Having trouble with posting pics on this connection. Will do later,

Another long drive on dirt roads through small towns of extreme poverty and tea plantations, we left the Torro Kingdom and entered the Wenzururu kingdom where their main crops are bananas (mytoke) and cotton. The people are just as poor as in Torro and we passed a lot of mud huts and children running to the road smiling and waving and some yelling for money. Isaac told me that it is not recommended to give the children money because they will stop going to school and just stand by the road waiting for tourists to drive so they can beg for money. The Wenzururu kingdom had been part of the Torro kingdom but was officially split from them in 2006. A bit of history: in 1967 all kingdoms were abolished, but in 1993 they were reinstated.
We came upon the equator and Isaac stopped the car so I could get out and take pictures – of course I posed like a fool under the sign (what else is new?). We passed through a fishing village – Uganda exports a lot of tilapia.
After 6 ½ long, hot hours, we arrived at Ishasha Wilderness Camp (http://www.ugandaexclusivecamps.com/ishasha.html), which is a serene, beautiful lodge on the Ishasha River. It is just exquisite and relaxing. I had two game drives thus far. Saw lions, elephants, water buffalos, water bucks, kobs, water hogs, and hippos. The safaris work differently in Uganda. Isaac serves as both guide and driver and we can go whenever we want, just not at night. If we do a night drive, we must have an armed park ranger with us. On the drive we did when we arrived, we did not see any lions. At dinner, a guest told me to get one of the park rangers to go with us because they know where the animals are so I listened. The next morning a ranger came with us. I felt bad because Isaac seemed a tad upset that I hired a ranger. In the end we did see the lions, but Isaac spotted them first so the ranger made no difference. In Uganda, it is pretty much luck of the draw. So far, South Africa is the most organized as far as safaris go and exciting because they have an elaborate system of trackers with radios who inform the guides of animal whereabouts and there is also a tracker who sits on the front of the vehicle looking for animal tracks and deciding which way to go. When big game is discovered guides can go off road and track the animals when they are on the run. In Uganda as in other places, all jeeps must stay on the paths.
The Ishasha Wilderness Camp is eco friendly. The lights are solar powered and hot showers are available upon request. The charging station for batteries is in the main dining area, which is where I am sitting now. There six comfortable couches to lounge upon and watch the river run by as the birds sing and the frogs chirp. The main seating area has a stone floor, teak wood beams and a grass roof. At night the staff builds a fire by the river for guests to sit by and relax while listening to the sounds of the river and nearby animals, which often walk through camp. Last evening from my tent, I saw a hippo walk by and this morning was greeted by some black and white collobus monkeys. The staff is very friendly and talkative, and the food is quite tasty and time is spent on presentation, which I greatly appreciate.
The Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park is quite remote and it feels as if you are alone when driving around because you rarely see another vehicle. I highly recommend staying here. The camp I am in is on the pricey end, but there is another lodge here and a camping area. On the morning drive we went to see the hippos in another end of the river by the campsite and we came upon and interrupted about 40 baboons trying to raid the unattended tents. When they saw us, the little devils scampered into the thicket and the trees. We drove passed a bit to the edge of the river and got out to look at the hippos. Just as we turned our backs, the baboons returned to steal whatever they could. One large male was trying desperately to pry open the locked zipper while the others pulled out towels that were foolishly left out to dry. As we drove away they were still trying to open the tent and one was sitting on top. I can only imagine that they shredded the nylon tent…poor campers.
By the way, the Queen Elizabeth Park was originally called Kazinga National Park until 1954 when Queen Elizabeth came to discuss conservation and preserving the wildlife and their natural habitats. She first met with the king of the Torro Kingdom and then the king of the Ankole Kingdom. After her visit to Uganda they renamed the park in her honor.
My second drive was less fruitful but all in all a fun drive. Isaac is a hoot and we crack each other up to pass the time. When I didn’t see the lions in the trees, I asked him if he would take a photo of me roaring in a fig tree, but he thought a snake might bite me instead. If the lion did appear and eat me it would make a good tale, of course he would have to post the photos on my blog.
Dinner was great: potato fritter, pumpkin soup, tamarind chicken with basmati rice, and chocolate flan to top it off.
Tomorrow, I have the pleasure of another game drive in the morning and then off to Biwindi to see the mountain gorillas of Uganda. I met a couple at the lodge who said they tracked for 8 hours and did not see the gorillas. They are the only ones I have met who did not see them. The rangers felt so bad that they took their group to see the gorillas that live near the lodges. Not a bad consolation prize – they still got to see them, but I guess they could have saved themselves 8 hours of climbing up the mountain. I have heard of people climbing and seeing the gorillas but not getting great pictures because the gorillas were on the move. This was the first of no sightings. Wish me luck!