Golden Monkey and Border Crossing
Northern Rwanda, into Southern Uganda - Day 5
Katie and I started our day by making our way to the Volcanoes National Park Headquarters where we would meet our Golden Monkey trekking guide and group. The guide gave a short briefing, and then we loaded back into our cars to drive to the checkpoint which was only a mile or so from the edge of the forest. Most of the walk was through farmland, and I got a bit of a chuckle thinking about how a bunch of tourists were "hiking" with walking poles and backpacks full of water through the fields and pathways that locals use on a daily basis to get to their houses or the fields where they work. At the edge of the forest we met up with the trackers who were armed with machetes and something that looked like an AK-47. We ditched our poles and backpacks and entered the bamboo forest. The Golden Monkeys were really cute and didn't seem to mind people too much. You could sit there a few feet away and just watch them go about their business, either playing with another monkey or trying to find something to eat. Their primary source of food is from the bamboo (leaves, shoots, branchlets, etc), but will also eat fruits and insects. Before we knew it, it was time to make our way back to the car. There were a couple small shops near where the car was parked, so Katie and I took an opportunity to shop a bit. We chatted with a few of the locals, learned a little about their goods and history, and purchased a couple souvenirs. We waved goodbye and started to make our way towards Uganda!
Now let's get on to what you really want to read about: EBOLA. A couple hours from those shops, we were at the border between Rwanda and Uganda. As we were going through the emigration/immigration process, we noticed World Health Organization tent (on the Rwanda side) for Ebola screening. On the Ugandan side, there was a tent, but it wasn't branded as WHO. Their process was to wash your hands (no soap, just water) and have your temperature taken (one of those fancy forehead scanners) while they asked you about where you have been and how you are feeling. After that you are asked to read a sign about how Ebola is spread (from bodily fluids from people AND animals who have it) and what happens if you get it. They told us not to shake hands with anyone or touch any one in general (remember this!!). The situation has become worse as there were approximately 1500 cases of Ebola in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, but just recently the first few cases of Ebola have been reported in Uganda (West Central Uganda, we stayed in South West). Katie and I went through the process separately from James and the car. While we waited we enjoyed watching some small goats graze. As I stepped into the car I said to James, "We bought a goat, I hope that is OK." He responded, "You...bought a goat...?" as he was thinking through how that was going to work out. We had a good laugh.
A couple hours later, after some rough, rocky roads and beautiful scenery, we arrived at Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge. We were welcomed with children singing and dancing and led into the lobby to check in. As the staff informed us about the lodge and checked us in, we were given a complimentary hand massage (remember when I told you to remember the thing?? haha but everything is fine and it was a nice hand massage). Soon we were led to our room which had the most amazing view of Bwindi and the surrounding landscape.
Milestone:
17th Country we have been to
