Murchinson Falls (02.03.10)

Today was the first day at Murchinson Falls. I went there together with 3 guys i met at the Red Chili Hostel - they are UN soldiers from India who serve in Sudan. We got to the top of Murchinson Falls and heard the story about that guy who arrived there one day, drank a lot of alcohol, and committed suicided because his girlfriend left him. He wrote in the letter he left behind, that he got so connected to the nature, that's why he choose this way of commiting suicide. Of course, the body was not found - probably eaten by crocodiles....


Murchinson falls really astonished me - the wildlife - so close to you - not even close to the experience i had while being at the zoo.

On the long drive there from the red chili hideaway hostel - i was sitting at the front of the van, talking most of the way with Carlos - out driver and guide. Carlos is 33 years old, a nice local man who was born in Uganda. While talking to him, he told me he is not married. Now that was pretty strange - in Uganda most people get married at around the age of 25. He told me that he doesn't want his children and family to have poor life, and not to get proper education. So he is saving money, and when he will have enough money (according to his measurements), he will find himself a young woman, and he will marry her. As he grew up, his life were not easy at all - so he doesn't want the same to happen to his kids. He is a really great man, working hard just to save money for a better future.

At the evening, we stayed at the red chili camping site in Murchinson Falls. The place has no steady power supply, and it has a generator that works until 11 pm, and then everything is dark. I was sitting at the bar, when some guy sat near me. His is Joshua, he is a ranger working for the UWA (Uganda Wildlife Association). We had a talk of about 3 hours regarding Uganda, Israel, and the difference between them.

Next day we went for a boat tour over the nile. I got to see a crocodile 2 meters from me - that was an amazing feeling - being so close to such a danderous animal.

On the third day, on our way back to Kampala, we got to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. We got to see a family of rhinos, lying in the grass, and a small baby playing near them. Appaya - one of the UN soldiers i traveled with, decided to show the local rangers his whistling technique. He performed some strange sound using his mouth and hands, and that got the Rhinos awake - and the big male got angry and the rangers had a hard time to calm him. That was so funny and frightening at the moment. Since that moment, he never committed the whistle again :)