This Hand Is In Africa!
 

"Finally"....about everything! Finally I made it to Africa! Finally the journal is done! Finally my pictures are posted! and Finally...
It was so awesome! My dream trip involved going to both Uganda and Tanzania; spending 8 days in Uganda and 10 days in Tanzania in November 2009.
We planned for almost 2 years deciding where to go, what to see, how much to spend, who to book with and when to see it. We allso went back and forth with numerous people that wanted to go; we ended up with just the 2 of us.
We booked our trip through Go2Africa. They were great. In the middle of everything we had to switch our contact but both really worked with us to make sure that we had all of our questions answered and all of our requirements met.
Go2Africa does not do their own tours so we were booked with Volcanoes Safaris for Uganda and Rangers Safaris for Tanzania. In Uganda we were in with a tour and had 2 others in the vehicle with us and another vehicle of 3. There we hit the following hotels/lodges and participated in the following activities:
Hotels/Lodges:
Laico Lake Victoria Hotel
Ndali Lodge outside of Fort Portal and Kibale
Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth Park
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
Parks/Activities:
Entebbe – Botanical Gardens
Kibale – Chimp Trekking
Bigodi Wetland - walk
Queen Elizabeth (Kyambura Gorge) – Chimp Trekking
(Kazinga Channel) – Boat Ride
(Ishasha) – Game Drive
Bwindi – Gorilla Trekking
In Tanzania we did a private tour with Rangers. I worked with Go2Africa to pick the places we wanted to see and lodges where we wanted to stay. There we hit the following hotels/lodges and participated in the following activities:
Hotels/Lodges:
Mountain Village
Tarangire Safari Lodge
E Unoto Retreat
Ngoronogoro Serena
Migration Camp
Serengeti Serena Lodge
Parks/Activities:
Tarangire National Park – Game Drives
Lake Manyara – Game Drive
Gibbs Farm – Farm tour and lunch
Iraqi Cultural Tour
Ngorongoro Crater – Game Drive
Olduvai Gorge
Serengeti – Game Drives
Hippo Pool Walk at Migration Camp
Balloon Ride
We then spent 2 days in Amsterdam on our way home.
As for the long version, if you are interested, there is a website with the Journal and pictures at http://eastafricanadventure.shutterf...elinitsjournal. Enjoy!

I am in the midst of your blog but wanted to let you know that "This Hand Is in Africa" is a beautiful title--and sentiment. My hand will be back there again soon!

Thank you Leely2!

I just skimmed most of your blog. I will go back to look at pictures and video later. I really enjoyed it. You did a nice job.
So are ya planning your next trip yet?

Welcome back! I can't wait to read this! :)

This hand and part of your heart will always be in Africa. Your book is an absolutely beautiful collection of memories. Very professionally done.

Who were your guides?

Hi guys! It's so good to hear from you again. Thank you Lillipets, I had a great time putting it all together although towards the end, it was tiring. At the same time it was so great to relive the memories. It was sad all over again.
MDK...I don't think anything will ever top your trip reports. They are still my favorite.
Hi atravelynn...I think my heart was in Africa even before I went! "Foxy" and I are talking about doing a trip to South Africa in the coming years. I'm ready now! Amon was our guide for Volcanoes and Prosper for Rangers.

fourwheelinit, you did an awesome job on your journal and photo site! I really enjoyed it, and it brought back so many fond memories of one of my favorite places on earth, Uganda. (I swear I know exactly where you took some of those photos!) Thank you, too, for linking to my Uganda/Rwanda trip report. I was stunned and extremely flattered to see that on your home page.

What incredible experiences you had -- and what luck with the leopards! Wow! I'm glad you got to see the peaceful side of the Kibale chimps. And I'm sure all the effort and the sick days were worth it for those priceless moments with the gorillas, elephants behind your tent, and that lucky leopard who showed up just for you. I'm not surprised you're already thinking about a return trip to Africa. :)

You mentioned the collars on the lions in Queen Elizabeth. Yes, some of them have been collared for tracking by the Uganda Large Predator Project (you might remember I wrote about spending a day with them). The situation for lions and hyenas in QENP is quite dire, so I'm thankful that you saw them. Gives me some hope!

Thanks again for taking the time to share all this with us.

Terrific outlay and pictures.

Thank you so much for sharing

MDK and Percy, thank you for your compliments. I loved doing it and wanted to get it done before the other things in life swept me away.
MDK I need to re-read your reports now that I know where you are talking about in the report and can relate. I remember you talking about the lions but I didn't relate it to QENP until now. WOW! That's so scary and I remember being really upset when I read that.
Yes, Uganda really touched my heart. What a beautiful place and great people. The Go2Africa person that I booked through was moving back to Uganda last month. He said that the report reminded him about how wonderful it was and how he wanted his son to grow up there. I think I'm jealous!

I've just begun reading your blog and so far I'm just loving it. Thanks.

Thank you twaffle! I'm ready to go back.

I am following your adventure in Amsterdam also.

I really like the excellent way you described the Anne Frank House.... I felt like you did during my tour through the house.
I just could not phantom these people living that long under those conditions.

You perhaps saw on the National news that the last survivor of those that helped Anne and her family,died a few months ago.

She was interviewed on National TV and I was glued to the TV and listened to her every word.

They also showed interviews of her father before he died .
Her father was a photographer , so he took some movie clips of Anne before the Germans invaded.

I was amazed at this , movie clips done in the mid 1930's, amazing to see. She was sooooooo sweet !

Yes, it is a very emotional place .


I agree the St.Nicholas Church is terrific.

I also wondered how the Red Light District started up almost right next to the nice Old Church in Amsterdam ( The Old Church as they call it !!).. glad you found the Begijnhof ( hidden courtyard)

Thnak you for your excellent Trip Report ! :)

Thank you Percy. I really wrote the report for myself but it's so nice that you and others enjoyed it.
I've been so moved first by the Anne Frank book and then of course by the movie but I guess I should have known how I'd feel at the actual house. It's just so sad and makes me very angry. I'll never understand how we can do this to each other. Staring up the stairs for so long at the little sky showing through the opening in the attic, I could just feel how she must of felt to get just a glimpse of the good part of the real world...it was so symbolic of the what a innocent young girl saw of the world amongst all of that pain.
I did see where the lady that helped them out and worked as a secretary in the office below had just died. Life is just full of timing consequences since we were just there and we had just seen the clip of her talking about Anne Frank and her family. I was wondering where she was and if she was still alive then I heard it on the news within a couple of weeks of us being there.
They also played an interview from her father at the house.
Anyway, yes the first thing that I said to RB when I got home was 'We're going to Amsterdam'! Foxy and I did not get enough time there. There is still so much left there I'd like to see although warmer would be better! Of course that means more people.
The hidden courtyard was great. It's amazing that a place like that can exist with all of the hussle around it but then look at the old church!
Again thank you. I read so much on Fodor's before I left, I feel like I'm talking to my Africa family again!

You may have written the report for yourself but I am very glad you shared it with us.

I loved everything in the report and could follow you when you mentioned places I recently was.

At the end of your initial posting,you said "enjoy"

I did . Thank You :)

How many Prospers could work for Rangers? I think I had him as a guide too. Did he say how long he was there?

I'll be reading your report in the upcoming days.

You know where to come when you start planning South Africa.

I sure do know where to come....like I told Percy...my 'Africa Family'!
I can't imagine that there are too many 'Prosper's' out there. He's been a guide for 16 years!

Great report. I'm up to the pineapple, which I agree is the best. I've always wondered about the botanical gardens and the birds there. How nice you got to go.

The botanical gardens were fun and a nice relaxing afternoon after a 24 hour trip. It was a beautiful place and fun to see all of the towns people on their lunch breaks at the lake.
Thank you about the report. I love pineapple and I'm guessing that I'll never taste any that good again until I go back of course!