15.02.2021
ca. 150 km Marafiki Safari Lodge – Engagi Lodge Buhoma
Waking up early I sat on the porch for a while and continued with yesterday’s notes for the journal. There was so much to catch up still…. All the batteries were charged as well and I was ready for a new day.
Breakfast was set for 07:00 and shortly after we were all packed, paid bills and were set to go at 08:00. Heading down the Kasese-Ishaka Road we passed the Equator once more – we had noticed it had been the best idea to stop there for our photo session on our first pass, because the business man with his sign was only there at certain times. Subsequently we passed always too early or too late and the Equator was rather … non-descript … The least they could have done, would have been a bump in the road as a noticable sign …
About 15 km down the road in Katunguru we crossed the bridge over the Kazinga Channel. It looked like this is the narrowest spot on the channel – which is why the crossing is here.
Only a few kilometers south of the channel, Matovu turned off onto the main road leading through Queen Elizabeth National Park south to the Ishasha Sector. The road was a gravel track and turned out to be one of the main roads connecting to DR Congo … apart from being the shortest way and main connection to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – our next destination. The first 100 km or so were still leading right through Queen Elizabeth National Park. It was the only way to reach the Ishasha Sector in the far south of the park. This sector is famous for its Tree-Climbing Lions and we were going there as well.
Part of the road seemed to be under construction. For many kilometers piles of red soil had been placed along one side of the road obviously waiting to be spread out. Luckily there was not much traffic.
Dr. D asked to stop so he could get some of the typical red soil for souvenir. He is not only an avid photographer, he also collects sands from all the places he visits. He saw his chance here and it really made sense to get the red soil from those piles rather than digging somewhere in hard ground or scrap some off a field …
It was a pretty straight road leading through the park with Maramagambo Forest to our left side directly south. Even though we kept our eyes peeled for any kind of wildlife, we did not spot anything. We never saw construction trucks either, but soon the piles of red soil subsided and it was obvious the next part had already been prepared for the red soil to arrive. It looked as if potholes had been filled with whatever soil was available and the track was now waiting for the red top cover to be completed.
Close to Kisenyi Village the road descended down to the level of Lake Edward. We had a look from above, but the road never reached the shoreline and also turned away from the lake again.
For a very long stretch the track – that could not really be called road anymore at this point – deteriorated significantly and visibly! It must have been at least 10 or 20 km … there were huge … and I mean … HUGE potholes everywhere. I cannot remember when or if I had ever seen such huge and deep potholes … it was obvious why this track was under maintenance … they just had not reached this far yet … Surprisingly HD did not comment at all today … he was always the first one to moan about the state of African roads … not today … he was almost disturbingly quiet … but then again, I was riding shotgun for the first half of the day and had my peace and quiet in the front anyway …
Because the greatest part of a road trip is not arriving at your destination.
It is all the wild stuff that happens along the way.
Emma Chase
We met several big trucks on the way as well. They mostly had Congolese license plates and were en route to DR Congo or on the way back with whatever goods they had in their containers. How long they would need for that potholed stretch of road we could not fathom … That one big container truck ahead of us was creeping along at a snails speed. Often the driver had to stop and back out of a pothole to navigate around it. But there were so many potholes … it was impossible to avoid even one of them. Both – the driver and the co-driver – were frequently hanging out the windows to check their possibilities. It seemed like a miracle that the truck did not get stuck or tipped over … that it moved at all …
Our trusted Landcruiser was bumping and dancing along the track as well with Matovu trying to avoid the largest wholes … He even managed to overtake that big truck. It was almost impossible to take photos of this rollercoaster ride … so I tried to take a video … with only marginal success … But what astounded me, was also the roadside maintenance being done here in – seemingly – the middle of nowhere. We saw several workers with machetes cutting the grass and vegetation of the embankment of the track.
Once we had passed the very bumpy section of the road, the gravel track improved visibly. On our left side the Kigezi Game Reserve was stretching along the track. Kigezi Game Reserve was established in 1952 and is one of the oldest protected areas. It serves as a buffer zone to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We only spotted a few Waterbuck in their swampy element close to the track, though.
At least twice we were slowed down by troupes of Olive Baboons doing one of their seemingly favourite things … play highwaymen and try to stop traffic. They were loitering on the roadside and nobody knows why Baboons do that … hang out by the roadside … one of them was even trying to hitchhike with his arm out in the universal signal …
Baboons in the wild are known for their highly strategic and hierarchical societies. When it comes to decisions about where to go, one might expect that some bolshie individuals will direct the group through its habitat. However, a new study of the collective movements of wild Olive Baboons in Kenya suggests that there are more democratic processes at play. For wild animals location is everything. The decision to head north instead of south may lead them to a fruiting tree, a pool with water or a place of shelter – all of these things could be the difference between life and death. For that reason, animal movements are never random. Even when searching for things, animals will use specific patterns of movements to sweep their environment. Social animal species like Baboons may not sit down and have a confab over a map, but they still need to make a decision about where the group should be heading. Why they like the roadside … we might never know …
Approx 90 km and 2 hrs into our journey, Matovu turned off and we reached Ishasha Gate where he had to do some paper work again. We could use the time to stretch our legs or use the facilities. I swapped seats with Dr.D, because when we opened the safari roof of the car it was more comfortable for me to stand up in the back, while Dr.D preferred the front seat where he could step on the seat.
While waiting for the others I spotted some Vervet Monkey – Chlorocebus Pygerythrus – right next to the gate at the picnic area raiding the trash can … There was a small group of them and I quickly got the big camera out … for the first time I got a shot of the blue balls of the alpha!
Apart from being Africa’s most abundant monkey, Vervets have a highly distinctive appearance – black faced with blue balls they are one of the easiest African animals to identify. They gather in big troupes all across sub-Saharan Africa and provide a mesmeric safari encounter. As beautiful as they are, Vervet Monkeys are hugely misunderstood creatures. They are considered rampant thieves and are often shot by people as pests. As the urban world expands, these monkeys are on the front line of human wildlife conflict.
Their fur is a colour somewhere between olive green and grizzled grey. A white fringe surrounds their black faces and their tales are topped by a slither of black. Males are more conspicuous. For most of the year they show off pale blue testicles. During mating season these testicles turn bright blue, a flamboyant show to suggest their suitability as a mate! Vervets can also be identified through their troope behaviour. They are highly social animals who typically live and travel together.
Then we opened the safari roof for another game drive … by now we had a routine technique to do it in one smooth motion in a team effort … Well, usually it was me in the front and Bud in the back pushing hard and maybe Ms Ping and Ree helping out.
Now, why would we go on a game drive in the middle of the day … during the hottest time of the day? Well, we came here to hopefully see the famous Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha! Noone is particularly sure why these Lions have taken to the trees – however the Sycamore Figs do provide excellent shelter during the rains. The local people say it is part of the Lions’ culture whilst others say they prefer the cool breeze up in the branches – avoiding the middday heat – and being away from the pests on the ground. Additionally, others allude to the large amounts of Tsetse Flies. These Flies roam on ground level and continuously bite the Lions. Thus, as a way of protecting themselves, the Lions climb up the trees, where the number of Flies dramatically decreases.
Located off the beaten track in the remote southern-most sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and given the distance from the main park in the north – including the Kazinga Channel and the Kasenyi Plains – Ishasha Sector is a hidden gem that is often bypassed by many tourists rushing down to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see the magnificent Mountain Gorillas. But we detoured here for a safari and were all excited.
The track led up to a plateau overlooking the surrounding region. There are 2 main game drive circuits both roughly 20 km long. We started out with the northern circuit. This route is supposed to be better for general game viewing while the open landscape and boundless horizons on the northwestern part of the route represent some of the finest wilderness in the region.
Even though it is actually only a few kilometers from the main road … We could see the road we had come … and it looked as bumpy from afar as it had been driving it … The plateau was also overlooking the Ntungwe River floodplains, a long low trough punctuated by pools and wallows.
Matovu told us, we were not yet in the area where those Lions usually hang around … so in the meantime, we enjoyed the lovely plains of Ishasha and the other fabulous mammals! There were – of course – Warthogs and Uganda Kob aplenty.
We did spot something new, too! A group of Topi! The Topi – Damaliscus Lunatus Jimela – is a highly social and fast type of Antelope found in the savannas, semi-deserts and floodplains of sub-Saharan Africa. They are medium-sized Antelopes with a striking reddish-brown to purplish-red coat. Distinct black patches appear on their face, their upper forelegs and on their hips and thighs. To complete their singular appearance, the Topi’s yellowish-tan legs look like they are encased in stockings … those stockings we could hardly make out as the animals were standing in relatively high grass, though. But they looked for sure striking!
Although not quite as large as their relative the Hartebeest, Topis have a similar body shape, but a darker coloration. They have thick, heavily ringed, lyre-shaped horns that are 30-40 cm long.
The Topi has a long but patchy distribution, as it prefers certain grasslands in arid and savanna biomes. Human hunting and habitat destruction have further isolated their population. Topi live primarily in grassland habitats ranging from treeless plains to savannas. They prefer pastures with green grass that is medium in height with leaf-like swards. Topi are more densely populated in areas where green plants last into the dry season, particularly near water, because they are selective feeders and use an elongated muzzle and flexible lips to forage for the freshest plants. Topi are usually either numerous or absent in an area – we had not seen them in any other national park yet.
Topi are exceptionally gregarious and live in herds of 15-20. In some places, it is possible to see herds of hundreds. They have a flexible social structure. Sedentary populations display the usual residence pattern – small herds led by a dominant male. During migratory periods, large numbers of animals congregate together indiscriminately. When the group stops, even if for just a few hours, males establish small, temporary territories in which they shepherd the females.
At some point I spotted a colourful speck in the far distance – I could only really make it out through the long lens of my camera … It was a pair of Saddle-Billed Storks – Ephippiorhynchus Senegalensis – a widespread species and resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa. The body of the tallest Stork in the world is completely white with a featherless red patch of skin in the center of the breast, but the color darkens during the breeding season. The head, neck and the tail feathers are black but have a green iridescence. Primary and secondary flight feathers are white, with black upper and lower covert feathers. The beak is red with a black band going around the middle and on the upper side is the yellow saddle that includes small wattles that hang below the underside of the beak at the base that look like stirrups. The legs are black with red bands around the joints and on their feet. It was the only time we spotted this particular Stork and I wished we could have gotten closer … but we were not able to and they did not do us the favour of coming closer either …
Dr. D got his wish, too – a herd of Buffalo with Cattle Egrets – Bubulcus Ibis – on their backs was eyeing us curiously from the distance. They were far away as well, but hey … there were several Egrets standing on their backs. Cattle Egrets eat ticks off the hide of the Buffalo or any other ungulate in a mutual relationship – The Egrets get food and the Buffalo receive fewer tick bites and fewer parasitic infections.
And then there was this Warthog sprinting away from the track with its tail up in the air. There is a tale on why Warthogs run with their tails up in the air … Once upon a time a Warthog had one of the prettiest coats of the wild animals living on the savannas of Africa. He was very proud of this and loved showing off, parading through the bush with his chest pushed out and not afraid of anything. One day, while trotting down a game path, he came across a Lion, who was not in a very happy mood that day and not in the right state of mind to deal with the Warthog and his attitude. The Warthog started comparing his beautiful coat to that of the Lion and taunting him by saying his hair is prettiest of all. The Lion got very angry and grabbed the Warthog by his sides with his claws and pulled while the Warthog tried to run away … causing all of the Warthog’s beautiful hair to be pulled out. But the Lion could not grab the back of the Warthog, leaving hair there. The Warthog’s bare skin that was not used to the sun and burnt very quickly in the hot African sun, causing his skin to get very wrinkly and tight. So the Warthog started running back to his house to hide away from the Lion and the hot sun. He ran and ran and as he ran through the grass in the bush, he had to squint his eyes so the grass did not go inside his eyes. And, with his skin being so tight on his body, everytime he squinted his eyes, his skin would pull tight causing his tail to go up in the air! So, still to this day, the Warthog has long hair on its back and neck where the Lion did not grab it and his tail still goes up in the air when it runs!
A lonely juvenile White-Backed Vulture – Gyps Africanus – an Old World Vulture sometimes called African White-Backed Vulture – was sitting on a tall tree. The White-Backed Vulture is a typical medium-sized Vulture, with only down feathers on the head and neck, very broad wings and short tail feathers. It has a white neck ruff. The adult’s whitish back contrasts with the otherwise dark plumage. Juveniles are largely dark. Like other Vultures it is a scavenger, feeding mostly from carcasses of animals which it finds by soaring over the savanna. It breeds in trees on the savanna of west, eastern and southern Africa, laying one egg. The population is mostly resident. I could not see, if there was a nest in this tree, but it was the only Vulture we could make out.
Another Topi – Damaliscus Lunatus Jumela – also called Tsessebe or Sassaby – was posing for us in the midday sun close to the track. The lean, sleek animal built for sustained speed looked handsome with is shiny coat. The population is only estimated to approx 300000 across its range. The largest populations occur on the vast floodplains of the northern savanna and in adjacent arid zones, notably in South Sudan, where hundreds of thousands once migrated to in search of green pastures and may still be numerous despite decades of war in that region. The Topi has crescent-moon-shaped horns – hence lunatus from the Latin for moon.
Matovu kept saying we would reach the area with the Lions after lunch … He said we would go to picnic spot with a view to DR Congo. Well, first we passed a military camp – No photo! No photo! – and then reached the Ishasha River picnic area. It was a tranquil spot with a lot of Hippos in the river.
The Ishasha River is forming part of the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and runs from its source north of Kabale to its mouth at Lake Edward with a length of very roughly 100 km ignoring the many small meanders. It forms the western border of Queen Elizabeth National Park until it enters the marshlands on the shore of Lake Edward. The river supports a healthy population of Hippos of which many were lounging in the picturesque river bend below the picnic area.
The opposite riverbank was already DR Congo and the Virunga National Park which is located in the Congo-Nile watershed area. The park’s northern sector encompasses part of the Semliki River basin, as well as savanna and montane forest of the Albertine Rift. In altitude the northern sector ranges from 680 m in the Puemba River valley to the highest peak of Mount Stanley at 5109 m within 30 km. The national park’s central sector encompasses about 2/3 of Lake Edward up to the international border with Uganda in the east. The southern sector stretches to the shores of Lake Kivu and encompasses Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo and Mikeno volcanoes with montane forests on their slopes. The northern sector of Virunga National Park is contiguous with Uganda’s Semuliki and Rwenzori Mountains National Parks and the central sector with Queen Elizabeth National Park. The southern sector borders Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park.
I wondered, if the Hippos were speaking Congolese … And did they need a visa to cross the border? … Was there border control? … the Hippo community was sure watching the border …
The Democratic Republic of the Congo DRC – also known as Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo or simply either Congo or the Congo – and historically Zaïre – is by area the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa and the second-largest in all of Africa after Algeria. With a population of around 105 mio, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the most-populous officially Francophone country in the world. So near and yet so far … we could not visit … nobody wanted to brave the murky river waters with the lurking Hippos … not that we could have anyway … but I would have loved to add another one to my list of visited countries … I had to be content with the view across …
We sat in the picnic hut in the shade and munched away on our regular lunch box. It was always a grand swapping around before we got to it. Some preferred the chicken, others the bananas, the vegetarians regularly got chicken legs in their lunch box … in the end we had again collected 2 boxes full of left-overs to donate somewhere. Had I known that there was no place to score a Nile Special I would have gotten one in the lodge this morning and stored it in the fridge in the car … It was so hot here, I sure could have used a cold beer … Beer is the best thirstquentcher and it is isotonic … But … not today … However, it was probably the lunch spot with the best view during our entire tour …
After lunch we piled back in the car and Matovu took us on the southern circuit of the Ishasha Sector. This circuit is supposed to be the better one for Lion sightings since it passes through the main Kob breeding grounds – predators often stick close to their prey and their presence is often revealed by the Antilope’s alarm calls. This area is also better provided with trees favoured by the Lions – large Sycamore Fig Trees and Candelabra Trees are dotting the landscapes.
In QENP, the Ishasha Lions are known for their unique behavior of climbing trees and have been branded the Ishasha Tree-Climbing Lions. Lions – after Mountain Gorillas – are the most sought-after species by tourists visiting Uganda. Ecologically, Lions play an important role in maintaining ecosystem health and balance by predating on herbivores, often targeting sick individuals and thereby keeping disease down and disposing of carcasses. This makes Lions important to Uganda’s economy and ecology. In 2005, a Lion tracking project was launched here to monitor population dynamics of the Tree-Climbing Lions. 4 main prides have been ascertained and population varies between 20-35 individuals only. It was discovered that Lions in the Ishasha Sector move easily between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo when dispersing and that males have come from the DRC to Uganda to take over prides in Ishasha. Similarly research shows that Lions migrate from the central sector of QENP to Ishasha through the Maramagambo Forest.
Stalking Lions climbing trees in Ishasha means that you will not be scanning the grasslands – your eyes will be drawn to the large trees … This is the only area that when your guide shouts – Look! Lions! – your eyes will go up! … Only our eyes never had to go up … the shout – Look! Lions! – never came … We were not that lucky … Matovu really looked everywhere … navigating the southern circuit is a tricky task, being confused by side tracks leading to Lion trees and diversions to bypass boggy sections … He knew them all … he did his utmost to find them … but those Lions were hiding today … Lucky that we had seen one Lion in a tree on our safari in Murchison Falls National Park a few days ago!
The marketing hype puts in a tremendous pressure on a sighting of a Tree-Climbing Lion here, but in fact, sightings can be very rare. Most probably today the Lions had travelled across the border to Congo … just our luck … we met another car with a couple of tourists … they had not found any Lions either … Considering the rather small population of Lions in a rather large area it was all the more shocking to read, that only a month after our visit 6 of those Lions were found dead and dismembered after a suspected poisoning …
I have to admit – after a few unsuccessful tree spottings I fell asleep … What? … it was time for my afternoon nap … and the car was bumping along … it basically rocked me to sleep … Therefore I have absolutely no photos of the Lion search … I woke up when we passed the southern gate of Ishasha and reached the main road again … That main road continued for roughly another 10 km or so to the Uganda-DRC border, but we obviously were not going there … Only a kilometer down this road we turned off towards Kihihi and Buhoma.
That main road continued for roughly another 10 km or so to the Uganda-DRC, but we obviously were not going there … Only a kilometer down this road we turned off towards Kihihi and Buhoma. It was only just over 10 km on a good gravel road to Kihihi – also spelt Kihiihi – the largest town in the vicinity.
Kihihi is a small town of approx 20000 inhabitant and some 30 km by road southeast of the International border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo at Ishasha. We stopped there to visit Kihiihi Primary School. Our Matovu had set up this visit, even though only the graduating classes are in school at the moment … due to the circumstances. We were allowed to visit provided we were wearing our masks, the children and teachers were wearing their masks and we kept our distance.
Uganda’s education system uses 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education and 3-5 years of post-secondary education. Students can choose between private and public schools depending on their resources. However, there are significant gaps between school enrollment in rural and urban areas. Students are more likely to complete primary school in urban areas as opposed to rural areas. Approx 91% of children attend primary school in urban areas – compared to 85% in rural areas. This gap is more noticeable in secondary education – as 38% of children of secondary school age in urban areas attend school, compared to only 14% of children in rural areas. Female literacy rates are much larger in urban areas as opposed to rural areas – and incomes are higher in urban areas as well. Finally, 80% of Uganda’s school-age children live in rural areas that are characterized by a lack of resources for basic living and underdeveloped infrastructure for education. As the pandemic continues, education in poorer rural areas is hit the hardest.
Since March 2020, schools in Uganda have been closed because of the pandemic. 15 mio learners in the country have been affected. Only in the end of last year the graduation classes 7 and 8 returned, with more classes due to start in stages over the next few months … hopefully. The government of Uganda and several international agencies have put measures in place to ensure that children do not lose out completely on their education, though. The Ministery of Education and Sports in partnership with UNICEF and other NGOs have supported the printing and distribution of learning material for primary and secondary schools. Lessons are also being broadcasted on TV and radio stations. The greatest number of students however has absolutely no access to any of these tools … they simply have no TV or radio …
Our Matovu was well known in this school as he is committed in a program called Uganda Shoe Trees – www.ugandashoetrees.org – a non-profit NGO to bring educational Hope to rural villages. This organization has supported this school for several years already. They are having different initiatives – Uganda Shoe Trees supports entrepreneurial educators in rural areas by providing high-quality, hand-made school shoes for needy students at partner schools. In addition, fruit tree seedlings are provided to students to plant and maintain on campus. These trees provide added nutritional support for students while simultaneously beautifying the campus and providing shade.
Let’s Go Green – founded by our Matovu – is one of the initiatives of Shoe Tree Educational Support. Let’s Go Green seeks to mobilize students and administrators at partner schools to improve the quality of their campus through tree planting, nature conservancy and recycling. Students learn all about the trees and the care for them and can take that knowledge back to their villages and hopefully implement some of it. Future plans include the development of a complete Let’s Go Green Conservation Curriculum to be taught at each of the partner schools. Barefoot Uganda is also one of the initiatives and provides training and support for potential entrepreneurs who want to learn how to start and grow a shoe-making business. Once established, these entrepreneurial shoe-makers provide the high-quality, custom-made shoes for needy students at the partner schools.
Matovu plants trees and improves the school buildings, which he funds with the help of sponsors – several of those are former tourists he guided around Uganda. In the garden was a little orchard of Mango trees which had been sponsored by mainly German or German-speaking people – Matovu guides German tourist. Each tree had a wooden name plate of the sponsor.
We visited Class 7 and there were 40 students crammed in that small classroom – maybe 1/3 of them were girls. I forgot what subject was taught … but it was taught in English.
All students were in their mandatory school uniforms. I am always impressed with how smart and clean those uniforms are – even in the smallest village school … and I had visited several, especially during my tours of India. And as over there, the students were well behaved and all stood up to greet us as we entered their classroom.
The decision as to whether implement school uniform policy or not is a controversial one and also polarised in societies and countries. This practice of school uniform can be traced all the way back to 16th century England and the Christ Hospital School in London, which in 1552 was the first school to introduce uniforms. Since then many debates have been had whether or not wearing uniform has a positive effect on students. Quite frankly, I wear uniforms at work … I am all for it … but I do not have children and will not join into the discussion. I do believe, it gives students a sense of belonging to the school.
Matovu took over the class for a few minutes asking questions and encouraging the students to learn and gain knowledge. The greatest was their routine of answering in chorus – my favourite was the appreciation “Give them flowers” – all wiggling hands and fingers in the air and making some sort of hissing sound to it. It was fun!
When Matovu told them to study hard so they could become a tour guide like him, he asked who would like that – only one of the students raised his hand immediately. It was the only one who had no school uniform. But he was sure he wanted to become a tour guide. Well, maybe he will be a colleague some day! He sure had the courage.
Before leaving we all “Gave them Flowers” as well. They must have thought it very funny … Then Matovu called one of the students out. This student was specially sponsored and was a very good student. He was very shy, though. But Matovu had to take a photo and ask him about his grades, so he could report back to the sponsor.
We then got invited to the Headmaster’s office. There were not many teachers around. Since only Class 7 and 8 were in school. The Headmaster had a tiny office, but we all crammed in – masks on – and he talked with Matovu about the special student’s grades and about the trees and things in general. Dr. D and Ree – bless them – donated towards school materials necessary for the upcoming exams. Matovu would report to them how that went.
Leaving the school we got back on the road for the last bit to Buhoma in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It was only some 60 km more and the road was better than the one this morning – it was still a gravel road leading south. In Kanyantorogo we turned west onto a somewhat smaller road – it was still the main road towards Bwindi. And it was leading now up into the hills. It was hazy today again, but the views were great – Tea plantations were appearing once more on the hillsides.
I had been here on my Tour of Africa 2002 – coming to Bwindi to see the Gorillas had been one of my main objectives – along with rafting the source of the Nile, flying in a hotair balloon ofer Masai Mara National Par, seeing the Zebra migration in the Serengeti, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and swimming with Dolphisn in Zanzibar … Back then I was on a real shoestring … the flights, permits and tickets had eaten the majority of my budget – setting priorities was necessary! So I came on public transport from Kampala. I dug out my travel journal from back then and that bus ride had taken 10 hrs and cost me UGX 15000 which was US$8.5 back then. I had been wedged in the front seat of the bus between people, boxes and luggage. The roads had been not better back then.
The bus went as far as Butogota – the closest larger village to Buhoma. From there it was 17 km without public transport and I had already thought about staying overnight there and then hike up … but the bus driver – and the people around me – had somewhat taken over my travel planning and upon arrival in Butogota they pushed me straight into a shared taxi which went up to Buhoma and cost me another UGX 20000 for a 40 min ride. Buhoma back then was only a few houses close to the Park Headquarters and the taxi dropped me off by the only budget accommodation Bwindi View Canteen. A small turquoise thatched hut with a kerosene lantern and shared bathroom was UXG 10000 00 = US$ 5.50, I had to use my own mosquito net and the shower had to be ordered – a bucket was filled with warm water and a string had to be pulled when standing below. Dinner was a huge set plate of Chicken, mashed potatoes, vegetables, chapati for UGX 4000 … Those were the times …
This time around I travelled in decadent style … in a fancy Safari Landcruiser … staying in fancy lodges … We passed Butogota and I sort of recognized the main road where I had gotten off the bus. From there the road went even more up in to the hills, more lush Tea plantations appeared and the forest had a dark, deep green.
We reached Engagi Lodge Buhoma around 17:00 this afternoon. It was situated right by the main road approx a kilometer before the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Headquarters. It had a breathtaking setting offering stunning views over the forest canopy of Bwindi on the opposite side of the Munyaga River valley. The main building was open-ended at the front and divided into a bar lounge, a dining room and a large outdoor verandah allowing dramatic views of the national park from every corner inside the building.
While we were doing the check-in paperwork, 3 other German tourists returned from their Gorilla Trekking. They were tired, but happy. They said it was fantastic, but really exhausting. What can I say … from my Gorilla Adventure in 2002 I only remember how awesome it was to see them … After the check-in procedures – temperature check and hand sanitizing had been done at the parking lot already – we were escorted to our cottages. Again they were randomly allocated – point out you bag and follow it to the cottage. The lodge consists of just 8 en-suite cottages – spaced out and hidden in the foliage on the hillside. Since I am quick to react, I was the first one to go, so I scored #1 which was the closest to the main building – still not insight of it. Some of the others were way down the hillside.
The lodge had been built using local materials and a local workforce. It was constructed from rocks found in and around the site and Eucalyptus wood, while the rooms were thatched with Banana fibre sourced from local farmers. It was sizable and comfortable with a huge double bed. For once the stationary mosquito net was spaced so that walking around the bed was possible under the net. That was a great advantage … not getting entangled in the mosquito net constantly …
The cottage was set on stilts and had a large verandah with a sofa. I went to the bar and got a cold Nile Special and then sat on my verandah enjoying the view – it felt like being right in the middle of the jungle – hoping for some monkeys to pass by. There was a short hiking trail down to the river, but it was closed due to the heavy rains recently. But in the lodge they had photos to prove that Gorillas had at least once come for a visit to the lodge and sat on a verandah … I was not that lucky today … Instead I sorted photos and made sure all cameras were set for tomorrow’s Gorilla adventure. Electricity was provided by solar power with a back-up generator – there were no sockets in the cottages. An extensive charging station was set in the bar, but it was so overloaded, that basically nothing charged. Good thing I had done it last night!
All afternoon there had been grey rain clouds hanging over the mountains of Bwindi … now thunder was rolling and the clouds got darker … just before dinner time it started pouring down with rain … Oh my … just when I was ready to move to the bar for a sundowner … quickly I moved all the cameras and laptop inside … on the bed was the best place … but Oh no … it was dripping from the roof! … It was only one spot at the end of the bed, though … but it had just started to rain … Oh no … Just at this moment one of the staff came to bring an umbrella. Very good thinking! I took the opportunity to show him the leak – he said he would come during evening service and dry it, but it was not dramatic … he said it was normal and not to be alarmed … Oh well … I put all the electronics in the bags and covered them … just in case … hopefully this downpour would not last too long …
Then I took my shoes and socks off, rolled up my trouser legs and put my rain poncho on – yes, I brought a rain poncho! It is one of those things that is always in my backpack and had never been used before – and I ran barefoot through the rain to the bar. I ordered a Uganda Warangi Gin & Tonic and sat on the verandah watching the rain pouring over the Impenetrable Forest …
Dinner was served 19:30 and by that time it had almost stopped raining. We sat in the open restaurant. It was dark, but they put oil lanterns on the table … so it was rather romantic. Soup was served very stylish with a grand effect. I forgot what soup it was, but I do remember the extravagant serving style. Main course was Beef, vegetables and potatoes. It was good. By now I had almost given up ever getting to try real local food …
After dinner I went early back to my cottage. The rain had stopped and so had the dripping on my bed. Indeed they had all dried it up and put the mosquito net down. I finished with my photos and prepared the camera bag for tomorrow. Then I took a nice and very hot shower. Hot water was supplied by eco-friendly wood burning boilers, they said. The next morning I learnt that the hot water had however not reached all of the cottages … Hmm …
The rains had stopped completely by now and I went to bed. Hopefully, the weather would be good tomorrow. It would not be fun to be trotching through the jungle in the rain …
16.02.2021
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
I had a good sleep – mainly because it was nice and cool in the night this high up in the mountains. Buhoma is located at approx 1500 m altitude.
I never knew of a morning in Africa
when I woke up that I was not happy.
Ernest Hemingway
I had ordered the wake-up call with Tea for 06:00 and it arrived perfectly on time. I was already up, though. But the power was off … lucky there was a torch on the desk … It was still pitch black dark, but the sky was clear. Nevertheless, I packed the rain poncho – just in case.
Breakfast was ordered for 06:45 – we were sitting in the open restaurant again. It was very fresh this morning … not to say it was cold … I put my jacket on … Breakfast was as usual and afterwards it was light enough to pack for the day. They promised the power would be back when we returned this afternoon.
07:30 we departed for the Park Headquarters. The lodge staff gave us walking sticks to take along. They said we would need them in the Impenetrable Forest.
It was GORILLA DAY today!
It was only a 5 min drive to Buhoma gate. I was very excited! It had been 18 years since I had been to see the Gorillas the first time. For most people it is a once-in-a-livetime experience and I came here the second time!
Back in 2002 there were only 2 Gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and only 16 Gorilla Permits were issued per day. I had scored one of them for 08.06.2002 for the Mubare Family – which is – still to now – the oldest habituated Gorilla family in Uganda! Gorilla Tracking was only done from Buhoma back then and permits were rare. They were US$ 250 back then plus US$ 15 park entrance fee – a whooping amount of money for somebody on a shoestring … now you know, why I travelled on public transport and stayed in the cheapest accommodation … setting priorities …
For many years practically synonymous with Bwindi, Buhoma is situated at the park’s northern boundary and it was here, where Uganda first launched Gorilla tracking back in 1993 – and for 11 years after that, it remaind the only trailhead for the activity that accounts for 99% of the tourist visits to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Mubare Gorilla family was the first family fully habituated in 1991 and opend for tourists in 1993. At that time it had 18 members and Silverback Ruhondenza was the leader. I remember seeing him – because at one point he stood up and yelled at us … the guide immediately instructed us to sit down, head down and be quiet … then he talked to him in Gorilla language and the silverback settled down and wandered off … he had been very impressive! In 2012 the group faced raids by poachers which caused death and kidnapping of several family members. Ruhondenza tried to fight them, but because of his old age he was overpowered. Legend has it that he died in his sleep of the unbearable sadness in his heart that was caused by this event. Only 5 family members had been left – they have extended the family to 9 members and are now led by Silverback Kanyonyi. The Mubare family is still located in Buhoma Sector.
I remember, since the bus connection had been so fluid, I had arrived with a day spare in Buhoma. But I had gone to the Park Headquarters already in the morning of the 07.06.2002, because the lady at the guesthouse had told me to see if I could move up a day. Sometimes people did not show up for their booked permit and I could take their spot.
The Park Headquarters back then consisted of a small hut and a large gravel court. The few tourists were assembled right there. I only had to wait 20 min after official meeting time – then they told me I could go that day. And I had been so happy! We were 5 to trek to the M-group and there were another 5 tourits trekking to the H-group, the Habinyanja Gorilla family.
We got the once-over health check by the guide – no sneezing, coughing etc. – then the Gorilla talk and they handed us a leaflet with the Gorilla rules … Better do not forget!
Today we arrived at Buhoma Gate and there was a recently built, very fancy and modern building – it was huge, had 2 floors and all the facilities necessary to host large numbers of visitors! We had our temperatures taken already at the gate – from here on it was facemasks on all the time as well. Then at the building entrance a health registration list had to be filled and signed … and they took our temperature again and jotted it down on this list.
Only then were we allowed to enter the building. Matovu was doing the paperwork – we never saw our Gorilla Permits. But we were not the only tourists here today … Currently the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) sells 144 Gorilla Permits per day visiting 18 habituated Gorilla families spread over 4 sectors of Bwindi Impenetrabel National Park. Gorilla habituation is a process that takes 2 years and involves training Mountain Gorillas to get used to humans as they continue with their day to day activities in their wild natural environment. The regular permit price for 2021 was US$ 700 for foreigners – almost 3 times as much as I paid in 2002 … But one good thing for us that came out of this freakshow pandemic was a Uganda Gorilla Permits prices cut from US$700 to US$400 only to encourage more tourists to come. Well, it had worked for me … I would not have come a second time if it had been the regular price … Initially this discount was only given until end of March 2021, but now I read it had been extended to end of June 2021. National park fees were US$ 40 per foreigner, but had also been discounted by 50% at the moment.
We waited in the open briefing room. Conform to the new rules the chairs were spaced out adequately. But we all were stunned … there were more tourists than we had seen during the last week … there were more tourists than we had expected to be here … In the end there were 32 tourists split into 4 groups to visit 4 different Gorilla families. People were not only from Germany, in fact, I think there were only 2 more German ladies who got appointed to our group since we were only 6. Then there were Italians, English, Russians and several others. People travel despite the circumstances.
The head guide gave us the Gorilla talk … this time they did not hand out leaflets, though … The main change of the Gorilla rules now was, that masks were mandatory in the forest as the Gorillas are closely related to humans and diseases of all kinds can be transmitted either way. Before coming on this tour I had gotten a little fright when reading about some Gorillas in San Diego Zoo testing positive with COVID-19 in January … I had been afraid, they might suspend the permits and close the park because of the risk … Luckily they did not. But the distance to the Gorillas had also been changed … now we had to stay 10 m away from the animals … before it was 5 m … I was not sure if the animals would adhere to that …
After the briefing we got assigned to the group that would be tracking the Rushegura Gorilla family. This R-family was formed as a split-off from the Habinyanja family in 2002 with Silverback Mwirima as the leader. He died in 2014 and the large group of 19 members is now led by Silverback Kabukojo. I was getting really excited now! … We met our guide Maddy who was apparently one of the most experienced guides here. He made us write down our names for the certificates we would receive in the end … if we saw the Gorillas ….
To start the trek we had to get in our car once more and Matovu drove us to the trail head which was approx 10 min away. Somehow this place looked vaguely familiar … and indeed … it was exactly the same spot where I started the trek in 2002! Believe it! The only difference was that the church which had been under construction back then was now finished!
Before we started trekking, we took a porter each. While I had not taken one the last time I had been here – I was young, fit and pennyless then … – Now I indulged myself and took one – for an extra US$ 20 – who would carry my camera bag – which was heavy! – and make sure I did not fall down the mountain – his name was Noah. I call it supporting the local community! Those porters, guides, trackers etc were not as busy this year as they would be in a regular year.
A second group of tourists started out at the same trail head, but they were going to a different Gorilla family and we let them pass. 09:15 we actually started walking … and up up up we went though Banana, Tea and Coffee plantations.
Same as I remembered from before, we were accompanied by 2 armed guards for security. Well, the border to Congo was close … So our group was getting really big – there were us 8 tourists, our guide, 8 porters, 2 armed guards … that was already 18 people! Plus there were 3 trackers who had already left in the early morning to find the Gorillas for us …
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is undoubtedly Uganda’s single most important tourist hotspot. The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo border next to the Congolese Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift. Composed of 321 km² of both montane and lowland forest, it protects a rugged landscape of steep hills and valleys and is accessible only on foot. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site since 1994.
In 1932, 2 blocks of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest were designated as Crown Forest Reserves with a combined area of 207 km². Combined and enlarged in 1942, the 2 reserves were renamed the Impenetrable Central Crown Forest that then covered 298 km². In 1964, the reserve was designated as a wildlife sanctuary to provide extra protection for its Mountain Gorillas and renamed the Impenetrable Central Forest Reserve and enlarged to its current size. In 1991, it was designated as a national park and renamed the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla tracking became a tourist activity in April 1993. The park is inhabited by approx 460 individual Mountain Gorillas in more than 36 families – not all of them habituated – as per the last 2019 Gorilla Census. Known as the Bwindi population, they make up almost half of all the Mountain Gorillas in the world. The rest of the worldwide population lives in the nearby Virunga Mountains. Poaching, disease and habitat loss are the greatest threat to the Gorillas.
The trail was leading through the ourskirts of a Batwa village. The reclassification of the park as national park had a large impact on the Batwa Pygmy people, who were evicted from the forest and are no longer permitted to enter the park or access its resources. The Great Lakes Twa – also known as Batwa, Abatwa or Ge-Sera – are a Bantu ethnic group native to the African Great Lakes region on the border of Central and East Africa. As an indigenous Pygmy people, the Twa are generally assumed to be the oldest surviving population of the Great Lakes region. Current populations are found in the states of Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2000 they numbered approximately 80000 people, making them a significant minority group in these countries. Out of the estimated 6500 Batwa currently living in Uganda, more than half live in 43 villages in the districts neighbouring Mgahinga and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks, with major concentrations at Buhoma. Traditionally, the Batwa have been semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers of the mountain forests living in association with agricultural villages.
The Batwa of Uganda lived in the mountains of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest until 1991, when they were expelled from the forest and placed in settlements. They have been at the heart of national and international conservation and tourism development debates. The majority of the publications portray the Batwa as marginalized victims of conservation and tourism development-induced evictions. However, it is also observed that many Batwa are highly engaged and active people being portrayed as forest ecology experts, tourism entrepreneurs, resource managers, community developers and political activists. Starting small, a bunch of young men had opened up a wood carving workshop in a strategically favourable place right next to the trail. They were carving Gorillas of all sizes out of locally sourced Eucalyptus wood.
They had an entire army of Gorilla carvings lined up for sale … I was … intrigued! I needed Gorillas! I asked Maddy, if we would be coming back down here and if they would still be here when we did so … He assured me of that. So, on the way back, I would support the local community right at the source once more …
Shortly after that we reached the forest line of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. There was still a relatively comfortable trail leading steadily uphill. Still we had not reached the impenetrability of the famous forest … It is said that during a Gorilla tracking adventure it can be expected to trek anything from 1 to 4 hours before finding the Gorilla family … We had come prepared with our lunch boxes in our bags. I conculted my travel journal from my first Gorilla trek – we had hiked through really impenetrabel forest up and down this particular mountain for a good 2 hrs until we found the spot where the Gorillas had spent the night and then still had to follow the trackers for some 30 min before finding the M-family.
Today it seemed we were slightly luckier … we spotted the first Gorilla poop right in the middle of the trail. Maddy said it was from yesterday. So they had been here … this close to the village only yesterday … I was hopeful … maybe we did not have to trek too long.
Apparently, researchers spend a lot of time collecting and analyzing Gorilla fecal samples and while this may seem an unpleasant task, it turns out that these samples provide a tremendous amount of information about each individual Gorilla. Visual observation does not provide as much information as researchers would like and taking samples of blood would be invasive, so collecting poop samples has become a method of choice for accessing biomarkers and other information useful for understanding the Gorillas and their conservation needs. Well, we were not collecting Gorilla poop today, but we were delighted to find another dropping not far away … and my porter Noah excitedly pointed and said it was very fresh! I could see the track through the bushes that the Gorillas had left … and yes, even to me, this looked a very fresh, recently made trail …
The Gorillas were close! I could feel it! I was so excited!
