100 Meter Waterfall

We went repelling! They call it abseiling here. We were at Sipi Falls in Uganda. We did a bit of hiking--the falls are a beautiful sight. Then I somehow convinced Michael that we should lower ourselves on a rope over the edge of the cliff next to this waterfall. He agreed! Neither of us were especially nervous until the guy who was supposed to go first and then wait for us at the bottom went. He was shaking like a leaf and the look of terror on his face was like nothing I have ever seen before. I was next. For the first thirty meters I walked horizontally against the cliff face, slowly letting out the rope. The views were incredible. Then the rocks cut back, and it was hanging the rest of the way. At the bottom, I got soaked from the waterfall's mist, then trudged up the hill a bit to watch Michael. I was suprised how quickly he came over the edge (until that point I wasn't totally sure he would do it). He had an audience of other hikers and a thunderstorm while he made his descent. He was smiling when he landed at the bottom, and he said he would consider doing it again some day! We left Sipi Falls for Kenya, and our first stop was Saiwa Swamp. The lodge where we stayed was actually an old farmhouse belonging to a lady who had to be in her 90s. She and her daughter welcome visitors, cook delicious meals, and make the arrangements to go birdwatching in the swamp. It was fantastic. We saw tons of new birds, and the other guests invited us to stay at their flat when we get to Mombasa on the Kenyan coast!

After that we stayed two nights at a place called Kerio View, which is right on an escarpment of the Great Rift Valley. Michael finished The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes and I started Volume II of War and Peace.

We've been in the Rift Valley for a few days now. Yesterday we went to Lake Naivasha to see flamingos. I had no idea there would be so many. There were 50 billion of them (my estimate) all around the lake. All fifty billion are continuously moving around to filter the blue green algae from the water with their beaks. There are also many pelicans, spoonbill storks, yellowbill storks, buffalos, rhinos, monkeys, etc. around.

It was a great day. We had good Chinese food for dinner and spent the night in a crappy hotel in the middle of town that cost $8. There was no mosquito net, and I woke up itching at about 12:30. I applied lots of bug spray, put in my earplugs, and felt totally refreshed this morning. We are heading to Hell's Gate National Park as soon as we leave this internet cafe. It might be our last Park in Africa!