by: Nyambosa G. Maroa
We chose the route from the little guide book we had earlier bought from a local bookshop. Rwenzori, the fabled mountains of the moon, popped out in the distance. It’s home to gorillas and chimps that inhabit the equatorial rainforest of Africa.
The forests consist of incredibly tall indigenous trees some of which are hundreds of years old. It’s part of the great tropical rain forest that extends all the way to the Congo Basin. The people here have learnt to preserve their forests. In some sections, the forests are intermingled with banana plantations that Uganda is famous for. The country is inseparable with matoke, the stable food crop here. Thick green banana clusters fill the roadside markets. Nobody can go hungry in Uganda as the bananas ensure hunger is kept at bay.
We arrive in Fort Portal, the town on the slopes of the mighty Rwenzori. Heavy grey clouds laden with moisture hang over the horizon. It’s going to rain.
“When it starts to rain here, everything comes to a standstill,” said Okiri the local guide. “It is usually heavy and stormy.” The downpour started from the top of the mountain while the preceding winds hit Fort Portal in a matter of minutes. Pearl Guesthouse, the only tourist-class hotel was fully booked. The alternative was a bitten up “tourist” hotel down the only street in the town. We were booked in as there were no alternatives.
The rain subsided and Okiri suggested a drive to the Toro Botanical gardens on the outskirts of town, where the project manager gave the spiel. “The objective of the botanical is to conserve the Albertine Rift species and at the same time sensitize the public to the uses of the plants and how to derive sustainable income from them, “he said.
We are close to the Albertine Rift valley, which is part of the Great Rift Valley and home to some of the most unusual flora and fauna. “The Rwenzori is heavily forested and it’s in our interest to protect it because it’s a very good source of honey, “says Bitok of Kabarole Bee-keepers Association. Everybody’s got something to say about the mountains.
Okiri suggests that we drive to Sebitoli Forest camp. It’s a beautiful forest surrounded by tea and coffee plantations. Monkeys fill the thick canopy of the upper branches. The forest is a hive of activity as the creatures forage for food. Most notable are the beautiful Rwenzori colossus. They are literally everywhere.
But we must now get out of the forest as it’s getting late. STo launch your escapades into the Rwenzori forest, trackers will have to do advance booking preferably 3months or more in advance. The reason is that gorilla safaris are highly controlled to limit the impact on the endangered species in Uganda. Sometimes the gorilla tracking is booked for over a year due to limitation in numbers they put for each tracking party.
By the time we reach our hotel, its 7pm and we find guests of different nationalities chattering in their strange tongues. Feeling exhausted, we retire to bed early after dinner.
About The Author
Nyambosa G. Maroa writes exclusively for Safariwagon located at www.safariwagon.blogspot.com.
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