Mountain Gorilla – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
All the below was arranged by Escape tours & Safari, Entebbe Uganda
I took the 7.30 am flight from Entebbe international airport in a Aerolink Cessna Caravan Astol (A Short Take Off & Landing craft) 11 seater to Kihihi Savana airstrip, approximately 47 kilometres from Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park. The flight took 1hr 5mins to Kisoro air strip to collect a passenger then another 15 minutes to Kihihi. I was met by Ivan, a smart smiling guy, who welcomed me like a long lost friend; his surname was Mashemerer which means happy. Happy Ivan took my bag and put it in his car and asked me where I would like to sit, front or back, I would like to drive I replied and he tossed me the keys and got in the passenger front seat. The Toyota was an automatic and in good condition and as I started her up and pulled away I asked, how long and how far? about 2 hours and 47 kilometres.
There were no main roads from this bush airstrip, just local roads formed from pressed earth with a top coat of stones compressed by a heavy roller known as Murram roads. For two hours I drove along these roads trying my best to avoid the ruts, pot holes and rocks, whilst respecting Ivan’s car which was a family salon and not a 4 x 4.
