While I am sitting on the porch writing this, I have a true African experience. A Tusker beer in front of me and in the background the unsettling yet comforting sound of lions grumbling in a bush not far away! There is simply no way to express how that makes you feel.

The impact of this trip is slowly building up, teaching me new lessons, revealing more and more about the fragility of natural balance.

The first day out in the Murchisons Falls park. These waterfalls were named after Roderick Murchison, the founder of the Royal Geographical Society. On our way over, we encountered two of the rarest birds in Africa: Shoebill Storks. These birds look like a big grey Stork with an alligator mouth. They where a bit far off in a marsh, and I was determined to get closer for some nice shots.

Time flies when you’re having fun. And believe me, this is even more the case on a trip like this. We have only done one hike so far, but it feels as if we have been on the road for more than a week
My first hike this morning was without the group. My companions wanted to visit the swamp lands and I wanted to spend more time with the Rhino’s.

After a reasonable drive over well-built roads, we arrived in Ziwa around lunch time. Rhino’s tend to sleep during the hottest time of the day, so we had some time to kill in the compound garden.
The compound is a beautiful campsite with a big variety of birdlife. Some small black and white weavers I have never seen before and some bunting species. Besides the birds there is a myriad of different flowers.

So here I am, yet another African country in another African nature photography adventure. I arrived 1 day before the rest of the party, who are due to arrive tonight. Being diabetic, I didn’t want to take the risk of being off balance when we start the very intensive trip ahead of us.
And I am happy I did. The last couple of weeks have been very hectic and this extra day was a welcome break, acclimatizing and exploring the capital while getting my bearings.