Uganda

I did not spend a lot of time in Uganda, but I did very much enjoy what I did whilst I was there, apart from the horrible bus trips. The people were very friendly which cam as a welcome break after the difficult people in Kenya.The primary reason for my visiting the country was to go and see the Mountain Gorillas, very endangered primates living in the border areas of D.R. Congo, Rwanda and Uganda. There numbers are down to less than six hundred and fifty, but this is thought to be slowly increasing, at least in Uganda.The Gorillas (photos 1 - 5) are beautiful, powerful, majestic animals that I felt privileged to see in there natural habitat. The Silverback (photo 5), the alpha male was very protective of his family and spent a long time just staring at me.

When I was in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see the Gorillas, the President, Yoweri Museveni was also there in order to promote tourism and show how safe it now was (this was a year after what became known as the Bwindi incident occurred, when nineteen tourists and their guides were massacred by Congolese rebels). As I was the only tourist around at the time I joined his group and had a nice time chatting with him (photo 1) and watching how he interacted with the locals. We posed together for a few pictures (photo 2) and then after having some lunch back at camp, parted company when he flew back to Kampala. A few days later I was surprised to see me and the President on the front page of the national newspaper (photo 3).