Amazement of Nature

Mbarara, Uganda

So we’re cruising down the smooth, wide two-lane highway in our white Toyota, watching the scenery turn from the red-brown of Kampala to complete greenery, and then progressing to greener, greener, and greener. Fifteen minutes have gone by since Moses, our friend and driver, asked laughingly if we want to see animals, to which we shouted an exuberant yes. It’s escaped our minds by now; the conversation really is stimulating. The scenery is flatland of grass and low trees, in every shade of green, with low hills rising in the distance.

Then Moses turns to us and comments, in the tone of voice one would use to say “See how the gas tank is 75% full” the following phrase: “Are you seeing the Zebras?”

We whip our heads out the window and, sure enough, there is a herd of Zebras grazing along the highway.

The strangest thing is actually not the Zebras along the highway. It’s that Moses is continuing at full speed to pass the herd of Zebras along the highway.

A little shrieking corrects the situation by bringing the car to a halt, and Joy and I stampede down the side of the road onto the grass. The herd is 15-20 animals, running, walking, eating, and watching. Through my binoculars I can see their necks twitch as they stand poised. Black and white striped wild horses are very queer to see. They remain near us while we stare and take pictures, but when we are too close they run along the side of the highway until out of sight. It’s our first major animal spotting in Uganda. The area turns out to be the smallest national park in the country, but its highway-side placement and lack of visible fencing makes the experience very otherworldly…though not relative to what we are destined to experience the following days.