Crazy Andy, where is he now?

Hi,
I clinched my teeth as the 60 pound backpack strapped to my back clipped a sideview mirror and the driver screamed at us, but neither my moto-scooter driver or I looked back. I held on tigher as we hopped onto the curb and sped along the sidewalk before jumping back into a clearing in the traffic. We weaved thru manic kampala traffic while dust glaring in the headlight and noxious diesel fumes permeated my clothes and lungs. Driving north in a minivan the next day felt a little safer, whenever we weren't playing chicken with other vehicles attempting to avoid massive potholes.

Steve Willis, the british owner of a camp/lodge where I stayed up in Murchinson Falls National Park was killed last year by rebels while attempting to rescue a international expedition rafting the entire Nile. His widow is now running the lodge.

The Nile River empties near Cairo, but here in the heart of Africa the Victoria Nile weaves it's way from Lake Victoria, over the Murchinson Falls, into lake Albert, before turning back north thru the Sudan, as the White Nile. There the White and Blue Nile combine in Khartoum to form the Nile.

The animals in Murchinson were decimated during the civil war, but now they are protected and are rebounding surprisingly well. Giraffes, elephants, hippos, water buffelow are all common....and we even saw a lion which is harder to see. At night, thru the canvas walls of the tent, I heard the massive hippos chomping grass and stomping thru camp before making the 3 1/2 mile return trip to lake Albert before dawn.

Back south again, in Jinga, where Lake Victoria pours into the Nile, I have taken advantage of a series of class 5 rapids. It is considered some of the best rafting in the world and we managed to flip a couple of times! But falling into the warm water was nice and floating by local fishermen in basic canoes added to the beautiful scenery.

But, even better was going for a run last night, on the dirt roads out in the rural country where I was constantly stopped by young children with tattered clothes on their back as they ran out to greet me and hold my hand for a few minutes.

I'm off to Mt. Elgon, which straddles the border of Uganda and Kenya. in 3 or 4 days, I will return to Mbale, Uganda and travel by bus to Kenya where I fly to Cairo and then home in about a week.

I hope everyone is well.
Sincerely,
andy