Kalinzu Forest Reserve

The drive from the tiny village where I slept to Kalinzu was only 20 minutes. Before I left I bought a rice sack to protect my pack. I put it over top and then cut holes in it for my straps. It would do the job, not for the rain but for the dust and dirt.
Kalinzu reception and campsite is located just off the main road. I met Robert who told me about the reserve. This wasn't a national park and therefore no hefty fees. There was no entrance fee and all the guiding, camping and food was very reasonable. Robert said there were many trails and enought to keep me busy. I planned on staying for about 5 days. The only thing I didn't like was their established campsite. It was beside the reception and it plain view. I asked if there was anywhere else. He showed me a developing campsite behind the office and down a hill. There were still a few falled trees around and the grass wasn't cut super short but the site looked good to me. It was surrounded by forest on a hill but the tent sites had been cut into level terraces. It needed a little bit of touch up to be perfect and I asked Robert if he had a hard rake. He did, I borrowed it and went to work. Leveling uneven ground is major part of my job back home when planting summer flowers and fall bulbs and I like doing it. I choose the highest site with the least bit of grass and the most cover from the trees. I knew I would be spending some time here so why not make it really comfortable. I pulled out the remaining grass and weeds. My arch enemy the ant was living in the ground here but that wasn't going to stop me. They didn't bother me as I raked away their home. After some sweat and blisters I was finished. My rough and calloused hands from work had by this point turned into a soft mushy mess. I cleared a space around the bench and table and my area where I would dry my clothes between 2 trees. I was happy and satisfied. I ate lunch and after that Robert and I set off into the forest.
Kalinzu is 147km sq and mostly secondary forest. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 1400m to 1800m. It had been selectively logged a while back and has 3 part. One for ecotourism, one for use by local people and another not to be used by anyone. It contains a variety of animals ranging from chimps, blue monkey, l'hoest monkey and others to civets, pangolins, leopards, snakes and chameleons. It appeared fairly lush and dense some pockets. The leaves on the trail were most and thick green moss grew on the trees. It felt like home again to be back in the forest. The forest is very hilly, a stark contrast to the flat Semlike forest. I was able to get good views of the blue monkey which unlike the red tailed, black and white colobus, vervet monkey and baboons, I had not seen that often. We exited the forest into a tea plantation. It was my first time walking through tea. I was in a sea of tea. We walked to the main road and then back to Kalinzu. I had a cold bucket shower and relaxed before dinner.
Since I stayed 6 nights at Kalinzu and had no choice but to eat here, there was nothing around, I ate only what was localling available. I had only a few choices and made combinations with them, rice/groundnut sauce, rice/beans, rice/matooke, potatoes ( called Irish here) with groundnut sauce ( probably my favourite) and beans/matooke was about the extent of it. For breakfast I would have an omelette, bread, bananas and tea. No coffee here. It was plain food but 3 meals a day only cost $4. The cook/guide Rachel was a great cook and did what she could with the food adding in a few veggies here and there.
I took one of the folding reclining chairs from the office down to the campsite so I could relax with a backrest. There isn't much traffic on the road at night and I sleep well, though it's a little chilly at 18C.