October | 2018 | Adventures with Julia

Monthly Archives: October 2018

Eastern Lebanon

October 23, 2018 – 8:47 am

October 15, 2018

On this map you can pick out Beirut, the cedars and monasteries in the north, the Jeita Grotto, Byblos and Our lady of Lebanon (the yellow circle with a +), On our last day we drove over the mountains to Baqaa Valley to visit Baalbeck. As you can see, Syria is very close.

We completely changed plans for our last day in Lebanon. We were supposed to stay in the mountain area near our hotel and keep things easy and safe. However, Dave thought we should not miss Baalbeck and we agreed. Why was it not on our itinerary anyway? Dave said it was because the area around Baalbeck is where the Hezbillah forces are located and our agent in the states, Martina, had thought it prudent to stay away.

We agreed with Dave and off we went for the 2.5 hour drive east, over the mountains to the fertile Bekaa Valley where Baalbeck was built on the highest part of the valley. The road was narrow, windy and exhilarating to say the least. I closed my eyes a couple of times. We ascended to 6000 feet before cresting the mountains and dropping steeply down to the fertile and green valley floor. Once in the valley, we could see the rich, deep red soil in unplanted fields. We passed several vineyards, orchards of apples and olives, and fields of tomatoes, potatoes and much more. We also passed several refugee camps and a couple of down and out looking towns that Dave said the refugees had taken over.

A Syrian refugee camp right on the roadside, shortly after we reached the Baqaa Valley floor.

A rough looking town in the Baqaa Valley. Dave told us a lot of refugees have moved out of the camps and into town. Was not an inviting place.

A gold-leafed mosque built by Iran. This part of Lebanon was occupied by Syria from 1976 to 2005. The whole eastern side of Lebanon is bordered by Syria.

This megalith, the largest cut stone in the world, seems ready to be transported to the temple site. It gave us tourists a taste of the mammoth undertaking involved in building Baalbeck, a 5 km distance from this quarry..

Finally, we reached Baalbeck, visited a quarry for the stones used in construction of the temples, and recognized the immensity of the temple complex even before entering it. Dave gave us an orientation and sent us into Baalbeck on our own.

Outside the Temple complex is the Temple of Venus (3rd c. AD). It was a round building set on a horseshoe shaped podium. It was used as a church from the Middle Ages until modern times and was thus better preserved than the Temple of the Muses, just to the right of it, where there are only a few columns remaining..

A drawing of the temple complex. The Jupiter Temple dominates, with Bacchus at the left. The Venus Temple is in the lower left.

A borrowed photo of how the site would look today if the 6 major Jupiter columns were not covered in scaffolding. They are immense. The huge south wall of the Temple of Bacchus has only a few columns. The other sides are more dramatic, but they are not even close to the size if the Jupiter columns..

Part of the Hexagonal Courtyard looking toward the entrance.

A panorama of the Great Courtyard with the Altar still in the middle. The open “trench” to the left of the Altar is where artifacts from 4000 BC were found. Note the size of the person next to the trench.

We were awestruck by the immense size of the complex and took many photos of the main temples—Jupiter and Bacchus—as well as other details. History of the site goes back to the discovery of flint shards in 4000 BC. By 300 BC a sanctuary had been built to the god Baal and was called Baalbeck, or Lord of the Bekaa in Semitic. For a thousand years the place was called Heliopolis when Baal became identified with Zeus. Alexander the Great conquered the site and held it until his death.

Site plan of Jupiter and Bacchus temples.

In 64 BC, Pompey occupied Phoenicia and a long period of Roman rule began. By the time of Emperor Hadrian, who visited Baalbeck in 130 AD, the Roman Empire had become well consolidated and entered into a long period of peace and wealth. Baalbeck received the benefits of the time and became the largest temple complex outside Rome itself. Building the monuments was the preoccupation of all the emperors until 312 AD, when Constantine the Great recognized Christianity as the religion of the empire and temple construction abruptly came to an end.

The northwest corner of the Great Courtyard. Mark sits on what was a pool for ablutions.

A detail, at ground level, of the incredible stonework.

A lion gargoyle that was part of the drainage system. It was part of the lentil covering the roof.

The six remaining columns of the Jupiter Temple were, sadly for us, surrounded by scaffolding. We actually saw people working near the top.

The well preserved Bacchus Temple.

Climbing the steps to the Bacchus Temple The Romans built the steps in odd numbers so when a person started with their right foot they would reach the top with their left foot and step into the temple with their right foot.

The Monumental gate of the Temple of Bacchus

The north wall of the Bacchus Temple. Note the proportion of the person in the doorway to the columns.

Mark in the covered corridor on columns on the north side of the temple.

A section of the covered ceiling still in place. The detail is marvelous.

A ceiling frieze that collapsed. Depicted is Cleopatra being bit by a snake.

This image really gets at the feeling of being small in relation to the temples. When completed, the temple was completely surrounded by these huge columns.

Mark and I spent an hour and a half slowly wandering through the complex and taking it in. Dave said he was getting worried about us. I could have stayed much longer.

Grand entrance to the inner chamber of Bacchus Temple

Inside the inner chamber of Bacchus Temple. Awesome indeed.

Cornice details on the corinthian columns in the central room of Bacchus Temple.

In a tunnel under Baalbeck was a museum, It contained the remains of a buried woman that had not been robbed by grade diggers. On the head of the skeleton were 53 gold oak-shaped leaves. There were also 8 round plaques decorated with female figures and a lead ring coated with gold.

On the way back down the valley, we stopped for a beef and lamb wrap, called a Shawarma. It was so good I could have had a second one. The beef and lamb are piled onto a large skewer, cooked standing up rotisserie style and then shaved into sandwich portions.

A server in a cheese shop makes a crepe with soft cheese and honey.

After that, Dave stopped at a cheese shop where he bought us each a crepe wrap filled with a cottage-like cheese and honey. A few bites of it were enough for me, but, not to offend Dave, I managed to eat it all. Fortunately, it was not overly sweet. We stopped at a pumpkin vendor to get a look, then made our last stop in the valley at a winery. Mark sampled several varieties. He was not impressed. However, Dave had said it was his favorite wine, so we purchased a bottle for him.

A roadside vendor selling pumpkins in Baqaa Valley, Lebanon.

Finally, we headed back up the mountain to our hotel. It had been a 2.5 hour drive each way. In addition to visiting Baalbeck, the scenery itself made the trip well worth the effort…..mostly Dave’s effort, as we just sat back and enjoyed the ride.

Back at the palace, we cleaned up and took a taxi to a nearby restaurant called Maestro. It specialized in sushi and pasta. Go figure. Worked for us. I had sushi and Mark had pasta.

October 16, 2018

Dave picked us up at 11:30 for our 2-hour drive to the airport. We had one last chance to ask him questions. I asked him about the status of women in Lebanese society. According to him, women have equal rights with men regarding jobs and income. They can make and sign contracts, buy and sell property and act independently of men. There is no requirement to wear scarves or other coverup. I was glad to hear that. Both Mark and I think Dave was one of, if not the, best guides we have ever had. Nothing like having the owner of the agency provide personal service.

As for my thoughts about this whole adventure, it was actually three separate trips in one. The Group adventure in Uganda and Rwanda was a very special experience for me. I have not created and executed a trip for others before and was very pleased at how well it was appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. My great pleasure was watching all of them having good experiences. No one complained about the difficult hike they had to endure to get to Clouds or about anything else. If there were problems, they were solved without my knowing of them. I learned more about being vulnerable and listening and that was good for me.

The Seychelles were…..well….heavenly. Even though we were there 5 days and nights, our time there was too short. I wish it was not so very far away from home. We began a discussion about having more fun trips rather than heavy duty adventures. We shall see.

The last portion was back to more adventure travel. Our time in Jordan and Lebanon was very interesting and educational. We were perfectly safe everywhere we went and saw and experienced many activities. There was more of interest and variety to do in Jordan and I recommend visiting that country to anyone. The main sight to see in Lebanon, in my opinion, is Baalbeck and, after seeing our photos and reading our story, you might be able to save yourself that trip. The problem I had with both countries was the frequent change in altitude. Up to a mountain top and down to -1450 feet at the Dead Sea, then back up again, several times in both countries. I developed a sinus and ear infection that is slowly going away now that I am home.

I hope you have enjoyed these adventures with us. In 5 weeks we will go back to Africa again. This time to Tanzania, Mozambique and Cape Town in South Africa. Then we will have a once in a life time experience flying to Antartica for a week of summer in sub-freezing weather, visiting Emperor Penguins, the South Pole and whatever else might happen along the way. I don’t know if we will have wifi on Antartica, but do come along with us for whatever communication we do have.

My parting comments are summed up in this thought provoking poem I saw in one of the tunnels at Baalbeck.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (7)

North of Beirut

October 20, 2018 – 8:50 am

Climbing into the mountains north of Beirut

Lots of villages along the way, even as we climb up to tree line.

A cliffside monastery we spotted over the side of the road.

October 13, 2018

By 9am, we started our drive up into the mountains north of Beirut, to visit the Cedars of Lebanon. I had heard so much about them from my parents, who visited Lebanon in the late 60’s, that I wanted to see them for myself. As we drove along the coast, Dave told us Lebanon has 225 km of shoreline on the Mediterranean and that the highest point in the country is in northern Mt Lebanon at 3086 m. The mountains receive ample snow to keep several ski resorts busy during the winter.

Along the way, Dave talked more about the political history of the country. Mark and I were eager to learn what happened from the perspective of an educated Lebanese. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to push out the Palestinian refugees who had relocated there. They were supporting the Lebanese Christians who wanted to move the Palestinians far from Lebanon and the Israeli border. The Palestinians, not being allowed to have part of Israel, wanted to take over Lebanon with the help of the Arab world and make it their home. If that is the case, it is no wonder that the Lebanese Christians wanted to oust the Palestinians from Lebanon. Meanwhile, the PLO was a major player in support of the Palestinians. The story becomes more complicated with the introduction of each new element.

Hezbollah, both a political and a militant Shi’ite Muslim group was founded in 1982 to defend the occupied territory in the south, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in the First Lebanon War. Israel’s success in expelling militant Palestinian groups from southern Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to gain a stronger foothold in Lebanese politics. Trained by Iranian forces, the group became highly organized both politically and militarily. Once Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, Hezbollah assumed greater power in the south. The group initially stated that its primary goal was to liberate Lebanese soil and, as long as it did that, it had the support of the majority of Lebanese people. When it continued, with encouragement from Iran, to fight for Palestinians, the total defeat of Israel and to assist Assad in Syria, it lost the support of about half the population of Lebanon, including Dave.

A portrait of Khahil Gibran, who died at 48, by a friend of his.

Enough about politics. We were high on a narrow mountain road headed for the home and gallery of Khalil Gibran (1883-1931). It took me awhile to remember that I had heard of Gibran many years ago as the author of the book “The Prophet”. It is a famous book, although I cannot remember what was in it. His home contained a great deal of his paintings as well as his tomb. I found the cave-like, converted monastery rather strange. As Mark said, it was “rambling and piecemeal”. Neither of us was drawn to any of his art, although he did have a good command of the human anatomy. Dave’s comment was that it was “very pale”. It sure was. And eerie as well. We did not stay long, but his Epitaph is memorable:

Looking at a ski station above tree line. The young trees are cedars that have been planted. The larger ones are about 30 years old.

At 6,490 feet above sea level, we finally reached the cedar trees, most of which have been planted during the last 30-40 years. They need to be carefully watered, fertilized and cared for during the first 10 years after being planted. After that they will survive and grow on their own as long as they are planted between 1000 and 2000 meters in elevation, receive ample water, sun, snow and humidity during the year. With good weather conditions, they will grow 7 centimeters per year.

Tourist shops next to the Cedar Forest. A large, well shaped cedar over shadows the vendor kiosks.

There is a small grove of old growth trees that have survived thousands of years of deforestation by everyone starting with Egyptian Pharaohs in 2500 BC. We stopped at the tourist area beside the forest and took a walk through it on a well-marked trail. The sky was delightfully blue, clear, cool and fresh and the huge old trees were very photogenic. We lingered a good while taking them in and thinking about other old forests we have seen like the redwoods in Marin’s Muir Woods and the Bristle Cone Pines in the White Mountains. In one of the shops we bought a sandwich to share, while we chatted with the shopkeeper.

On the path through the cedars, we see trees that have not yet bent over to form a flat top. In this photo are samples of both young and mature trees.

My favorite tree in the grove–large and multi trunked.

This forest is not as dramatic as our west coast Sequoia forests such as Muir Woods, but it was still good to see it.

From this lofty elevation we winded our way down a very steep narrow road to the Kadisha Valley where monks came to live after 636 AD to escape persecution from the Arab conquests. We saw several old hermitages, some of which are still in use.

Driving along the steep, narrow and scary road. At least it was paved.

Dave and Mark contemplate this hermitage chapel in a cave.

Monastery of St Anthony of Kozhia

We visited the Monastery of St Anthony of Kozhia where we saw the first Arab printing press, dated from 1610. It printed in Arabic as well as Syrac. Syrac is a derivative of Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke, if I understand it correctly. The last vestiges of the Aramit people, who were among the first tribes to believe in Jesus, were ousted from Iraq in 2011. They moved to Scandinavian countries according to Dave.

Along the road we saw a man selling ripe persimmons and I bought a couple. The man did not want to take my dollar bill because it was too much to pay for the fruit I was buying, but Dave insisted he take it and help someone else less fortunate. He said he would.

A farmer peddling his persimmons. Called “Cacky” in Lebanese.

Back at the hotel at the end of the day, Mark and I cleaned up and walked to a nearby restaurant called Al Sultan Brahim for its fresh fish. Dave had told us to get baby barracuda and red mullet. The head waiter suggested we also get octopus and squid for appetizers. We got it all and enjoyed every bite. I selected 3 small barracuda and Mark chose 6 red mullet. My favorite dish was the squid. It was gently sauted in a buttery wine sauce and was perfectly hot and tender. After dinner we wandered through a pedestrian area and enjoyed watching the young people.

October 14, 2018

The morning of October 14, we drove 19 miles North again to experience the Jeita Grotto, which consists of two separate galleries. First, we took a cable car uphill a couple hundred feet to the entrance of the upper grotto. There, our cameras were taken, and we began a long walk through the grotto. The several rooms were all large and one was huge in vertical height and breadth. Stalactites and Stalagmites were everywhere and well lit. There were forms of curtains, columns, draperies, mushrooms and other imaginable shapes. We saw one of the world’s largest stalactites, 8.2 meters long. The whole grotto was impressive. If only I could have used my camera.

After exiting the upper grotto, we walked down a road to the lower grotto, where we got into an electrically powered boat for a 400m. floating tour. Although nice, it was anticlimactic compared with the upper grotto. Soon we were back in the SUV and on our way to Byblos.

The port at Byblos was once a major player in the Mediterranean.

A couple of the many stores in Bybs

Byblos is a Greek word meaning “book”. The town, slightly north of Beirut, became a commercial hub in 1200 BC and is a rich archeological site as well as a major tourist town on the Mediterranean. It is full of old souks, bars and restaurants. During the middle ages it was a Crusader fortress and has long been a fisherman’s port.

Lebanese is not a language. It is a dialect. These signs are readable to someone who speaks Lebanese. Dave read them to us and they made sense…..at the time.

The Phoenician alphabet of 22 characters and eventually evolved into the Greek, Latin and Arabic languages.

The Phoenician alphabet was exported from here in 800 BC. I do not know who or how it was created. It was composed of 22 characters that evolved into the Greek language and later into Latin and Arabic. As we wandered around the town, we encountered several bridal parties all having their photos taken near the St John Markus Church.

A bride prepping for her photo shoot.

The 4th generation owner in his fossil shop, started in 1954 by his ancestor, Mikhael Abi Saad.

Stepping into a fossil shop, we encountered the owner and learned about the discovery of fossils in the area. According to his story, there were torrential rains 100M years ago that caused an increase in plankton, which captured the oxygen, released toxins and asphyxiated all living organisms. The dead fish accumulated on the sea bed. When the Lebanese mountains rose up 40M years ago following the displacement of tectonic plates, fossils became exposed around Byblos. Today, more than 800 species of fish, crustacean, plants and turtles can be found in the nearby hills. He had some very interesting fossils including an octopus and sting rays.

At an outdoor bar, we had a long discussion with the bar owner about scotches, while I drank a beer. Mark tasted a few scotches. It was a most pleasant couple of hours.

The bar man who specialized is scotches

After leaving Byblos, Dave took us to see Harissa, a large statue of Our lady of Lebanon, which stands 550 m. above sea level. To get there we rode a cable car up the mountainside to the base of the statue. The statue is made of bronze and painted white.

The cable car ride to the top of the local hill

Byblos on the Mediterranean as seen from the cable car.

Unfortunately, she was undergoing some work and was encased in scaffolding. In the Koran, Mary is considered the mother of the prophet Issa, another name for Jesus. In Lebanon, Muslims and Christians celebrate all holiday for both religions.

Our Lady of Lebanon being repainted.

Very close to the statue was St Paul’s Greek Melkite Catholic Church. It was a pretty church that was also where Dave celebrated his wedding. He is happily married and has two daughters, both of whom received full ride scholarships to universities in the US. They both live and work in the US and probably will stay there. Dave hopes to visit them someday.

St Paul’s Greek Melkite Catholic Church just a couple blocks away from Our Lady of Lebanon.

That ended the touring part of the day. We headed south and east into the hills to get to our country hotel for the next 2 nights. It was a restored palace called Mir Amin Palace. The place was a bit on the tired side and not what we had gotten used to on this trip. Nevertheless, we slept well and spent little time in the hotel. We had dinner and breakfast the next morning on the hotel terrace. The air was a bit crisp at 2000 feet elevation, but quite acceptable. The staff spoke very little English and we had a hard time ordering. Regardless of what we asked for we received the Lebanese version of breakfast—cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, yogurt with olive oil, hot beans, coffee, orange juice and toast. Oh well. We made do.

Mir Amin Palace Terrace

A typical Lebanese breakfast.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (2)

Lebanon, Beirut

October 19, 2018 – 5:20 pm

October 12, 2018

We landed in Beirut on October 12, 2018 for our first visit to Lebanon. After immigration, baggage claim and customs, we were met by our Lebanese driver/guide, Dave. We were immediately pleased by his excellent English skills. He was friendly and conversational without talking too much or asking too many questions. We liked him right away. We later learned that he owns the tour company and wanted to guide us himself. His Mitsubishi SUV was large and comfortable and soon we were off. He took us directly to our hotel in downtown Beirut, Le Gray, but the room was not ready, and the sky was threatening to rain, so we went directly to the National Museum of Beirut, where Dave pointed out the important items.

National Museum of Beirut, Main Floor

Marble sarcophagus. Priam kneels before Achilleus begging him for the body of his son Hector, who is attached to a chariot. Tyre, 2nd c. AD.

Ivory statue of Papposilenos, master of the god, Bacchus, Roman Period.

A broken container with the remains of a small child. Did not get the date

Each sarcophagus portrays with realism the particular facial features of a woman or a man.

Vase representing a woman’s head with an elaborate hairstyle (64 BC-395 AD). I really liked this sculpture created by a potter named Loukios.

The birth of Alexander, Baalbeck 4th c. AD

We also watched a documentary that showed the destruction of the museum during the civil wars between 1975-90 as well as flooding and humidity from exposure to the elements. Also how concrete tombs had been built around some of the larger pieces by museum staff to safeguard them. We were saddened by how many items were either destroyed or stolen. Although the building has been restored as well as some of the artifacts, the place feels as if something was missing. Here are some of the items we were able to appreciate.

New buildings in downtown Beirut.

An all new part of the city including outdoor cafe’s.

After visiting the museum, Dave took us on a walking tour of the down town. We learned that Beirut was originally a Hellenistic city with the Romans making major developments, the remains of which we could see in areas that have been exposed during the recent reconstruction. If ruins are discovered during the construction of a new building, they must be preserved. They were followed by the Byzantines, who Christianized the area until an earthquake and tsunami struck in 551 AD.

A damaged building left as a reminder of the wars.

Severly damaged, the city fell into decline until the Arabs conquered the city with little resistance in 635. In 1110, the crusaders arrived and held the city until the Ottomans arrived. Fast forward. At the end of WWI, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of what had been the Ottoman Empire. In 1920, the French demarcated the region of Lebanon. In 1921 the country received its first mandated president. The good things that happened under French rule included free education, healthcare, social security and free universities. With independence, declared in 1943, came religious freedom, a balance of religious communities and a modern democracy. The constitution requires the president to be a Maronite Catholic, the prime minister to be a Muslim Sunni and the speaker of parliament to be a Muslim Shia. At the time the population was approximately 50/50 Muslim/Christians. Today the law is the same, but the population has shifted to more like 54/40 Muslim/Christian, with 5.6% Druze, a different sect.

The floor of a Roman Bath discovered when the city was being rebuilt. It was left exposed.

Dave talked a good deal about the civil wars from 1975 to 1990, which resulted in approximately 120,000 fatalities and years of social and political instability. Although the city was largely destroyed, it has been and continues to be rebuilt and looks thoroughly modern, we did see a few buildings that have been left intentionally un-repaired, lest people should forget. Anyone under 28 was not even born during the destruction. The current population of the country is 5 million with 2 million living in Beirut. There are 15 million Lebanese living abroad, mostly in Brazil, the US and Canada. In addition, there are 1.5 million refugees from Syria and another half a million from Palestinian. Syrian refugees receive $67/mo/child and more if they do not “need” to work. If the refugee takes a job, it means a Lebanese has to give one up. If they go back to Syria, the refugee will get much less, even if they work. There is not much incentive to leave Lebanon. This is funded through the U.N.

As we walked, we saw a monument erected in 1943 to martyrs of the Ottoman period. In the first Arab-Israeli War of 1948, 25,000 Palestinian refugees had arrived in Lebanon with the support of the Arab world. The conflict between the Arabs and Israel continued and during another Arab-Israeli war, 250,000 more refugees arrived in Lebanon.

Militant groups began to develop. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) from 1969 to 2004 and a founding member of the Fatah political party during that same time, figured significantly in the civil wars.

During the 1975-90 wars, the monument we were standing in front of during this discussion, received a number of bullet holes that are still visible. We learned that Syria occupied the north and eastern part of Lebanon from 1977-2005 and that Israel occupied the south from 1982-2000. Even during reconstruction, the country was not at peace. It was not until March 14, 2005 after all the occupiers had withdrawn, that complete freedom was declared.

Enter a caption

On one side of Monument Square is the new Mohammad Al Amin Mosque. Next door is St George’s Maronite Cathedral. We visited both buildings. Nearby was the government parliament palace. Dave was enthusiastic about how comfortable Christians and Muslims are with each other and were before the civil wars.

Had to wear this cloak to go into the mosque. However, women are welcome in all Lebanese mosques.

The city was vibrant and very busy with shops, arcades and malls everywhere, which the Lebanese call “souks”. We did see many policemen as well as military soldiers walking and driving around. No one seemed to be bothered by them. Dave, for one, was glad they were there as they keep the city and the country safe.

Saint George’s Orthodox Maronite Cathedral. We saw several like it in Central Europe.

Then we drove along the seafront where we saw the American University, the yacht club, many apartments and hotels. We stopped in front of Pigeon Rocks for a photo. It was nearly impossible to visualize the city in ruins as it must have been in 1990 when the country was in chaos with no government or administration. Many countries have donated and loaned Lebanon billions of dollars to assist in the recovery. In addition, taxes, which had never been assessed, were instituted in 1992 and have also contributed to the rebuilding of the country.

The busy seafront in Beirut

By the time Dave took us back to the hotel, it was getting dark and we had not yet seen our room. Le Gray is a new boutique hotel in the heart of the city. It is visually very appealing inside with a circular atrium that starts wide with decreasing circles as floors ascend, until the 6^thfloor where there is a restaurant, a bar, a cigar lounge and a rooftop bar. All the spaces, including hallways, are large and our room was no exception. There were works of art on many walls. We happily ate in the hotel and went to bed.

Pigeon Rocks at sunset as seen from the seafront walk.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (2)

Jerash and Amman

October 14, 2018 – 10:28 am

October 11, 2018

Mohannad picked us up at 9am and we drove north to Amman. We passed through the all white city in an hour and continued driving north to the town of Jerash, a provincial town that flourished during the Roman Empire. For centuries it was hidden under the sand and has come to light again during the last 70 years of excavation and restoration. It is considered to be one of the best-preserved Roman towns in the world, which is why Mohannad brought us to the ruins. A local guide, Dougan, walked us through the town. It was quite impressive in size.

Hadrian’s Gate (130 AD)

Even before we passed through any of the gates, we could see standing Corinthian columns all over the site, providing the name “city of a thousand columns.” There were three standing large gates. One at each end and a third one build by Hadrian in 130 AD, just outside the town walls.

The Oval Plaza where large gatherings were held in Roman times.

The most interesting features to me were three colonnaded streets, the Oval Plaza near the entrance and the two theaters. The Oval Plaza, with Greek and Roman features, was built between the 1^stcentury BC and the 1^stcentury AD. It reminded me of the plaza in front of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It must have been a grand place and could have held thousands of people.

The main colonnaded street even had sidewalks.

The intersection of Crdo Maximuson the left and a side street. There were four towers, one of which is delineated in the center of the image and another, which is in shadow on the left. marked the intersection during Roman times.

The streets still had all the original stones, complete with ruts from chariot wheels, as well as many tall columns along both sides of each street. The main North-South street, called Cardo Maximus, was lined with stone shops on both sides. Included here is the intersection of the Cardo Maximus with a side street.

The north theater originally for CIty Council meetings and later enlarged as the city grew in size and power.

There was a theatre at each end of the town. One was built for city council meetings and later enlarged with an upper level for performances. The other was much larger and could hold several thousand.

The south Theater

Also notable was a temple to the Greek goddess, Artemis that was started in 135 AD but never finished. Only 12 columns out of a planned 32 were erected. Over the centuries it was put to several uses including a fort by crusaders in the 12th century.

The unfinished Temple of Artemis (ca 135 AD)

THe Church of St Theodore (494-496)

The Church of St Theodore (494-496 AD) was a three-aisled basilica constructed with many stone blocks taken from earlier Roman structures. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 749 AD.

All the structures were made of local limestone with a few columns made of granite. Although the day was warm, it was not unbearable and now and then a cooling breeze kissed us. I had fun with this pano shot of a cluster of columns above the Oval Plaza.

We stopped at the Jerash gift shop and saw instruments for sale that were like the one Mark tried to play in the desert. It is called a Rababa and is a traditional Bedouin violin. The single string is made of horse hair and the covering is made of sheep leather.

On the way back to Amman, we asked some questions of Mohannad. Why are all the buildings white? Because, he said, since 1975, there is a law that they must be white. It is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Anyway, the King likes it that way.

Why is the call to prayer so much softer and quieter than in other Islamic countries? One person with a good voice has been selected to sing the call every day from a central mosque in Amman. His voice is broadcast simultaneously to every mosque in the country, so there are not a number of different calls overlapping. Also, because there are many Christians in Jordan, the call is kept short and soft. It is the most pleasant call to prayer we have heard anywhere.

Why is the country so easy going? The kingdom is neutral in a sea of discord and has a peace treaty with Israel. The current king, Abdula II, is half British, pro-western, and follows his father’s popular policies closely. There is free education and healthcare for everyone. There is freedom of religion and no restrictions on women. The population is mostly progressive Sunni and have a live and let live attitude. Everyone we met was friendly and relaxed with us.

Back in the city, we stopped at the Citadel. It was rather unimpressive compared to Jenash, but did offer a good views of the city. The fortifications included an Entrance Hall which was interesting.

A view of the white city where all buildings are required to be white since 1976.

View looking South. Includes a large Roman theater at the edge of the Citadel.

The Entrance Hall at the Citadel in Amman (ca 730 AD)

Inside the Entrance Hall.

Mark at the Citadel with the huge Jordanian Flag above a government building.

Back at the hotel, we changed and walked to the pedestrian street called The Boulevard. We had quite a time finding the street, as our directions were sketchy. We ended up following our intuition and asking several people directions.

We finally find The Boulevard and look along the whole street for the Jubran Restaurant.

When we got to it, there was no mistake. It was a pretty street with fountains, flowers and sails decorating the walkway.

The atmosphere was festive and fun. Determined to have a Jordanian meal, we finally found the Jubran Restaurant on the 7^thfloor of a glass high rise in the middle of the district. Our meal was reasonably good, but not great. The best part was the hot puffy bread.

People began to arrive as we were ready to leave. It is clearly a night time crowd that is too late for us.

When we finished dinner and emerged back on the Boulevard the crowd had quadrupled in size. We hung out for a few minutes, then headed to our hotel. I did not want to walk so we took a taxi and got fleeced. We did not check to make sure the meter was on and he demanded $15 for a ride that should have cost no more than $5. Shame on us for not paying attention.

October 12, 2018

Mohannad picked us up at 6:30am for our flight to Beirut. On the way to the airport, he stopped at a falafel shop and bought a box of freshly made, very hot falafels as well as two falafel sandwiches, all for us. It was very nice of him and so we dutifully ate the sandwiches even though it was too early for our stomachs. I must admit that, in spite of the early hour, they were the best falafels I have ever eaten. Fresh, hot, and tasty. Mohannad bid us good bye at the airport where we met the agent who walked us through the departure process. Soon we were on Middle East Airlines headed for Beirut, Lebanon.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (2)

The Dead Sea to Amman

October 13, 2018 – 9:11 pm

October 11, 2018

Mark and I are in Amman now and will head to Beirut in the morning. Meanwhile, I will update our adventures since departing Petra.

Nabataean coin with image of the wife as well as the king

First, I want to mention that I read about the women during the Nabataean era and learned that they were way ahead of even modern cultures today. Women were the equal of men and had an important role in politics and society. According to Nabataean law a woman’s inheritance was equal to a man’s. She could own property, run her own business, sign contracts, buy and sell property, even own the family cemetery. The names as well as the images of both the king and queen appear on coins. Just thought my lady friends would like to know. Onward.

Map of Jordan with Wadi Rum in the south, Petra a bit north of Wadi Rum, The Dead Sea just above Petra and Amman in the north. Mt Nebo and Madaba are near each other and just south of Amman.

October 9, 2018 Our 25^thwedding anniversary.

From Petra, it took only 1.5 hours to get to the southern end of the Dead Sea. Along the way we identified oak trees, a huge potash plant and the stone figure thought to represent Lot’s wife in the Sodom and Gomorrah story.

The southern edge of the Dead Sea.

The Sea is 45 km long, 25 km wide and 300 meters deep. It is shrinking at such a great rate that we noticed a drop in just the 2 days we were there. The surface of the Sea is -425 meters or 1,394 feet below sea level. I had a bad sore throat and could really feel the pressure in my ears. Mark noticed nothing.

The staff of Moses with a serpent wrapped around it.

The stylized cross and staff of Moses with a serpent wrapped around it at the top of Mt Nebo. .

At the northern end of the Sea, our driver, Mohannad, took us up to Mount Nebo, located on one of the western ridges of the ancient Plains of Moab (about 1,500 feet above sea level and quite a change for my ears). This is where Moses is believed to have seen “the Promised Land”, as mentioned in the Old Testament, and died near there. A stylized cross with a serpent wrapped around it marked the spot. From there we looked in the direction of the Holy Land and could just barely make out the Dead Sea to the south, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jerrico and the Jordan River Valley through the haze.

Since the 4^thcentury a church in Moses honor has been on the site.

Following a few ancient churches and a basilica, there is now a contemporary church on the site. A service was in progress while we were there. Inside, on the walls and floor, are mosaics restored and preserved from the different eras. They were very finely crafted, well preserved and lovely to see.

At the entrance to the site, was a monolithic sculpture of Moses that incorporated the books and stories of the Old Testament. It had been personally dedicated by Pope JPII in 2000. If you ever get there, spend some time with this sculpture.

n the nearby town of Madaba we visited the Madaba Institute for Mosaic Art and Restoration. After receiving an explanation about how the mosaics are made and how the Queen mother is helping the Institute by providing a 5-year program for artisans to learn to make, repair and restore mosaics, as well as paying the postage for shipping finished works to buyers, I became interested in buying a piece. Before long I had ordered a round mosaic to be made and even selected the artist to do it. I should receive it in a couple of months. Am not exactly sure what I will do with it, but something will occur to me.

The largest and oldest mosaic map. In Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Madaba, Jordan. This is a copy.

A section of the world's largest mosaic map

A section of the actual mosaic of the world’s largest mosaic map

After leaving the Institute, we stopped at the nearby Greek Orthodox Church of St George to see a very colorful mosaic map of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jordan River, Jericho and other sites in the Holy Land. It is reputed to be the largest mosaic map in existence. Unfortunately, it is no longer complete and is very difficult to photograph in one piece.

We left Madaba and headed down the mountain to our hotel on the Dead Sea. We were more than ready for a break from driving and sightseeing. I checked the elevation once we were in our room and noted we were approximately 1,250 feet below sea level. The elevation at the surface of the Sea is about -1,394 feet. We wasted no time putting on our suits and heading for the Sea. It was a very warm day and we wanted to get wet and see how well we floated. It was really fun and weird. We stepped into the warm water and when it was a couple of feet deep we got down and immediately began to float.

Relaxing in the Dead Sea

As we went out farther, we had to bounce to touch bottom. Finally, it was deep enough that we could not touch bottom even though we were in a standing position. The best and most relaxing position was on our backs. I rolled onto my stomach once and could barely keep my face out of the water as my legs would not stay down. I got a drop of the heavily mineralized water in my eye. That smarted, but a dozen blinks and my eye was fine. After half an hour in the sea, we were ready to find a cool, fresh water pool, of which the resort had several.

By evening we had cleaned up, enjoyed a drink on our patio and headed for a poolside Italian dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Sadly, I felt miserable and was unable to enjoy the dinner. I had been getting worse as the day progressed and was in no mood to celebrate. I felt badly for Mark and hoped we could celebrate the next day. Mark gave me some meds and I was in bed by 8:30pm.

October 10, 2018

Don’t we look like statues?

My throat was so sore I could barely swallow in the morning, but I made it to breakfast and ate some soft foods. As we had the day “at rest”, I did just that. By late morning, I felt good enough to take another swim in the Sea and we wanted to try the mud pack. Being in the hot, humid air probably was not good for my skin, but it sure helped my throat. It was fun to play in the mud and goop each other up with it. After about 15 minutes, it began to itch and we just wanted to get the mud off. It was time to go into the Sea and let the mud float off. We both admitted that our skin felt really smooth and silky after rubbing the mud off in the Sea. Another 20 minutes of floating and bobbing and we were again ready for the cool, fresh water pool even if we could not float in it. We spent the afternoon in and out of different resort pools. By the end of the day my throat did not hurt as much and I was ready to celebrate our anniversary for real. We enjoyed the 4-course lobster dinner Mark had planned for the night before. It was delicious.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (5)

Next up, Jordan

October 11, 2018 – 12:10 am

October 10, 2018

We arrived in Jordan late afternoon, October 6, after flying from Mahe to Dubai and then on to Amman. Had a few anxious moments when Mark’s bag did not show up on the carousel. Turns out customs had taken his bag and were waiting for him to report it missing. They had him open it for their inspection. A pair of binoculars was the offending culprit and soon we were free to go with all bags accounted for. Our driver, Mohannad, and guide, Sabatini, were waiting for us and we immediately began our four hour drive south to Wadi Rum.

Sabatini started talking right away about camels. He quizzed us to see how much we knew, very little for sure, and taught us a few things. They have a 25 year life span, can go 7 days without water and 14 days without food. They weigh 500 to 1,000 kg and can carry an amount equal to their weight. They have a 12 month gestation and the baby weighs between 50 and 70 kg at birth. They cannot have twins. When I asked why he was asking us so much about camels, he said it was because we were booked to ride camels early the next morning. So we corrected him. We have ridden enough camels and do not intend to ride any more. Suddenly, there was no more camel talk and we learned we could sleep an extra hour in the morning.

Sabatini told us that the population of Jordan is 10 million and that there are 4 million in the capital city of Amman. There are currently 1.3 million Syrian refugees residing near the Syrian border. Many of them work in Jordan. There were also 300 thousand Iragi refugees, who have mostly been assimilated or returned to Iraq. There are also 800 thousand Egyptian laborers in Jordan. They are all hard working people. Other stats he rattled off include: 7% of the population is Christian and the rest are Muslim; only 5% are active Bedouin. Most Bedouin have been assimilated; the country has 26 miles of shoreline on the Red Sea, at the Gulf of Aquba. The annual growth rate is 4.5% and 42% of the population is under the age of 15. There are 4,000 primary and secondary schools and 50 universities. Jordan’s largest income producers are phosphorous, potash and tourism.

About half way to Wadi Rum, we stopped at a large tourist place selling what I call “useless dustables”. There was a huge amount of Christian objects from rosaries to rugs with pictures of the last supper; jewelry, pottery, brass trinkets, soaps and much more. When Mark asked why there was so much stuff for Christians and very little for Muslims, the salesman said 95% of tourists who come through the store are Christians. Only a few Muslims come through. While there, Sabatini suggest we eat something. We settled on cheese sandwiches. I was not too sure about eating raw food in Jordan at the moment and decline the cucumbers and tomatoes.

We arrived at Wadi Rum, a national reserve, about 8:30pm. It was dark and we could see very little of the desert camp, Sun City Camp, where we were to stay, as there were only a few dim lights along the uneven boardwalk laid on the sand, that lead to the back of the camp and our martian dome. Sabatini helped us onto the dome platform, about 4 feet above the sand, and into the rigid structure. It was very basic, but it had a good bed, a full bathroom and best of all, AC. The desert was quite warm, even at night.

charcoal baked bedouin bread

Hand mixing bread with milk and yogurt

The finished mash with oil in the middle, called Tharid.

We thought we were in for the night until Sabatini told us to grab a flash light and come with him. Back down the boardwalk, we got into a funky pick up truck and headed, off track, deeper into the dark desert to do some star gazing. Eventually, we saw a camp fire and stopped near it. Several young men were seated around the fire chatting, while a round of bread baked in the ash and coals. Sabatini told us these were bedouin boys and they were making a traditional dish called Tharid. While the bread cooked, we walked away from the fire to look up at the night sky. After the bread was picked out of the coals and pronounced done, one boy dusted it off with his dirty hands and gave us a piece from the middle of the loaf. We enjoyed the hot bread with no bad effects. Then he tore the rest of the bread into tiny pieces in a large pot, poured milk and yogurt over the bread, and mixed it into a mash with his hands. Most unsavory. Finally, he poured the mash onto a large platter, smoothed it out, made a hole in the middle and poured oil in the hole. Voila! The group of them dived into the mess with gusto, scooping it up with their own dirty hands. After a few polite comments, we withdrew and went back to our dome, the night sky not all that interesting.

Next morning, we opened the dome door to find ourselves surrounded by martian domes, sandstone hills and desert. The camel ride we skipped, passed by us. After a breakfast in a large dome, we were off on a 3 hour ride through the desert on the back of a pick up truck.

We made several stops to: climb a sand dune, visit two natural stone bridges, see ancient petroglyphs and share tea with a Bedouin and his son. The Bedouin played his homemade instrument for us. It looked a bit like a one string violin. Mark gave it a try and found it interesting.

Back at camp, we had lunch and moved to our air conditioned touring vehicle, which Mohannad had already packed, and were off to Petra. Only 1.5 hours north, we reached Little Petra by mid afternoon.

Inside the Caravansary at Little Petra

Apparently, it had been a caravansary for camel trains passing through Petra along trading routes. The traders would stable their hundreds of animals at the caravansary and go into Petra to shop, trade and visit religious sites. There were no accommodations in Petra, especially not for camels. There were the facades of a few well carved buildings inside the large open area, accessed through a narrow sandstone passageway.

From there we drove on to the Movenpeck Hotel across the street from the entrance to Petra and relaxed for the evening. Sabatini left us and we acquired a new guide, Issam for our walk through Petra.

October 8, 2018 Petra

Map of Petra

We met Issam at 7:30 and began our long, hot walk through Petra in the heart of the Shara Mountains. As we very slowly walked through the Siq, the 1.2 km sandstone gorge that gently slopes down toward the ancient city of Petra until it opens on to the famous Treasury, Issam told us the history of the place and the people who founded Petra and lived there from 700 BC until 109 AD, the Nabataeans.

On either side of the passage were niches where statues of gods were placed. However, our attention was drawn by the channels we could see on both walls of the Siq.

A water channel along the Siq

A sample of the ceramic tiles in the water system

Water channels ran along each side and held clay pipes that carried fresh water to the city from springs, and cisterns and reservoirs that collected rainwater. To prevent leakage, the Nabataeans developed a waterproof cement to line the walls of the cisterns and reservoirs. They were master hydraulic engineers and developed a sophisticated water supply system that allowed them to flourish in the middle of the desert regardless of the season. Terraced gardens were cultivated inside the city for beauty and erosion control. Livestock and irrigated crops received ample water and hillsides were protected from erosion.

Petra was the perfect location to take advantage of flourishing trade during the last centuries BC and early AD. The main trade routes were the Frankincense Route from the south and the Spice Route from the east. Both routes passed through Nabataean territory and converged in Petra before moving west to Egypt, northwest to Europe or north through the Levant. To pass through Nabataean territory was expensive as they extracted a tax on each camel passing through. The only reason it made sense was that the trade in spices was lucrative for the traders. In Petra, the goods could be traded, repackaged and redistributed. The Nabataeans, masterful merchants, grew rich on both trade and taxes.

Samples of Myrrh and Frankincense

The key to all this wealth and power that culminated in Petra, was the rise in demand for incense. The Nabataeans were nomadic traders long before they came to Petra. They roamed the deserts of Arabia transferring items from one place to another to earn their living. With the rise of the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman empires, demand for incense proliferated. It was used for burials, embalming and burning at temples, sacrifices and rituals by all three civilizations. Much of the incense–that is frankincense and Myrrh–came from Arabia, what is now Oman and Yemen. Originally Nabataeans were the middlemen in the transport of incense, but by 100 BC, they became the primary transporters of south Arabian incense. Incense was valued as much as gold. It makes total sense to me that the wise men were probably traders carrying incense for trade, would have had it in their caravan and could have given a bit of it to Mary and Joseph as an aid to keep evil away. But I side track.

The first mention of the Nabataeans was in the 7th century BC when they were listed as enemies of the King of Assyria. The next reference is of a military campaign by one of Alexander the Great’s general’s trying, in the 3rd century BC, to conquer an area controlled by the Nabataeans. The campaign failed. The reference suggested that the Nabataeans had already established themselves in the region. It is believed that they may have begun to settle in Petra as far back as the 6th century BC. Petra peaked between 100 BC and 100 AD as a modern, cosmopolitan and organized trade center. In 106 AD, the last Nabataean king died and the kingdom was absorbed by the Roman Empire. The city remained an important trade caravan stop for another two centuries. The Romans built a theater, a colonaded road, a Roman Soldier Tomb and other structures. Even the Treasury has Corinthian columns. In 324 AD, Petra became part of the Byzantine Empire. Some of the population converted to Christianity and Petra became the seat of a bishop. Many important structures were converted to churches and at least one Byzantine church was built from the ground up.

In 363 AD a major earthquake struck and many free-standing structures crumbled. Worst of all, the water system was damaged. Despite these setbacks, the Byzantines remained in the city into the 6th century when another earthquake brought more devastation. After that, the city’s population declined.

In addition to the history, Issam told us Petra is a Greek word which means “rock”. , Siq means “huge crack” and the word Nabata means “to get water out of the ground”. Frankincense and myrrh were mixed together to create an incense that people believed would keep evil away.

For many centuries, Petra was lost to the world. The first westerner to re-discover the site was a Swiss explorer named Johan Burckhardt, who heard about it on his travels and finally found it in 1812. His sketches drew the attention of others. And here we are.

Finally, after the slow walk through the Siq, we turned a corner and got our first glimpse of The Treasury. It is just as grand as the photos you may have seen depict. What is different and much greater, is the size of the city complex that surround the facade and the number of other structures (over 850 tombs alone) still standing and available to be explored. It is not all visible from the area in front of the Treasury, but there is enough to know you are only at the beginning. The Treasury, carved out of a single block of stone, is 39.5 meters high, 29 meters wide, and was carved from the top down. Although a Bedouin legend has it that a pharaoh hid gold in the urn at the top, many people shot holes in the urn to no avail. Archeologists believe it is the mausoleum of King Aretas IV (9 BC – 40 AD). The facade is decorated with funerary designs and symbols related to death and the afterlife. The corinthian style columns are examples of Hellenistic influence along with a frieze of winged griffins. In the center is the goddess Isis.

We wondered around the area awhile and took several photos. As the morning wore on, the crowds increased. It was obvious that many people see the Treasury and leave. We, however, were ready to move on and see more of Petra.

The Theatre built into the rock wall

Continuing our down hill walk to the city center, we stopped at the Roman Theatre, which seated 6,000 spectators and is the only theatre in the world that is carved into the rock.

Continue reading →

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (3) Oct: Seychelles / Jordan / Lebanon, Adventures | Comments (5)

Fregate Island, Seychelles

October 7, 2018 – 7:54 am

Here are a couple of photos I just received from Scott and could not resist sending. Hope you enjoy them.

Julia dragging Jean away from the elephant

The lovely chameleons crawling around Julia. The dark one is on my wrist.

The lovely chameleons crawling around Julia. The dark one is on her wrist.

October 6, 2018

Mark and I left the Seychelles October 6^thin the early morning, after a glorious 5 days and nights on Fregate Island. I can’t fully express how relaxing and luxurious and wonderful the tiny island was for our wellbeing.

Fregate Island

On October 1, we flew into Mahe, the main and largest Seychelles island, on Ethiopian Airlines, and were immediately taken to the helipad for a 15-minute helicopter ride to Fregate Island, one of hundreds of Seychelles islands, only a few of which are inhabited. On the way we learned that the total population of the Seychelles is 94,000, 70,000 of whom reside on Mahe. The capital city is called Victoria and the islands, now an independent and democratic country, were last colonized by the UK. English is the main language and driving is done on the left. As the country is so small and lies 750 miles east of Nairobi in the Indian Ocean, it is very safe. Life is low key and quiet. Perfect for our visit.

Wayne waves to us at the heliport

On landing we were greeted by the resort manager, Wayne, who told us a bit about the island and what to expect. He also introduced us to our PA or Personal Assistant, Sumith, who is from Sri Lanka and will be attending our every need. Wow! Am not sure if we will be able to adjust to such service. His first task was to take us in our personal electric golf cart to Villa 8 for our stay.

Along the way we could not miss the Aldabra giant tortoises everywhere. We learned there are 5,000 on Fregate and they have the right of way at all times. There are 11 miles of concrete road on the island, more like wide sidewalks, traveled only by electric carts. There are 16 villas that can accommodate about 40 people at a time. The villas are nearly identical, except a few have 2 bedrooms for families. Total staff on the island is about 150 people. There are no people on the island that are not connected with the resort, which is owned by a German, who takes great pride in sustainable management of everything on the island.

Villa 8 exceeded our expectations. We climbed several irregular rock steps to reach the wooden door to our private garden, then descend several more steps to the villa entrance. The scene alone was dramatic as we could see the ocean directly through the front door and the entry room. To the left of the entry room was a large living room and to the right was an equally large bedroom. It was like a large one-bedroom apartment with glass windows and doors everywhere. It even had an outdoor shower.

Much of the time we stayed in our villa, reading, blogging, swimming in our own pool and going to our private beach just below the villa.

The water was a beautiful color and the perfect temperature. Mark went body surfing a few times. I went once and crashed upside down so many times, I gave up. It took a couple of showers to get all the sand out of my hair, ears, etc. We ate breakfast in the public dining room every morning except the last one when Mark proposed we have it in the tree house. Sumith obliged. Why not. It was fun to be high in a banyan tree with the birds. We happily skipped lunch every day and snacked on fruit and nuts, which were always present in our living room.

View of Villa 8’s beach from our poolFregate Island

During our first full day, we hired a boat to go off shore and I went scuba diving with the dive master. Mark was not interested. First, we motored around Little Fregate Island and noticed that the huge rocks on the island looked a bit like Stonehenge.

Little Fregate Island

While there, we saw several dolphin and one large sea turtle. The wind and waves were too rough to dive there so we went to the leeward side of Fregate, near our villa where the water was calmer. It has been 9 years since I last went diving and I knew I was rusty. Fortunately, the dive master was very helpful and made sure I had a fun and safe experience. We stayed underwater 55 minutes and went to 20 meters.

I saw two sharks, one of which was a sleeping nurse shark, three octopuses, three Spanish dancers (nudibranchs), one of which danced for us, several eels, sting rays, a lion fish, a box fish and many other fish. I was saddened to see so much dead corral, but also noticed that it was recovering well in some places. Later I learned that the tsunami that occurred during the early 2000’s was the source of the die off.

Walking in the forest on Fregate Island

One day Wayne invited us on a forest walk and told us about the history of the island. In 1502 Vasco de Gama explored the islands. No one lived here at the time. He did not stay. In 1742 the Frenchman, Lazare Picault, discovered Mahe Island. By 1768 the French and slavers settled in the Seychelles. One story tells of a pirate named Le Buse, who captured a ship bearing gold religious objects, including a large solid gold cross, and buried the stash somewhere on Fregate Island. Many people have since dug many holes to no avail. A few small gold items have turned up over the years. Then in 1794, the British fought the French and took the islands. They manage the Seychelles, Reunion and Mauritius from Mauritius. In 1903, the islands become a separate British colony. They gained independence in 1976. Since then there have been a succession of different leaders. The current leader, Denny Farue, took over in 2016. He was given succession by the previous elected official. Under his leadership there is free health care and free education in primary and secondary schools. So much for my knowledge of Seychelles history.

Wayne also told us about the giant tortoises and how they have been brought back from major depletion. He thinks that, with the current rate of births, there will be 20,000 tortoises in less than 10 years. Only a few years ago there were just a few hundred. Giant tortoises can live well over 100 years. Wayne gets them to move by rubbing part of their shell, rather like ticketing them. The current owner has worked diligently to have rats, domestic animals, bamboo and other invasive species eradicated and is reintroducing depleted native species such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin, the Fairy Tern andother birds.

We walked across the island, going through the forest to a beach on the far side.

Walking in the forest on Fregate Island

Wayne, Mark, Me and Sumith at the far beach

The windward beach.

Almost every bird on the island has one or more tags on its legs. Other things Wayne pointed out included: termite nests attached to trees, an old cemetery dating from the 1800’s, a rare palm called the Coco de Mer–only six exist and three of them are on Fregate, and the very common banyan trees that grow everywhere from the top down.

Under a large banyan tree

The rare Coco de Mer Palm

Cemetery from the 1800’s

Termite nest attached to a tree

Another day we visited the island’s hydroponic garden and walked around with the head gardener, Simon, who explained how the system works. Getting the correct amount of water and nutrients to each plant is key. He has worked in the garden for most of the last 20 years and has free reign to do what he wants. No wonder the food was so good. We were eating fresh garden vegetables and fruits grown on the island every day. We walked through the garden with Simon sampling some new varieties for us like Water Spinach, Chinese Broccoli and fresh tropical fruits.

We told Sumith our anniversary was coming soon, so he organized an anniversary dinner for us in the resort library. It was very thoughtful of him and we enjoyed to meal.

The cake was very pretty and tasty too. One morning we had breakfast in a treetop. It was delightful being in the trees with the birds.

The treehouse in a banyan tree

For dinner on our last night, Sumith planned a lovely Indian meal on the beach. It was a fitting end to our stay on Fregate Island. We thought five nights would be long enough. Faced with imminent departure, we wanted to stay much longer.

The beach in front of the resort lobby when a storm was threatening

Macquereau Beach, where we changed the sign to “In use” and went au nautural. Nice.

Victorin Beach aka the “Conde Nast” beach.

Mark entering the water at Victorin Beach. Note the texture of the sand

Mark entering the water at Victorin Beach. The sand is exceeding fine.

A few times we ventured away from our own digs to check out other beaches. Here are a few of our images including the beach reputed to have the finest sand and the prettiest setting. It also appeared in the pages of Conde Nast as one of the world’s best beaches. It was exquisite. Mark went swimming, but declared the undercurrent too strong for me so I did not go in. We stayed to watch the sunset on our last night on the island.

Our pilot did a fly by of Villa 8 as we flew away.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (2) Sept: Uganda / Rwanda, Adventures | Comments (10)

Clouds, Mudding Nteko and on to Kigali

October 5, 2018 – 12:41 pm

September 28, 2018

A view from Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

A View from Clouds

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge is a wonderful place. At 7,000 feet, it is cool, dry and mostly bug free. We slept well with the windows open and no mosquito nets.

Mark’s and my villa at Clouds

The whole group expressed appreciation for the spacious accommodations, the lovely views, the delicious food and the tranquility.

Two chameleons climbing on my head. It feels prickly, but does not hurt

One of my favorite treats at Clouds are the chameleons. When I asked John Bosco if there were any around, he went and found two for me and brought them to me in the living room. As they crawled around on me, the group became fascinated and wanted to experience them too.

The locals welcoming us with singing and dancing

Local ladies really get into motion

However, the main event while at Clouds was the mudding of a house in the nearby Batwa village of Nteko. Even Scott drove to Clouds to visit Nteko and get in om the mudding. Everyone put on old clothes brought for the occasion and off we went after breakfast even though we were a little stiff and sore from the arduous hike. The drive to Nteko took only 20 minutes. Once there we climbed a short hill to the new house site and met the family who will receive it. We laughed when we learned that the house was being built for the second wife of the village chief. Apparently, that was the collective vote of the villagers.

Mark and Larry considering the mudding task ahead

Mudding is a fun experience for muzungos who can quit when they have had enough. This time was no exception. The house had already been framed with willow branches and roofed with corrugated metal.

Mixing the dirt with water to make…..MUD.

Several villagers were busy making mud and soon we were all busy putting mounds of mud into the cavity between the inside and outside of the willow framework. A mudded wall is 4-5 inches thick. The whole framework should be covered when the mudding is finished.

We started stuffing in mud at the bottom and work up until we could not reach any higher. As we worked and chatted with the locals, small children carried piles of mud to us to speed the process. As simple as it is, it is tiring work. The 12-foot square structure is divided into 3 interior spaces with one exterior doorway and a couple of window openings. When properly built, a second mudding will be done after the first mudding is dry. Finely, a third slurry coat will be added for protection from the rain. With all of us working diligently, we succeeded in mudding about a third of the building in 2 hours. At that point, the project lost its appeal and the group quit. If I had pushed them to work more, there would have been mutiny. We muzungos cleaned the mud off our hands and said good bye to the people who will have to finish the job. I was told the house will take a day and a half to finish the first mudding.

Back to the lodge we went, cleaned up and had lunch. With the rest of the day at leisure, some went into the village next to the lodge to shop, others to visit the school and others to rest. Al took the drum Scott had purchased for him to the local school. After demonstrating his drumming skills, he gave the school the drum and then learned why the kids and teachers were so thrilled by his offering. Apparently, they had a drum similar to the one Al brought, but it has a big hole in it and does not sound good. This drum is a God send for the school. Way to go, Al.

Hanging out in Clouds’ living room

All afternoon there were light showers that did not seem to bother anyone. At 7pm we gathered for cocktails and farewell comments from both Jean and Scott, as they would be driving back to Bwindi in the morning, while the rest of us went on to Kigali, Rwanda. Warm feelings and comments were shared all around. I received many compliments and felt both gratified and humbled. It has been a stressful, yet joyfilled experience for me.

Dinner that evening was so well enjoyed that the chef received a standing ovation. Have never seen that happen before. Then off to bed we went. The air was cool enough for some in the group to light fires in their private fireplaces and snuggle with the hot water bottles in their beds. Mark and I were too warm for any of that and slept with the windows wide open.

September 28, 2018

Our group said their last goodbye’s to Scott and Jean and drove away from Clouds at 9am. As we passed Scott’s car we noticed it had a flat tire. We hoped he had a spare. He and Jean were due to leave later.

A mountain scene along the road to Cyanika

The dirt drive from Clouds to the Ugandan border town of Cyanika is quite beautiful and sometimes referred to as the Swiss Alps of Africa.

A large fertile valley along the way to Cyanika.

The SW corner of Uganda is very mountainous with deep fertile valleys, cultivated hillsides, small villages and lovely mountain lakes. The prettiest lake seen on the drive is Lake Mulehe.

Lake Mulehe on road to Cyanika

It would be a great lake for boating and skiing. However, it is used only by locals for fishing.

A man working in a sand quarry along the road to Cyanika. Hard work. Interesting rock.

Gradually we descended to the valley floor and reached the Ugandan border town of Cyanika about noon. Just before reaching Kisoro, a valley town near the border, the dirt was replaced with asphalt and we had smooth tarmac the rest of the way to Kigali. I must admit, that felt good. Not only was the ride less bouncy, it was quieter.

The customs office at the border

At the border, we were the only people in line, so the process went smoothly and reasonably quickly. Within an hour we were in Rwanda and back on the road.

KK and Mike with the Land Cruisers at the Rwanda border.

Shortly after entering Rwanda, one of our Land Cruisers, got a flat tire. While our drivers changed it, we decided to eat the lunches Clouds had prepared for us rather than stop somewhere else. Back on the road for about 200 feet, the replacement spare tire went flat. Now we had two flat tires and only 2 more spares. While we waited, we drew a crowd of onlookers. Mark got friendly with one of the teenage kids and borrowed his bicycle for a short ride. Everyone laughed about that. By the time the second tire was changed, we had all finished eating. I hoped there would be no more incidents. There were none.

Rwanda is much more urban and advanced than Uganda. The government has worked hard to promote forgiveness, peace and prosperity for all. There are no more Hutus and Tutsis, only Rwandans. Two years ago when Mark and I visited Rwanda, we noticed the difference. Now there is even more activity, business and energy. Our driver, Mike, told us the population of Rwanda is now 13 million and the population of Kigali is 4.5 million. There are many more stores and buildings, even 3-stories and more, along the roadside. People certainly appear to be on the go. We arrived at the Serena Hotel in Kigali about 4:30. It had been another long drive, but the last one on this trip.

The group was on their own for dinner in Kigali. However, Mark and I recommended they dine at a place called “Heaven” and 6 of them went together. Later They said they really enjoyed the food, although the service was slow. Welcome to Africa.

Meanwhile, Mark and I were picked up by Emmanuel and driven to his rented home in an upscale, gated suburb. We met Lauren, his 6-month pregnant wife and went to dinner at a place they suggested called Pourve Noir, (Black Pepper) the food and service were both good. The conversation was delightful. When we first met Emmanuel in 2016, he was not yet married. This was our first time to meet his new wife, an American from Westport, Connecticut. Over dinner we learned all about Lauren’s new business of marketing fruits and vegetables to commercial establishments like restaurants and hotels. She started with $5,000 three years ago and now has 70 employees, 5 delivery vehicles and is starting to market internationally to places like South Africa. She was so enthusiastic, we did not get much conversation with Emmanuel. Her parents like Rwanda so much, they have moved here permanently too. Her mother works in the business with her and her father runs an online company selling hiking tours in Europe. Rwanda is such a happening place to do business, Lauren made us almost want to move to Rwanda too.

Emmanuel did suggest we meet him right after lunch on the 30^thso he could show us some land he owns. We asked if we were needed to prepare for the gallery reception and he said no. His personal chef has taken care of the details. How nice is that?! They dropped us off at the Serena Hotel and we were soon fast asleep.

September 30, 2018

Mark and I saw the group off to the Genocide Museum at 9am and then relaxed in our room until lunch time. Mike picked us up and took us to the lunch place Lauren recommended called Inka Stakehouse.

KK, Mark, Lynne, Al and Julia at Inka Restaurant for our last lunch in Kigali

You can tell I am getting to the end of this adventure. The service was very slow and the food just ok. Definitely not a memorable place. While KK and Mike broke the group into shoppers and sight see’ers and headed in different directions.

Emmanuel’s land for his eventual home

Emmanuel and his brother Kenneth, took Mark and me to see his land. Although the property is undeveloped and totally in the country, it is only 30 minutes from down town. It is currently 10 acres of dirt on a hill with a stunning view of the city. He plans to build his home on it, with attendant outbuildings as well. He got the property for a good price and is already being offered much more for it. He may opt to sell rather than build. That would be too bad says she who sold the ranch because it was a good price.

One of Innocent’s pieces

We arrived at Inema Arts Center just behind the group. Emmanuel and his five brothers own and operate the business and make their art here. They are all artistically creative. For this event, they had made the place spotless and were all present and dressed to great our group. I was very impressed. The current art was well displayed and everyone enjoyed seeing the work. One couple bought a piece and several people bought smaller items. Mark bought a colorful bow tie. Soon we were given special drinks in different flavors that were exciting to the palate. I could see food being prepared and the table set for a meal, which I was not expecting. Then we heard drum music and were drawn outdoors to watch a troupe of young dancers perform in the parking lot of the Center.

Emmanuel told us they were local kids that he and his brothers sponsor in school and in the arts. It is a great opportunity for the students, and the brothers get to help less fortunate people. The food prepared by Emmanuel’s chef was delicious and everyone decided to sit down, eat hardy and call it dinner.

Dinner being served at Emmanuel’s reception for our group. Mark, Amy, the chef, the chef’s assistant and Al.

That was easy. We finished our meal, and, after many photos of everyone, said our farewells to Emmanuel and his brothers and got back to the hotel by 6pm.

Emmanuel, his brothers and our group. KK, Larry, Marlene, Mike, Amy, Lynne, Kenneth, Mike the driver, Mark, Julia, Emmanuel, Mimi, Phil, Innocent( tall in back) and another brother. On their knees are Al and 2 others of Emmanuel’s family.

KK, Mike and Innocence, the Rwanda expert

KK and Mike, our superior driver/guides and Innocence, the Rwanda expert.

To do something of a farewell nature, we all went to the hotel restaurant and ordered dessert. We chatted over ice cream Sundays and other goodies and finally, Mark and I said good bye. We were the first ones to depart Rwanda. Our flight was at 0130 the next morning. We needed to head for the airport at 11pm. Interestingly enough, the brakes in KK’s vehicle gave out on the way to the airport. He managed to stop the vehicle and call Mike to come and get us, which he did. Days later I learned that the brakes and bad tires were repaired in Kigali and the guys made it home safely.

Good bye, good bye, good bye!

Now Mark and I will turn our attention to the Seychelles and some serious down time.

Hello, Hello, Hello!

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (2) Sept: Uganda / Rwanda, Adventures | Comments (6)

Buhoma and on to Clouds

October 4, 2018 – 8:01 pm

September 25, 2018

Mimi speaking at the daily BCH morning prayers

Phil playing drums after Mimi talked.

Today the group was up at 7 and at the hospital at 8am for the daily prayer time. Attended by most of the staff, volunteer workers and visitors. Mimi and Phil gave the talk for the day. After their talk, Phil played a set on the drums. Their efforts were appreciated by everyone.

Scott take about BCH to Larry, Phil, Mike and Amy

Scot talks about the hospital to Lynne, Marlene and Mimi

Then Scott proceeded to give our group an indepth tour of the hospital. We visited every department except the OR. Departments we visited included: the Mother’s waiting hostel, pediatrics, the maternity ward, the kitchen where families prepare meals for their hospitalized relative, the premium ward for post-surgical patients, the ER, Administration and the HIV ward. Scott kept up a running commentary as we walked along. He certainly has a big heart for this hospital and its benefits to the local population. Births are up, childhood deaths are way down, malaria is vastly reduced due to the distribution of bed nets for children and mothers. and HIV is under control.

The BCH kitchen can accommodate several women cooking for their families at the same time.

People are healthier and happier. I did not have a note pad so I did not get the stats that Scott rattled off. Sorry. If you want to know more about the hospital and what it is doing, please google Bwindi Community Hospital, Uganda or TheKellermannFoundation.org. Scott finished his talk at the top of the hill looking down on the facilities and spoke of his desire to create a teaching environment at BCH so people will come here to learn more about how to improve hospital practices in other African locations. He envisions a second floor above the Premium Ward for classrooms and another building adjacent to it for an ICU ward and more hospital beds.

If you are interested in helping bring Scott’s vision to reality feel free to contact him, the Kellermann Foundation or even me.

Mark treated everyone to Samosas at Susan’s Café next to the Hospital entrance and then we had lunch at the lodge. We were supposed to drive to another school in the afternoon, but it required a 3 hour round trip drive. The group nixed that and opted to go back to the Victory School so everyone could experience it. Back we went and this time the school was waiting for us and the 65 recorders.

Everyone had a front row seat for the Victory School performance

We left school supplies as well as the recorders and were escorted by the little children to chairs placed in the shade.

Mark prefers to hang with the kids.

The performance lasted about an hour and included a handful of students playing our recorders, which made me very happy.

The performance begins

They were not practiced, but their sound merged with the singing and drumming. At one point the kids dragged us off our chairs to dance. Everyone obliged laughing all the while.

The “new” recorder students pose with the instruments.

When they finished, I invited Phil to play the drums for them and he obliged. The kids loved his playing. When we dragged ourselves away we were all grateful that we had to drive only a few minutes to get back to Mahogany Springs Lodge.

Shopping in the Batwa Craft Banda

We happily shopped in the Batwa Craft Banda and stayed in for dinner and the evening. Word got out that Mark and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary soon and so Larry made sure we had a celebration with dessert. It was very sweet of everyone. It is also Al and Lynne’s anniversary soon too.

A group photo. In front is Mimi, Julia, Marlene, Lynne, Jean, and Scott. In back is Phil, Larry, Mike, Amy and Mark.

A group photo before dinner. In front is Mimi, Julia, Marlene, Lynne, Jean, and Scott. In back is Phil, Larry, Mike, Amy and Mark.

September 26, 2018

The gorilla trekkers receive a briefing from their guide.

This was the big day for the group to go gorilla trekking. Everyone was up and properly dressed for a hardy breakfast by 7:15. Mark and I escorted them to the starting point at 8am and waited while they were briefed on the does and don’ts, were assigned one porter each and a walking stick. They each had plenty of water as well as lunch. Larry chose to go with a slower group that would, hopefully, not have to walk far to see the gorillas. It felt a bit like watching children go off to school for the first time.

A classroom at St Mathew’s Catholic School with desks donated by the kids at Mt St mary’s Academy in Grass Valley, CA. Jean, on the far right, made the connection happen.

After they were gone, Mark and I went back to the hospital to connect with Jean and Scott. This time Scott bought a round of Samosas. Then the four of us took 45 recorders to St Mathews Catholic School up the hill from Juliana’s parents’ home. The teachers were very appreciative and showed us around the school. Jean had previously organized a sister school relationship between Mount St Mary’s Academy in Grass Valley and St Mathew’s School and we were shown the desks that Mt St Mary’s students had provided for the St Mathew’s classrooms. We took photos so she can show them to the Mt St Mary’s students. This school is very needy. Some of the classrooms are not yet completed and need floors, windows, doors and furnishing. There are many more students than there are completed classrooms to accommodate them

When we left the school and drove to Scott’s place, called Gorilla House, as it is next to the park entrance. Jean is staying there at the moment. We had tea on the deck and soon Larry showed up as his hike was over by 11:30. He had a super experience with gorillas without having to work hard.

We had a tentative meeting planned with Canon Jovhan, the Batwa Development Program manager, to give him the rest of the recorders to distribute as needed to various outlying schools. He was out to lunch on our first attempt, so we left the bag or recorders beside the door and left. Later, we hired a bodaboda (motorbike) to take us to the BDP office and finally connected with him about 4:45pm. With him was the BDP music teacher, who happily took charge of the remaining 128 recorders. At last, I was free of my commitment to distribute recorders. Hopefully, they will be used judiciously and students will have another instrument to play. Jovhan promised to keep me informed about their distribution.

Back at the lodge, the rest of the group arrived about 4:30. They had had a really long and arduous trek to see the animals and were exhausted. Unfortunately, this was the night we were to have a party at the Guest House, aka the Monkey House, with Diane Stanton’s missionary group. Our group rallied, cleaned up and went to the party…….for awhile. Unfortunately, the food was not served timely and six of them returned home without dinner and went to bed. I felt badly, especially as the food was served about 5 minutes after they left.

The rest of us ate dinner and left too. Oh well.

September 27, 2018

After another early breakfast, we all checked out of the Mahogany Springs at 7:45 and went to the hospital for one last prayer service. This time it was Any and Mike, who are from Denver, who lead the prayers and gave a homily. As a number of people were preparing to leave Bwindi, there were a lot of tears and good bye’s. We said our farewells too and headed back to the Park entrance to begin our walk to Clouds Resort. Larry and Phil had opted out of the hike and went in the vehicle with KK and most of the bags. They took off directly from the lodge at 7:45. Amy also did not want to hike and rode with Mike after he dropped off the rest of us at the park entrance. We thought we would beat them to Clouds as the drive is about 6.5 hours.

When we started the hike to Clouds we know it would be steep and long, but we all thought it would be more fun and interesting than the long, bumpy drive around the park that the cars had to do. It had not been planned that way. The hike was originally a 3.5 hour walk that Mark and I remembered doing 2 years ago. Unfortunately, we heard just a few days earlier that a bridge had washed out and the short trail was not useable. We were forced to take the longer, harder trail. Scott told us it would be difficult, but we all thought we could do it. Well, we succeeded, but it was brutal—8.9 miles of very steep terrain. We started at 4,802 feet elevation, according to Mark’s phone app, climbed gradually to 5,307, then down to 4,710, then up to 5,048 and down again to 4,900, then we climbed gradually back to 5,000 feet before making the steep ascent to 6,968 feet. The last 1,000 feet were really steep, 33 % according to Mark’s calculations, and slow going. Thank goodness we each had a porter and a stick. The porters went between each of us with one pulling and the other pushing us up the hills. Mark was in the lead and handled the hike better than anyone. I was near the rear and feared I might get heat stroke from the sun and exertion. The porters made palm fans and kept me cool whenever we stopped. Thankfully, much of the hike was in the shade of the forest, but the steepest parts were mostly in full sun.

The forest scenery was lush and verdant and full of birds. About half way into the trek, we came upon a group of habituated gorillas who were not afraid of us. They were on the other side of a small stream eating greenery. We stopped and took many photos. We were pleased with ourselves for having the opportunity to see the animals. At one point a medium sized gorilla crossed the steam to our side and sat on the bank casually munching away. Wow! We all enjoyed the surprise encounter, but were soon back at the task ahead. Not long after that encounter, we stopped for lunch, ate what we wanted and gave the rest to the appreciative porters. During the gradual climbing and descending we crossed several foot bridges and many streams. Gradually, the really hard work began. We passed out of the forested park and into sunny, rocky terrain. It was then, I stopped paying attention to the scenery and concentrated on getting myself up the mountain. It became as steep as climbing deep uneven stairs. It moved from hiking to climbing.

As we crested the top of one hill, we were only at the bottom of the next. I was push and pulled up the steepest parts. Eventually, we ascended into steep farm land. There were near vertical fields of potatoes, beans, coffee, tea and other foods. At last we crested the final hill and could see our destination. We arrived at 4pm. Our drivers had beat us and our bags were waiting.

We arrive at Cloud and take a photo before we collapse.

We arrive at Clouds and take a photo before we collapse.

With cold towels and welcome drinks in hand, we collapsed into the cushioned chairs. Soon hot appetizers and alcoholic beverages were being served and we bagan to relax.

Finally, Mark and I went to our room. Coincidently, the same one we had two years ago, and were met by the same butler, John Bosco. It was a happy reunion. I felt much better after a hot shower and was ready for dinner at 7pm. The food was excellent. We all ordered fresh tilapia. It was delicious. No one lingered after dinner. I, for one, collapsed into bed.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (2) Sept: Uganda / Rwanda, Adventures | Comments (5)

In and Around Buhoma

October 4, 2018 – 3:36 am

September 24, 2018

Buhoma, SW Uganda

The ficus tree under which Dr Scott and Carol Kellermann administered IVs to malaria patients.

The day was full of unexpected changes, but it all turned out well. Anivious had left us after dinner the night we arrived in Mahogany Springs and Juliana, Mark’s and my godchild, had joined us for dinner at the Gorilla Forest Camp on the 23rd and was due to meet me at Mahogany Springs at 9am. I had not planned to join the group on their Batwa Experience hike. However, Scott thought I should go and take Juliana with me, so that is what we did.

Morning assembly at Mukono School near the ficus tree

Levi, our guide on the hike, started his Batwa Experience talk under the huge ficus tree where Scott and Carol first cared for malaria patients in 2002-4 on blankets spread on the ground around the tree with IVs hung from it. I remembered because Mark and I experienced it.

Batwa entertain us as we hike the Batwa Experience

The hike up the mountain to the pigmy encampment was steeper and farther than expected and about half way there the group decided it was too steep and hot to go the rest of the way.

A Batwa woman beside the trail

We turned around and went back to a small ledge where the Batwa did a modified version of their performance for us.

A mother suckers her baby while singing with the dancers.

The frightening figure chases evil spirits away

Their thoughtful gesture was appreciated. They sang, drummed, danced, called their spirit creature to drive away evil and made fire using only sticks.

Marlene and Mimi looking over the Batwa products

On the way down the hill we came upon displays of hand made products that attracted buyers in our group. Juliana did really well and had no problem with the hike. Levi, whose home was nearby, had loaned her a pair of shoes his daughter wears that were exactly Juliana’s size.

Al kicks a ball to the Mekong school kids

Al kicks a ball to the Mukono school kids

Back at the bottom of the hill we visited the Mukuno village school where Levi taught classes. There we gave crayons to the teachers and kicked out soccer balls to the children. The kids went crazy with the 3 new balls.

Al kicks a ball to the Mukono school kids

Mukono School kids playing with the balls

Back at Mahogany Springs, Juliana tried on the clothing I had brought for her. Fortunately it all fit, although she is growing like a weed and it may not fit for long. Then I walked her home and met with her parents, Gino and Victor, who showed off their new son, who was born in December. Now there are 3 girls and a boy. I stayed only a short time and left.

Juliana shows off her new clothes

Juliana and her godparents

Juliana with her parents and new brother

After lunch, most of the group crashed. Only Marlene, Larry, Phil, Mark and I went to visit Victory School in Buhoma. It is a private school with a focus on music.

The owners of the Victory School

Surrounded by happy kids.

We met the owners of the school and the music director. I asked if they would be interested in having some recorders and he said yes very enthusiastically. He would love to have 65 of them. Happily, he knew how to play the instrument and promised not to let the recorders leave the school. We handed out a few soccer balls and Frisbees and the children were jubilant. They were all dressed in clean, well-made uniforms and did a spontaneous performance for us that included: choreographed dancing, singing and drumming with an older girl doing the leading.

Marlene, Larry, me and Phil watching the students perform, while the smallest kids sit on our laps. Easy to love them all.

All of us were invited to dance and happily got into the mood. I was sorry the whole group had not been there to share the experience. Finally, the music stopped and we departed amid much thankfulness all around. We agreed to return the next day with the recorders.

Everyone appeared for dinner at the lodge and went to bed early. I was exhausted.

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (2) Sept: Uganda / Rwanda, Adventures | Comments (2)

Mweya to Bwindi

October 3, 2018 – 12:22 pm

October 3, 2018

The entire Uganda/Rwanda group trip has come and gone. It was a spectacular success, while also being exhausting. I had no time or energy to write. Now Mark and I are on Fregate Island in the Seychelles and I, at last, have some time. However, it may be a condensed version of my usual saga.

September 21, 2018

Mweya Lodge with the Kazinga Channel boat launch below.

Jean Creasey braving elephants during our morning game drive without a guide.

Mark’s best elephant shot. So much easier when not hampered by a vehicle.

My best elle shot

On the 21st, Scott, Jean, Mark and I went on an early morning game drive with no guide. It was fun to be on our own in the game park. We saw many birds, a few cobb and wart hogs, and several elephants at a distance. None close up until we were headed back to the lodge. Suddenly, just off the road, we spotted a herd of mother elephants with babies. We quietly slipped out of the car to take photos and probably got a little closer than we should. When one mother turned to look at us, we beat it back to the car. We were thrilled by the experience and happy with some good images.

There was just enough time to have breakfast, pack our bags, check out and load the car before heading to the Mweya airstrip to pick up our 8 guests coming in from Jinja. The chartered plane landed at 11:45. My nervous concern about how their experience had been so far, evaporated as they each disembarked with big smiles and effusive comments about where they had been. They loved Wild Waters, the Serena Lodge and the charter flight. The trip was off to a good start.

Weaver birds feasting in the feeder beside our lunch table at Mweya Lodge

Back at Mweya Lodge, the whole group had lunch on the veranda overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake George. The conversation and laughter were a pleasure to my ears as I watched everyone having a good time.

Our group enjoying the ride on the Kazinga Channel

At 2pm we got on a very comfortable flat-bottomed boat to cruise the Kazinga Channel while viewing wildlife. The Channel, a wide, shallow river between Lakes George and Edwards, is considered to have the greatest biodiversity of animals on the planet.

Flocks of different birds backed by a feeding hippo

I don’t know if that is true, but we sure saw a lot of creatures including: a wide variety of birds, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, monitor lizards, Cape Buffalo, wart hogs and more, all coming to the water’s edge to drink and get cool. The weather was perfect—comfortable with a slight cooling breeze—blue sky and not too hot. The 2-hour boat ride flew by. Back at the lodge, everyone used the restrooms and then we were off in our three vehicles, two Toyota Land Cruisers provided by the Uganda Safari Company with driver/guides, named Mike and KK, and a different vehicle that belonged to the Kellermann Foundation, that Scott drove. The goal for the rest of the day was to get to the Kyambura Gorge Lodge before dark so we could see our accommodations and the area around them.

Marlene Swcanbeck, Scott Kellermann and Mark enjoy the evening cocktails before dinner at Kyanbura Gorge Lodge.

Mimi, Marlene , Scott and Mark enjoy cocktails before dinner at Kyanbura Gorge Lodge.

We made it with an hour of daylight left. The lodge looked out over a large, lush, undulating valley with hills in the distance. Our individual apartments were spacious, attractive and welcoming. We had a large, private patio, an outdoor shower, a lounge area and a great bed. I had been a bit nervous about this lodge as I had not been there before, but it more than lived up to expectations. We had a lovely dinner on the veranda, total quiet to sleep by, a pleasant breakfast and a box lunch that was filling, if not exciting.

Four lions up in a tree. Too far away for a good view.

September 22, 2018

By 8am we were off on our long, 8-hour drive to Bwindi with a stop at Ishasha to change money, then on to a rendezvous with four, fat lions lounging on limbs in a large acacia tree, a pause for lunch in a shady camp site Scott knew about, and multiple stops to view game.

Marlene enjoying the view from the open hatch of the land cruiser

More appealing than the tree-climbing lions, was an especially long stop to watch a Cobb, a type of antelope, give birth, clean the new born and help it get up.

A cobb about to give birth

The father watches as Mom cleans the new born. See how thin she looks.

Mom helps the baby stand.

We stayed-over an hour- until the baby stood and took a few steps. We were all mesmerized and felt blessed to come upon the mother near the road with the baby’s head partially out and the mother squeezing to help it come.

The new Kihembe Banda waiting to be blessed.

At 3:30 we arrived at the Batwa village called Kihembe. This was the group’s first meeting with Batwa people. It was electric. We were greeted with singing and dancing and drumming before we could get out of the vehicles. The new banda, a covered meeting space with concrete floor, partial walls on three sides and an enclosed storage room at one end, was festively decorated and ready to be blessed by our group. Preparations had been underway for days in anticipation of our arrival. The ribbon was cut and everyone entered.

Batwa take their seats for the ceremony. The food is concealed by the white cloth

The Batwa crowded into the space, while we mzungus (Swahili for white people) sat in front.

IAnivious speaks to the crowd in English and Rechiga

Many speeches were given and just before the last speech, the sky burst open and the whole area was deluged. We could have tolerated rain, but the strong wind blew the rain sideways into the open banda. Everyone tried to squeeze into the storage room hoping the storm would pass quickly. Eventually the wind abated, but everything was soaked. With undampened spirits, the ladies uncovered the food and everyone began to eat in spite of being soaking wet. The ground nuts and cinnamon rolls were quite delicious. Some said the storm was a good omen. For Mark and me, it was a treat to see this very poor village finally have a clean, covered meeting place for services, general meetings, schooling, craft making, woodworking and other activities. In addition to the banda, a new pit latrine had been completed and a brick kitchen was being built.

Julia and Anivious share a moment together

Another treat for us was the appearance of Anivious, the Batwa student we sponsor. She had been brought to the Kihembe just to meet us. She was dressed well and looked very mature and self-possessed for a 13-year old. When we last saw her, she was a very shy 11-year old. On this day, she gave a lovely speech in English and in Rechiga that she had prepared herself. Although very proud of her, neither Mark nor I can recall what she talked about. Shame on us.

With the festivities cut short by the storm, we climbed back into the dry vehicles and made the final 45-minute leg to Bwindi. Anivious joined Jean and me in Scott’s car so we could talk privately with her. Another Batwa woman, Sylvia, joined us. Having been mentored by Scott and Carol for many years and secured a master’s degree, Sylvia is the most educated and successful Batwa person so far. She helped Jean and me impress on Anivious the benefits of studying hard and taking advantage of our sponsorship. Her teachers believe Anivious has the capacity to become the next Sylvia.

Our caravan arrived at Mahogany Springs in Buhoma in time to clean up and have dinner. Everyone was happy to have the long drive over and settle into our accommodations for the next five days. Buhoma is the village where Scott and Carol Kellermann set up their small clinic in 2004. It is also a gateway to the Bwindi Impenetrable forest and gorilla trekking. Today the Bwindi Community Hospital (BCH) is a huge sprawling facility that is highly rated in Uganda.

Dancing at Sunday service.

On Sunday, September 23, our group joined the BCH community for services at 8am. As a large crowd was expected the service was held in the Nursing School lecture hall. The gathering was large and there was much music, singing and dancing. Everyone in our group and in Diane Stanton’s group were individually introduced and asked to say why they were there. Brandon, a minister in Diane’s group gave a very nice homily on Forgiveness. Then items were auctioned to provide funds for the church. Several live chickens went for $20 each. Pineapples also fetched $20 apiece. A bushel of potatoes went for $10 and a number of handmade baskets went for lesser amounts.

Jane, the nursing school director tells our group about the school.

Jane, the nursing school director, in white blouse, tells our group about the school.

After the service, Scott and Jane, the director of the Nursing School, gave our group a tour of the school. We saw class rooms, and residence halls and met a few teachers and students. We learned that all the students who have graduated so far, about 190, have passed with 100% on their test scores. Because of the success rate, more and more students are applying to attend the school, resulting in stricter entrance requirements and more crowding.

Warren, the folk musician, performs for us at Gorilla Forest Camp

In the afternoon, some went shopping at the local Batwa craft store, others relaxed in their rooms. At 6pm we all went to the Gorilla Forest Camp just inside the park entrance for a prearranged dinner. Before dinner we were treated to folk music around the campfire by a musician named Warren. Mark and I had stayed at this camp twice in years passed and wanted to give the group a taste of the place and its rustic outdoor elegance. The food was up to our expectations.

Amy, Mimi and Phil listen to the folk musician

By adventureswithjulia | Posted in 2018 (2) Sept: Uganda / Rwanda, Adventures | Comments (6)

Adventures with Julia

Monthly Archives: October 2018

Eastern Lebanon

North of Beirut

Lebanon, Beirut

Jerash and Amman

The Dead Sea to Amman

Next up, Jordan

Fregate Island, Seychelles

Clouds, Mudding Nteko and on to Kigali

Buhoma and on to Clouds

In and Around Buhoma

Mweya to Bwindi

Email Subscription

Categories

Calendar of Posts

About Julia