QUEEN ELIZABETH PARK TO LAKE ALBERT 432KM. 12 HRS

QUEEN E.P. to Equator - Kasese - Kasunganyanja - Mahoma Falls - Durama - Fort Portal - Kyenjojo then turn N on dirt road to Kabwoya turn W to Kisaru - Rwera - Kabwoya Park to Lake Albert Safari Lodge. 432 km. Got to the equator today was just 20kms from where I stayed , so got the traditional picture taken and continued N on a good tar road for 70km . Then turned onto a dirt track through the crater lake area, just a great ride with a bunch of lakes and everything is just so super green and beautiful. They were having a car rally so I stopped and waited a couple of hours and watched it , certainly wasn't the WRC , but hey they tried. I was mobbed by the locals , and they are amazed at the 240km on the speedometer and the two disks on the front wheel. Then they always ask where I have come from and they all say the same thing that " You very strong man." Or maybe it is stupid man. Was still early so I changed my plan and decided to shoot up to Lake Albert. Things were going fine road was all right just lots of people and mopeds for about 100km on a single lane and the damn huge trucks just don't budge , they don't have much room either , but it is pretty hairy and try stop if I am able to. The gps tooke up a wrong track and had to turn around but was in mud and down it went , in mud you just can't go. Got back to the road and the heavens opened up and had no time to put my rain gear on so got soaked and the road was a mess. The road is red clay and when wet is tough to go up and down a hill, no fun at all. I was on the level and the bike just got out from under me and down I went, probably doing 30km ph, I just slid in the puddles and blocked the road. So the guys start hooting and I couldn't lift my bike so I just stood there waiting , normally they would jump out and help but it was raining so hard no one wanted to budge, so I just waited and an old man eventually came and helped me , and thanked him much. I still had 50km to go and the rain persisted and had a few more close calls but was very fortunate not to go down again, cause the last stretch was off the beaten track and darkness was setting in . Arrived in the dark , drove through the game park which was pretty cool with herds of bush buck and waterbuck. Was one of the more memorable days , was great scenery and a little challenging in the rain but real interesting route , but a long one and I should not have hung out at the rally for so long The guy at the Lake Albert Safari Lodge said to just sleep in a room , guess cause I was wet and tired so that was a great treat. Overlooking the lake was absolutely amazing the amount of lights from the fishing boats , maybe like a thousand , was quite a site.

BUNYONYI LAKE TO BUHOMA 120KM. 4HRS

Had a bignbreakfast at the restaurant, first time in many weeks. The track I chose was along the lake for about 20kms which was slow but with amazing vistas as it wound through the hills and farmland. Then a great winding tar road for 25 km and then back on gravel for 76km. to Buhoma through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest . Megan had warned me about the loose gravel on this stretch, and a lot of the corners were like driving through thick talcum powder . A local on a 150 Chinese bike with 3 up came around a corner towards me and lost it in the powder and went down. The passengers were fine and he hobbled around for a bit while they picked up his bike and had I been 5 seconds ahead he would have nailed me. The road went up to 8000ft and just twist and turns all the way which was great on a bike , except when there is two trucks barreling at you , with total disregard of you on a corner. I could not believe the speed they were doing around the corner, luckily for me it was an inside corner and I was on the left in the marbles.
Megan was on this road stopped waiting for a truck to go by , which he did and side swiped her pannier throwing her and the bike into the ditch , luckily she was not injured. So the fun was gone and I hugged the blind corners for the rest of the way and did not encounter any more lorries. That route ranks high up on the dirt roads I have taken , being scenic along the lake and high up in the forest and coming across a lot of villagers who were very friendly, will be a memorable one.
Got to Buhoma Community Camp which is at the entrance to the park and pitched my tent on nice green grass and the only person here.
A kid from The Gorilla Doctors befriended me and we walked through the village which has just small stores with carvings of masks and gorillas , some really nice stuff. I see Jack Hanna is a director with the doctors and the little boy knows him as he lives there with his uncle who runs the camp for them. There are quite a few American veterinarians involved in the project and a few from Uganda that provide all the medical needs of the gorillas.
While I was in the village a gorilla was in the camp and they came to call me but I was gone , I wish they never had told me. It is $600 for an hour with them and that's cold hard cash , no credit cards so even if I was going to go I couldn't get the cash for six days from the ATM. When I get back I will just go hang out with my brothers for an hour and save a bunch of money. At 5:30 the heavens opened and it bucketed down , African style . Was so bad that they gave me a Rondavel to sleep in , cause they were concerned I would get wet in my tent , which was awfully nice of them. Second bed in two weeks and I still wake up at 3 am !Got up this morning and went to inspect my tent and it was bone dry , so now I am convinced that Marmot tent is the best out there , with those monsoon rains and not a drop inside is unbelievable.
So am in the bouma having coffee that overlooks the rain forest and the lady charges in calling me to come and see a gorilla just outside the kitchen , and there it was munching away. What are the chances , now I don't have to go and hang out with my brother's, what a relief.

RWANDA TO UGANDA

Kigali to Lake Bunyonyi  120 km.

Road to the border is excellent  tar through and over the green , green  hills of which every inch is farmed. In Rwanda you drive on the right hand side and then back to left hand side in Uganda. 

The damn visa is $US 100. and $20 road tax . Took an hour to exit and enter with no hassles and then arrived at Lake Bunyonyi  Overland Resort by 1pm, which has a great camping area on grass alongside the lake. When I pulled in there were two other bikes just like mine there , with decals on the panniers from all over the America's. 

Then the owner, a chap came down and greeted me and we chatted and asked him if he was the two South African  doctors on the bike, which him and his wife are. I had read his blog months ago and he was the one I had learnt about the Leatt from and finally bought one , so that was pretty crazy. Crazier yet was that he knows three of the guys I stayed with in Central America a couple years ago !!!!!!!

They have been going for 22 months heading slowly to Cape Town . Mathew and Megan  ( www.worldwideride.com) had me over for an amazing dinner and gave me tons of info on where I am heading , so was a great day sharing stories , drinking beer , and chowing down with some fellow countrymen and women.

They departed today for Rwanda and I just ballasbakked around the camp sorted my bike out . Last night we had a moerofa storm and it bucketed down , and all was dry inside my tent which amazed me , so two thumbs up for Marmot tents , for the price it better be a bomber tent. 

Tomorrow I head up to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where the gorillas hang out , not with me though , unfortunately.  It's like $500 to $700 to visit them for 60 minutes , and they don't even talk. Everyone I have met that has done it clearly states that you have to do it , seems like extortion to me , I could stay another two months in Africa  for that.

I know I will regret it in years to come when they are no more . You just can't do it all.

MAP OF EASTERN AFRICA AND UGANDA