I arrive in Entebbe, Uganda … from Ethiopia.
My online visa application is not fully processed,, I have been checking on it while traveling my last few countries … while planning my visit to Uganda … but no luck. Not cool. My arrival is anxious!!! Hope this goes well !!
I even fear being denied boarding my flight out of Ethiopia … It is touch-n-go at check-in… The agent finally relents ,,, USA citizens can get a visa on arrival per the Uganda Government Website!!! (ahh, American Privilege – sometimes it’s cool)
.. so they reluctantly let me board… pheww. I’m out of Ethiopia !!
On arrival in Entebbe,,,,,my visa trouble hangs me up for over an hour.. Turn’s out, my middle name wasn’t on the visa application!!! Who-knew ? The online form didn’t ask for a middle name.. somehow I should have figured that out – this ones on-me ☹ - at least I didn’t have to bribe anyone to get entry 😊
Eventually my visa is approved ..… I’m in Uganda.
I have a packed schedule planned for Uganda,,, not yet fully booked,,always the last minute adventure,,,,, crossing my fingers.
A pre-arranged transfer to my Best-Western hotel goes well,,,and a free day to work on local arrangements … and I’m exploring Uganda.
First up, a city tour of Kampala, the capital of Uganda. I arrange a taxi transfer to the capital..and giant city of Kampala. About an hour from Entebbe. I over-pay for the taxi ☹ oh well, hard to figure out the local rates.
After my transfer to Kampala,,, I meet up with a city tour guide. Booking with women owned and operated tour companies becomes my go-to plan for Uganda. .. a good plan… with great purpose.
Here in Kampala, Merci takes me on a walking tour of downtown. Thru chaotic city markets.. jammed pack with food stalls and every possible re-used item on the planet. Nothing is wasted in Africa. Nothing is discarded… Everything can be fixed, repurposed, reused, re-sold. I even find a Uganda patch for my Backpack…very cool!! A great start here.
Stops at the Gaddafi Mosque, the crazy mini-bus terminal.. numerous historical monuments. The Nakasero and Owino markets in particular were wild experiences….So packed and intense I couldn’t even stop for photos. A little to dangerous to pull out my phone in the middle of the chaos.. Oh well, my memory of those Kampala markets will be with me !!
Like all of my African city tours.. I don’t see tourists.. Just me and a guide.. Everyone notices.
During my visit to Uganda, I have several discussions of the history of Idi Amin ,,, and the genocide he perpetrated here in the 70’s. It’s still talked about in hushed voices. All the while the world stood-back and watched (shame on us!!). 500k Ugandan people perished under his dictatorship.
… also a big topic of discussion … is modern day politics … Uganda is always in world news for its anti-gay legislation. … everyone here and around the world has an opinion.. But the people on the street are just trying to survive. They don’t care about politics…. Just food and tourism and economics. For them,, it’s the same cultural traditions that all of Africa follows,, - but for some reason I don’t understand ....Uganda has written it into law. It seems like a bad-plan for Uganda and its people – the world is against them.
Following up on my busy city tour,, I arrange a visit to the Ngamaba Chimpanzee Sanctuary the next day. The Chimp Sanctuary is a dedicated island in the middle of huge Lake Victoria – very cool. An hour boat-ride to arrive there…..I’m glad to have gotten out on the lake.. seeing the fishing boats.. a good trip …
I learn that even here, in the middle of Africa, on Lake Victoria … there are Chinese fishing boats… exporting fish to China.???? WTF ? They are everywhere. – amazing.
The Chimp Sanctuary was much cooler than I expected. 52 Chimps, all rescues, that have been integrated into a single troop. The project is amazingly complex. Chimps have a very complex social structure… The staff must manage not just food and health, but the social status and leadership within the troop. Wow. An education for me. Cool stuff for a biologist… even for a Microbiologist 😊
The visit reminds me of the Jane Goodall Chimpanzee sanctuary in Kenya I visited with my sons many years ago… but here in Uganda, my visit it timed with a feeding.. So all the 52 Chimps come to the visitors center…behind a fence.. and all await food being thrown to them by the staff. Each getting their share.. Each screaming out in Chimp voices when they feel slighted. They live mostly in the island jungle,,free to climb and roam,,,, but coming into a caged enclosure for an evening feeding.. A managed Chimpanzee troop. How the staff succeeds is astonishing. It’s amazing to watch.
…but next up for Uganda is the big show!! And the reason I have arranged a visit to Uganda. A visit to the Ugandan Gorilla’s.
I have booked a 3 day trip to SouthWest Uganda – to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Here, wild mountain Gorilla’s can be visited.. A world unique experience. Only other place to see wild Gorilla’s up-close is just across the border – in Rwanda. Congo has gorillas also, very near-by – but no tourism.
My tour was absolutely fantastic. It’s not an easy Safari adventure.. but absolutely worthy. It begins from Entebbe… as a road-trip. A long 12 hour drive to Bwindi.
Thankfully, the Ugandan roads to Bwindi are very good. Still, it’s exhausting. Speed bumps everywhere.. but only 1-2 hours are off-road.. It is possible to fly closer to Bwindi ....not sure if that is a better plan – but I wouldn’t have been able to see the countryside. To see Ugandan towns. Be amazed by the green green hills, the coffee and tea farms – it’s a beautiful country. The Pearl of Africa…as Winston Churchill was quoted.
Along the road I learn a little about life outside the big cities – another education.
Uganda is far more organized (and safe) than I realized. We never pay a police bribe along the long 12 hour trip (or return trip)… No-where else in Africa have I experienced that… elsewhere.. police bribes/fee’s are a common accepted practice. Here, corruption is hard-fought by the government, and it looks like it’s working 😊 good for them.
The drive includes a crossing of the Equator.. I’ve done that a ton this year.. Crossing several times in Ecuador back in February.
An extra treat is gifted me on arrival in Bwindi. The Safari Lodge I have booked is a special place. Called ‘Ride 4 a Woman’ - it is a Lodge owned and operated by women. In particular, it is led by a local woman (Evelin) that has organized an entire ‘cottage’ industry around her lodge… for the goal of helping the local women. She has created numerous jobs; many sewing and selling embroidery, others operating the Lodge.
‘Ride 4 a Woman’ is doing the most important work conceivable. Changing people’s lives. Saving people. Educating woman. Feeding women and families. I can’t say enough about her and her work. I’m hoping to keep a close connection to her work.. She will not go unnoticed !! I met with Evelin about her projects in Bwindi…and how US citizens can help… I’ll be keeping an eye on Bwindi.
But back to the Gorillas. Wow.. I couldn’t have asked more. Waking early at the lodge, for another off-road event.. My driver delivers me to the Bwindi Impenetrable Park entrance. Here, I am grouped with 6 other tourists and assigned trackers, guides, and military security. There are 4 groups (troops) of Gorillas currently available to visit. Each troop from 10-14 individuals.
Further into the jungle, and across the borders,, Africa holds a total of about 500 wild mountain Gorillas … today, I meet 13 😊
After an amazing singing/dancing welcome by local Ugandans, I am briefed on the day’s plan. We climb back in our trucks.. traveling 40-50 minutes to the jump-off point for our trek. The Gorillas’ move each day, and the trekking jump-off locations are always changing. 3 trackers have been up since 5am, and have located our assigned troop (Bitukura) . After reaching the jump-off point. Three Trackers, Two guides, and Two military escorts join our group of 7 tourists...… Also, several of the paying tourists hire porters.. to carry their water/lunches/camera’s/backpacks. …. I skip the porter, it wasn’t needed for me – hiking in African jungles is just another day !
Up the steep trail we start!!! It appears we have been lucky today…. Our assigned Gorilla troop is near-by. Just a 1 hour hike. A few sections are difficult, but overall – not a big deal.
And then we meet the Gorillas. The policy is for the humans to wear masks… So, on with the Pandemic masks… I didn’t ask how-long this has been the policy.. I wonder?
1 hour, with 13 Gorillas. When we arrive, only one is on the ground… The largest Gorilla – the Silverback, and leader of the troop. Absolutely amazing. Slowly, the others climb down from the trees. 2 babies being carried by their mothers. Several walk just 1m away from me…passing in front of me as I photograph and video them… The Gorillas seem to just ignore us. They focus on eating the leaves and plants .. Once-or twice I make eye contact… but they have seen humans many many times.. maybe everyday (?) … so we are not very interesting to them. No food, just a gawking human.
The hour visit fly’s by. I am repositioned several times by the guides, to get better views ... we talk in hushed voices.. keep a respectful distance. Ahh, a privilege and a life-time experience. Check.
The visit is out of movie.. Gorillas in the Mist.. about the famous Dian Fossey. Even the mist shrouded mountains match the vibe. This is a special adventure !!
After a short jungle break for our lunches, we hike back to the trucks. Everyone chatters about the experience… everyone has shared a unique experience the has bonded us – interesting human/gorilla behavior 😊 we all have become best-friends.
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As amazing as visiting the Gorillas is, once back in Bwindi I have even more to experience. I have a village walk planned. What a day !!!
Again, I am assigned 2 military escorts – with AK47’s again. Just for me and my guide this time. Seems overkill. But Uganda fears its neighbors more than its own people … Bwindi is located very close to the Congo and Rwanda boarders. Just 2-weeks ago, terrorists crossed from Congo and murdered 41 school children…. An unimaginable atrocity. As I was booking my Ugandan trip, I was thinking this atrocity would cancel my planned tours.. but no,,,,,,,it may have added extra security – not sure.
Walking the Bwindi village; I am treated to a Ugandan Coffee Ceremony….outside a local family’s home.. to fresh coffee. – always cool.
..and still yet, the village walk brings me to the Bwindi school. A large school,, as I arrive several hundred primary/middle school children are outside. All in uniforms, absolutely beautiful, well behaved and managed by the school principle. The principle gives me a tour – an amazing school, with buildings built by different NGO’s – American and Canadian mostly – very very cool.
But my school tour doesn’t end there… 40+ children surround me, I am seated in a chair – just me .… and they sing and dance for me.. I am humbled. I am brought to tears,,which I much hold back!!! They are crazy great!!! The music and dancing are the best I’ve every seen.. The video of the young boys… Wow… precious.
Then even more,,,,onto a local jungle village tour. To a tribe of people that where described as Pygmies. For me,,they are not Pygmies … just small humans. And the experience was special. They dance and sing for me, giving me a tour of their jungle… speaking of their Animism beliefs… of the trees that they pray to.. The privilege of meeting these people is difficult to describe.. These are closer to off-off-grid indigenous peoples. Not integrated into the main village, isolated …and fighting to maintain their own unique culture.
One of the difficult parts of Safari and village tours.. is planning for the appropriate cash tips. Never a large sum for the local visits.. but it is tricky to plan,,I could have done better. For example… 3 trackers, 2 guides, and 2 military escorts – just for the Gorilla trek portion.. I share with each some Ugandan money.. so,,plan ahead, make sure you have plenty of extra cash.. its not so very much money.. it’s the planning. Of coarse, like everywhere,, the primary guides – my driver from Entebbe is tipped much higher.. but those tips are expected and normal and easy to manage.. it’s the many many smaller interactions that are difficult to ‘get right’..
Actually the small cash tipping aspect of African adventure is always important.. Don’t forget to make a plan..Do your best. Get some extra local cash!! It’s a big deal for the locals, they are just starting to get tourists back and need every visitor they can get !!
One final night at ‘Ride 4 a Woman’ … with excellent local food and a perfect room.. then back in the truck. 12+ more hours back to Entebbe. And along the journey.. the required flat tire.. it seems to be impossible to avoid in Africa.. Mechanical or tires.. it’s a demanding environment for Trucks. But,,at least my lost time for repairs let me meet yet more Ugandan children.. They are a joy !! big smiles.. always wanting to share photo’s.
In Entebbe, I have scheduled another rest day. It’s needed !! An easy walk to the local mall. A visit to an art market just across from my hotel… Success.. I find 2 small paintings that I can roll-up and travel with… Love adding them to my collection at home. I don’t collect many souvenirs.. but these are perfect and light-weight.
Re-pack, collect my dive gear which I stored at the hotel….. Another transfer to the airport…
And as-normal…the airport is an event.. a dog sniffs out my luggage,, I must unpack it.. Seems the dog smells a souvenir from Ethiopia (my last country) .... A painting done on Goat-skin…. After a discussion with airport security.. they are fine with my Goat-skin painting,, I’m permitted to continue…
Onward. I’m out of Africa.
I’ll return… This is the most vibrate continent… I can’t stay away,,,, with so many more countries here to explore yet – how could I stay away?
Until next time… Goodbye Africa.
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