It’s our first full day in Uganda and we’re headed from the capital Kampala all the way across the country towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we have afternoon plans to trek with chimpanzees.

Some of the scenery en route to Queen Elizabeth National Park:

In the next two photos, my friends Cheryl from Australia and Kamani from New Zealand pose in front of this Queen Elizabeth NP sign:

This is the starting location for chimp trekking. What a striking green canyon:

Our group splits into two because they’ll only take seven people chimp trekking at a time. (We have 15 people and luckily they bend the rules to allow eight in the second group.) This guide gives us a run down on what to expect, and then we’re off.

We have an armed guard with us at all times. It’s a tad unnerving and simultaneously comforting.

After less than 30 minutes of trekking through deep woods, we spot glimpses of our first chimps — a hand or a foot peeping out from under the leaf coverage. Truth be told, I have a terrible time spotting them. Everyone else clicks away on their cameras and I’m like, “Is that a foot?” The depth of the trees overhead camouflages them well.

But soon enough they show their faces:

We spend the rest of our time camped out by this tree because there are several chimps here. We have about an hour at this spot and it’s enchanting to watch them interact — the chimps call loudly to each other, swing from branch to branch, and munch on leaves. We take cover when they, uh, answer nature’s call.

This dude poses contentedly for a good 10+ minutes, chomping on leaves and staring back at us.

I spy a baby on this mama’s back:

We’re under a little pressure to finish our chimp trek because the second group can’t depart until we finish. They come and take our places under the same tree, since this group of chimps seems happy to show off. We head back to the overland truck.

We still have an armed guard with us and he’s happy to pose for photos.

Once the whole group is back, we head to our campsite for the evening and do an impromptu game drive, stopping for photos whenever we see wildlife.

I spy with my little eye… a lion!

Impalas…

I wish I were better at remembering bird species…

And there’s a baboon in the distance:

Our next stop is scenic Lake Bunyoni. See you tomorrow!

Thanks to Acacia Africa for discounting the 18-day Mountain Gorillas to the Mara tour in exchange for blogging and photography. Opinions are my own.