Adventures with Julia

September 4, 2016

Sitting in the United Emirates Lounge in Johannesburg.  Yes, we flew two hours south to connect to a flight north.  Is costing us an extra four hours.  On the other hand, I have excellent wifi here.

A typical house on Lipoma Island.

Firewood for the party

Yesterday, our last day on Lipoma Island, Martin, a waiter at Kaya Mawa, offered to take us us to the wedding of a relative of his, to which we had been invited by Mike, the bar man, the night before.   Sounded like an interesting experience so we agreed to go.  He walked with us to insure we found the place.  Along the way we saw several homes and ran into 3 ladies carrying fire wood to cook food for the party.  Martin insisted we take photos of them.  At 8:30am we arrived  at the local village primary school, because termites had devoured the local Anglican church.

We stayed about an hour at the service enjoying the dancing and singing and parading around the building.  We knew the activities were to go on all day, so we left to have some final free time.

I snorkeled around the islet outside our suite and spent a good bit if time studying the cichlids and their behavior.  Watched several males, protecting their territory and thought i spied a couple of nests.  Some of the fish have beautiful colorations.  After 45 minutes, however, my body is really cold and my feet start cramping.  Time to get out.

Meanwhile, Mark is sitting on our patio thoroughly engrossed in the black headed weavers, who were very busy building their nests.  They try to steal nest material from each others nest.

Black Headed Weaver getting a nest started

The builders must be very vigilant in protecting their new homes.  Our patio is a perfect spot to watch as there are palm trees next to the trees used for their nests.  Mark saw one weaver begin the process by making a knot with a strand onto a tiny limb and then take another strand and work it around to make a small circle.

Different Weaver, different nest

They continuously strip a thread from different palm fronds, carry it to their nesting location and weave the strand around others already in place.  Several nests were in one stage or another and a few looked finished, although the owner continued to fuss and protect his turf.

The bride dancing in the dust as people throw money and dance with her to much merriment

Catching the money being thrown.

Notice the many different hair styles

Then we had lunch and relaxed awhile before walking back to the wedding at about 4pm, where the party was in full swing.  It seemed like several villages, maybe 200 or more people, turned out in their best clothes and hair dos.

Members of the large bridal party- 8 little children in suits and white dresses and 16 teenagers also dressed up.

Two young gentlemen out for a good time.

Everyone looked fresh and clean.  They even smelled good, which has often not been the case.   The idea with the party is that people throw money at the bride to get her to dance.  The more money thrown, the more she dances.  We had been alerted to the concept and took a bunch of small money with us to get into the action.  She danced, but did not look too happy.  Either she wanted more money or she was very tired after so much folderol.  After all she had been dancing in the school/church since 8:30am.   As usual, we could not resist the children and took several photos of them, the bridal party and a couple of young, single men looking for some action.

Good looking boys

By 5pm, we were out of there.  The music was bad and very loud.  We walked back to our wonderful suite and relaxed over a drink and watched our last African sunset.  Dinner was very good again – mushroom risotto starter and tender stuffed chicken breast in a delicious sauce with snow peas and a sweet potato mash.  We have concluded the chef at Kaya Mawa is the best of all the chefs we have experienced.

This morning we were up early to go kayaking.  Had a lovely hour on the lake, which was mostly calm.  Then breakfast of eggs benedict and french toast.  I have acquired a very fat belly.  Will need to be religious to get my figure back in shape.  Our weather everywhere in Malawi has been near perfect.  Warm sunny days, not too hot and mostly cool evenings.  Am out of time at this airport.  Will try to finish at the layover in Dubai, if I can manage it.

Likoma Island. Kaya Mawa is at the point on the right of the image.

August 27, 2016

Our tent at Sausage Tre Camp

Giant Kingfisher on the breakfast bar at Sausage Tree

This morning we slept in until 6:30, had breakfast at the railing again, then went for a lovely canoe ride/paddle down the Zambezi. I mostly rode with Richard paddling while I took photos of birds and scenery. Mark and Hastings paddled together. In what seemed like a short time we were at the place where the speed boat picked us up to return us to camp.

The distance was much longer than it seemed as the downstream drift went very quickly, at least 6-8 miles per hour, while the speed boat ride took quite a bit of time to bring us back to camp. Ashley met us at the dock to inform us that we would be picked up by boat and taken to lunch at noon. Another treat was in store. Back in the boat, Richard motored us to

Mark and Hastings canoeing on the Zambezi River.

a water covered sand bar about a mile downriver, where three staff had set up a sunshade, and laid out a table, chairs, linens, flatware and glasses. On a second table was a bar setup with a pitcher of premixed Pimm’s cocktail. We were served piping hot chicken pot pie, green salad, mixed rice and warm bread. We happily ate it all and the chocolate parfait they served for dessert as well. Many years ago we had had similar experiences on the Zambezi when we were on a 5-day canoe trip on the Zimbabwe side of the river. Then, however, there were no linens and no sun shade and we carried our lunch with us. Such delicious luxury this is.

Luxurious lunch on a wet sand bar

This afternoon we again passed on any activities. We have had plenty of excitement. Ashley and her husband, Yuri, the co-management team at Sausage Tree invited us to join them for dinner at 8. We accepted. For the rest of the afternoon, Mark read and napped and I worked on the blog as best I could with snail internet service. It takes ages to upload even one photo and half the time an error message pops up before it is finished and I have to start over. I finally gave up and hung out with Mark until dinner.   I thought these elephant images were interesting enough to include them here even though they taken a day earlier on the game drive.

Elephant grazing on tree leaves

Odd to see an elephant’s front teeth

Yuri and Ashley saying good bye. Sausage Tree dining hall and veranda are in the background.  Zambezi River is behind them.                                                           Yuri and Ashley were good conversationalists and we talked a lot about their history. Ashley is multi-generational Zambian, although she looks and talks like her British ancestors. She considers Zambia her country even though she does not have Zambian citizenship. She has the same mentality as other Africans that we spoke with, including John and Julius, who feel responsible for any less fortunate relatives, including distant cousins. If a cousin asks you for help, and you have the money, you must help them even if it means your own children may not have enough for their education. We found this true with every African we asked. It is not surprising that so few Africans get ahead financially. Their sense of responsibility overrides any other need. Both John and Julius said they would be called “bad men” if they did not help when asked, regardless of their personal dreams and plans. Because they had good jobs, they  were considered to be well off. Both men were more concerned about being called “bad men” than with giving up some money.

Yuri, on the other hand,  is white South African and has even older ancestors there. He, however, has little sense of responsibility toward the larger family. If he has funds to spare then he will help, otherwise he prefers to save for his own needs and those of his immediate family. There is no stigma about being bad if you do not help distant cousins. Much more western attitude. They have still in their 20’s and married less than a year. They love being camp managers, especially in such a nice facility as Sausage Tree. We studied the stars for awhile, with Yuri pointing out the Southern Cross and Scorpio, then we were off to bed.

August 28, 2016

One last breakfast at the bar overlooking the river and we were off on a boat ride upriver in the party barge to look for birds and fish. Saw nothing new in the way of birds, so decided to try our luck at fishing. While I practiced my casting, rarely getting the correct wrist action to cast very far,

Mark dropped a line in the water and left the pole alone. Sure enough, he got a bite and had a good fight pulling in the tiger fish. It was difficult getting the hook out of his piranha-like mouth, but at last Richard got the weighing gadget on it, Mark held it up and I photographed him with it. All of 4 kgs. Then, as required in the National Park, we let him go. We drifted back to camp, feeling like we had had a successful morning. We took one last shower, finished packing and had lunch. After lunch we said good bye to Ashley and Yuri, jumped into the speed boat and retraced our path 30 minutes to the unmarked spot where the Ford truck is stored under a canopy and drove another 15 minutes to the Jeti strip, where a mixmaster plane was waiting for us. The plane ride was another 30 minutes back to Lusaka. There we learned that the scheduled flight was waiting for us and would we hurry up, even though we were not late according to the schedule. Once we were all on the full plane, it took off 15 minutes early. The plane was very cramped and hot, but the flight lasted only 1.5 hours and landed in Lilongwe, Malawi.

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Welcome to Milawi. We have just arrived in our 26th African country. Our guide, Eddie, was waiting with a Suzuki suv to take us to Kimballi Lodge in the outskirts of Lilongwe. The drive was 45 minutes mostly in the dark. Many buildings were not lit and only a few street lights. Eddie told us the country did not have enough electricity and rolling blackouts occurred everywhere except on the street where the president lived. Wouldn’t you know, our lodge was also on the same street, so we had power until after we went to bed.

August 29, 2016

It wasn’t until after breakfast the next morning that we saw the scenery where we were staying and began to learn about Malawi. We were at a country inn on a very large dairy farm with pleasant grass and tree covered grounds around the inn, separated from the cows and paddocks by a green hedge. On a walk about, I met the owner of the property, Guy Pickering, who told me he had 600+ hectares and kept 100 cow calf units, 140 sheep and 150 goats along with a very large vegetable garden. He employs 300 people and is doing well except for the effects of a 4 year drought the whole area is suffering.  The population of the Malawi is 18 million, more than double what it was a few years ago and way too many for the land to absorb, according to Guy.  He says he stays away from politics, but he sure has strong opinions about our government, as well as his own. He is in favor of Trump. Wants to see a shake up in global politics. Fortunately, I had to leave just then as Eddie arrived with the car. He did tell me that Madona stays at his Inn every time she comes, which is once a year. He seemed proud of that.

Then we began our 4+ hour drive from Lilongwe to Pumulani Lodge on Lake Malawi. Eddie drove us through part of the city, which has 250,000 people in a hugely spread out area. Few high rises, built mostly by Chinese investors.

World War I and II Memorial, with first President, Hastings Banda

Birdseye view of Lilongwe, capital of Malawi

At my request for a good view of the area, he took us to the World War’s I and II Memorial with a statue of the first Malawian president and long time dictator, Hastings Banda. The guardian opened up the place and walked us up the 130 steps and ladders to the top. A bit uncomfortable, I was happy to let Mark take the photos, while I sat on the edge with the wind blowing furiously. The view was not worth the trip, BUT it was an adventure, so no complaints.

THe two common ways of getting around are bicycling and walking. Most do not have cars.

Markets are local and open air

Back in the car we slowed down for me to take pictures of locals walking on the roadside, marketing their wares, visiting and doing what people do who have no vehicles and must walk everywhere and transport their goods on their heads.

A typical village. Everyone must be at the market

Wash day at the river

Eddie said the people do not like tourists to take pictures of them as they think we will sell the photos to make money.  I had to snap quickly as Eddie did not want to stop or slow down much. We have not had this experience in the recent past and were surprised, until Mark looked up the information that Malowi is the 8th (221 out of 228) poorest country in the world. Almost at the bottom of the list. As he talked, we learned that he is not particularly happy with his lot in life, unlike the other guides and drivers we have had on this trip. He is 35 and has a wife and 4 children.

Finally, the 4 hour drive having dragged on for 5 hours, we arrived at Pumuloni Lodge. We said good bye to Eddie for two days, and met the lodge managers, Josh, from South African and Crystal, from France. Crystal escorted us to our sod covered house.

Inside our long and thin, sod covered house. There are 16 like it in the facility

Long and thin, every room has a full glass view of the wooded hillside and the lake. The entrance gives way to the living room, which gives way to the huge bathroom followed by the bedroom. The place has air conditioning, full time electricity, very hot and cold running water and a coffee service. There is a public, infinity swimming pool overlooking Lake Malawi, a large fire pit, outdoor veranda and dining area AND fairly decent WiFi service at the bar.

At 4:30 all 6 of us guests went out on the lake for a sunset ride on the resident dhow. Unfortunately, the sail was not put up and the motor was on the whole time. Not the slightest bit romantic, we passed the time visiting with the British family of 4 with 2 nearly adult teenagers. Later, cleaned up for dinner, we enjoyed a lovely meal of curried lamb. I did manage to get a post off before bed.

August 30, 2016

Ant Lion larvae

Ant Lion hole-about an inch in diameter

During our early morning bird walk, we saw only  a few birds, but I was taken with the Antlion. It is a tiny insect you may not know.  It is in the larvea stage until it eats enough to pupate, which can take many months to years.  During the dormant time it traps ants in its hole and eats them.  The bigger the hole, the hungrier the antlion.  It is like a lion to the ant, who is unable to get away as the lion kicks sand onto it until it tires and quits trying to get away.   When it finally pupates, it transforms into a dragonfly like creature looking to mate. As an adult it can live about 25 days, but is rarely seen as it flies at dusk or in the evening.  If you take a thin twig and stick it gently in the hole, the lion will move and you can see it and pick it up as our guide did.  In the image on the right it is on the sunny edge of the hole where we dropped it.

After the walk, which lasted about a hour and ended up back at the Lodge, we had breakfast and then joined the British family for a speedboat ride to the back side of a nearby island where we could snorkel in a protected area.  The water was cool, but not cold and the fish were wonderful to behold.  We learned that there are more different fish in Lake Malawi than any other lake in the world and that the same can be said for the variety of fish in Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika as well.   Each has more different fish than any other lake including each other.  Go figure.

Anyway, you will have to wait for more about the fish.  It is late and I am tired and I see that the formatting has gone weird.  No idea how to fix it.

Tomorrow we leave Pumulani for Mambo Island, where we will have no electricity.  Hopefully, we will have wifi at our last stop before returning home and I will be able to complete this saga.

August 22, 2016

Our morning game drive was quiet and rather uneventful, especially after yesterday.

In less than 12 hours, this is all that was left of the buffalo.

We found the head, spine and ribs of the buffalo being picked over by 2 vultures, but only a pile of dung where the event had taken place. No trace of the lions. On returning to the leopard kill, we found it lounging nearby and very full. We could see only the liver and legs of the impala. Whatever else was left of it was hidden under leaves. The leopard will surely return unless other animals beat him too it. I busied myself taking photos of the scenery and a few birds.

An ebony forest in the park

The ebony and sausage trees are plentiful and attractive. New spottings of birds included: Double-banded sand grouse, a Western-banded snake eagle and a Marshall’s eagle. There were also a number of Egyptian Geese.

A dazzle of zebra

We had a discussion about what different groups of animals are called, such as a pride of lion, and learned some unusual names—tower of giraffe (if standing still), journey of giraffe (if on the move)—crush of rhino—pod of hippo—sounder of wart hog—parliament of owl—troop of baboon—confusion of guinea fowl—dazzle of zebra. Perhaps this info will help you in some trivia game.

Today at lunch there were a couple of extra day visitors, but no Mark. When we returned from the game drive, he went straight to bed. Somehow the tourist bug got to him yesterday and he spent more of the night in the bathroom than in bed. Hopefully, he will feel better when he wakes up. We were scheduled to sleep in the bush tonight under the stars. I was looking forward to the experience, but there is no way with Mark feeling under the weather. We will stay at Mchenja tonight and move to the next camp tomorrow. Sorry Stacey. The good news for me is that I have another afternoon soaking up the cool water and writing poolside. This area is known for walking safari’s, but so far we have seen nothing interesting enough to motivated us to do one. We would rather be up where we can see longer distances and cover more ground. So far it has paid off.

Enjoying the Mchenja pool and the view over the Luangwa River

After sleeping several hours, Mark

A 2 month old kitty next to its mother attentively watching me.

was up and ready for the afternoon game drive. Having heard about a bunch of lions in a certain area, John headed for it. Sure enough, a large pride was napping alongside the road. We counted 4 adult females and 7 babies—2 only 2 months old and 5 about 8 months. The babies were not sleepy and romped around disturbing the adults, chewing on Mom’s tail, playing with each other and sucking on any teat they could reach, Mom’s or an aunts. It was fun to watch in the late afternoon sun. Having had enough of that, we drove off a ways and had our sundowner. John has now learned our favorite drinks and has them with him—Vodka tonic for me and scotch for Mark. We then drove around pretending to look for wild dog, knowing it was a fruitless effort. We satisfied ourselves with a few minutes in a lovely ebony forest, then drove back to the cats to see if they might have gone hunting. They had shifted positions only slightly and showed no inclination for hunting. By then it was dark so we headed back to camp.

Dinner was a delicious outdoor B-B-Q. With three couples now in camp, there were 8 at a long table and the conversation was lively, with one couple from Austria, one couple for DC, us and the managers. It was a pleasant evening, but Mark and I excused ourselves a bit early so we could get packed up and into bed. Mark still needed more sleep. Thankfully, he slept well. I seem to sleep like a rock every night, a blessing from being deaf in one ear.
August 23, 2016

Up at 5:15, we are finally going on a walking safari from Mchenja to Kakuli, our next camp, 8 km away. Pioneered by Norman Carr, a visionary, explorer, philanthropist and conservationist, who established the first safari camp in Luangwa in 1950, the aim of the walking safari was to emulate the traditional safari adventure of tracking big game on foot with a camera and binoculars rather than a gun. Although we both thought the walk would be tedious and boring with few animal sightings, we liked the idea of getting some exercise. The time had come.

Curious wart hogs

At 6:45 we finally got underway with Kelvin and his gun in the lead, followed by John, me, Mark and Kennan on sweep with the snacks and drinks. We meandered for over an hour looking as different scat, footprints and other “small things”. In spite of ourselves we enjoyed the “small things” as John called them and spotted a fair amount of game as well, including giraffe, buffalo, wart hogs, impala, Puku, kudu, 2 prides of 7 and 5 each (John said there were more that we did not see), hippo,

Inside a dead termite mound. Reminds me of the Anasazi Indian dwellings in Arizona

croc and quelea, a small bird that flies in large unified flocks, as waves in the wind. John said we were lucky to see any lions on a walk and especially lucky to see 2 good size pride. Our total cat count is now 31 lion and 2 leopard in three days. Pretty impressive.  We arrived at Kakuli around 9:45. The day was just beginning to get hot. Wet towel and welcome drink in hand, we said goodbye to John, Kelvin and Kennan and hello to the Kakuli staff. Our walking safari was a success.

Gunea Fowl. Hard to get them in focus. Confusion is an apt name.

Delivered ahead of us, our bags were in our new digs, which are very similar to the Mchenja chalets, as the ownership is the same. This place, however, is considerably hotter, very windy and there is no pool. Although it is technically on the river, the water is a long way off and the hippo are out of earshot. The riverbed kicks up dust with each gust of wind. As I write, leaves are blowing every which way and the laptop is getting gritty.

August 24, 2016

Mark felt up to sleeping out yesterday, so at 5pm, we drove to the campsite on a large dry, sand-filled riverbed where our overnight “kit” was piled up waiting for us. Julius, our Kukuli guide, Bottle, the security guard, and Jones, the chef, all helped assemble the camp, starting with the toilet, wash stand and screen, followed by chairs, tables and the drink chest. Then they set up large, square mosquito nets and threw our bed rolls inside. Julius joined us for drinks, while Bottle and Jones finished setting up their sleeping gear, lit fires of preset logs around the perimeter of the camp and started getting dinner ready. By then it was dark, although only 6:30pm. The timing had been close. We sat in our chairs and talked and laughed with Julius about his family and ours, African culture and customs, traditional African weddings, Zambian politics, death and dying and estate planning. We had 2 drinks with appetizers, then split a bottle of South African Cabernet with dinner, chicken stew over rice. Most booze I’ve had in a long time, but it seemed like the thing to do given the night ahead. Were in bed about 9:30, hoping to see the promised stars. No such luck. Between the netting, the fires surrounding us to keep away animals and the half full moon, we couldn’t see any stars.

Our camp experience. Too much wind and sand and not enough stars

I managed the night with only 3 trips through the sand to the toilet. Mark said he was up only twice. The wind blew constantly until about 4am, with gusts now and then that sent sand everywhere, including our bedding. Twice, the staff re-hammered the net stakes while we were in bed to keep the contraption standing. Mark said the experience reaffirmed his assessment that there is no value in camping. Too bad for me.

Breakfast the morning after

This morning we were up with the light. Coffee was ready along with oatmeal, eggs, bangers and beans and toast. Pretty impressive for the bush. Julius, Bottle, Mark and I drove off on a game drive, leaving Jones behind to clean up the camp. Did not envy him that task, but he waved good bye with a smile. On the drive, we saw a large male lion with a full mane. He was quite handsome as he sat staring at 7 females on the other side of the river. A little further along we came upon 2 slightly younger males, with their mane’s just beginning to show. They too were staring at the females.

One handsome male

Not far from them was a very wary young female, who had somehow gotten separated from the group across the river. She made a wide circle around the males, but was still stranded when we moved on. Julius thinks the large group will come across the river to get her as it is too dangerous for her to cross alone to them. A croc would get her for sure. At this point our lion sighting count is up to 42 in the few days we have been in the park. Further on we encountered another giraffe, several zebra, waterbuck, kudu, wort hogs, buffalo and the usual herds of impala and puku, Many, but no new, birds. The best bird sighting was a fish eagle, who flew right over our heads.

Back at camp, we went directly to the shower. As soon as we were clean again, I forgot the bad parts of camping and enjoyed the memories. Wish Mark felt that way.

Now we have had lunch, Mark is asleep and I will work on sorting some of our photos, while we wait for the heat of the day, only slightly less hot than the day before, to pass. We have two more game drives in this park before flying to the South Zambezi National Park tomorrow.

August 20, 2016

August 20, 2016
Early on the morning of the 18th, we left Clouds with Dickson driving his trusty Land Rover and headed SW west through unexpectedly beautiful countryside – rolling hills covered with tea plant nurseries, banana, maize, beans, sweet potatoes, cabbage, eucalyptus and pine tree plots and cattle. There was no flat land for the first hour, but gradually a large long valley came into view. It had been marsh but is so fertile and wet, that anything grows on the valley floor. Stunning. Then the road climbed back up into the hills and Dickson stopped so we could take in the view of a pristine mountain lake. We had no idea this drive to Kigali would be so beautiful. After 2 hours, we hit paved road. That was a surprise too after dirt roads for the last 5 days. We soon came to the boarder crossing, which proved to be fairly easy. While Dickson made the transit with the vehicle, we went to a small office, had our passport information recorded and were provided a numbered chit. From there we went across the street to a small police station, where a policeman took our chit and pointed us to a border office on the other side of the border gate. Under a sign that said “Visa”, we gave the attendant our passports and $60. Twenty minutes later he returned our passports with Rwandan visas. So we were in Rwanda, but not out of Uganda. The next window took care of that detail. After 10 more minutes, Dickson joined us with the vehicle.

From then on we had paved roads, most of them in very good condition. We couldn’t help noticing differences between the 2 countries. In Uganda, roads are mostly rough dirt, schools are shabby and inadequate, medical facilities are few and also inadequate. People do not wear helmets in spite of the law and plastic trash is evident everywhere. Suddenly, we were in bustling communities with a busy economy, good roads, more schools, better health care, helmets on every motorcyclist and very little trash. What happened? It took awhile to find out as Dickson is unfamiliar with Rwanda. While he asked directions at every turn we were could see why the country is called “land of 1000 hills”. It is exceedingly hilly, including the capital city. San Francisco pales in comparison. Once at the Serena Hotel, our first 5-star experience on this trip, another unexpected treat, we said farewell to Dickson as we met our Kigali guide for 2 days, Robert.

Robert was a very upbeat and talkative fellow, who talked politics all the while he drove us around Kigali, the capital city. He is 42 and so was old enough to remember the genocide of 1994, but was living in Uganda, where he had grown up. As soon as the genocide ended, he moved back to Kigali and has been in Rwanda ever since. He told us that hatred between the tribes had never existed before the 20’s, but grew and increased from the 30’s until small genocidal killings began to occur after the majority Hutus overthrew the ruling Tutsi king in 1959. It is a long and complicated story that you can read about elsewhere if you are interested. The good news, is that now, 22 years later, the people have forgiven the perpetrators and the country is recovering and prosperous. Everywhere we looked the energy was upbeat, people were colorfully dressed and busy. Robert is interested in the future and chooses to put the past behind him. However, he wants tourists to know and not forget what happened. We won’t. He took us to the National Genocide Memorial, where we spent 2 1/2 hours going through the well organized, interesting and painfully sad exhibits. What we saw made us upset and angry at the senseless killing of so many people for no good reason. The killings were completely planned and well organized, right down to the butchery that ensued. When the genocide began on April 7, 1994, 1 million Tutsi’s and Hutu sympathizers were systematically killed at the rate of 10,000 per day, by machete, gun, rape, dismemberment and butchery for 4 months. The government’s intent was to wipe out the Tutsi population. They succeeded in killing 3/4 of the Tutsi people. Outside the museum were gardens of remembrance and mass graves of 250,000 people, most of whom have not been identified. Survivors, many of whom are the only one alive in their family, still come here to be with their loved ones. We learned that there are mass graves and memorials in hundreds of villages throughout the country.

The biggest factor that has helped the country to recover is a program called Gacaca, which means “civil court”. Over 12,000 local community courts were created by the new government after the genocide ended, to allow citizens to try the perpetrators of the killings locally and meet out justice or offer forgiveness, when perpetrators acknowledged their deeds and expressed regret. Because of this court system, thousands have been brought to account for their deeds quickly and effectively. Many are serving time in prison and many have had light sentences and/or been forgiven.

The population before the genocide was 7 million. Today the population is 12+ million and growing. Over 60% of the population is under 25 and does not remember the event. The president, Paul Kagame, who led the military coup that ended the genocide in late 1994, was recently reelected for a third term and, just last week, a referendum was passed that allows him to continue being reelected for life. Robert voted for him and the referendum, because Kagame is making huge strides to improve infrastructure, increase business and jobs, provide free education through high school and offer inexpensive health care. All Rwandans, both Hutus and Tutsis, who escaped the genocide at one point or another by becoming refugees in one of the bordering countries were invited to return after the genocide and many have done so. More are gradually returning, while a number of exiles are anti-government and putting up some resistance. Robert hopes they will just return and get on with life. While the genocide was taking place in 1994, the rest of the world stood on the sidelines, watching, but doing nothing.

Meanwhile, Robert drove us around the city explaining different buildings, including many for the government and military. He drove by the centrally located, large, old, congested, street-less, hillside slum with no plumbing and very little electricity. Then he showed us where the middle class and the rich live. We were surprised at the number of middle class homes and apartments. Although Kigali was not destroyed during the genocide, most of the city is of new construction, including wide streets and 4 lane roads. Street lights have been added on all the main roads. According to Robert this has significantly reduced the crime rate, especially of assaults on women. He also took us to an art gallery, where we saw a few paintings we liked, met the artists and considered purchasing one from an artist named Emmanuel. That evening we ate dinner at Heaven, a restaurant specifically reserved by our travel agent, Stacey. It was clearly an upscale, outdoor ex-pat eatery with good food and a small art gallery that included the work of Emmanuel. This time we purchased the piece we had admired earlier. Hope it makes it home intact.

All this in a day and a half. By 3:30 on the 19th, we were at the airport for our 7pm departure for Zambia. We learned why we needed so much time. At every point of entry, we had to go through another security station, removing shoes, belts, watches, etc. Although Robert said Rwanda is a happy place, we noticed security police and military guards everywhere. Way more than any other African country we have visited. Robert admitted that the insurgent resistance is, unfortunately, not finished.

Far SW corner of Uganda. Beautiful green valleys and hills

Unexpected gorgeous lake with fisher me in log boats and islands too.

Last village in Uganda before the border.

Entering Rwanda was almost as easy as walking under this bar.

Kyanika, first town in Rwanda. Note big building, paved road and busy people

Market day in outskirts of Kuanika. Note the heavy potato loads

Us and Emmanuel Nkuranga, the Artist who painted this picture, “Waves of Sunshine”.

August 25, 2016

Have been unable to communicate while in the bush, where we have been for several days.  Have an hour in the Lusaka airport waiting to fly to the next bush area, where we will be out of pocket again.  Am sending this a bit hastily without being able to add all the photos I intended, but want you to get something.  Be assured we are having a grand time prowling around for animals and shooting many with our sturdy cameras.

August 14, 2016 Last Day in Bwindi

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ruhanga Abahe Omugisha.  (God grant you many blessings)

Webare munonga  (Thank you very much)

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

Buhoma Catholic Church where Juliana was baptized

BCH staff and board in front of Administration building after the dedication

Bishop’s Primary School children, grade 3

Kinkizi High School 4th year Students during class.

Faces of people we connected with in Uganda

A Batwa woman

A Batwa boy

Reverend Hope, a wonderful advocate for girls

BCH staff person in prayer

Aa

A Batwa boy

This boy had a sense of humor

Scott counseling an elder Batwa

Scott dancing with the Batwa.

August 14, 2016 at Mahogany Springs Lodge

Continuing with the 11th:  From Bishop’s school, we visited another school, Kitariro (pronounced Chitario), sponsored by the Batwa Development Program, which is under the Kellermann Foundation umbrella.  Sadly, the school is not doing well and there was much discussion about transferring the school, which is kindergarten through 3rd grade,  to the Diocese for management.  I totally agree with that assessment.

The group of us, divided into two vans, finally headed back to Buhoma, where our various accommodations are located.  It had been a long day that was not yet over.  After a quick shower, we all reconvened at the home of Levi, the assistant head of BDP.   He and his family put on a huge meal for at least 40 people in their garden.  It was all traditional foods that we mostly do not care for, but eat to be polite.  There was matoke (steamed plantain), cassava (a flavorless root starch), millet (a sticky paste like starch), old goat chopped up in undefinable and inedible pieces, beans, lots of rice, flavorful gravy that covered a multitude of unpleasant textures and a large pot of pasta, ostensibly for the several American kids in the group, but eaten largely by the adult Americans.   Desert was pineapple and papaya, which provided a welcomely pleasant aftertaste.  No alcohol in this African Anglican crowd, but lots of ministers.  In this culture it is appropriate for the host to thank everyone for gracing his home with their presence.  That takes a good bit of time, followed by most guests, especially the ministers, expressing their thanks for the fine repast and hospitality and wishing many blessings on the host and all the guests.  The speeches went on late into the evening, but it would have been impolite to walk out.  Finally, the speeches ended and we then had to bid our host many thanks for a wonderful evening before heading for home and bed.

Scenery at Mpungo

On the 12th, in the same 2 vans, a number of our board and family members drove 45 minutes to the small Batwa village of Mpungu to help mud a house.  This was a fun experience for everyone.

Mudding a bamboo hut for a Batwa family

The wooden  frame had been webbed with split bamboo prior to our arrival and much water and dirt had been gathered to make into mud.  Within a short time of arrival at the very scenic hilltop sight, we were all up to our elbows in mud, stuffing it into and between the webbing.  We worked about three hours and completed about 2/3rds of the job, when the host family told us to stop, clean up and have lunch.  We did our best to get clean in the dirty water, but our nails were totally black and mud clung to our arms and clothes.  Still we managed to eat the same traditional foods I described from the day before.  Only no pasta this time.  I ate a lot of rice and gravy.  Have totally given up on the goat.  I thought we would go back to finishing mudding, instead we took a group photo and headed back to Bahoma so we could all be ready for the dedication of the new wing at 4pm.

The mudders–KF Board, family members and Batwa

Knowing this was a big deal, Mark and I dressed in the best clothes we brought-linen pants for him and a long dress for me.  It was 4:30 when people began to arrive, African style, and 5pm before the program got underway.

Unveiling the plaque on the new post surgery ward

There was much wonderful singing and praying before the speeches began.  The speakers included, a minister, Dr Birungi, ED of BCH, a regional government official, Lana Valenta, President of the board of KF, Dr Scott Kellermann, founder of BCH,  Pastor Michael of Dallas and me.  We all spoke in thanksgiving for all the blessings God has provided including the new hospital wing that Mark and I have funded.  After the speeches we unveiled the plaque, cut the ribbon and toured the building.  Once everyone was crowded inside, singing reverberated around the walls.  It is a major addition to the hospital and a most awesome dedication.  Mark and I are both humbled by the experience.

Inspecting the new ward complete with private baths in some of the rooms

After the formal activities concluded, a number of us went for celebratory cocktails at a nearby lodge.  After dark we finally went for dinner at the home of one of the hospital staff who knew how to plan for tardy guests.  Nothing happens quickly here and my hunger pangs and patience were sorely tried, but I kept smiling.  Once I had eaten a hearty burrito, my personality returned.  Mark loved his burrito and ate it with gusto.  So nice to eat familiar food.  Although it was passed Mark’s and my bedtime, we were encouraged (read “told”) to attend the party happening behind the Nursing School.  So off we went.  Many people were already there, seated and waiting for us.  It was a bit embarrassing, but the instant we sat down Levy, the MC of the dedication and this party too, made many more thanksgiving comments and introduced more……yep……speeches.  The most important being thank you and farewell comments and gifts for Sally Stillings, the current KF ED who retires the first of September. After 6 years of hard organizational work, she has put the Foundation on a solid footing.

Finally, canned music blared from a loudspeaker and dancing began.   We danced as long as seemed appropriate and then slipped away into the night.  It was quite a day to remember.

August 11, 2016

Here are a few pix of Johnathan Wright’s home near Mukono, a village outside Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

Veranda at Jonathan’s house

Inner courtyard at Jonathan’s home.

Mark, Julia and Jonathan

After leaving Jonathan, we flew south from Kampala to Kihihi in the SW corner of Uganda and were driven to our accommodations near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.   Within an hour of checking into the Mahogany Lodge, we joined our Kellermann team on an excursion to visit the Batwa, the people who were displaced from the forest where they had been hunter-gathers for unknown generations.  When they start beating their drums and singing, the rhythm is infectious and you want to get up and dance with them….at least I did.  (Sure wish one of you word tell me how to put videos in this blog.  I have a super video of the dancing and singing.)

Batwas dancing and singing in their native clothes made from bark.

Batwa men dancing to the beat of drums and singing

I will admit that they smell pretty bad up close, especially when they start dancing.  After one song I needed a break from the smell more than the exertion.   They are friendly, charming people, however.  Scott Kellermann has learned enough of their language that he is able to do a decent job of communicating with them.  They all clearly love him for the time and effort he has put into their physical, spiritual and economic well being.  In only 15 years, the results of his work are astounding.  He has managed to get a top quality hospital in place to meet the needs of the Batwa and the other local people; he has set up an insurance plan that helps them feel empowered with only a little investment on their part; he has established a nursing school with about 100 students enrolled in three year programs that will allow the graduates to take care of most of the needs of the people in their own villages; he has set up primary schools for the Batwa to help them gain a foothold in the larger community; and he has organized scholarship programs to help those who show promise to attend better schools.  There are now a handful of students who are graduating from high school and attending university.  the list of accomplishments goes on and still the work is constant and the need for funding ever greater.

Julia joins in with the Batwa.

Julia stands near the Batwa to show how small they are.

It is late and we have another full day tomorrow.   Good night.

Map of Uganda

August 8, 2016

Our world has changed considerably. I am now sitting in our boma at Wildwaters Lodge near where the White Nile exits Lake Victoria. The sound is roaringly loud, but wonderful to my head. I cannot hear the tinnitus.

We arrived in Entebbe yesterday late afternoon. Had a smooth entry into Uganda until Mark’s bag did not appear on the carousel. He waited 30 minutes, then went to the bathroom. Upon returning from the bathroom, he suddenly spotted the bag sitting on the floor in the middle of the by then empty baggage claim area. Disaster averted. We departed the airport with our new driver, Dixon, in a Toyota Land Cruiser with Uganda Safari Company printed on the sides. Then we got the news that it would take 2.5 to 3 hours to drive to Jonathan Wright’s house where we planned to stay. The busy Sunday evening social traffic was so bad through Kampala that it took 3 full hours to get to Jonathan’s place near Mukono, a small town east of the city. We knew his house was in an isolated location. We just did not know how isolated. The dark, bumpy, dusty, tedious trip was, however, worth the trouble. His house is large, rambling and most appealing with stucco and heavy beam construction. It is in the middle of 1500 acres of forest with views from the veranda looking out at the city far in the distance.

He greeted us at the door at 10pm and made us each our first drink since arriving in Sudan. Scotch, of course. Then he escorted us directly to dinner on the veranda, where his staff had laid out a delicious family style meal. By now you must be wondering who is Jonathan Wright. We met him 14 years ago when he guided us on our first tour of Uganda. He was the owner of a small company called the Uganda Safari Company. At the end of the tour, he invited us to his house in Kampala where we had dinner with him, his wife Pamela and their 2 kids. Two years later, we were back in Uganda to revisit Scott and Carol Kellermann and spent a few days with Jonathan visiting a concession he had just secured to set up a game lodge at Kidepo in the northwest corner of the country. We camped there in a rustic cabin for a few nights and toured around with him checking the place out. It is now a successful game lodge. (That was the day we left Kidepo by small plane, flew back to Kampala, dropped Jonathan off and flew on to the tea plantation air strip, where we planned to meet Scott. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard and our inexperienced pilot crashed the plane on landing. No one was hurt, but the plane was totaled along with some tea plants.)

We have kept up with him be email over the years and wanted to reconnect on this trip. During the last 12 years, his business has grown considerably and he now has his hand in a number of activities, including the lodge we will visit in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest called The Clouds. Pamela and his now adult children, are in Canada, where she is from, so we did not get to see them. At midnight we called the evening quits and dropped into bed. The place is so quiet it reminds me of the Clarke Ranch.

Politically, he believes Museveni is a reasonable president as he is strong and keeps the country stable and safe even if he is a dictator. The county is growing at 5% a year, new roads are in the process of being built and people are happy to be working. When Jonathan first came to Uganda as a child, he remembers the population being around 5 Million. Today it is 35 Million.

This morning we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast with Jonathan, walked around his grounds and talked until almost 1pm. Finally, we departed with Dixon on the two hour drive to this lodge. Jonathan planned this adventure for us and we had no idea what to expect. What a trip to drive and drive on bad dirt roads and finally stop in the middle of the forest.

Wildwaters Lodge arrival dock.

Canoe arriving to take us to Wildwaters Lodge

Then I got out of the car and heard the roar of a raging river, although I could not see it for the forest. We walked a short distance down some steps to a wood landing and there we were at the edge of the immense Nile River with a small boat being rowed to meet us. Asked I, are we really going to get in that little row boat to cross this river? Yes said Dixon. I gulped and happily put on the offered life vest. It was a bit precarious with us, our stuff, Dixon and two boat men in this canoe shaped row boat. However, we did not row across the river, but out to the edge of the current which propelled us a short distance to another wood landing on a small island. We were greeted by staff with the usual wash cloth and welcome drink and escorted along a series of elevated wooden walkways to the outdoor dining area, where we were given the welcome talk and served lunch.

The view of the Nile rapids from the dining room at Wildwaters.

Our boma or bungalow, one of 10, overlooks Nile River rapids near the river’s source, Lake Victoria.  The river is immense and very loud.  Mark informs me it is the largest river in the world, followed by the Amazon and the Yangtze.  Our Mississippi is 4th.

The facility is in a jungle-like forest.  Walking on the ground is nearly impossible, so there are elevated boardwalks  from the bomas to the dining hall and the helipad, where those who can, arrive.  As there is really no place to go, we hung out in the room, watched the rapids pass by our boma and read and wrote until dinner.  We were in bed shortly after dinner.   Lights out at 11pm when the generator is turned off.

Interior of our Wildwaters boom

August 9, 2016

Luxury in the wilderness occurred when we were delivered Cappuccino’s in our room at 7:30am.  Not quite as luxurious as arriving by helicopter, but more than good enough.

After breakfast I plan to go fishing for Nile perch.  More later.

Friday August 5, 2016

What a couple of hot desert days we have had. Early yesterday morning while it was cooler than very hot, we drove a half hour to the ancient cemetery of Nuri (slightly east of Karima on the map) to see 22  crumbling Egyptian style pyramids dating from 664 BC, when the most powerful of all the Pharaohs, Taharqa, was buried there. He was powerful for having enlarged his territory more than any other pharaoh. As in Egypt they had 45 degree angles. Unlike Egypt, they were only 30 meters high. We walked around the historically interesting, but photographically boring cemetary.  So here is a photo of the bakery we stopped at for some fresh, hot bread.

Bakery near Nari cemetary.  Typical Sudanese bread.

Then we drove back to the Rest House, ate a late breakfast and said good bye to the staff, who had treated us very well under trying conditions. Not only was the air hot, humid and murky even in the evenings, the AC struggled to make anything remotely cool, the cold water came out so hot we had no relief even in the shower and the internet hot spot they let us use was only intermittent at best.

Nubian style entrance to the Nubian Rest House we called home for three nights.

Feeling uncertain but game about our coming camping experience, we headed southeast from Karima through the Bayuda Desert eventually crossing the Nile and turning south to Meroe (pronounced Mer-O-A). About 2.5 hours into the 5 hour drive on good 2 lane highway, Mortada suddenly veered off the road onto the sand and drove about a mile to a nomad encampment.

Nomadic encampment

Abdel was quite pleased to introduce us to the residents with whom he has become good friends. Several women were hanging out in the shade of their temporary structure, while the men were out with their camel herd. I will include photos of the structure as it is impossible to describe, being made with tree limbs, sticks, cardboard and anything that would allow airflow without letting in sun. The space included several single bed frames for sitting and lounging as well as sleeping. I saw toothbrushes sticking out of the rafters and large cloth bags hanging from the walls most likely containing clothes, bedding and personal affects. Another structures included a permanent brick building used as a kitchen, a empty lean to affair used for corralling animals at night and another temporary dwelling where the grandmother had her own space that was more enclosed and dark.

Medina, the lady in charge

It was a delight to meet the lady of the camp, Madina, her pregnant 18 year old daughter, Umbala, whose wedding Abdel attended nine months ago and her 15 year old daughter, Dawa, who is engaged to a cousin she will marry when she is 18. Then we met Madina’s elderly mother, also called Madina, a cousin named Thuria and a mid wife staying with them until the baby, due any day, is born, They were so warm and welcoming that we chatted and laughed with them for a good hour.

Medina’s daughter demonstrating the smoke bath.

We learned more about the smoke bath I mentioned earlier with the Hassan family. Two of the women demonstrated their smoke bath, which occupies a corner of the space, for us by starting a fire with acacia wood in the round pit. When it gets smoking, they wrap fabric around themselves, sit over the hole and let the smoke seep into their pours. How it cleans them I have no idea. However, they all have beautiful smooth skin. We took many photos and they had fun laughing at pictures of themselves. They were as curious about us as we were about them. Abdel told us that in spite of living a nomadic lifestyle, they are not poor.

Dawa, the 15 year old daughter and her cousin Thuria.

They choose to live this way. Periodically, they move back and forth between camps. As we departed, we left them some of the large mangos we had been given by an elderly man at the Rest House. They seemed pleased with the gift.

Back on the highway, we pulled off again when we spotted a good sized watering hole crowded with camels, goats and sheep. It was quite a sight. I wonder if some of those animals belong to Madina’s family.

While driving, we chatted about a variety of topics. Mark learned that 72% of the population is literate (81% men and 63% women) and the average number of years spent in school is 4. Education is not free to anyone, but the public schools are not very expensive. Unfortunately, they are not very good either. Abdel sends his three girls to private schools.

Weddings are a very expensive 4-day affair in Sudan. There may be as many as 1000 guests at an average wedding. The ceremony and attendant parties are paid for by both sets of parents. The bride’s parents also buy the furnishings for whatever dwelling the couple will inhabit and the groom provides the dwelling. With 3 daughters, Abdel will have to make a lot of money.

Saudi Arabia and Sudan are the only two countries that have Sharia Law. Most Arab countries have a mix of Sharia and civil Law. In Saudi Arabia the Law is is very strictly enforced, which is why Abdel believes the US should not be friendly with that country. Sudan did not have Sharia Law until Bashir instituted it in the 90’s. The Sudanese are more liberal in their application of the law as it is not compatible with their culture, according to Abdel. He believes Bashir does not enforce it more severely because of the attitude of the people and International pressure. Still, under Sharia Law, women are repressed. They have no freedom or human rights.

The Meroe Pyramids.

The time flew by and we were soon in Meroe, driving through the sand to the major pyramid site in Sudan. The late afternoon light was just about perfect so we jumped out of the car and walked up a gentle sand hill to the pyramids, snapping away. These are the typical 30 meter, 72 degree Kushite style we saw in Jebel Barkal only younger. There are 2 sites fairly close together. The north, which we were looking at, contains about 60 pyramids dating from 400BC to 400AD and the south, which contains 6 that are still standing from 800BC. There are about 100 in Meroe and 130 total in Sudan. The smaller size allowed the pyramids to be constructed quicker and easier than the ones in Egypt. Another difference from Egyptian tombs where the deceased is placed inside the pyramid, is that tomb chambers were dug directly into the rock below with the pyramid erected above.

Once the king was buried, the entrance, which was a distance away from the pyramid, was covered up and hidden. There was a prayer chapel attached to the outside of each pyramid. Sadly, every pyramid was decapitated in 1834 by an Italian gold seeker named Ferlini. Preservation of antiquities was not yet important. Anyway, it was a lovely sight in the fading light.  A few of the pyramids were reconstructed to look as they might have when new.

About a mile away on another hill was our outdoor home for the night, the Italian operated Meroe Tented Camp. As it is off season and the place is closed to guests, we were permitted to sleep outdoors on the veranda under the stars and to use a bathroom facility complete with coolish running water. Yeah! Although not quite as hot or humid as the days before, the air was still a hot breeze and we were sticky and sweaty. The shower felt great even though we had no room to cool off and got sticky again. We were fed a very nice dinner on the terrace by the Italian chef in residence. Hopefully the staff enjoyed the copious left overs. By then it was dark with no moon so we laid on top of our beds with no covers in hopes of cooling off and getting some sleep. Eventually, we drifted off with the breeze slowly cooling down. At least it kept any possible bugs away. Although we were both up several times during the night, we did get some sleep. I enjoyed the stars and the long lightening show in the south. It was so far away we could not hear any thunder. Sometime during the night I pulled a sheet over me and eventually the blanket. By 5am, it was warm already and time to get up to catch my camel ride to the pyramids to be there for sunrise. Mark road in the car. He says he’s been there, done that. I say any opportunity to ride a camel is a good one. I keep trying to improve my riding skills. Am not learning very fast.

August 6, 2016

The camel ride was pleasant but and sunrise was unimpressive. The sand is so fine it is like talcum powder and golden and is easily blown into waves. So pretty. I hate to disturb the patterns.

Breakfast was served on the veranda in the shade looking out at the vast desert. These are moments in places we have visited in Africa I treasure. The breeze has not stopped since we arrived at the camp. It is like being in our room at the Rest House with two fans running full blast. It helps keep us less sweaty, but we are still sticky and take showers again before loading up. We managed our night of camping pretty well. Would have enjoyed a second night if not for the heat.

Back on the road headed for Khartoum, we experienced much heavier traffic on the tired main highway where many double 18-wheelers travel to and from Port Sudan in the northeast. The Sudanese version of truck stops are frequent and we stopped at one for coffee and tea. I got some snaps of friendly travelers having coffee too. We have not yet had one unpleasant experience with Sudanese people.

Finally, we made it back to the Corinthia Hotel with a cool, sand free room with a great view of both Nile rivers and functioning internet and WiFi. Am able to send blogs and deal with email. We have about 2.5 hours to work and rest before heading out to see the Sudanese version of Sufi Whirling Dervishes.