Lake Bunyoni Canoe Trek –
It’s hard to believe that we have already spent close to a month in East Africa! Our final week in Uganda was spent canoe trekking on Lake Bunyoni, widely regarded as one of the country’s most beautiful regions. Lake Bunyoni, or the Lake of Many Birds (660 species to be precise), is a slice of pure heaven. The placid water, vast ecological diversity and rich cultural history blend together to create a truly idyllic scene, one that we certainly won’t forget in a hurry! Our group of now seasoned, and intrepid travelers was not fazed by the promise of a strenuous 22-mile route that would send us careening from island to island and eventually send us soaring over the 8,200-foot peak of Karembe Hill. Eager to depart our group leapt into traditional dugout canoes which, despite being frighteningly unstable and on the constant verge of dumping its occupants unceremoniously into the depths of the lake, carried us without incident to our first stop of the trek, Gama Island. Upon arrival we were given a tour of the local secondary school on the island. This school, unlike a large majority of Ugandan schools, stresses gender equality and has an almost 50/50 male to female student ratio. Additionally, the school understands that female students often do not have access to proper sanitary pads, and thus must miss up to a week of school during menstruation. The school buys materials for the girls to make their own reusable pads in order to help bridge the gender divide. Following this brief interlude we paddled over 8 miles to Mama Bena’s, where we pitched our tents and ravenously devoured some delicious Mutaki (mashed plantains) and lamb meat.
Day two was definitely the hardest day of the three, an undulating 11-mile trek that took us to the highest point in the surrounding region. During our trek we visited the local Batwa (Pygmy) people and tried our hands at traditional archery and a local dance that consisted of plenty of stamping and clapping! Towards the end of our hike we visited another traditional community and had the opportunity to participate in yet another traditional dance, a little less feet stamping and quite a bit more vigorous hip gyration! Finally, after hours of breathtaking views we hopped back in our canoes and arrived at Tom Island’s where we spent our final night of trek.
The final day of trek consisted of a half day paddle from Tom’s Island back to our starting point of Ediriza Lodge where we scrubbed up, donned our remaining clean clothes and immediately sped off to a local wedding. After a delicious meal and a healthy dose of dancing we bid farewell to our gracious hosts, a perfect way to wrap up a glorious three days of trekking and prepare ourselves for the hustle and bustle of Kigali, Rwanda.
We had already caught a glimpse the boarder during trek, a small creek dividing Uganda and Rwanda, on our big hike. It looked exactly the same from where we stood. Hills decorated by farms of a variety of crops. There are a lot of banana trees here! Bananas are always an option for breakfast, a snack, lunch or dinner. But as we crossed the border after immigration control (we had to show our passports three times: once leaving Uganda, once entering Rwanda and then one last time in Rwanda), the roads became pavement rather than dirt and we drove on the right instead of the left, although driving in the middle of the road is a very common thing here! After a small detour/incident in Uganda before the border, we saw skyscrapers rise in the distance as we drove into the beautiful city of Kigali (also known as the cleanest city in East Africa) in a taxi almost too small for the twelve of us. Some of us were a little squished in the back seats which were for three people, not four, but we made it safely and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at the hostel, playing cards, writing in our journals and reading. Hacky sack and slack lines are a big thing on this trip.
Yesterday, we became are own leaders as we scattered around town attending to some basic needs. We exchanged our Ugandan shillings to Rwandan francs and stopped at a few internet cafes. The group decided to split into two for the afternoon activities, two students and a leader went to the Muslim Quarter of Kigali while the others went to a modern art gallery. We then enjoyed an Ethiopian group dinner. The majority of us decided that sampling the local nightlife in the form of a ‘dance club’. We entered the club and after a while of just us Muzungus (aka foreigners) dancing (which was absolutely hilarious!), a couple local people joined and the energy in the room escalated. The night was the longest night so far because usually lights are out maximum 9.30pm. Oh well… We make the days count!
Today was a much more serious and emotionally taxing day for everyone. This morning we went to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. It is not the only one in Rwanda but it is the biggest and most famous. We mostly made our way silently through the museum, reading all the information on the wall either in French or in English. The light went out on us a few times so we had to take out head lamps out but this didn’t prevent us from truly immersing ourselves in the memorial. The memorial had many disturbing and graphic videos and images that served to hammer home the grave injustices perpetrated during these horrific months of genocide. This afternoon, we had an extremely inspirational local politician/activist who will explained to us the cultural history of Rwanda. And tonight we get to participate in one of our weekly family meeting where we will switch roles! Everyone is doing great so far!
This week we decided to ask every student to provide us with a nugget of wisdom…here are their responses!
Reed: My highlight of the week was seeing motor cycle man’s face light up as he received my own work of art.
Paiton: This past week has been immensely transformational for me. Although brief, my experience at SNEC inspired me, humbled me and taught me. We were even lucky enough to follow up our time at SNEC with a three day canoe and hiking trip.
Jada: After a 9 hour bus ride listening to R. Kelly gospel music in company of a live chicken, I’m ready for everything this trip can bring.
Max: While not being able to shower, shave and spend 10 minutes doing my hair every morning was a slight challenges. Nothing beats being able to dive head first into life in Uganda and Rwanda.
Matt: I’ve been having a great time so far. I especially enjoyed our trek on Lake Buyonyi. It’s a really beautiful region Uganda and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
Jo: There is no better way to travel then to live the lives of the locals.
Brent: Everyday provides opportunities to push yourself
Aiden: I’m having a great time and Happy Birthday Shannon
Rory: Despite being assaulted by a not so nice Jigger Bug that has decided to make itself a nice little home in the pad of my foot, my spirits are high and I can honestly say that I am truly loving every single moment on this beautiful continent!
Audrey: This group is absolutely amazing! They are the ones who make this experience incredible!
