Uganda and Rwanda

So before starting with the project in Kenya, I decided to take a bit of time to explore some other parts of Africa. I took a 14 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Kampala, Uganda, where I stayed overnight and was then picked up by a tour company to do a four day safari in the northern part of Uganda.

I had a driver named Agri, and it was just me and him for the four days, and I actually really enjoyed myself. A bit of other company would have been ideal, but was good times nonetheless. I went to Murchison Falls, about four hours north of Kampala. The falls themselves were beautiful, and then one day I did a game drive through the park where I saw Ugandan Kobs, lions, elephants, antelope, a hyena, giraffes, warthogs, tons of other animals. That afternoon I did a boat ride down the Nile towards the falls where I saw thousands of hippos, a few crocodiles, and some beautiful birds including a fish eagle. My second night staying at Red Chili Rest Camp, I was sleeping in my hut and heard something rustling in the bushes outside at around 2am, so I jumped out of bed and looked outside, only to find two massive hippos grazing outside. Anyone who knows of my affinity to hippos could imagine the look on my face, and I got some pretty awesome pictures....well the best I could get without getting too much of their attention.

The next day we went to Budongo forest where I did a hike through the forest, which was beautiful, and I saw a couple chimpanzees and kolobo monkeys. Stayed overnight at a really nice lodge and met an older Australian couple who just travels the world, and had dinner with them. The next day went chimpanzee trekking through the forest and saw a few different chimp families. Got some great shots of them too and will have to figure out a way to post them sometime soon.

After returning to Kampala, I got on an overnight bus to Kigali, Rwanda, where I just arrived. I am staying with a friend named Pierrot, who is a native from Rwanda, who I once met at a conference in Amsterdam in May 2008. He was a speaker, discussing his experiences during the genocide here where the majority of his family was killed. We have kept in touch since then, and when I mentioned I may come to Kigali he insisted on being my host. Two hours ago he picked me up from the bus station, took me out for coffee and breakfast, and showed me a bit of the city. Kigali is NOT like the rest of East Africa. It is clean, beautiful, neat, really safe, and the people here have worked so hard to recover from the negativity of the past. This is only the experience I have had since arriving two hours ago however, looks good so far. I am currently sitting at Pierrot's house, which he shares with his cousin, just on the outskirts of downtown Kigali.

Later he is going to take me to the genocide museum here. He told me that a friend of his also had his parents killed during the genocide, and only last week did they find his friend's father's body, so they will be having a memorial service at the museum which he wants me to see. So, I am really appreciative of his hospitality and thoughtfulness, and am looking forward to the next few days here before returning to Kenya on a 24 hour bus ride...ya.