Queen Elizabeth National Park
is the largest park in Uganda, and the habitat is completely different
from Kibale – QE is largely open savanna with grazing antelope, and open
views to the west to the Ruwezori Mountains – “Mountains of the Moon”,
the fabled source of the Nile . It is clear enough to see the higher
snow capped peaks – over 15,000 ft in height. They form the western edge
of the rift valley that contains the three lakes – Albert, George, and
Edward that feed north into the Nile. We cross the equator and a leg
stretch and photo op is needed. Entering QE, there are a series of
volcanic crater lakes, some are fresh water, some are sulfuric, and some
are salt water. The salt has been harvested and had contributed to a
prosperous community in the past. Now, not so prosperous - the lakes are
still worked for salt by local community, but it looks like hard work.
We take advantage of game drives to get good views of elephant and lion -
later a boat cruse on the Kazinga channel, which links Lake George and
Edward.The channel is full of hippo, buffalo and enough birdlife to keep
even Michael happy. As hippos swim under the boat, several of us
remember the Disneyland safari boat and are waiting for the hippo
attack. But these are very content hippos, no open-mouthed aggression.
Where the channel opens into Lake Edward, fishermen take to the lake in
small boats near the end of the day.
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