“There is no Murchison Falls National Park without Murchison Falls”
“There is no Murchison Falls National Park without Murchison Falls” says Dr Akankwasa Barirega, Acting Commissioner, Wildlife Conservation at Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities
Uganda’s tourism and conservation communities – and everyone I’ve spoken to – are seriously upset following a newspaper notice on 7th June saying that the Electricity Regulatory Company (ERA) is planning to build a hydropower dam at GPS coordinates that turn out to be one of Uganda’s most popular tourist attractions!
With cries of UNACCEPTABLE and ‘over my dead body,’ everyone has something to say on this absurd idea. Bashir Hangi of the Uganda Wildlife Authority described the proposal as “unthinkable.”
Professor Wolfgang Thome raised the alarm on the day the notice went live Major assault planned against Murchison Falls. He wrote:
“Uganda’s tourism industry is up in arms over attempts by Bonang Power and Energy (PTY) Limited to start the process for a hydro electric power plant at the heart of Murchison Falls, one of the country’s key attractions for both international and local / regional tourists.
Similar plans to build a power plant at the falls were already raised decades ago but abandoned when it was clear, even then, that destroying such a major resource would not benefit the country. Meanwhile have regular sources in Kampala also contacted ATC News, pointing out that once the Karuma Falls power plant goes into production stage, there will be a massive surplus of power which cannot be immediately sold, leaving consumers likely to foot the bills for some years to come as a result of a power purchase agreement entered into prior to the start of construction.
Across the region are new power plants, including several tapping into renewable energy sources like wind and sunlight, being constructed or have more recently come on line, arguably leading to a major surplus of electricity in Eastern Africa.”
Tourism and conservation united in their condemnation of the proposal
At a press event organised by the Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO), Brian Mugume, AUTO Board Member asked “Who would destroy something that can be visited by a 1 year old or a 99 year old? Once you lose these falls, you will never recover them. We need them.” He added “You need to say sorry to the country. Please do not touch Murchison Falls.”
Tourism sector reacts bitterly to plans to build power dam at Murchison Falls
Herbert Byaruhanga, Vice President Uganda Tourism Association, General Secretary Uganda Safari Guides Association, Chairman Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skills Council upped the pressure with an ultimatum: “We are mobilising all other tourism associations. If by Friday (14th June), the government hasn’t spoken, hotels, travel agents and people around Murchison Falls will be mobilised. We cannot allow this to happen. It is affecting everybody. This is unacceptable.”
Bonifence Byamukama, Chairman East Africa Tourism Platform, Vice-chairman, Hotel Owners Association, Honorary Wildlife Officer said “Community projects [as a result of tourism revenue] are worth 2 bn ugx annually. Dam construction will impact visitor numbers and bird species.” He called for ERA to be educated about the environment.
Pearl Hoareau, Chairperson of The Uganda Association of Travel Agents (TUGATA) read out a letter directed to ERA.
Baluku Godfrey, Managing Editor of Africa Tembelea says the campaign must be very clear: “when we say #SaveMurchisonFalls, we also say no to a dam at Uhuru Falls.”
As I prepare to publish this blog, a Special Report of the Daily Monitor of June 18th states “In what is likely to be the original draft of President Museveni’s State of the Nation Address published on his website, it is stated that government plans to develop six hydropower sites, including the Murchison Falls, which has a capacity of 650 MW. Others listed are Ayago (840 MW), Oriang (392 MW), Kiba (300 MW), Uhuru (300 MW), and Nshungyeezi (35 MW). In the version of the address delivered on June 6, which was circulated by the State House press team, the list of the proposed hydropower sites was conspicuously edited out.”
It’s clear there is more to this story than meets the eye.
Other commentators add:
Philip Briggs author of Bradt Uganda Guidebook “Murchison ranks among the five most spectacular waterfalls in Africa and it has additional prestige for its location on the Nile – the world’s longest river – and as the centrepiece of a national park whose diverse wildlife includes lions, elephants, chimps and shoebills. Over the 25-plus years I’ve been involved in tourism to Uganda it has consistently been one of the most country’s top attractions and an important motivator for extending a tour north of the main southwestern circuit. Any thought of damming this magnificent attraction seems short-sighted not only in terms of tourist development and associated revenue but also as a great aesthetic and ecological loss.”
Patrick Agaba, Uganda Conservation Foundation “Giving out Murchison Falls for hydropower dam construction is like cutting umbilical code for Uganda’s economy. We cannot afford to lose it. Please Ugandans, wake up and let us fight for our heritage.”
Chris Higginson, Owner, Murchison River Lodge “The mighty Murchison Falls. Not only is it one of the most beautiful and most visited national parks in Uganda, it is without question an area of phenomenal natural beauty. Uganda’s tourism sector continues to grow steadily, thus providing huge returns for the Government, whilst creating vital employment for Ugandan nationals and offering development opportunities for stakeholders. The Falls are the epicentre of the national park, the oxygen that keeps the park alive. If the hydropower plant is permitted to go ahead it will steal Uganda’s largest national park of its jewel in the crown, while simultaneously robbing future generations access to one of Uganda’s greatest wonders.”
Wilber Manyisa Ahebwa (Ph.D), Associate Professor (of Tourism, Conservation and Development), Makerere University “Very unfortunate that a government in whose Vision 2040 highlights tourism among the top three economic drivers can think of destroying the magnificent Murchison falls when we have other more than 20 sites where power can be generated. In addition, Uganda has other potential clean power source options such as solar and wind mills. These would not only save the beautiful falls but also diversify power source in case of prolonged drought that may reduce water levels.
When you talk of tourism in Uganda, three things come to the fore;
1. Gorillas
2. Chimpanzees
3. Magnificent Murchison falls where the mighty River Nile narrows.
These top three products differentiate us from our regional competitors. Tamper with Murchison Falls, you will have tampered with the vibrant tourism sector in Uganda. Simply stop and stop!!!”
Andy Ault, Professional Guide “The combined impact of all of these projects is a death-knell for the park… countless kilometres of sensitive riverine woodland, animal – especially elephant – migration routes would be affected and the whole ecology of the Nile and its surrounding savannahs and forests would be changed and lost forever.”
Nathalie Van Pee, Director, Nile Safari Lodge “It is unfortunate to hear that such a project is envisaged to take place in MFNP, especially since they will already exploit the petrol in the park, which will already have a strong impact in our National Park. Being strongly attached to Uganda and to this particular region, our family has chosen to invest in Nile Safari Lodge to share this experience with as many people as possible. Such a project would jeopardize the industry and the park. We, therefore, must preserve what we have been gifted with and look at it in the long-term for the next generations and for the country.”
Susan Muhwezi Chairperson, Uganda Hotel Owners’ Association (UHOA) “As Uganda Hotel owners Association (UHOA), we would like to join the rest of the tourism community to express our disappointment in this proposal and strongly request government and its agency Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to reconsider any development to not only Murchison falls but also to any tourist destination.”
On my last visit to the Falls, I wrote Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron, Murchison Falls
“There are several vantage points at the top of Murchison Falls, arguably the biggest draw to the National Park. To the right of the drop-off point, there is a glimpse upstream of where the River Nile is half a kilometre wide. See the staggering speed of the water, racing towards a gap in the rocks that is just seven metres wide. The water flows ferociously fast. It is breath-taking.
I stand at the edge of this incredible feat of nature, trying – but failing – to comprehend its total and utter awesomeness. Oh, how microscopic and unimportant I feel with my little camera!”
Why we must #SaveMurchisonFalls
The GPS coordinates published in the odious newspaper notice are 2°16’42.6″N 31°41’08.8″E
I double checked them myself – and this is the map that appeared.
“There is no Murchison Falls National Park without Murchison Falls”
Without the main attraction of the Falls, few people will bother going to visit Murchison. It is the focal point of the park: the drive to the Top of the Falls, the famous boat ride to the Bottom of the Falls and the walk down to view Murchison Falls and Uhuru Falls ‘side by side’
Although Murchison does have activities like birdwatching, safari game drives and fishing, without the main draw of the Falls, will visitors come for activities they can do elsewhere? (Note also that these other activities will themselves be impacted by these mega changes to the environment, again reducing their appeal).
Without Murchison, which tourists will go on to visit Kidepo, for example? Murchison is not just a place to visit in its own right but a key stopover in itineraries that require long distances to be broken up into comfortable chunks.
Murchison Falls National Park is also contributing to the growth of tourism in Arua, just ask Eagle Air who are now developing tourist packages.
Murchison Falls National Park has experienced a remarkable turnaround in living memory. During the banditry of the 80s, the wildlife suffered heavily, reduced to a fraction of its historic numbers. Famously a hideout for Kony and the LRA during the 90s, the park has turned its fortunes around. It’s a spectacularly popular park and wildlife numbers are bouncing back. That has been no mean task, as my friends at Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Conservation Foundation will attest.
What would Sir Samuel Baker say?
Baker (governor general of the Equatorial Nile Basin – today’s South Sudan and northern Uganda – from 1869 until 1873) helped put the falls on the world map by naming them after the head of the Royal Geographical Society. They were originally known as Kabalega Falls. Sir Samuel Baker is remembered for his efforts to abolish the slave trade and for being the first European to see – and subsequently name – Lake Albert.
Fast forward to 2019 and the idea that Murchison Falls could be trashed for a big infrastructure project (that the country can ill afford) is some kind of bad joke.
Isn’t Murchison under enough pressure from human exploitation? Poaching and human wildlife conflict are constant challenges. Oil exploration – and the wide fast roads created to service the oil industry traffic – are already impacting animal movements within the park – and oil isn’t even coming out of the ground yet.
How you can help #SaveMurchisonFalls
- Electronic objections can be emailed to SECRETARY ERA on info@era.or.ug NOTE: this must be done within 30 days of the newspaper notice (June 7th).
- Sign – and share – the petition to #SaveMurchisonFalls – just click here ADD YOUR NAME and share please. (NOte this is a new petition, created end of November 2019)
- Amos Wekesa, owner of Great Lakes Safaris advises all Ugandans to share positive images – and there must be millions! – from Murchison Falls. Include the hashtag #SaveMurchisonFalls and share your photos on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
On a light note, Amos also threatens to strip naked to protest the dam construction! Let’s hope the Ugandan sense of humour wins the day and we are soon laughing off this environmental nightmare. Tourism is sustainable, involves far less environmental or financial risk and is poised to take off in Uganda, thanks to support from the World Bank, a new CEO at the helm of Uganda Tourism Board and the country’s breath-taking diversity of natural attractions.
Please let’s #SaveMurchisonFalls
Caught on camera! The BBC visit Murchison Falls
Who moved in after Amin moved out?
The BBC’s latest big budget wildlife affair is with the Earth’s Great Rivers, specifically the Amazon, the Mississippi and my personal favourite, the Nile.
Last week the muzungu was very happy to find the BBC’s Nile series was literally in full flow. As a shot of the world’s longest river came into view, I recognised the outline of the derelict buildings of Pakuba Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park.
The team made quite a few surprising discoveries thanks to some undercover filming!
From a dictator’s home to a wildlife haven#EarthsGreatRivers pic.twitter.com/IQkYCK0U90
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) January 2, 2019
Here’s why you should watch the whole programme (on IPlayer if you’re in the UK):
“For a river that conjures up images of pyramids and pharaohs, the Nile turns out to be a truly surprising river that changes at every twist and turn of its journey. As it flows into increasingly arid latitudes on its journey north it becomes an evermore vital lifeline for animals and people, but only if they can conquer the challenges that this ever-changing river throws at them. The Nile’s story begins in a spectacular, tropical mountain range – the Rwenzoris. Streams plunge from these snowy peaks creating wetlands on the plains below. Here they create a mobile water garden of papyrus reeds, home to one of the world’s strangest birds – a shoebill stork. Though beautiful, clumps of reeds break up and float around creating a challenging environment for would-be fishermen. A stork’s best way of finding prey is to form a rather strange alliance – wily shoebills follow hippos whose great bulk opens up fishing channels for them.
Shoebill, River Nile Delta, Murchison Falls. Wild Frontiers. Photo Allan Ssenyonga
The Nile’s headwaters create huge lakes in the equatorial heart of Africa – everything here is on a vast scale, especially Lake Victoria which is the size of Ireland. Here vast swarms of lakeflies sweep across its waters on a biblical scale, providing an unexpected feast for local people who trap the insects to make ‘fly burgers’. It is not just Lake Victoria’s immense size which makes it so dramatic. The vast lake has only a single exit channel of ferocious white water – the aptly named White Nile. People come from around the globe to tackle the rapids here which are some of the most powerful and infamous in the world. A local heroine, Amina Tayona (a mum from a nearby village) is brave enough to ride them. Amina has learnt to kayak on these treacherous rapids – and now competes against international athletes.
The next stage of the Nile’s great journey are the wild Savannah lands of Uganda and the awesome spectacle of one the world’s most powerful waterfalls, Murchison Falls. Here, valiant crocodile mothers try to defend their nest against hungry predators. Even though they are such fearsome predators – crocodiles have a weakness which other animals exploit. Watch as cunning Nile monitor lizards try to outwit an increasingly desperate Nile crocodile mother who faces a terrible dilemma. Further downstream is the setting for one of the episode’s most surprising stories. Filmed for the first time using the latest camera-trap technology, cameras reveal strange goings-on at the abandoned country home of infamous and exiled dictator, Idi Amin. Its ruins – in Pakuba in northern Murchison Falls National Park] – are attracting new, wild guests. Many of Africa’s big predators make their home here today.
It would seem the River Nile was higher in 2010 when my dad inspected the Devil’s Cauldron. Top of Murchison Falls
In South Sudan, the Nile river slows and spreads out transforming into a huge wetland – the Sudd (Arabic for barrier). Half of its water is lost due to evaporation here and this is before the river embarks on its epic crossing of the Sahara – a desert the size of China. Every year, the dwindling Nile receives a massive, timely injection of water far to the east. In the Ethiopian highlands, the Nile’s greatest tributary – the Blue Nile – is swelled by the wet season creating some of the most turbulent and dramatic seasonal waterfalls on Earth and forming a spectacular gorge which is nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon.
A warthog family was caught on camera by the BBC in the ruins of an old building
The Blue Nile is a river revered and used in a variety of incredible ways – from mass baptism ceremonies in the ancient Ethiopian city of Gondar to colonies of cheeky weaver birds who use the riverbank’s reeds to build intricate nests. The Blue Nile replenishes the main Nile channel at the Sudanese capital city of Khartoum, the two become one and embark on the epic crossing of the Sahara. The miracle of the Nile is that it has allowed great civilisations to thrive in a desolate and arid region – today and throughout history. From the exotic city of Cairo, to the glories of ancient Egypt, breathtaking photography reveals the extent of the Nile’s power to transport water from one part of world and deliver it to another, building and supporting life.”
ruins of original Pakuba Lodge Murchison Falls Uganda
The last time I visited Pakuba was in 2013 when approximately 70 of us stayed at the (new) Pakuba Lodge. We were in the area to view Uganda’s solar eclipse, a mind-blowing experience that I will treasure forever. I remember Simon Peter, the charming Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger, visiting each tent to reassure us that he would “protect us from leopards and scorpions!” I had heard a rumour of the leopard living in the ruins of the original Pakuba Lodge (but it was the first time I’d heard talk of scorpions in Uganda).
If you ever get the chance to see a solar eclipse JUST GO! This photo was taken from Pokwero near Pakwach in 2013
“Brutal dictator’s home is now a wildlife haven” says the BBC. Although Pakuba Lodge was not President Idi Amin’s home, it was said to have been his favourite hideaway. Pakuba Lodge was one of the original Uganda Hotels chain. (The first Uganda Hotel was built in 1923 and still stands in Masindi). In the 1970’s Idi Amin turned Pakuba into a ‘State Lodge’, for his personal enjoyment. Note to self: isn’t it interesting how a president from a bygone era continues to be the only thing many people associate with Uganda? Idi Amin was overthrown in 1979, a staggering four decades ago.
Murchison Falls is one of Uganda’s prime safari destinations and I LOVE how wildlife populations are recovering – in this case taking back the derelict buildings of Pakuba Lodge. To read more about the River Nile at Murchison and its fantastic birdlife, read “Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron.”
Murchison Falls National Park
Visit the spectacular Murchison Falls! Take the boat ride to the Bottom of the Falls. Experience the thundering water under your feet at the Top of the Falls!
That’s my dad! The Devil’s Cauldron. Top of Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls National Park is named after the spectacular waterfalls, the undoubted geographical highlight of the area. It was during his 1860-70’s expeditions that the explorer Sir Samuel Baker named the Falls after Sir Roderick Murchison, the President of The Royal Geographical Society. During Idi Amin’s time, the Falls were known by their local name: Kabalega Falls, after the notorious warlord king of Bunyoro Kingdom.
Sir Winston Churchill described the plains around Murchison Falls as “Kew Gardens and the [London] zoo on an unlimited scale.”
Before I go any further, I must alert you to the heinous idea of building a dam at Murchison Falls. Read my blog “There is no Murchison Falls National Park without Murchison Falls.” The debate rages on.
On an early morning game drive in Murchison, you’re likely to see elephants, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffes, lion, Uganda kob, warthog and more. My friend saw a porcupine on safari in Murchison! An armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger escorts visitors on game drives.
Murchison Falls National Park has over 400 bird species. I love the big Abyssinian Ground Hornbill! I spotted these as we drove along the south bank of the Nile
The boat trip to the Bottom of the Falls is second to none. It’s an absolute must-do! You will see huge Nile crocodiles, hippos and 100s of birds, including brightly-coloured Beeeaters, Spoonbills and – if you’re lucky – you can even see the prehistoric-looking Shoebill, which is a cross between the dodo and a dinosaur! The boat takes you to the base of the Falls where you can stop for some great photo opportunities.
On my last trip we saw an amazing THREE Shoebills on the River Nile delta cruise with Wild Frontiers. Photo Allan Ssenyonga
View of Murchison Falls and Uhuru Falls, Uganda
The hour’s hike from the edge of the River Nile up to the top of Murchison Falls is highly recommended. En route you will see a second set of waterfalls – Uhuru Falls. The striking view of both waterfalls is not visible from the top of Murchison Falls, nor from the boat. This hike can be done in either direction. There is a steep climb for a few minutes, but the Uganda Wildlife Authority has invested in steps and handrails, so I highly recommend the hike. UWA charge a small fee to do the walk to the bottom of the Falls.
There is an inevitability about the constant flow of the River Nile that I find quite overwhelming. I find myself imagining the distance this water has travelled…. click on the image to read my blog all about Murchison Falls
The experience at the Top of the Falls is staggering. Here the Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 metres wide), before ferociously plunging down 43 metres. You can feel the force of the water beneath the rocks underfoot. You’ll need to SHOUT to make your voice heard above the tons of water thundering beneath you!
Sport fishing for giant Nile Perch is a popular activity in Murchison Falls National Park. Guided walking safaris are also available too.
Budongo Forest Reserve, to the south of the main Park, is an excellent ecotourism site for trekking chimpanzees. Budongo Forest is home to some 600-700 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). The Budongo Forest Conservation Field Station studies and works to conserve the local chimpanzee populations.
The majority of Murchison Falls National Park’s game viewing is on the northern bank of the Nile, where there are a number of hotels and lodges. There’s also a range of accommodation just outside the Park, on the southern bank of the Nile. The advantage of staying outside the Park is that you do not pay Uganda Wildlife Authority’s entry fees until you enter the Park. (The downside is that you have to then wait for the ferry before you start your game drive). The ferry takes just a few minutes to cross the Nile. (A bridge is under construction in 2020).
Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron
Top of the Falls, Murchison Falls National Park
There is an inevitability about the constant flow of the River Nile that I find quite overwhelming.
I find myself imagining the distance this water has travelled. Day and night, night and day, for tens of thousands of years, billions of gallons of water have raced through Murchison Falls en route to the Mediterranean. Kingdoms have risen and fallen, we live, we die, but still the water keeps coming. Imagine if the Nile had a memory: what stories would it tell us!
There are several vantage points at the top of Murchison Falls, arguably the biggest draw to the National Park. To the right of the drop-off point, there is a glimpse upstream of where the River Nile is half a kilometre wide. See the staggering speed of the water, racing towards a gap in the rocks that is just seven metres wide. The water flows ferociously fast. It is breath-taking.
I stand at the edge of this incredible feat of nature, trying – but failing – to comprehend its total and utter awesomeness. Oh, how microscopic and unimportant I feel with my little camera!
Thousands of people have taken photographs of the Top of the Falls so I can’t pretend I can improve on others’ incredible shots. The truth is, you cannot possibly capture the essence of Murchison Falls with a camera. You need to visit.
You need to see it with your own eyes.
You need to smell the river, feel its thundering power beneath your feet, listen to its roar, let the spray touch your body…
The water mesmerises me. Its power is so compelling. I feel its draw as I stand by the railings above the Devil’s Cauldron, the point where the River Nile plummets, crashes and explodes down a 43 metre drop.
It’s both exciting and scary.
How small I am. Stand in the wrong place and certain death is instant. I would be swept away in a second; indeed, more than one person has chosen to end their life at Murchison Falls. The river’s huge Nile crocodiles (some measuring an astonishing four or five metres long) are unlikely to mean a body is recovered either. There is a strong link between waterfalls and death in Uganda: certain waterfalls in the south west are historically associated with some macabre practices, like the forced ‘damping’ (dumping or drowning) of young women who were perceived to have broken the strict moral codes of the day.
I record a short video clip. As much as I am recording, I’m watching too, trying to make sense of what I am seeing, struggling to understand it. Although every scene is like every other: ‘water cascades over rock’ / ‘water shoots up into the air’ ad infinitum, it has a life of its own. Amongst the voluminous cascades and torrents are microscopic droplets that dance ghost-like in the air for a second before being consumed into a cloud of mist.
The water wears many costumes. At once dramatic and imposing, in a split second it is intriguing and dainty. I see magic everywhere.
I suddenly feel a gust of wind. I am safely behind the railing but I feel the wind catch me. Is it blowing me away from the water or pulling me towards it? Is my imagination playing tricks on me? I take a few steps backwards. I’m so lost in watching the movement of the water from the safety of my camera screen that I’m wary of the water tricking me. (See what personality I have given it)? It may only be water but I feel it has a life of its own. It makes me nervous.
The moment is a reminder to put the camera down. You can’t beat the full-frontal vision of Murchison Falls and I cherish the sensation of the river’s spray dancing over my face and bare legs.
The Devil’s Cauldron! Diary of a Muzungu goes to the Top of Murchison Falls with Wild Frontiers from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.
“The water level has dropped,” Evelyn tells me. “Before, you would get completely soaked standing here” she says, as we pose for photographs next to the safety rails on the small outcrop of rock above the Devil’s Cauldron. (I wrote this story in 2017 – what devastation the high waters have wrought since!)
Sadly, we don’t have time today to walk down to the Bottom of Murchison Falls. It’s a steep walk, on a decent path with handrails and, if you plan it well, you can catch a boat from the bottom. It is only by taking this path that you have the imposing sight of both Murchison Falls (once known as Kabalega Falls) and the lesser-known Uhuru Falls.
Tip: take the time to do this excellent walk, for if you do, you will have one photo of Murchison Falls that your friends don’t!
A bit of history
Originally the falls were known as Kabalega Falls. Indeed, some Ugandans continue to refer to the indigenous name. However, explorer Sir Samuel Baker renamed Murchison Falls after Sir Roderick Murchison, president of the Royal Geographical Society. (He also renamed Lake Mwitanzige to Lake Albert, in honour of Queen Victoria’s ‘consort’ Albert). The Sir Samuel and Lady Florence Baker Historical Trail runs 805 km (500 km) through the African bush, and recalls the 1864 route they took from South Sudan into Murchison Falls National Park. The Trail features on National Geographic’s World’s Best Hikes: 20 Dream Trails.
The muzungu’s Murchison Falls travel tips
I travelled to Murchison Falls with Wild Frontiers Uganda and stayed at the superb Baker’s Lodge, on the southern bank of the river, in a luxury thatched safari suite looking straight onto the Nile. We ate every scrumptious meal outside and I even had a dip in the swimming pool. (No extra charge for the soothing sound of hippos munching outside your cottage as you fall asleep!) DISCLAIMER: sadly the Nile has completely consumed this gorgeous lodge!
Watch out for the crocodiles & hippos! (Very amateur film) of the boat ride to the Bottom of Murchison Falls from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.
The scum on the surface of the river water is created by the turbulent Falls and is composed of organic matter (rotting fish and hippo, to be exact!)
The walk from the Top to the Bottom of the Falls (and back up) costs and takes one to 1 to 1 ½ hours. It costs $10 / $10 / 10,000 UGX (tourists / foreign residents / EAC citizens) according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority’ tariff for 2022.
Wild Frontiers and Uganda Wildlife Authority both run boat trips up and down the River Nile. I took the Wild Frontiers boat cruise to the Bottom of the Falls “possibly the world’s most powerful waterfall in terms of the force of water ejected from the Falls itself.”
Another superb experience in Murchison Falls is the Delta cruise with Wild Frontiers’ excellent guides Milton and Dan. On our trip, they located not one but three rare Shoebills!
[Click here to learn about the horrendous plan to dam Murchison Falls!]
Wild Frontiers are the only company to offer a private Bush Breakfast on the northern bank of the Nile. The best way to experience this is by first taking the early morning Delta cruise. After breakfast, you can circle back to your lodge via a game drive through the park. The Muzungu has enjoyed 😊
Have you been on safari in Murchison Falls National Park?
Sundowners, star-gazing & tales from the bush
A weekend at Nile Safari Lodge and lunch at Masindi Hotel
There’s a cool breeze coming off the Nile tonight.
My banda at Nile Safari Lodge is open-netted on three sides. Set on stilts above the riverbank, it is airy and spacious. My banda has a wide veranda overlooking the river.
The two-tone noise beyond the nets can only be a frog. It is so loud that in my mind’s eye I imagine the frog to be a foot long! We hear the occasional HONK of a hippo.
The background noise is a symphony of crickets. According to Zahid, “all you have to do is clap your hands and the noise of the crickets will stop, for 15 seconds at least, and then they will resume. Don’t worry, they automatically shut down by around 10.30pm !” The muzungu isn’t concerned. I look forward to the crickets lulling me to sleep before too long.
A lunch stop at Masindi Hotel
At Masindi Hotel, we received a friendly, understated welcome before eating a simple salad. (The heat in the middle of the day was too hot to consider eating anything else). The service was polite and swift.
Masindi Hotel is one of the original government-owned Uganda Hotels, and was managed well until Amin’s day. It and many others were sold off in the 1990s. Standards slipped. According to the hotel information, Masindi is the oldest Uganda Hotel, built in 1923. It is Indian owned now and has touches of classic Indian decor to complement the original building design and classic gardens. The hardwood interiors of the main living areas are beautifully done. The main building has welcoming bright yellow paintwork.
Famous guests have included Ernest Hemingway, Kathryn Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The Kabalega Restaurant is named “in honour of the legacy of his Majesty Chwa II.” What history! What associations! What a shame this place is not better utilised. [Masindi Hotel has undergone a substantial facelift since I wrote this story].
Driving from Masindi to Murchison Falls National Park
The approach to Murchison Falls National Park is dusty. As we drive the dirt roads approaching the main gate, we close the windows and put the AC on. This is tsetse fly territory. I’d forgotten about those nuisance insects. (Guess who’s wearing a bright blue dress to enter the park? Tsetse flies are strongly attracted to the exact shade of blue that I’m wearing).
Zahid has been visiting Murchison Falls all his life. He points to the bridge that his engineer father constructed. “There used to be so many elephants and buffalo on this side of the river that we had to stop. We could not pass.” These days, most big mammals are confined to the north bank of the Nile.
There are no other vehicles on the road. Our only road companions are baboons, Buffalo, a Marabou Stork, a pair of Helmeted Guineafowl and one of my favourite birds, the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, its curled eyelashes long enough to make any girl jealous. Flashes of bright blue are the tell-tale sign of Woodland Kingfishers. Swirling flashes of green are Cinnamon-chested Beeeaters.
We enter the park on World Wildlife Day.
Arrival at Nile Safari Lodge
We arrive at Nile Safari Lodge late afternoon.
It’s March and it’s hot. Rain has hit Kampala but barely reached this part of Uganda yet. There have been bush fires. A few drops of rain have brought green leaves to the tips of burnt bush.
After a friendly welcome at the lodge, I watch ten monkeys picking fresh shoots from the tree next to reception. The monkeys are obviously happy here; there are many young among their group. They’re not scared by us, nor do they beg. Humans and monkeys coexist happily at Nile Safari Lodge.
As we enjoy our sundowners on the deck below the dining area, we spot the flapping ears of an elephant on the distant bank of the River Nile. He gently tugs at the long grass as he saunters upstream. Three Grey Herons fly by. An African open-billed stork and a cormorant fish below us. To our right is a small island that is popular with a pod of hippo and a dozen elephants who swim from the shore. We spot waterbuck too.
Nile Safari Lodge was the first lodge to be built on the south bank of the Nile in Murchison Falls National Park and still has the best view of the river. I remember when I first visited in 2010: we arrived mid-afternoon to see 20 elephants at the river’s edge on the opposite bank of the river.
What a lovely spot in which to wile away a few quiet days. It’s low season and there are only two other guests, a Ugandan lady and her Hungarian husband. We share a dinner table as we enjoy thick creamy home-made soup and the tastiest Nile Perch. The beers are cold and there’s plenty of ice. With freshly squeezed juice for breakfast (no added sugar), fruits and a cooked breakfast of eggs, sausage, tomato and toast, I really should have done a bit more exercise! Lunch and dinner are both three course affairs.
Early morning on the River Nile
Something on the roof awakens me the next morning. It takes a few moments to realise that there are monkeys overhead! They are so sure-footed, I swear they are human.
I go back to sleep and wake to sounds coming from the river: a flock of Pied Kingfishers and the occasional early morning launch boat, heading out for the start of today’s fishing competition. My morning tea arrives promptly. Hot water is brought for my morning ablutions. I love this banda. If I leave all the doors open, I can watch the River Nile from my open-air shower.
Our breakfast conversations are about crocodiles and hippos – near escapes in fact! Zahid’s friend “Crocodile Dog” had a lucky escape. He lived to tell the tale of his attack by a croc – albeit “minus one leg.”
“Those things come out of nowhere!” Zahid says, as he tells us another tale of lucky escape. Luckily for us, Nile Safari Lodge is high enough above the river to ensure visits by crocodiles and hippos are impossible.
Pakuba Lodge frequently comes up in conversation. There are rumours that this historical lodge will be refurbished one day. For now, nature has reclaimed Amin’s old lodge. “I saw two porcupines cornering a hyena there once,” Wolfgang tells us. I’ve also heard rumours of a resident leopard. Look what the BBC cauught on camera at Amin’s Pakuba Lodge!
(The Pakuba Lodge where I stayed to view Uganda’s extraordinary solar eclipse is in fact the revamped former staff housing of the original Pakuba).
Murchison Falls National Park has seen many changes. Murchison was Amin’s favourite National Park. It later became Joseph Kony‘s favourite park, making it a no-go area for many years. This was back in the 1990s and the park’s wildlife is thriving again, although oil drilling is the next challenge.
In search of Bugungu Fort
One morning, our driver Adong takes us to the site of Bugungu Fort, one of Samuel Baker’s forts. (It’s rumoured that an oil pipe may soon be laid right next to it).
Here, the River Nile is inside the National Park so fishing is prohibited. Of course, some people still try, especially since it’s impossible to police every inch of the river. Traditional crops include cotton, sweet potatoes and cassava but it’s been dry for months now. There is evidence of fires all around us.
After a morning talking about crocodiles and fires, my guide walks us down to the river past a small fire on which men are roasting cassava.
“Are there any crocodiles here?” I ask. “Oh yes!” Comes the opposite answer to the one I wanted. We walk through the fragment of Bugungu Forest. A few minutes into the forest and someone mentions tsetse flies. (Guess who’s wearing blue again?)
Where once was a wooden construction, all that remains of Bugungu Fort is a big hole in the ground like a small bomb crater. There are several large Mwai trees, complex trees whose convoluted branches have many smaller branches growing in every direction. They’re an important part of local culture.
We walk for another 10 minutes down to Delta Point, at the river’s edge. To the left is the Delta. To the right, upriver, are the famous Murchison Falls themselves. Here the riverbed is sandy. Further on, I spy a long straight pole poking from the surface of the river. It’s the unmistakable shape of a fishing pole. We look down to see a man’s pair of sandals next to it. The river comes under the jurisdiction of the Uganda Wildlife Authority. It is illegal to fish here.
We pause next to a Kigelia ‘sausage tree.’ I’ve always been fascinated by these weird-looking plants. Inedible in their raw form to humans, elephants love these huge fruits. You may know these fruits as the Amarula Tree. I quiz the local man about their uses for humans. Apparently peel one, boil the inside and you have a cure for Syphilis!
For some reason, I’d assumed the fruit was hollow and light, like a gourd. It takes the muzungu two hands to lift one!
Adong picks up a wire. “This must be a snare,” he says. Although there is little wildlife on this bank of the river, according to Rogers from Nile Safari Lodge, “some small antelope do swim across the river” into a snare if they are unlucky. Here, downstream from Nile River Lodge, we are just outside the Protected Area of Murchison Falls National Park.
A few metres on, a young man stands next to the lakeshore. An older, barefooted man stands next to him. They look at us, we look back at them. He must have heard us approaching before distancing himself from his fishing rod.
It’s interesting to be back in the bush, seeing first-hand the ongoing battle against poachers. I spent my first three years in Uganda as a volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation fundraising to support the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s anti-poaching work in Queen Elizabeth. UCF are very active in Murchison Falls these days too.
Swimming at Nile Safari Lodge
After an intensely hot morning, it’s a relief to take a refreshing dip in the lodge’s pool. It is set away from the lodge and has a clear view of the River Nile. Massages can be organised at the tiny wooden structure below the swimming pool and above the riverbank. The masseuse has a great touch. I feel thoroughly spoiled.
One night we enjoy a vibrant performance by twenty Acholi dancers from the local village. The men wear elaborate feather headdresses which bounce up and down to the rhythm of the calabashes. The traditional drumming, the energetic hip-swaying of the dancers and the open fireplace make for a great atmosphere.
If you are into stargazing, you must bring your telescope.
Zahid showed us great views of Venus ‘evening star’ and a close-up of the moon’s cratered surface. Wow! I’ll never see the moon in the same way again. To the naked eye, Venus and the Moon appear a similar size but Zahid tells us Venus is a staggering 60 million miles away while the Moon is a mere 250,000 miles away.
Shoebill Camp – for the best view of the River Nile
Shoebill Camp is a spacious setting overlooking the Nile, adjacent to Nile Safari Lodge. I camped here with my sister on my first visit. This can be a great arrangement for people who are on a budget, or who like camping but not cooking! For just $10 a night, you have a whole field to yourself, a cold shower and flushing toilets. The security guard can light a fire for you too. It’s just five minutes’ walk through the bush to the lodge where you can enjoy all your meals and cold drinks, and the swimming pool (for an additional fee).
I’ll always remember how after dinner at the lodge, my sister and I were escorted through the bush by an elderly man with a bow and arrow. Our path through the vegetation was lit by glow-worms. It was magic.
Nile Safari Lodge is about to embark on a comprehensive refurbishment programme. With just a few touches here and there, I’m sure that Nile River Lodge will once again be the go-to place that it was for many years.
A big thank you to Zahid, John, Rogers and Dennis (who remembered me after a seven year absence!) It’s been particularly lovely to be back in a lodge where I have such happy memories of a family safari too.
A rolex-fuelled bike tour of Uganda and Africa
Uganda bike tour. An interview with Ron Rutland ‘Fat Kid on a Bike’
“I’m no David Attenborough, but trekking with the gorillas has been the greatest wildlife experience of my life,” said Ron Rutland, the ‘Fat Kid on a Bike’ who cycled through Uganda en route from Cape Town to London.
Ron is planning to travel through every African country and is a total rugby fanatic! He aims to arrive in London for the Rugby World Cup in August 2015. I organised Fat Kid’s Uganda gorilla trekking permits for him and we caught up when he was in Kampala. It was without doubt my #HumanSpirit moment of the week.
Diary of a Muzungu: What has your journey been like so far?
Fat Kid: I’m now 160 days into it and without sounding corny, it’s getting better and better each day. I’ve spent so much time organising, planning and sorting out visas for places like Eritrea and Somaliland, that I can’t wait to get there now.
I’m loving it, I’m absolutely loving it.
Diary of a Muzungu: What do you think of Uganda?
Fat Kid: I can honestly say that in 160 days cycling, the stretch from the Rwandese border and Kisoro, around Lake Mutanda, with views of the Virunga Volcanoes and on through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, has been the most beautifully scenic part of my trip so far. It’s a truly unforgettable part of the world – but nobody knows about Uganda as a tourist destination!
Uganda has been one of the highlights of my trip, from start to finish.
Diary of a Muzungu: Have you tasted Ugandan food?
Ron and I discussed the Rolex – Uganda’s most famous street food.
Fat Kid: Rolex are a good nutritional balance; they’re particularly good for me because of all the carbohydrates.
Diary of a Muzungu: Can you beat my friend’s record of consuming six rolex in a 24 hour period?
(He may be called the Fat Kid, but no, that rolex record remains unbeaten!)
I had assumed – wrongly! – that Ron was at the peak of physical fitness before he embarked on his mammoth tour.
Fat Kid: Quite the opposite, I’d just recovered from an injury that needed surgery; with little training, the cycling was very tough going for the first two or three weeks. Everything became easier after that.
Diary of a Muzungu: What is the most useful thing you travel with?
Fat Kid: I have a very simply written letter saying that I am South African and explaining the purpose of my journey and the route. In the letter, I apologise for not speaking every language and say I have few needs apart from buying food, and thanking them for their hospitality. I have a copy of this letter in French, Arabic, Swahili and a few other key other languages.
Diary of a Muzungu: How did you feel about spending Christmas away from home?
Fat Kid: To be honest, there’s nothing I would rather be doing than this. I am living the dream! How exciting is that?
I’m a social person but also very happy in my own company. So far I have had about 30 days (out of 160) riding with people, but it’s very rare to be on my own. You are always surrounded by people. I haven’t yet got to the point where I felt lonely. I’m quite looking forward to those solitary moments in the desert.
One of my real frustrations, however, is people’s curiosity. You get stared at when you are eating, when you are putting up your tent, or cooking your food. You do feel like a circus freak. In Angola, 60 or 70 people watched me. The next morning I asked the local chief why everyone was staring at me. “They have never seen a white guy on a bike, and neither have I.” They might have seen the odd white person drive past in a UN vehicle, but they had never seen a white guy on a bike, put up a tent, or cook for himself.
I understand it, but the “Muzungu how are you?” does get a bit overwhelming. When you are cycling uphill and you get these constant questions, I think “I don’t want to be rude but actually I am completely shattered…”
Diary of a Muzungu: Your journey is called Lettie’s Ride. Who is Lettie?
Fat Kid: Lettie is a friend of mine who has breast cancer. She’s 36 and she has three kids. She has lived her life to the full; no-one could appreciate their health more than her. There are frequent sporting events, celebrating life for Lettie, like people running up Cape Town’s Table Mountain barefoot.
When I first planned this trip, it was just a selfish journey to watch the Springboks play rugby. I know how hard it is to do fundraising, so I didn’t want to commit to it when I knew how hard it was going to be just to cycle from Cape Town to London.
It was when Lettie’s husband sent an email saying that Lettie’s cancer had come back more aggressively that I decided to dedicate my ride to her. There have been days – like when I was pushing my bike through the sands of the Mozambique parks – when it’s flipping tough and you’re feeling crappy. Then you have to ask yourself, is it really that bad? I’ve been able to do this, I’ve chosen to do this, I’m not fighting a deadly disease.
The bike is bright pink and has the word Lettie written all over it. I think about Lettie every day.
I’m dedicating this ride to Lettie and I am also living this adventure. I want her to get the positive message; that’s what I get goosebumps about.
Diary of a Muzungu: So you’re a rugby fanatic! Tell me more.
Fat Kid: The Rugby World Cup in London 2015 gives me a date to work to, otherwise you could spend five years cycling through the whole of Africa.
After uni I played rugby in Australia for six months and then in Hong Kong. Four or five years ago, I set up a rugby tournament in South Africa. It’s an annual social rugby event that now has 100 teams competing.
I got to know Francois Pienaar through mutual friends. He is probably one of the most famous rugby players in South Africa. (He was captain of the Springboks rugby team at the 1995 World Cup, the famous rugby match that united the post-apartheid nation, made famous in the Clint Eastwood-directed film Invictus). Francois is my ambassador and Founding Chairman of the Mad ‘Make a Difference’ Foundation, who are doing a fundraising campaign around my trip.
Whatever route I take, I am going to cycle through Paris. On my last four or five days, Francois Pinard is going to cycle with me from Paris to London to the World Cup. There are many rugby lovers and South Africans in the UK, who I think will want to do the journey with us.
Hopefully, in my own little way, I can help to give Lettie strength. If I get to London and the Mad Foundation has raised 1 million rand as well, then I couldn’t be happier.
Diary of a Muzungu: How did you feel about being in Uganda when Mandela died?
I noticed the flags were at half-mast at the Ugandan parliament.
In some ways I wish I’d been in South Africa. From what people back home said, it was a mixture of feelings: sadness, but also a celebration of everything that was good about Mandela. Yes the country is mourning, but mourning together.
Like he did in ’95, and other times, Mandela has transcended everything, all the political crap and segregation that still exists in our society; not just black and white, but rich and poor. People talk about corruption in Uganda, but it is endemic in South Africa.
I wish Mandela had run the country longer. He was one of the only African leaders of that generation who gave up power voluntarily; that makes him unique too.
The week Mandela died, my African #HumanSpirit moment of the week was this: “Everyone I’ve met who has expressed their sympathy at the death of “Africa’s Father” or “Our Father”…it’s quite incredible the sheer number of times this happens a day.”
Diary of a Muzungu: How long did it take you to plan this trip?
In a sense, I’ve been planning this trip my whole life.
It took me six or seven months to actually plan this trip. I have put everything into this, literally. I’ve never been one to own a lot of stuff, so what I couldn’t sell, I gave to charity. I wasn’t going to pay money to put all my stuff in storage for two years.
The biggest decision was what kind of bike to buy. Now I’m on the road, I’m planning approximately 3 months ahead. Most of my planning is ‘visa driven’ that is to say it depends on getting visas to enter each country. For that I rely on a visa services company.
So, for example, while I am in Uganda, DHL will send my passport for South Sudan to Gulu. Once I’m out of Uganda I can send my second passport back to Cape Town to get the visa for the next countries: Eritrea and Sudan. I spent a few months planning the route and visas in advance. This is probably the best practical thing I did before I left, and no delays so far….
Diary of a Muzungu: How have you funded your trip?
Although cycling is a free way to travel, I spent all my savings buying the bike and setting it up for the trip. Whatever happened, I was leaving anyway. I’ve heard so many stories about people not having money and picking up sponsors along the way.
Once you are on the road, it really isn’t an expensive way of travelling. My budget is R200 or $20 a day. This covers visas and everything, including food, and accommodation, when I need it. Africa is not the cheapest place to travel by any means, but it’s a lot cheaper than just sitting on my couch in Cape Town. You know what I mean?
I have friends who have done well in business who helped me out. They said we can’t sell our businesses and put our wives on ice for two years. We can live our dream through you.
ABSA are my main sponsor. They sponsor the #HumanSpirit. [For them, what is a better example of the human spirit than someone cycling through every country in Africa to watch their rugby team – the Springboks – play in London?]
Diary of a Muzungu: What did you do before you embarked on this trip?
I’ve always been a bit of a restless soul.
I spent most of my career working in banking, in London. Next I set up a business and lived in Thailand for three years. Living in south-east Asia was a wonderful experience. Out of necessity, I then went back to banking, this time in Hong Kong for 3 years. Four or five years ago, I felt ready for a change so I went back to South Africa and set up the rugby tournament. It was fun but I wasn’t building anything for the future so I thought now is the ideal time for me to go and do what I want and to get it out of my system.
Diary of a Muzungu: Get it out of your system? Or ignite an even bigger flame? I asked.
The Fat Kid laughed.
Diary of a Muzungu: How do you keep in contact with everyone back home?
A GPS device records my location every day and this can be tracked on my website. I’m not a great writer, but I do record a few minutes about my experiences a few days of the week. Phone coverage has been surprisingly good. In fact, my family say they hear more from me than they ever thought they would.
After Diary of a Muzungu’s interview with Fat Kid on a Bike in Kampala
A few days after our interview, Ron cycled East to Jinja for some white water rafting with Nile River Explorers, and then North, passing through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary at Nakasangola “my goodness was the rhino tracking another memorable wildlife experience!”
I told Ron he simply couldn’t miss Wild Frontiers’ breath-taking boat ride to the bottom of the falls in Murchison Falls National Park.
“The Murchison Falls boat ride will certainly go down as a highlight of not only my time in Uganda, but of my entire 5 and a half months on the road so far!”
We last spoke when Ron was in Gulu, planning to cycle into South Sudan. He sounded a little bit uncertain about what was happening next. I’m not surprised: leaving the Pearl of Africa and going into a war zone!
At the border, he commented on “the warm welcome, hospitality, and help received from the Ugandan soldiers based on the South Sudan border.”
Ron’s route was due to take him through Juba:
“I had to accept the very insistent advice of the UN, 50 km inside South Sudan, that to continue any further would be ‘completely reckless’, and I made the decision to back track to Uganda. Seeing for myself the human tragedy unfolding in South Sudan put a little cycle trip into real perspective.”
As a rule, Ron’s transcontinental route sees him exit a country using a different border to the one he enters the country; South Sudan was the first country – and let’s hope only country – where he failed to achieve this.
Ron sounded quite philosophical though:
“This is Africa, after all. I’m aware that things can change at any time.”
Of this experience, he said:
What I will try never take for granted again: the freedom of travel within and between countries. After having to make an abrupt UN enforced U-turn in South Sudan, to having to re-route through Ethiopia and Sudan to get to Eritrea from Djibouti, to the headaches I’m now having in plotting a way across Sudan through Darfur to Chad, it has made me realise the incredible privilege it is to be able to travel and cycle freely across and (even with the hassle of visas sometimes) between most countries.
If you’d like to keep up with Ron’s trip on the remaining year of his journey, visit the Fat Kid on a Bike website or Facebook page. He writes weekly updates and you can follow him on the map.
As Kingsley Holgate reminded me during a long liquid meeting before I left, this expedition ‘isn’t about the bike’, but rather ‘an epic African adventure which you happen to be doing on a bicycle’ – a huge difference!
As we said goodbye, Ron invited me to accompany him on a leg of his trip. How I would LOVE to! (I wonder if I can make it to West Africa in time to meet him?)
If not West Africa, we might have to wait until London 2015… my dad is a rugby fan(atic) too and I have a feeling he will be enjoying the #HumanSpirit watching the Springboks play at Twickenham rugby grounds in August 2015!
Safari to the centre of the solar system – can you eclipse that?
Safari to the centre of the solar system – can you eclipse that?
The Muzungu simply couldn’t pass on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Uganda.
“Now you see me …. now you don’t” protective welder’s mask courtesy of Patrick Okaba, Daily Monitor journalist from Nebbi
I’m not usually stuck for words, but even now I’m struggling to describe those 22 seconds of my life: watching the sun – our whole world – temporarily obliterated by the moon. Not only was it dazzlingly beautiful, I thought my heart was going to stop!
Uganda’s NTV neatly summed up the Hybrid Solar Eclipse – but you had to be in Pokwero, in the District of Pakwach, to feel the excitement!
All roads lead to…. Pakwach!
“The total solar eclipse is only going to be visible at an angle of 17°,” explained John the physics teacher from ISU, as he, his wife Leslie and I drove north from Kampala to Pakwach.
All roads lead to…. Pakwach!
Here on the Equator, it gets dark around 6.30 in the evening, all year round. The Eclipse was due at 5.22 p.m. so the sun would be low in the sky: would we be able to see above each other’s heads to view the eclipse, the Muzungu wondered?
Halfway from Kampala to our destination, we stopped at the newish Kabalega Diner for a break. We were the only visitors when I first passed through a year ago. This time I was amazed to see the car park full of minibuses and the Diner jampacked full of Japanese tourists eating burgers and chips. Is this what Uganda might look like one day? Is this the way we want Uganda to look in the future? I ponder how mass tourism would look in a Uganda of the future. And will the Muzungu still love Uganda the same way?
We were intrigued to find out where the group were from. It had taken them two days to travel from Japan: to experience the Eclipse and then go on Safari in Murchison Falls.
“I just hope it won’t be cloudy tomorrow!” The Japanese tourist told me. “But what can we do?”
Mordechai welcomed us to Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park
On arrival at Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park, we had a wonderful, warm welcome from the towering Mordechai, who very graciously looked after us all weekend. (There was something of the filmstar about Mordechai!) No photo – sorry.
Pakuba Lodge, Murchison Falls National Park
Early evening, ISU student Fabien and I saw three Grey Hornbills and my first Silverbird next to the Lodge.
An eclipse! And ticks for my birdlist too! The Muzungu was in seventh heaven…
Approximately 70 of us stayed at Pakuba Lodge on Saturday night, a number of us opting to camp. Simon Peter, the very charming UWA Ranger visited each tent to reassure us that he would protect us from leopards and scorpions. (Check your shoes, campers!)
“Wake me up if you see a Leopard!” I told him (like I was going to get any sleep anyway…)
Why? Because the Muzungu’s experience shall go down in the annals of camping as “How not to camp.” I knew my strategy of improvising for missing parts of the tent might backfire… The floating toothbrush that welcomed me when I unzipped the tent shamed this former Venture Scout! Luckily I had a plastic cup to bail out “Lake Pakuba,” the huge puddle in one corner of my tent, and spent the night lying rigid on a tiny dry island of sleeping mat, scared I might tip myself into said Lake, while another heavy rain storm threatened overhead.
Meet the Eclipse Chaser!
One of the highlights of the weekend was meeting Kryss Katsiavriades, an ‘eclipse chaser’, in Uganda to see his 14th solar Eclipse. He was a mine of information.
Uganda’s Annular-Total (or Hybrid) Solar Eclipse of 3 November 2013 is one of the rarest types of eclipses, described in detail on Kryss’ excellent website.
Map showing the maximum duration of the total solar eclipse, which was found along the centre, middle blue line – slap bang through Pokwero / Pakwach and Gulu.
Kryss told us that “This kind of solar eclipse happens somewhere in the world every 400 years. It’s calculated that it will be another 400 years before Uganda sees a similar type of Eclipse. I don’t think even Museveni will be in power by then!”
At breakfast, the morning of the eclipse, Kryss Katsiavriades and the Muzungu greeted the Minister for Tourism, Maria Mutagamba, also overnighting at Pakuba Lodge.
Kryss explained to the Minister that the last time we saw an Eclipse in the UK was in 1999.
“But it was in Germany!” Interrupted a German tourist. Our historical arguments travel with us: the British and the Germans argue, lightheartedly, over ‘who owned the eclipse of 1999.’ (The Muzungu experienced the U.K.’s eclipse of 1999, in Glasgow. All that happened was an already grey sky went a bit greyer! Typically Glaswegian).
Chasing the Eclipse
Across the river in Pakwach, is a very different Uganda to the one I’m used to. I’m intrigued.
I admit this is the first time I’ve crossed Kafu Bridge, over the Albert Nile. There are few cars, few motorbikes and little advertising. The only brick buildings are shops. Geometrically thatched, round bandas proliferate. Most activity takes place in the shade of big trees. Smoked, filleted fish are spread out for sale. It’s very hot and very dusty.
I worry how many people are going to damage their eyes this afternoon attempting to view the eclipse. As we drive down the main street of Pakwach, you can sense eclipse fever.
It was a competition to see how many cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear, one could use simultaneously!
A man holds dark sunglasses up to the sun. A boy holds a floppy disk, and another looks through a piece of smoked glass. Outside the stationer’s shop, two young men unfurl the unused film from a canister. Most people are trying solutions that I’ve read are dangerous.
I feel like we are on a film set
“We are now in the path of totality,” Kryss announces as we ‘eat the dust’ of a pickup truck full of 20 or more local people in their Sunday best clothes, beaming and ululating as they bounce down the road ahead of us.
In a country of red dusty roads, have I ever seen them this red? Have they ever been this dusty? We’re heading to the middle of nowhere; international Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have flown into Uganda just for the event [just a rumour I think! I don’t know anyone who actually saw them!] President Museveni and entourage are coming to Pokwero – and there’s a huge sense of anticipation.
International Hollywood filmstars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie flew into Uganda just for the solar eclipse (apparently)
It all feels rather odd.
High security is in evidence. We pass soldiers by the side of the road, and follow a truck full of police to the viewing site at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero.
Diary of a Muzungu in the security line for the solar eclipse viewing at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Uganda
“2 degrees, 33 minutes and 11 seconds,” announces Kryss.
“And that means…?” Asks Fred the driver.
“It means a little bit further on and we will get to where we have maximum duration of the total solar eclipse.”
Ooooooo, it’s really happening!
The maximum duration of totality is found along the centre, middle blue line.
Kryss has frequently appeared on TV and radio in his global eclipse-chasing quest. True to form, we’ve only just parked our vehicle when an interviewer from Channel 44 approaches Kryss with a camera.
Kryss tells Channel 44 viewers: “The sun is the giver of all life on this planet, and to see it extinguished and the day turning into night, and to see the stars and planets in the middle of the day, is something that you will never forget.”
‘Muzungu Blogger of the Eclipse’ touches down in Pokwero
It had been announced that President Museveni was to be ‘Chief Viewer of the Eclipse’.
‘Muzungu Blogger of the Solar Eclipse’ touches down in Pokwero, Uganda
The eclipse was a great showcase for putting Northern Uganda on the tourist map but the country’s usual last-minute preparations realistically meant that only dedicated Eclipse chasers who had done their own research chose to visit Uganda for the eclipse. Many went to Kenya. Many went to West Africa. Some hired boats and went out into the Atlantic to view the solar Eclipse.
The King of Alur and the Omukama (Traditional King) of Bunyoro ventured to Pokwero, as did the newly crowned Miss Tourism Uganda.
Huge crowds waiting to view Uganda’s Solar Eclipse at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Pakwach
There was no escaping the party politics as we sat sweating in white plastic chairs, grateful at least for the protection from the glaring hot afternoon sun of 35° or more. The hours passed slowly: listening to welcomes, ‘laying the foundation stone’ on the rather unimaginative Eclipse Memorial, political speeches, schoolchildren dancing and singing, hymns and the national anthem, twice.
- Traditional dancers entertained the crowd waiting to view Uganda’s Solar Eclipse at Owiny Primary School, Pokwero, Pakwach
I feel sorry for the uneducated person who might actually believe that the government had organised the Eclipse just for Museveni ‘The President of the Eclipse’s entertainment.
To paraphrase one of the speakers, apparently “God chose Uganda for this hybrid solar Eclipse, an event that only happens every 400 years. It’s no coincidence that it’s taking place during the reign of the NRM regime…” i.e. God planned the Eclipse in Uganda in 2013 thanks to the NRM. (Obvious really).
Cue the real stars of the show
Mostly attentive until that point, come 4 o’clock every spectator picked up their chair and turned their back on the President and the dignitaries to view the real stars of the show: the partially eclipsed Sun and the Moon.
The excitement was contagious. We passed around special eclipse glasses and sunglasses customised with camera film, and shared the Ministry of Tourism’s viewing filters with local children. We didn’t speak the same language, but we were all in awe of what was happening in the skies above us.
- IT WAS HOT! And the day of the eclipse the skies overhead were vividly coloured all day
It was a huge party. Did I mention it was HOT?!
A message came through from Kampala
The partial eclipse was due to last just over two hours. After a few minutes, people started getting bored, waiting and waiting for the total eclipse. Some of them wandered off.
Clouds covered the sun!
Oh no, perhaps, the Japanese tourists was right? Kryss had reassured me that even if it was cloudy, the experience would still be memorable. The MC switched on the microphone and told everyone not to go home.
“Many clouds?” read the SMS from Kampala.
“Oh bog off,” I replied (although perhaps not quite that politely).
Friends in Kampala said they “couldn’t be bothered” to travel all the way up to Pokwero. Couldn’t be bothered to have this once-in-a-lifetime experience? I was dammed if clouds were going to spoil my eclipse experience while they sat smugly in Kampala.
Captivated by the sight of the partial solar eclipse
Despite the clouds, the light was a magical golden colour. The clouds were beautiful too.
Hashers of the Eclipse – we should have had a Circle in Pokwero!
The competition for the maximum number of cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear is hotting up!
We were back on track and I could feel the excitement grow you as the skies darkened on the countdown to the total eclipse.
Hashers of the Eclipse part 2 – we should have had a Circle in Pokwero! The competition for the maximum number of cameras, phones, goggles and miscellaneous protective eye gear is hotting up!
We watched the sun – our whole world – temporarily obliterated by the moon.
Not only was it dazzlingly beautiful, I thought my heart was going to stop!
Uganda’s total solar eclipse. Photo taken with fisheye lens by Lukasz
And then darkness!
Diary of a Muzungu’s very amateur photo of Uganda’s hybrid solar eclipse, Pokwero. Apparently a good first attempt, according to Kryss, the astronomer!
(It was just 5.30 pm in the afternoon…)
Diary of a Muzungu’s very amateur photo of the Diamond Ring, visible for just a second or two after the total eclipse, as the sun bursts back into normal view from behind the moon. Apparently a good first attempt, according to Kryss, the astronomer!
I’d been thinking about the solar eclipse non-stop for a few days by then. I couldn’t sleep, I was so excited! In those few magical seconds, my brain and emotions worked hard to process what I was seeing.
A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
None of the photos do justice to how amazing the solar eclipse looked with the naked eye: pink and alive!
Can you imagine seeing ‘flames’ on the surface of the sun with your naked eye? These ‘flames’ were huge bursts of flammable gas the size of a small country!
Diamond ring and chromosphere. A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
Imagine getting your best exam results ever, on your birthday, with a firework display in the background and falling in love – all at the same moment … and then someone punches you in the chest! You realise that this thing that you’ve been aching to see could be your terminal undoing, the end of not just your life, but of everyone and everything you hold dear.
The end of the world.
Diamond ring and chromosphere. A close-up of Uganda’s total solar eclipse 2013. Photo courtesy of John McDonald.
And then it was over. 22 seconds of my life that I shall never forget, and shall always struggle to articulate.
As the moon continued its trajectory away from the sun, there was a blinding flash ‘the diamond ring’ effect, as the sun re-emerged. Totally spectacular.
Within seconds, the sky was lit up again, and life went back to normal … for a while.
I understood with utmost clarity how people can become Eclipse chasers. Apparently NASA’s head meteorologist (who apparently saw just 10 seconds of the eclipse; when the clouds obscured the sun, his group packed up their kit to try and find a better viewing spot – and almost missed the whole thing!) There was no sign of ‘Brangelina’ in Pokwero. Apparently they were in Gulu.
The next total eclipse in Africa is on July 22, 2027 in Egypt. See you there?
A special thank you to John and Leslie McDonald and ISU Lubowa staff, Fabien the birder, Kryss Katsiavriades and Roman Kostenko the amateur astronomers, and Simon Peter, Mordechai, Connie and all the staff at Pakuba Lodge. Last but not least, a big, nocturnal thank you to Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Conservation Area Manager Tom Okello – who helped rescue dozens of vehicles from a flooded swamp on our way back to the lodge! A weekend I’ll never forget…
Did you see the Hybrid Solar Eclipse in Uganda? How did it make you feel?
A solar eclipse turns the spotlight on Northern Uganda’s appeal
Suddenly, everyone in Kampala is talking about this weekend’s action: not the usual parties and nightclub events, but a hybrid solar eclipse, an event so rare that it only happens every few decades… and guess what? Northern Uganda will be one of the best places in the world to see it!
I can never throw a shoe box away – & finally it’s time to make use of one. Hybrid eclipse 2013, here I come!
The Muzungu first heard about the hybrid eclipse 2013 from an amateur astronomer tip, tap, typing on his keyboard 3410 miles (5488 km) away from Kampala – in Poltava in the Ukraine to be exact. Roman Kostenko – or Роман Костенко in the local Cyrillic script – first wrote to me on 19th February. He explained the uniqueness of the event that will take place this Sunday, November 3, 2013.
Photo courtesy of the Society of Astronomy Amateurs in Poltava, Ukraine http://astrosafari.com
In Roman’s words: “The solar hybrid eclipse occurs on November 3rd, along a narrow strip over the Atlantic Ocean and Equatorial Africa, from Gabon to Ethiopia. In Gulu, Northern Uganda, it will be late afternoon, 17:23, one hour before sunset.
The overall duration of the hybrid solar eclipse will be almost 2 hours, however the total phase is very short: 60 seconds in Gabon, 20 seconds in Uganda and 12 seconds in Kenya. Despite the short duration, this rare kind of hybrid total eclipse will offer us a brilliant glimpse of the solar corona and Bailey beads (outer parts of the Sun emerging between the lunar mountains).
Roman explained that although many people will go to Libreville or Gabon to see the hybrid solar eclipse 2013, “other eclipse chasers have been checking the weather, and will choose Uganda or Kenya, since there are much higher chances of clear skies in the areas north of Lake Albert in Uganda and west of Lake Turkana in Kenya.”
Basic viewing of the totality of the eclipse requires no more equipment than your own eyes, however special filtered ‘eclipse glasses’ are recommended to view the partial phases.
Roman advises: “It is EXTREMELY unsafe to view the eclipsed Sun with binoculars or telescope, unless they have an appropriate solar filter. I would never recommend to use any optical device to look at the Sun before you are confident that it features a properly installed solar filter.
P.S. As the day will turn into deep twilight in less than half an hour, and then back to daytime, and then back to night time (sunset), it will be very entertaining to observe how African wildlife responds to it.”
“Let’s see what the animals make of it….” says the Muzungu…
Roman is a member of the Society of Astronomy Amateurs in Poltava, Ukraine and their brilliant blog has been following their journey to East Africa. (Tip: click on Google translate for the English version of the site!)
“Eclipse chasing is an absolutely international hobby” he told me.
My online research – applied cautiously, Dear Reader – tells me that one of the simplest ways of safely viewing a solar eclipse is by making a shoebox pinhole camera. This enables you to see an image of the solar eclipse, rather than look at it directly. To make one, you will need: a cardboard shoebox, duct tape, knife or razor blade, a white sheet of paper, tinfoil, clear tape, needle or pin, solar eclipse.
Just look at the diagram for how to make a solar eclipse pinhole camera and follow these steps below…
Just copy the diagram for how to make a pinhole camera or follow these steps – or if you can’t be bothered, scroll down for the Muzungu’s Top 10 hybrid solar eclipse 2013 viewing do’s and don’ts.
1. Open your shoebox and cover any cracks or joins with duct tape, to make sure no light can enter your shoebox.
2. Cut a small hole (approx. 1 inch / 1.5cm across) in one end of the shoe box, near one edge.
3. Tape a piece of tinfoil over the hole.
4. Using a pin, make a hole in the centre of the tinfoil.
5. At the opposite end from the foil-covered hole, tape a small piece of white paper to the inside of the box,. The paper should be positioned so that light entering the box through the pin hole will hit it. This is where you’ll look for the sun.
6. Cut a 1 inch / 1.5 cm diameter hole in the box near the image screen (the white piece of paper), but on a different side of the box — the side next to the screen. This is your viewing hole; it must be positioned so that you can look through it at an angle and see the image screen.
7. You now have a pinhole camera. Go find that solar eclipse!
8. Sunday November 3rd 2013: hold the shoe box so that it lines up with its own shadow (meaning it’s aligned with light from the sun). Stand so that when you look through the viewing hole, you can see a tiny bead of light on the image screen: that’s the sun. During hybrid solar eclipse 2013, you’ll see the moon’s shadow pass in front of the sun.
[Information courtesy of @nattyover and www.livescience.com]
In the spirit of participation – admittedly, I was crap at physics at school – I decided I’d try and knock up a pinhole camera for you, but can I find duct tape late at night in Kampala? No. I shall track it down but not this evening… Anyway, you don’t want to get all the way to Northern Uganda and find the tape has come off your wonky old shoebox, do you?
So here are the Muzungu’s Top 10 hybrid solar eclipse 2013 viewing do’s and don’ts:
1. DO NOT use a mirror to view it – that will only do double damage to your eyes
2. The Ugandan Minister of Health’s briefing: “watch it through a black cavera (plastic rubbish bag!)”
3. Standard or Polaroid sunglasses are not solar filters and should not be used to stare at the Sun during the partial phases of an eclipse. You will damage your eyes permanently.
4. DO NOT use film negative.
5. You can make your own filter out of fully exposed and developed black-and-white film, but only true black-and-white film (such as Kodak Tri-X or Pan-X). Such films have a layer of silver within them – this protects your eyes.
6. If you want to observe the eclipse with binoculars or a telescope, you must use a specially designed solar filter on the front end (or Sun-side) of the instrument. (You think they sell them in Pakwach?)
7. Read this bit carefully: if you plan to use binoculars to view the hybrid solar eclipse, totality can and should be observed without a filter, whether with the eyes alone or with binoculars or telescopes. But the partial phases of the eclipse, right up through the Diamond Ring Effect, must be observed with filters over the objective lenses of the binoculars. Only when the Diamond Ring has faded is it safe to remove the filter. And it is crucial to return to filtered viewing as totality is ending and the western edge of the Moon’s silhouette begins to brighten.” If observing the Sun outside of eclipse totality without a filter is quickly damaging to the unaided eyes, it is far quicker and even more damaging to look at even a sliver of the uneclipsed Sun with binoculars that lack a filter.”
8. You can damage your video camera trying to watch the eclipse. Sunlight focused through a lens sets things on fire – do you want to set your camera on fire?
9. Welding goggles or welding glass are safe.
10. And the Muzungu’s personal favourite idea: watch the Uganda solar eclipse reflected in a river – doesn’t that sound romantic?
*DISCLAIMER* my few minutes Googling are not sufficient for me to be sure I’m sharing good advice. Misinformation abounds, and I’m worried I’m making it worse!
It’s always good to have a backup plan! It’s not like many/any? of us are ever going to have a chance to see a hybrid solar eclipse again … but it doesn’t mean you have to permanently damage your eyesight, so don’t get carried away with the moment and do something you will live to regret.
I’m so excited to be in Uganda for hybrid eclipse 2013 and I’m so excited for Uganda to be centre stage for the world, even just for a few moments. Northern Ugandans in particular truly deserve some good publicity.
My tent is packed and so is my cavera, so who’s coming with me? See you in Northern Uganda!
