Situated within a few short miles of being as far north as it is physically possible to get in Uganda, Kidepo Valley is a place of grandeur in many ways; vast wind-swept valleys, spectacular granite giants, buffalo herds that rival the Serengeti-Mara Wildebeest migrations in number, and the thunderstorms. Having relatively recently arrived in Uganda for the first time, we learned very quickly how violent and unpredictable these storms can be and how in a matter of minutes a dry riverbed can transform into a raging, coffee-coloured torrent. Being no strangers to flash floods and violent electrical storms from many other parts of Africa, it was the volume of water unleashed from the heavens in short spaces of time that has been truly remarkable. Characteristically a semi-arid area, Kidepo Valley has been more akin to a lush, well-watered garden since our arrival in July!
Winding its way across the landscape between Apoka Safari Lodge and the outside world, including the only Airstrip accessible to the Lodge, is the Kalabe River, crossable only over a twenty something year old concrete bridge that had, for some time, been a source of concern for all users due to how rapidly the river had been under-cutting the bridge on the downstream side from exceptional flow this year. Drivers frequently find themselves unable to cross during or after a deluge – albeit usually for no more than an hour or two due to how quickly the water level drops again.
And so it was, returning to the Lodge one Sunday evening, that we found ourselves stuck on the opposite bank, watching the water very slowly subside until safe to ford.
Little did we know how short the bridge’s lifespan would be – for just 3 days later, Mother Nature unleashed a storm of hitherto unforeseen magnitude. The roar of the Kalabe River, as heard from the Lodge, was akin to that of one of Africa’s great rivers. Nobody was present to witness the moment the writhing, churning torrent cut the concrete bridge clean in half, sweeping away the debris like chaff; but a stark reminder of the power of nature!
Over the next couple of weeks, we really felt for the UWA repair crew trying to construct a temporary detour crossing as fast as any repair works were attempted, they were repeatedly swept downstream by another torrent.
This period does hold some amusing memories for us – the old saying that “necessity is the mother of invention” springs to mind… as the crossing began to take shape, and motorcycles were able to get across, we had a DSTV technician visit the Lodge. During his visit, another storm hit, and the only way he could get back home was for him and his motorcycle to be carried across the river in the bucket of the excavator carrying out the repairs! Receiving supplies has been challenging too; with vehicles from the outside world only able to reach as far as the opposite bank, we witnessed scenes that must have resembled cargo being carried across the rivers to enable ox wagons to cross in days of old!
But seasons do change. Satellite images reveal that the tropical convergence belt is moving steadily south; the river is fully crossable, and the vast green pasturelands are quickly drying. This is rapidly drawing elephant herds who spend the rainy season wandering through forest areas to the west of Kidepo, back into the Park; and smaller, splinter buffalo herds are now regrouping into the massive aggregations that are the stuff of legend in this beautiful area. Eurasian Bee Eaters have passed through on their annual migration south to escape the northern hemisphere winter; and our resident dominant female warthog has wandered off to bring another litter of piglets into the world (we haven’t had them introduced to us yet – watch this space!)
Speaking of warthogs – a visit to Apoka is not complete without making the acquaintance of “Bob”, a 5 year old male who was raised in the Lodge. Not in any way dependent upon the Lodge for food, he has become utterly habituated, and loves a good scratch! Guests adore him – a Wisconsin lady recently becoming quite emotional spending time with Bob, calling him the highlight of her safari!
Exciting news on the feline front too, is a sharp increase in leopard activity around the Lodge – including a mating pair of leopards in camp one night recently.
If the mating was successful, cubs should be born early in January – very definitely a space to watch!
We were delighted to host Honour de Jong and her group of agents in October, starting their trip at Apoka. Hope springs eternal that the erroneous impression of Uganda as a gorillas-only destination is rapidly changing, and that more and more guests will discover what a staggeringly beautiful and varied destination the Pearl of Africa really is!
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