Paxland Motel Kampala

I couldn't resist posting a few more video clips from the Nkringo area (think Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda border area and envision 'Gorillas in the Mist'). There are only 700 Gorillas left in the world in this region. The Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest in Uganda is the home for 330 of the Gorillas. We were fortunate to visit a family of 35 deep in the heart of the forest for one hour last week (the limit each day for treking protection). <br><br>Also ...

... But it is what it is and it&#8217;s not bad. The two British guys are 35 and 29 and I think escaping something back home and just kind of escaping life in general. Kind of blue collar guys who are easy to talk to. As for the passengers, there are 20 of us like I said. A Danish guy who is kind of a nerd but I like him. The young Brit guy who is my tent buddy who is cool but pretty dorky. A 30&#8217;s something Aussie scientist who is pretty cool. 2 ...

... elections where a few protesters were killed by police. Most people would agree that Uganda is essentially a dictatorship and with most "elections" being a shame. The next elections are scheduled for 2011. Several people I spoke with feared that after these elections Uganda may undergo the fate of Kenya last year.

... ourselves a fair distance from the anchored dhow which was a bit unnerving. I was assured that the sharks don&#8217;t go near the reef so I stayed as close to the reef as possible. On the road again with Kebab, the taxi driver, we stopped off for an interesting spice tour. Did you know that &#8216;Vicks&#8217; came from the root of a cinnamon tree? We watched a young boy climb a coconut tree while entertaining us with a very boisterous ...

Woke up today and was happy to have my second hot shower since I've been travelling. I was not happy that the toilets were broken and had to use the "eco" toilets which are just a hole in the ground. These things may be eco friendly but man do they stink. Went into town pretty early and the city was already bustling I decided to do some shopping and make some sandwiches for breakfast/lunch and went to a little market. It ended up being ...

Our guides Stephen and Bosco wedged us and all our stuff into the Toyota Hiace and we set off on our West Uganda safari. The roads to start with were smooth and easy travelling, but these soon gave way to what is known as the massage roads. As we travelled to Murchison Falls the most powerful falls in the world where the Nile cascades down to the croc infested river, we were careful to swat the tsetse flies along the way. The falls are magnificent to see and the ...

... street clothing. Today we went to Kampala to purchase workshop supplies and to use a photocopier. Imagine driving to the next city to photocopy! I purchased a book called "How to be a Ugandan" which I am certain was written by a Canadian, as it is entirely sarcastic. For lunch, we went to the food court in a mall. It is very similar in appearance to a typical north american food court, only smaller. When you enter the food court, you go to a table, rather ...

... refreshing to be invited to go and see a project and be taught something here with absolutely nothing asked in return. There has often been a story attached to experiences that has turned into a plea for help of some nature. Without a doubt most if not all of these pleas have an honest base (they're often from people I know and trust) but it still makes you guarded about accepting help or kindness from people. With Paul this was not the case at all - he purely ...

... week has gone on the trauma this area has suffered has become more obvious. At first it seems quite idyllic here because food is really plentiful and the land is so fertile and green. But you start to notice that there is hardly a middle-aged person in the entire place - all people seem to be my age and younger or probably sixty or above. Whole generations have been wiped out here by HIV and war leaving grandparents to bring up large families of children.