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Daily Archives: August 17, 2016

Clouds Lodge high in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

August 17, 2016 – 10:20 am

August 17, 2016

Getting the pre walk lecture from our guard

We departed Buhoma (4900 ft) under sunny skies on the morning of the 15th, walking through the Impenetrable Forest along a well maintained path towards Clouds (6,985 ft). We were accompanied by 2 porters carrying our packs and two guards with guns, whose job was to protect us from wild animals and militants who might come from the Congo. The walk was pleasant and uneventful. The only wildlife we saw was a millipede, a few butterflies and the back end of a red tailed monkey as it ran into the bush. We heard rustling in the bushes and thought it might be a gorilla. Mark did see the top of a gorilla’s head.

The night before there had been a huge rain storm with much lightening and thunder and we expected the forest to be very wet. I was surprised to find it moist, but not terribly

Rain forest images

muddy. Everywhere were lush plants in all shades of green. The canopy was at least 100 feet above our heads and we saw only filtered light through it.

The huge ferns, at least 30 feet tall, really drew my attention, but they were not easy to photograph.

At 5400 feet we intersected the road and were picked up by the Clouds driver for the last 9 kilometers to the Lodge. That was a blessing as the road was in full sun and up hill all the way. We had walked 6.2 miles.

Clouds Lodge succeeded in meeting all the expectations we had been lead to believe about it. High on a hill overlooking the rain forest, it is a first class resort with 8 bungalows, a large living room, veranda and dining room. Our bungalow has its own veranda, living room with a double sided fireplace that also opened into the bedroom, and a good sized bathroom. We were introduced to our personal butler, Bosco, and our personal maid, Janet. Most everyone who stays at Clouds comes to track gorillas. We are an anomaly, but very content to do nothing for the 3 days and nights we are here.

Dickson, our Uganda Safari driver, had arrived in Buhoma the night before. He picked up our luggage to drive it to Clouds, while we walked. Turns out the road is a long way around as it is not allowed in the Forest. So we beat him to Clouds. After taking a shower and having only thin bathrobes to wear, we ate the box lunches Mahogany Springs had provided us in our bungalow. With time to kill, Mark decided we should have massages. Why not? Soon we were side by side on our tummies in the spa. We asked for deep tissue massages and the ladies did a great job. An hour later we were very relaxed and well oiled. As we walked back to our bungalow, Dickson showed up with our bags and we were able to put on clean clothes. Nice beginning to a super stay. Did nothing the rest of the day, except read and write, enjoy cocktails and dinner and observe another brilliant storm flash across the sky until we went to bed.

The nest day, the 16th, we had a leisurely morning and then walked into the nearby village of Nkuringo. We encountered lots of curious children on break from classes, hiked up to a place they call the “top of the world” to see the view and noted that it dubs as a soccer field and a helipad. Unfortunately the sky is very misty and we can only make out the shape of blue hills in the distance. There are 2 active volcanos that can be seen on a clear day, but we have not had one.

Bosco, who accompanies us everywhere, picked a bamboo plant, stripped it of its cat tail-like needles and told us he would make a flute of it.

Bamboo plant from which came a flute

Back at the lodge, we were delighted to encounter two chameleon on bushes near the entrance. One of them was particularly beautiful. They are fun to play with as they tickle you skin when they walk-on you trying to reach the top of your head. We visited with other guests, ate lunch and dinner, read and wrote and relaxed. Nice day, if not exciting.

A beautiful chameleon that does not blend, but looks super anyway.

Today, the 17th, is much the same as yesterday. We walked back to the village to take photos of the kids and ended up getting the full tour of the government primary school that is way too small for the 437 students and 9 teachers.

Knurango Primary School children

In addition to telling us about the school, we received a long request for funds for a dozen or more needs the head master listed. We are sure the needs are large, but there is only so much a person can do.

We had no money with us so we told them we would think about his requests. After lunch, Mark walked back with a small donation. Bosch showed up with the completed bamboo flute and tried to play it for us. When he could not, he found another staff person who really knew how and gave us a pleasant interlude of flute sounds.

We have found some of the art here appealing and are thinking we might purchase a mask of a gorilla (not as tacky as it sounds) and a bronze red-tailed monkey.

Now we have had dinner , visited with other travelers and are off to bed. Am not sure when we will be able to send another post. We leave early in the morning with Dickson. Our next stop is Kigali, Rwanda. We expect to be there in six hours. including the boarder crossing.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2016 Aug-Sep: Dubai / Sudan / Uganda / Rwanda / Zambia / Malawi, Adventures | Comments (1)

Bwindi – our visit comes to an end

August 17, 2016 – 5:11 am

August 14, 2016 Last Day in Bwindi

Aragambacki (Hello, how are you?) Nije (fine)

After our first meeting with Juliana on Saturday 8-13, I toured the BCH campus with Barnabas, one of the public relations officers at BCH. (Those photos are in the last blog.) I had missed the group tour, as it happened before we arrived in Bwindi and Mark had toured the campus the day the board visited the schools. He gave me a full tour including administration, outpatient areas, adult wards, the pre and post op areas including the new Premium ward, the OR and ER, the pregnant women hostel, the maternity ward, a healthy food facility where women are taught how to cook healthy nutritional meals and pediatrics. There was one malnourished child there who was very ill. It was gut wrenching to see him in such distress, but he is in the right place to recover and flourish. I am sure I have missed something and hope Scott will forgive my error. Looking for a cloth pouch for Juliana to keep her bible clean, we stopped at the Batwa Banda, a craft building Carol set up some years ago to help the Batwa women make some money of their own.

That evening we had dinner at Mahogany Springs with one of the volunteer staff at BCH named Shiela. We did not get her last name, but we learned she was from the Seattle area and had been at BCH for a full year running the WATSI program. It is a crowd funding resource for certain hospitals around the world, including BCH. It provides the hospital with about 6% of its operating income. No insignificant amount. Mainly, WATSI funds healthcare for specific patients with specific needs that, with proper treatment, can result in cures; such as hernias, fistulas, C sections, cataracts, hystorectomy’s and many others. It will not fund cancer or heart problems. If you go online and google WATSI.org you will learn how it works and how you can help support specific people in need with very little money. Sounds like a wonderful program. We discussed WATSI so much that we learned very little about Shiela or she about us.

Sunday, 8-14, late afternoon after Mark, Scott and I had had delicious samosas at Susan’s Cafe, a cozy shack next to the entrance to BCH, Scott gave me a quick tour of the Nursing School, as I had seen it only at night during the dedication party. It is quite a nice facility, funded by a pair of wealthy men Scott had met and befriended. Another case of being infected by Scott’s vision. Intended to house up to 90 students, the student demand is so high that it is now housing 150. The program lasts for 3 years and the first class graduates this fall. The graduates will go back to their villages and be, most likely, the only healthcare providers in their communities. He then showed me his private quarters, called Middle Gorilla House. It is a quiet cottage next to the Impenetrable Forest and a great get away for him and Carol. Two other gorilla houses nearby host volunteers and visitors.

So, I have now visited all the facilities connected to the Kellermann Foundation. Tired, but content, I packed and rested up for our last dinner at Mahogany Lodge. Scott joined us and we had a delightful time together. There is so much more to be done and so much that is not working how he or any of us westerners would like things to work; yet, so much has been accomplished in the last 14 years that we must celebrate. From our first visit when there was nothing but IV’s hanging from a tree, to the multi-faceted facility that we see today, the accomplishment in only 14 years is astounding. God grant that progress continues even as Scott and Carol move slowly into the background.

The Batwa have no future tense in their language or culture, so trying to get them to think ahead is very difficult. I am hoping Anivious will succeed. Just wanting an education is future oriented. So far there are 2 Batwa, Kennith and Sylvia, who have graduated from university and carry the torch for their people. Scott thinks Anivious will be one of those touch bearers in the next generation. She has many more hills to climb than even Juliana, who is a member of the accepted culture and does have a sense of the future.

People are so friendly everywhere we go, it is hard to grasp why our world is full of of so much misery.

Ruhanga Abahe Omugisha. (God grant you many blessings)

Webare munonga (Thank you very much)

Here are some photos I thought might interest you, that did not make previous posts. From here we leave Bwindi. Next stop, Clouds Lodge.