Ebola

A couple months ago, there was an outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, so even today there are still several signs about the disease posted at the border. I hope I don't make anyone anxious or worried by mentioning this; the outbreak was in a different region quite far from where I was and it is now over. I just thought the image of a handwritten, magic marker sign for something so serious was worth sharing. (In case you can't read the sign, I've typed what it says below.)

TRANSMISSION:

- is transmitted by direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs or bodily fluids of infection persons
- contact with the body of the deceased person
- contact with clothes, greetings
*incubation period: 2 to 21 days

SYMPTOMS:

- fever
- intense weakness
- muscle pain
- headache
- sore throat
- vomiting, diarrhoea, rash
- internal and external bleeding

Border crossing

I'm not sure there are words, pictures or video that can describe the border between Rwanda and Uganda. It's probably one of the craziest places I’ve ever been, even though it may look relatively calm in this picture.

The stretch of road between the two countries is small and narrow, flanked on both sides by fields, but it's full of people. There are men selling packaged cookies, lollipops, chewing gum and bottles of water from cardboard boxes they carry on their heads. There are commercial trucks lined up in rows as if they've been there for years, waiting for approval and permission to pass through the border. There are money changers seeking dollars, francs and shillings, who each offer "the best price" for whichever currency they are selling. There are men who meet you as soon as you exit your bus on one side of the border and immediately begin trying to convince you to take their bus/taxi/moto/car on the other side of the border. There are young boys and women begging for money on the side of the road. There are men with plastic grocery bags who run up beside the huge petroleum tankers, quickly remove the cap from the tank, and quickly fill their bag with as much petroleum as possible in a few seconds. It's almost a world of its own, and it's amazing to watch.

Ugandan scaffolding

While hiking near Lake Bunyoni, I saw yet another amazing example of construction technique. I'm amazed to think that this scaffolding could actually hold any one person, let alone a construction crew with bricks and tools.

Hiking to the caves

On Saturday, we decided to leave the island and hike to some nearby caves. We paddled a dugout canoe to the mainland and from there took off with a guide from Nature’s Prime. The beginning of the hike was a little tough as we began the ascent toward the mountain ridge across from the island. The altitude just makes everything harder than it seems it should be. However, once we made it to the top, the view of the lake was absolutely breathtaking. From our little island, I hadn't realized how big the lake really was and how many different islands there were.

As we continued the hike along the ridge of the hills, wend were joined by a young boy. It wasn’t long before I realized that our guide didn’t actually know where the caves were, and this boy was the one leading us. I also realized that he probably didn’t know how much the altitude of the Ugandan mountains can affect those of us who aren't used to it. Several times during the hike, we heard comments like "I believe this is the first time you have done a long walk" or "I believe you do not have mountains in your country." As frustrating as that may have been, I didn't have any additional energy to argue, so I continued to hike. Our new "guide" led us down tiny paths on the opposite side of the mountain, then back up toward the ridge, then down again, and finally he pointed up toward some rocks, where I assumed there were also caves. As we began our final ascent toward the caves, we were met by almost a dozen smiling children. They were thrilled to see us and joined us in our hike toward the caves. I couldn’t help but laugh as the children ran up the mountain beside us while I struggled to climb up the tiny path. Once we arrived, I think I was more excited to be around the children than to see the cave as they laughed and played and jumped all around.
After a little time at the caves, we decided to return to the island, only this time, we took a dirt road that led back to the ridge and then ran along the ridge line and saved us trekking up and down the backside of the mountain. All in all, the entire round trip was about ten miles of beautiful hills, valleys, forests, cropland and villages around lake.

Nature's Prime Island

On Thursday, less than twenty-four hours after Hudson’s arrival in Rwanda, he and I took off to explore Lake Bunyoni, the “place of many little birds” just across the border in Uganda. We took a bus from Kigali to the border, then a taxi to a landing on the edge of the lake, and then a small boat across to Nature’s Prime Island.
Nature’s Prime is a relatively small island, but it has several cabins and safari tents in which visitors can stay, a restaurant that serves three delicious meals a day, and a very friendly and welcoming staff. It’s an incredibly relaxing place.

We stayed in a small cabin that was more like a treehouse than a cabin. Although one side of it was at the same level as the ground, it was built on a hill so that the other side was in the trees and, like most places on the island, looked out over the lake.

I think one of the most surprising parts of the cabin was the shower. Although it looks pretty basic, it actually had hot water, and it also had an incredible view.

The main lodge building on the island was a large, open (but covered) structure with a clear view of the lake. There were several tables where meals were served, as well as a large fire pit surrounded by couches that was a perfect place to spend the evenings.

Nature's Prime was the perfect place to spend a relaxing weekend. There wasn't much to do other than canoe around the lake in the island's dugout canoes, go for a hike on the mainland, sit by the water or the fire, read and relax; I think it was exactly the vacation from work I'd been looking for.