My tenth African Country (and the final one for this trip) was Uganda. I said goodbye to my friends in Kigali and went to Lake Bunyonyi : a beautiful lake in the hills near Kabale. I only had a small hiccup as I has forgotten to print my visa receipt. Apparently my almost-tears of frustration were unnecessary as there is a business nearby who prints for the nearly 20 tourists a day who also forget.
I booked my Uganda adventures through Amagara Tours, as I wanted to see the gorillas and I didn't want to be stressed by arranging the permits myself. The accommodation I stayed at was incredibly nice as I was in a private abode on the side of the island with a queen sized bed overlooking the lake and hills. I even had a hot shower with a lake view. The deep blues and greens were gorgeous.
The place was much quieter than Mijo in Kigali, and I found myself missing the chaos! But I enjoyed reading, talking naps, and soaking in the views. I had a late start on my second day, and it was raining off and on, so I had a very chill day, alternating between the common porch and my private bungalow. It's so quiet on the island. You hear the birds chirping and the lake splashing, occasionally a motor boat, and not much else.
Wednesday was Gorilla day! I had to take a boat at 5:45am to start my journey to the rainforest. After a an hour or so driving up into the mountains, I was briefed and put with a group of 3 others to go find the gorillas! We hiked from 8:30 until about 10:15 where we finally met up with the trackers who had left an hour before us to find our troupe. We then spent an hour viewing (basically following around) the gorilla troupe which has 10 gorillas in it- including a very adorable baby gorilla. I took a lot of photos and videos, but I also tried to simply observe and appreciate their presence and behaviors. It was incredible to watch. At one point a 5 year old walked right next to me and I was told to freeze and let her pass. There were moments it felt like the gorillas were posing for us, or where it was obvious to feel their intentions. A mother pulling down branches so her baby was hidden from our view, or two siblings staying close to each other to see what the other was doing. I am so glad I got to experience it all.
We took about an hour and a half to hike back up, including lunch. It was mainly straight up. And it was difficult! I wore my knee brace and it helped, but we stopped a lot. After getting back we received certificates and said it goodbyes. I was so excited to be heading towards my accommodation by 1:30. Africa had other plans. The vehicle I was in broke down a couple kilometers away from the office, and we ended up having to walk back uphill because obviously the drivers ran out of airtime. At which point a torrential downpour started. Eventually, another car was sent (from 90 minutes away) to come retrieve us.
Luckily, when I finally did get back, one of my friends I met in Kigali was there! It was fun to catch up and hang out before my two days of traveling the next day. I took an 8 hour bus to Kampala, followed by a 2 hour minibus to Entebbe, slept for 3 hours in a hostel, and left for the airport at 1:45am. My first flight was to Cairo, and while we took off again I saw the pyramids from the air! So freaking cool. My second flight was to Madrid! Farewell Africa, hello Europe!
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