue to mourn the loss of all those images. I do have a few that I took with my other old camera. I will post some of those pictures in the next couple posts.
There were thousands of wildebeasts (aka gnus) in Ngorongoro Crater.
It's hard to see giraffes just roaming around munching on the treetops without being astounded. This one is in the Serengeti.
We saw this female lion stalking a hartebeast in Nairobi NP.
Following the chimps around for 10 hours was true magic. I had the feeling that I was really in their world.
This elephant was at the water's edge in the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth NP.
Naturally, the animals were the highlight of the trip. We went on a 4-day safari in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. I climbed Kilimanjaro on the Marangu route. We went on a wildlife drive in Nairobi national park, Kenya. We went on the Kazinga Channel launch trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. We went to Parc Nacional des Volcans in Rwanda to see the mountain gorillas and we went to Kibale Forest in Uganda to track the chimpanzees. Both primate experiences were astonishing.
When we were in Gisenyi, Rwanda we walked across the border at Lake Kivu to Goma, DR Congo. Gisenyi is a beautiful resort town on the shore of the lake. It's hard to believe that just across the border (also on the shore of the lake) is a different world. The DRC is currently a very dangerous country, including the possibility that the local armed forces are known to use rape as a weapon of war. The contrast when we crossed the border from Rwanda could not have been more stark. The place is filthy. The people look at each other suspiciously, there is a huge UN presence including an enormous compound with mounted guns in the corner turrets. To make matters worse for the people of Goma, the volcano Nyiragongo erupted in 2002 sending a stream of lava right through the center of the city. The lava covered 40% of the city. Large parts of the center are still lava fields 7 years later. It adds to the desolation of the place.
The most negative experience I had occurred in Kampala, Uganda. This was near the end of our trip. I was robbed by a pickpocket who reached in my purse and stole my small camera with over 1000 pictures from all of the wonderful places I had been. I am devastated to have lost them. How foolish I was to not have it secured when I walked on the streets! I keep thinking of all the "should'ves, could'ves" Second guessing myself about how I could have prevented the theft. I lost all interest in taking pictures after that. I HATE Kampala. It is a HORRIBLE place. I have never felt so negative about a city. I can usually find something redeeming about the places I visit but Kampala will forever be the worst city I have ever visited. Dirty, ugly, dangerous.
I had 2 cameras with me on the trip. The majority of my photos were taken with the stolen camera. I continue to mourn the loss of all those images. I do have a few that I took with my other old camera. I will post some of those pictures in the next couple posts.
There were thousands of wildebeasts (aka gnus) in Ngorongoro Crater.
It's hard to see giraffes just roaming around munching on the treetops without being astounded. This one is in the Serengeti.
We saw this female lion stalking a hartebeast in Nairobi NP.
Following the chimps around for 10 hours was true magic. I had the feeling that I was really in their world.
This elephant was at the water's edge in the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth NP.
Labels: Kampala sucks
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