Uganda, Africa: Day 3

My alarm clock rang at 5:30 am. I almost didn't get up, but then I remembered that this was the day that I would be visiting the Ruwenzori Mountains, the source of the Nile River. I ate fresh fruit for breakfast, and I was able to get my hands on some power bars that I could eat for lunch later on. The wonderful staff at the Emin Pasha Hotel helped me to contact a pilot the day before, and he agreed to take me on an air tour of the mountains for a fee of $50 (www.continentalsafaris.com).

I was astonished as we flew over the Nile at approximately 1:00 that afternoon. I saw some of the famous Cape buffalo that Ernest had written about as we flew by. I wished to see as much as I possibly could, so I helped the pilot avoid landing for lunch by pulling the power bars out of my knapsack. The Ruwenzori Mountains were more beautiful than I could have possibly imagined. The snow-capped peaks of the "Mountains of the Moon" left an impression on me that will last a lifetime. After the sightseeing was done, I instructed the pilot to fly me to the airport back in Nairobi, Kenya. I needed to be in Venice within the next 24 hours. I flew with Kenya Airways for $1513 (www.expedia.com), and slept the whole way there.