She chose to start her day at a spot atop one of the rocks as she stared in a distance that stretched over a wide, rich open savanna park. From the black stony kopje elevation, wildlife could be easily seen as neat black and white patterns of beauty under the 9am subtly warm but illuminating sun over the rich green vegetation which was fresh and happy after a night of downpour.
Her mind must have switched off for the two hours I had tiptoed towards her and took a seat at a rock behind her. She only realised I was there after about an hour.It was the click of my digital camera that alerted her to my presence. She turned back, and when our eyes locked, her face beamed as she smiled.
It was so quiet that the silence seemed loud for a city bloke who is accustomed to the chaotic nature of the city.
Serenity
She opened her arms for me to readily fall in and share in the warmth of not only her body but her heart which I felt beat at a slow tempo, almost musically.
Then, the birds connived to complement the moment with some chirping as we kept into each other’s embrace for a little longer than usual, quiet and happy almost listening to an inaudible sound of our souls musing about the sweetness of friendship and the idea of having the moment forever. The memories of Lake Mburo National Park remain coloured with cherished experiences because the abundance of natural attractions was richly satisfying. The Rothschild giraffes were gaiety in their walk as they stretched out their necks to feed on the acacia trees or lowered them to tend to their little ones.
Clean and peaceful, their admirable pattern distinguishably stood out with a coat of dark orange and brown patches with areas of beige. The hippos are known to be largely nocturnal but we sighted two which had chosen to interact with other wildlife friends as browsed on a vegetable meal at an early evening hour.
Wildlife
Somewhere, in the same jungle lawns were the ugly beauties- warthogs- also mowing the tropical grasslands while the older folks among vervet monkeys took turns to groom each other and parent their little ones.
The younger apes with no responsibilities to tie them down could be seen playing by either wrestling on the ground and chasing after one another or showing off their agility as they jumped from one tree branch to another and through hedging thickets.
Driving on, we met a group of about 20 impalas then three defassa waterbucks standing still like they were gamely posing for portrait photography. The birds simply rested, perhaps taking in the on-goings as the mammals fed and elicited their nature.
We had hardly parked for a few minutes than more tourists joined us to watch and capture the boons of the wild. What a joy it is to always see fellow Ugandans visit Uganda and visibly express their fascination at what makes the Pearl of Africa what it is.
Reader, you might want to know that Lake Mburo National Park is the closest among Uganda’s 10 parks to a city- Mbarara. There, you are sure to see zebras because it has the highest number in Uganda. They are there to see anytime, and almost everywhere.
The lakes
You could call Mburo a compact gem; small but generous. It is popular for wildlife but it has five lakes and Mburo is one of them. The others are Kigambira, Kabikwa, Kazuma and Bwara which host more than defined shapes and water in them but birds and some wildlife. For the journey’s worth, do not just go looking for attractions, also have some time to kick off the shoes and relax and listen to the birds sing, the insects rattle and see pumba and the baboons invite themselves to your lodging compound to kneel and savour in the goodness of the grass.
Then, the nights will calm with a deafening silence to let you slumber through where the only audible sound is either you turning and tossing between the sheets or your steps as you make your way to the bathroom.
Source: Daily Monitor Uganda