Author Archive for kenny

Gorilla Tracking

Posted on August 23, 2010 in Uganda by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: gorilla tracking, hiking, national park, Uganda, wildlife.

If there’s anything that will motivate you to wake up at 5:30AM the day after a killer hike, it’s the prospect of gorilla tracking. For many tourists, this is the reason to enter Uganda, and needs to be arranged well in advance as there are only 40 permits available per day (8 permits each for the five gorilla families in Bwindi National Park). The gorilla families have all been habituated, which involves a six-year process of slowly exposing them to humans in a non-threatening way. The tracking process can range anywhere from one to six hours until you reach the gorillas, depending on the family you’re tracking and the time of year. While the guides do not guarantee that you will find the gorillas, they have only failed once in the six years since habituation.

It took us two hours to reach Bwindi National Park from Kisoro, along a very bumpy road. After a brief orientation on what to expect, and outfitting us with walking sticks and porters, it was time to find gorillas! The trailhead for the Nkuringo family is at the top of a ridge overlooking rolling farmland, and we descended rapidly towards the forest. We followed a short trail to its end, and then the guides made their own path through the bush, hacking away with their machetes.

In the forest, looking for gorillas

Helping realize our trail potential

The UWA does their best to involve the local community in the wildlife preservation efforts. As part of this, they use local high school students as porters-for-hire. They follow an equitable rotation process and the porters use the money to fund their education. By helping the local economy, the UWA has found that the community is motivated to actively protect the gorillas and their habitat.

Our porter, Hillary, was a really nice kid who was on his first gorilla tracking expedition. Other than the excited gleam in his eyes, you would never have guessed that this was his first time as a porter. He was helping blaze the trail by breaking off thorny branches and clearing other obstacles, and there were multiple times when his steady hand helped Lauren and me up and down the hillsides.

We descended into a valley, crossed over a small stream, and after about 90 minutes we arrived at the area where the gorilla family was enjoying a late breakfast. The guides asked us to break for a few minutes, grab a quick snack and then hand over our bags and walking sticks to avoid threatening the gorillas. We then turned a corner and had our first gorilla sighting – a toddler munching on the moss of a tree directly in front of us:

It was awesome to hang out with the gorillas. They are very chill (not like the crazy chimps), and I could have spent the entire day watching them munch on vegetation and play with each other. We did snap some photos and videos, but we spent most of our time in the moment, somewhat awestruck by these creatures that share 97% of our DNA. One of the silverbacks was chilling in the sun (he looked like he had eaten well), a momma gorilla was cruising around with her child on her back, and others were swinging among the trees.

Little ones at play

Bringing silver back

After about 30 minutes, the family migrated to another part of the forest and we followed, creating more fresh trails on our way. Our guides told us that since they haven’t had a lot of rain lately the gorillas need to visit a few locations to fully sate their appetites. Along the way, we had a few very close encounters, with the gorillas almost within arms reach. We settled into a small clearing, and two of the blackbacks (younger males – they become silverbacks around age 14) walked right through our group to what I suppose was a particularly tasty bush.

All too soon, our guide informed us that our hour with the gorillas was up. Right at that moment, a silverback barreled through the trees into the edge of the clearing! He paused there as if on cue, and then 20 seconds later gave a little shrug and left us. It was a fond farewell and a very memorable ending to an amazing hour with our cousins.

Christmas (yes, he was born on Christmas) enjoying leaves for lunch

Adios, said the silverback

Kenny vs. the Volcano

Posted on August 22, 2010 in Uganda by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: gorilla tracking, hiking, Uganda.

Today was possibly the most physically challenging day of my life. It was definitely the highest I’ve been outside of an airplane. Here’s how it went:

Act I: Get up and go

We arise at 5:30AM for a hearty breakfast and 6:30AM departure for Muhavura Volcano, the third highest peak in Uganda. It’s a 30 minute bumpy ride on a gravel road to the parking lot.

Our driver takes us on a moderately strenuous 20-minute hike to the trailhead. In the distance looms our destination.

Act II: Free Gorilla Tracking

At base camp, we register with the UWA, and are introduced to a park ranger named George, our guide for the day. George outfits us with bamboo walking sticks and we head out along an old farmer’s trail.

A few hundred meters in, we are joined by Francis, a solidly built man with an easy smile and a rifle who settles into a permanent spot as rear guard. George tells us how there are many buffalo in this area, as well as antelope and even gorillas! However, the closest we come to the animals is their poop on the trail. The farmer’s trail winds steadily up towards the volcano, and we are fully warmed up as we approach the next trail marker.

Act III: The Virgin Forest

On the second stage of the hike we follow an amazingly well-groomed trail through leafy terrain. There are lots of switchbacks and stairs that have been carved into the trail by the UWA, which quicken our ascent. Overall it’s a relaxing hike that reminds me a bit of Washington State. I am feeling pretty good when we stop for a snack at the first “rest hut.”

Act IV: Adjusting to Altitude

As we enter the ericaceous zone, the trail becomes more slippery and gravelly. As we clear the tree-line we are treated to fantastic views of the two nearby volcanoes – Gahinga and Sabinyo. George points out sections of Rwanda and the Congo, though the mist prevents any notable photography. The scenery is amazing, and the hike is exhilarating, but then…

About an hour into this section of the hike, I become a bit light headed. Breathing is harder and it takes all of my willpower to simply put one foot in front of the other. It feels like this part of the hike is never-ending. Finally, after what seems like an eternity, we arrive at the second rest hut.

Act V: The Final Push

I take awhile to recover at the second rest hut. Inhaling my tuna sandwich, biscuits, and a liter of water certainly helps my disposition (and my pounding headache). George is a champ at motivation, and assures me that we have about an hour more to go, though we will take as much time as necessary.

The rest helps, and I’m able to enjoy the alpine foliage. Since this volcano is capped by a crater lake, the upper-most part of the mountain is unusually lush. About 30 minutes into this section I’m hit again by a massive headache, but a quick rest (and three Advil) knocks it into submission.

One of many beautiful views of Gahinga and Sabinyo volcanoes from the sub-alpine belt, with the Congo in the distance

Act VI: Rwanda without a Visa

The summit! I did not think I would make it and I am ecstatic. George tells us that we are not allowed to rest until we visit Rwanda. Turns out that the Uganda-Rwanda border bisects the alpine lake here at the summit. We take a spin around Rwanda, enjoy the views, and bask in the sunshine. Hallelujah!

Total elevation gain: 1823m (~5981 ft). Total ascent time: 5 1/2 hours.

Basking in the mountain-top sun

In Rwanda without a visa!

We made it!

Epilogue

The difficulty level descending the mountain was commensurate with the ascent. By the time we arrived at base camp, I was immensely excited to see man-made structures on the horizon. We rested and added comments to the guest book, and then descended through farms to our car; a final kilometer that felt like three.

After today’s trials, I was a bit apprehensive about our Mount Meru climb in mid-September. However, we just re-read our itinerary, and there is never more than 1000m gain per day, the majority of which is one-way (outside of our summit day). It will be challenging, but after conquering Muhavura I am confident that we can handle it. Lauren and I are both exhausted, but also on a high from our achievement. And I expect we’ll sleep quite well, which is helpful as we leave for gorilla tracking at 6AM tomorrow!

More photos from our hike available here.

Headline of the Day

Posted on August 13, 2010 in Uganda by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: kampala, news, Uganda.

Courtesy of this morning’s edition of the New Vision:

..I guess the journalist’s source on this one was from a local séance. I wonder if they also confessed to where they buried the survivors?

White Sands Beach Hotel (Kendwa, Zanzibar)

Posted on August 10, 2010 in Tanzania by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: beach, food, island, review, tanzania, zanzibar.

Rating:

While we ate quite well in Stone Town, most of our meals on Zanzibar’s beaches were somewhat mediocre. The one major exception was a beachfront restaurant in Kendwa, at the White Sands Beach Hotel. The atmosphere at the restaurant is pretty basic, but the location is excellent, with nice views of the Indian Ocean from the outermost tables (where we were sitting).

On the waitress’s recommendation we ordered the prawn coconut curry, which was stupendous. The prawns were by far the largest we had in Zanzibar, and the tomato-based coconut curry was spicy and reminiscent of south India.

We also had the catch of the day, red snapper, which was seasoned with local spices and grilled. The fish was tender (not overcooked like much of the fish we had this week), and served with rice and tomato chutney.

If you’re on Kendwa beach (or at nearby Nungwi and sick of the same-old, same-old), definitely stop by the White Sands Beach Hotel and sample the coconut curry. Your tummy will thank you.

Amazing prawn coconut curry

Grilled red snapper

White Sands Beach Hotel
Kendwa, Zanzibar, Tanzania
+255 (0)777-411326

Journey to Kendwa

Posted on August 7, 2010 in Tanzania by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: beach, island, tanzania, zanzibar.

We took a walk today down to Kendwa Beach, one of the “gems” of the Nungwi area according to the Lonely Planet. Kendwa is only two kilometers south of our hotel, but the journey is much longer than it should be due to a few obstacles.

The first obstacle is the tides. Most of Zanzibar has very “tide-dependent” beaches. While Kendwa is renowned for being the only beach on Zanzibar unaffected by tidal shifts, the same cannot be said for the northern waterfront approach, which would require a full-on swim at high tide. We headed to Kendwa during low tide, which was a pleasant walk along the beach until we reached an outcropping whose beach is only accessible during the lowest of tides.

Obstacle number two: the “Royal Zanzibar” hotel, which blocks your path and is built on top of the aforementioned rock outcropping. The @$$holes who run the Royal Zanzibar do not let non-guests walk across their property, even though they completely block the north-south coastal path. To enforce their policy, the beachfront entrance to the hotel is manned by Maasai warriors who don’t speak a word of English. They simply shake their sticks at you and yell at you in Kiswahili until you go away. It’s an extra two kilometer detour around the hotel that involves walking inland to the main road and then down a sketchy dirt path through the bush that is infamous for muggings.

On the plus side, you are amply rewarded when you arrive. Kendwa has a beautiful, long stretch of white sand with calm, very swimmable (though not particularly warm) water. The area is sparsely developed and has minimal touts. We spent most of the morning on the more remote southern end of the beach, which we had completely to ourselves. The weather today was variable, with on and off showers, but that also made for some very dramatic landscapes.

After a delicious lunch at White Sands Beach Hotel and more swimming, it was time for us to head back to Nungwi. At this point it was high tide, and when we reached the Plan Hotel at the northern end of Kendwa, one of the security guards flagged us down and told us that three men would escort us along the path back to Nungwi. We were completely sketched out by this. One of the men showed us his police officer badge, but we were still skeptical. We had no choice but to follow along, keeping a little distance and hoping that we would simply have to pay a bribe and wouldn’t get mugged, maimed, or worse. As we entered the main road and civilization, we got more comfortable and the man who had flashed his badge engaged us in conversation. Turns out that the men were all special investigators who were in the area specifically to address recent concerns about tourist muggings (whew).

Overall Kendwa is a beautiful and relaxing beach, though quite a challenge to visit on foot.

Our sunny morning was very enjoyable and picturesque

…then the clouds came in

…we took shelter from one of the storms under a straw umbrella

…where mzungos were getting braided

Dhow ferrying snorklers around the bay

Spice Up Your Life

Posted on August 5, 2010 in Tanzania by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: chilies, food, island, shopping, tanzania, zanzibar.

Armed with our newfound knowledge from yesterday’s spice tour, we spent the morning in Darajani Market acquiring some take-home scents of Zanzibar. The first few shops we walked by were staffed by aggressive hawkers that were all selling the same touristy-labeled packets of ground spices.

Further away from the market center, on a quiet street far removed from hawkers (and bloody cow parts), we stumbled across a shop with barrels of ground and whole spices available in bulk that reminded me a bit of Roopak in Karol Bagh. We were able to browse in peace, and then put together a small stash of coffee, vanilla, whole nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and ground chilies (which was nothing compared to the local who arrived just after us with a long shopping list of large quantities to fill).

Now all we need to do is think of the best uses for these spices when we get home…cardamom-vanilla bean ice cream anyone?

So many spices…how to choose?

Bulk spices

Cinnamon

Galu Beach

Posted on August 3, 2010 in Kenya by kenny. 1 Comment Tags: beach, galu beach, kenya, mombasa.

We’ve had a very relaxing four days here on the Kenyan coast. The conditions that make Galu beach a world-renowned kite surfing destination (fairly constant north/south winds, water free of rocks or obstacles) also result in wide expanses of level, pillow-soft white sand.

It’s been great to catch up on reading, swimming, and sand castle building. We were also fortunate to stay at the lovely Kenyaways, a small beach-front guesthouse staffed by some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met. Not only did we have an amazing view of the sparkling blue water from our balcony, we also enjoyed consistently delicious food (review forthcoming), and excellent massages. The area is also home to large families of monkeys. We had two up-close encounters with monkeys on our balcony; one ran away when I stood up, the other was a thief that absconded with our closed jar of almonds!

Tomorrow morning we head to Zanzibar. While I’m excited to check out the famed spice island, I could also happily spend another week here…and maybe even learn how to kite surf. Here are a few photos, the full set is available on Flickr.

Site of our morning (and afternoon) walks

Camels on the beach

Lauren enjoying the Indian Ocean

Kite surfers in action

Sunrise over Galu beach

The Cave (Diani, Kenya)

Posted on August 2, 2010 in Kenya by kenny. 1 Comment Tags: diani, food, kenya, little vid, mombasa, review.

Rating:

To celebrate Vid’s birthday last night, we had dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town – The Cave. The restaurant is set inside two chambers of a natural coral cave that is open to the sky. While mildly gimmicky, the setting is really interesting, and the tasteful lighting added to the romantic atmosphere.

We started off with some of the house red, which was a surprisingly good cabernet-shiraz. We tried to order a few things that we thought Vid would order if she were with us in person rather than just in spirit. For appetizers we had the soup of the day (cucumber-mint), and a goat cheese tart. The soup turned out to be hot, which was unexpected, but it was enjoyable with primary flavors of chicken broth and cucumber (I couldn’t detect the mint). The goat cheese tart tasted like a frozen quiche from Trader Joe’s. I like TJ’s, but at Seattle-level prices I was expecting (at least a smidge) better.

On to the main course, with higher prices and greater disappointments. Little Vid’s mushroom crepes tasted much better than their caterpillar-like presentation. They were very cheesy, with lots of mushrooms inside. While it reminded me of upscale diner food, it was still satisfying. Our “pan-seared catch of the day drizzled with homemade pesto” was a breaded and fried tasteless brick that was doused in green lines of goo. We couldn’t bring ourselves to finish it. Given the mediocre results for dinner, we passed on dessert, but fortunately we had already satisfied our sweet tooth with a pre-dinner scoop of mango-coconut ice cream at Kenyaways (as Vid would have done).

Overall, The Cave has nice atmosphere, and the bar area would be a lovely place to have a glass of wine. However you should plan on going elsewhere for dinner, as the food is forgettable and very expensive.

The Cave’s main dining room

Mood lighting

Little Vid was also surprised by the average-ness of her appetizer

Main course: mushroom crepes

Veering away from the vegetarian side was not well-rewarded, this fish was terrible

Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant (a.k.a. The Cave)
Diani, Kenya
+254 (0)40-320-2033

Wooden it be Nice

Posted on August 1, 2010 in Kenya by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: galu beach, kenya, mombasa, shopping.

The Mombasa area is famous for its popular beaches, and somewhat infamous for its “beach boy” phenomenon. Beach boys are young men who roam up and down the beach and sell anything from trinkets to snorkeling tours to safaris (and according to some sources, they can also offer much more). People are generally split between those who find their services quite useful, and those who find them an annoyance.

This afternoon Lauren and I decided to build a sandcastle, and two beach boys approached and asked if they could help out. We acquiesced, and they sat down, started digging, and introduced themselves as Felix (whose real name is Suleman, Sule for short), and Jay (whose real name is Juma, and also goes by “Doctor Bushman”).

We played with sandcastles for awhile (Jay made what looked like a crocodile), and we talked about politics. They wanted to know if Obama was making a difference. We told them that we’ve been mostly unplugged, but briefed them on health care reform; I told them how it takes a long time to turn a big ship around (they seemed to get the analogy). They told us a bit about local Kenyan politics. They are about to have a vote on a referendum to ratify their new constitution. The big vote is this Wednesday (which is also Obama’s 49th birthday). They mentioned that they are a little concerned about possible riots, given how the 2007 election played out, but that there is overwhelming support for the referendum in the Mombasa area, so hopefully things should be ok this time (at least near Gulu beach).

After about 30 minutes of chit-chat and sand castle building, they finally made their sales pitch. They sell personalized key chains made of ebony wood that they carve into the shape of an animal with your name on it. We normally dismiss these types of overtures, but the boys were very nice, we decided they’d make for nice little souvenirs in our shadow box, and we agreed on an ok price. A few hours later, we were the happy recipients of a rhino (for me) and a lion (for LL).

We also learned a few facts about the ebony wood; it comes from Tanzania (they don’t have any ebony trees in southern Kenya), and you want to use the pieces that are in between the bark layer and the inner core. This is the strongest section of the wood, and also allows for the tree to regenerate the harvested piece.

Me and the beach boys

Our ebony carving purchases

Sound for Hire

Posted on July 31, 2010 in Kenya by kenny. 0 Comments Tags: kenya, mombasa, signspotting.

Seen on the street in Mombasa, Kenya:

…sometimes all you need to make your crusade (or your spooky confrence) successful is some sound for hire.

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