Thursday, May 29, 2008

PHOTOS!! (finally)

No time to write of my most recent adventures, so let the pictures tell the story: http://community.webshots.com/user/MsKatieHall
Check out gorillas in Uganda, pictures of Rwanda, and wildlife photos in Kenya; you may need to set aside an hour or two to enjoy them all!

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Muzungu in the Mist

Hey Everyone!!
Since the end of the research project, my travels have taken me south through Uganda and Rwanda. For those who have been asking, I'm not home yet! (I'll be back in July).

My first destination was the Rwenzori mountains in Uganda, also known as the "Mountains of the Moon." We stayed at the scenic Ruboni community camp, and as Shannon described it, "It's like walking into a fairy tale!" The beautiful mountain backdrop with snowy peaks, the clean rivers, the serene lake, and the friendly, colorful people made Ruboni seem like heaven on earth. I wish we could have stayed longer. We took a wonderful guided hike up the side of the hill (very steep! 2km straight up), and back down through the forest. Our guide, Aprunale, was very knowledgeable and showed us male and female specimens of the 3-horned chameleon endemic only to the Rwenzori mountain range. The hike through the forest crossed over a few rivers, and we had to cross wooden bridges Indiana Jones- style, how fun!

We had quite an adventure reaching our next destination, Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park. First, we walked 3 km in the rain carrying 75 pounds of gear to the next town, where we had missed the bus by about an hour. So, we hopped on motorcycles and rode down the mountain to Kasese, the nearest "city" (I call it that because buses actually go there). From Kasese, we caught a bus to Katunguru, where we had hoped to hire a car to take us into the national park, but the bus dropped us off at this dusty abandoned intersection, with only one car around, not much choice. So, we hopped on the back of a pickup truck with 25 other people (no joke) and bounced down the bumpiest road in the country for 70 km to our destination, 3 1/2 hours later. Then of course, we were at the gate of the national park, with no way to get in, so the driver of the pickup called his buddy to take us for a game drive. It quickly became clear that he did not speak english, had never been into the park, knew nothing of animals, and had no sense of direction. All that aside, we did enjoy the game drive (though we didn't see the famed tree-climbing lions), and we made it safely to Bwindi, for the approximate price of $40. you get what you pay for!

In Bwindi, I had an amzing experience gorilla tracking! (stay tuned for pictures- internet too slow to post here) There are 24 permits available each day for tourists, but the day I went, only 6 people were present, so we split into two groups and had our own private gorilla viewing hour. Shannon and I decided to hike to the "far" group of gorillas, Habinyanja family, about a 3 hour hike to find the gorillas. It was a harder hike than the Rwenzoris, but definitely worth it! I was amazed at how magnificent (and large) the gorillas are, until the Silverback walked by and I was astonished- he's HUGE!! We watched him eat for a while, and as he walked off we heard him chest beating- a message to the others to follow him (not like King Kong, no violence at all). We watched the infants playing until our hour was up only too soon!

RWANDA- the land of a thousand hills, or the land where everyone looks like Don Cheadle. Rwanda is a surprisingly clean, organized, and orderly country; all the roads are paved and lined with flowers, and there is no trash anywhere! We first went to Parc National des Volcans, and hiked to the peak of Bisoke (about 3700 m), where there was a crater lake at the top in the center of the dead volcano. It was a muddy and misty hike. We were practically in the stratosphere; it was eerie to gaze out and see only mist and clouds, then as the wind blew, to see 1000 hills stretch ahead for miles.

We spent some time in Kigali to see the genocide memorial. It was very moving, with 250,000 victims buried there. The exhibits explained the history of conflict leading up to the 1994 genocide of Tutsis by Hutus. There were many photos of victims donated by their families (probably the only photo the family had), and there were video interviews of suvivors describing the struggles they endured, and continue to endure with the guilt of it all. The memorial was informative, but my conversations with locals really helped put it in perspective.

In Butare, the intellectual capital of the country, I met with some students at the university, Felix, Felix, and Norbert, and they discussed the current situation in Rwanda. People no longer distinguish themselves as Hutu/Tutsi/Twa, but all are Rwandans. Only foreigners still think of Hutu and Tutsi as valid categories, which does create tension, but the Rwandans are determined to move forward while remembering the past. Each town has a traditional court "gachacha" once a week to deal with the people accused of war crimes. It seems like good social healing, but it must be tough to live alongside those waiting trial for 15 years. The accused must wear pink, and the guilty wear orange, and work in the fields as punishment (death penalty has been eliminated for obvious reasons). Rwanda is no longer the war-stricken country recently portrayed by Hollywood; it is a beautiful, burgeoning place with a lot of pain, and a lot of insight into human struggle.

Next up: Kenya!

Please stay tuned for photographs, I wish I could upload them sooner, but internet is slow!
Love, Katie