There's nothing like serving a light dish in the evening to reduce the impact of summer's heat. This dish comes from Uganda. In East Africa, the recipe is made with a whole fish, either with or without the head. It works well with red snapper.
Fresh Steamed Fish Recipe adapted from Cooking the East African Way by Bertha Vining Montgomery and Constance Nabwire
1/4c vegetable oil 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped 3 medium tomatoes, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 lb fish fillets or 1 whole fish, approximately 2 lbs
In a large frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onions and saute until transparent. Add garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Mix well. Place fish in the center of the tomato mixture. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the fish is tender and flaky.
Long time Africa Adventure Consultants client Sandra Washburn serves on the board of directors for a charity involved with community transformation throughout the globe. Her particular work focuses on Uganda. H.O.P.E. for an Unreached World is pursuing 501c3 status, but isn't waiting for it to be finalized to get their feet on the ground working and to make a positive impact.
Sandra leaves for a trip to Uganda to visit the communities that HOPE works within next week. Gulu is located in Northern Uganda, and the district has been the location of much of the insurgent fighting by the Lord's Resistance Army. Over 90% of the district population was displaced, mostly into camps clustered around towns and trading centers. To avoid abduction by the LRA thousands of children used to travel from rural areas to seek refuge in towns every night. There has been relative peace since 2007, so people can now focus on healing and community rebuilding.
Sandra is soliciting donations for some low cost items that can make a big impact. $16 purchases either a basketball (which are in short supply in Uganda!) or a talking watch for the blind. $8 purchases a braille atlas. Either amount makes a big difference.
In the evenings, basketball practice takes place at Karauna Ground (the municipal park). The men’s team are called the Gulu Hawks and are a registered team in division two basketball league. The women's team is in the process of being formally organized. They are considering the name Gulu Pride for their team in honor of the teamwork exhibited by lionesses as they hunt.
There are 26 blind students at Gulu Primary, 18 blind students at Gulu High School and 6 blind students on HOPE scholarships at various secondary schools in Uganda. There are over 40 blind people outside of school-age within the community as well. During past projects, HOPE has had white canes custom made for blind community members, then instructed people in their use. Now they hope to distribute talking watches and atlases to those same community members.
To make a donation (and a difference!) to HOPE, visit their website.
Today's recipe is sweet rather than savory. Kashata are popular during the holidays throughout East Africa. Make some as a sweet treat to end a meal this weekend.
2/3 c sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 c grated coconut or 1/2 lb unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
1. In a heavy skillet, heat the sugar until it melts (10-15 min), stirring constantly. The sugar will become dark brown and syrupy as it melts. 2. Add the cinnamon and the coconut or peanuts. 3. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar turns light brown. 4. Remove from heat and let cool. 5. When mix is cool enough to handle, form 1-inch balls and place on wax paper until set.
Time is running out to secure your gorilla trekking permits for dates in summer 2011. Explore our Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas trip, take a group trip, or we can customize your gorilla adventure. Remaining permit availability and dates are as follows:
Uganda is slightly less limited, however many dates are already sold out - especially in July and August. September still has good availability. Permit availability changes daily, so book your trip quickly to secure your spot for this magical wilderness experience!
We are also pleased to announce that there is now a new gorilla group open for trekking in the Kisoro/Clouds Lodge area. The group is called 'Mishaya' and it currently has 9 members. In July 2010, the second ranking Silverback called 'Mishaya' broke away from the main Nshongi group, taking 8 other individuals with him.
I had this dish the first time I visited Tanzania. I was skeptical when I was told I would be having banana and meat stew for lunch, but I'm a firm believer in trying everything once. This recipe will make you try it once, twice, then three times, then again...
1lb beef (preferably grass fed), cut into cubes 2c water 2 onions, sliced 2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced 2 tbsp oil 2 medium green plantains, or 4 small green bananas; washed peeled, sliced and placed in a bowl with cold water (I'd use the plantains unless you're getting your bananas from Africa!) 1c coconut milk salt and pepper to taste
Place the meat and water in a pot and simmer for an hour. Saute the onion and tomato in hot oil in a large skillet until the onions soften and take on some color. Add cooked meat, plantains and coconut milk. If the coconut milk does not cover the meat, add some of the meat stock. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer gently until bananas are cooked and the meat is tender. If you are using regular bananas, add them 15-20 minutes before the meat is done.
Have you been gorilla trekking yet? As they say, no time better than the present. However the present is selling out fast! Our latest report from Rwanda has July and August nearly sold out for gorilla permits, and June is on track to sell out as well. If you want to share in this special natural wonder this year, the time to book is now.
We have both private and group departures for Rwanda gorilla trekking. If you have more time, check out our Rwanda and Uganda Gorillas 2011 trip. If you want to really experience all that Rwanda has to offer (including chimpanzee trekking!), our Unforgettable Rwanda will fit the bill.
We also have myriad of trips to Uganda, including our Ultimate Uganda Safari, which gives you a gorilla trekking experience as well as highlights such as Murchison Falls National Park, where The African Queen was filmed. There are thirteen primate species in Uganda and you'll have the chance to see plenty of them on this trip!
Don't forget you can check out You Tube for some of our gorilla footage. You can also read some first hand trip reports here and here.
After our community visit, my guide and I headed off across southwestern Uganda to the Nkuringo area of Bwindi. The drive is breathtaking. After getting back to the 'main' road, we took that road essentially to its end. The hills became steeper, and if possible they seemed greener. That may have been the storm clouds making the scenery looking dramatic!
We drove through the town of Kisoro, arriving just after what must have been a very substantial rain storm. The streets were running with water - knee deep in some places. People were picking their way through town trying to stay somewhat dry while balancing goods on their bicycles or their heads. It was a chaotic, colorful scene.
We had another hour and a half drive from Kisoro to our lodge. The area we drove through seemed less developed and more remote than anything we had experienced so far. There was less agricultural development due to the steepness of the landscape, and the hills were packed ever more tightly together.
We finally arrived at Clouds Lodge around dusk. This beautiful lodge is perched at the very top of one of Bwindi's hills, surrounded by forest. It is community owned, and employs its staff from that same community. The clouds were in fact present, swirling just below us on the mountainside. I was warmly welcomed by the staff and escorted into the lodge for a quick briefing. This had to go in the books as the best briefing ever, as it was accompanied by a complimentary hand and arm massage from the local spa staff.
The main lodge is airy and light. It has several fireplaces for cool nights and is full of couches that just beg to be curled up on with a book or a drink. The bar is at one end, while the elegant dining room is at the other. It has a veranda around 2 sides, with fantastic views of Bwindi and the Virungas beyond. Every day is a different view depending on how clear it is or where the clouds have landed, but every day is beautiful.
My room, or perhaps I should call it a villa, was just down the hill from the main lodge. It had a porch with another tremendous view and was surrounded by flowers and trees, with its own little garden in the front. Once inside, I found an enormous sitting room with those same welcoming couches and my own fireplace. The bedroom was as light and airy as the sitting room with an enormous bed, and access to the same pass through fireplace. The bathroom was large and luxurious with a shower.
Meals at clouds are fantastic. In the mornings, I enjoyed custom made smoothies with mint and ginger, muesli and a cooked breakfast (essential when trekking!). Lunches were hearty but not too heavy; things like salads and fishcakes. Dinners were sublime; three course affairs with expertly executed dishes with surprisingly creative sauces and desserts that I couldn't resist.
My second day of trekking could not have been more different from the first. The ranger station is only a few minutes walk from the lodge, and is much smaller than the Buhoma area. There is only one group to trek to see from here, with a total of two groups in the Nkuringo area. There is a small village and shop area outside the ranger station.
Nearly all of the trekkers wisely hired porters this time (see why that is important here). We began our trek from the ranger station. Trekking from Clouds to the gorillas is downhill, which is unique. It also means your return trek is uphill! The trail is very good for most of the way, and you don't reach the forest until you hit the valley floor and pass by the tracker's camp - about an hour into the hike. We once again lucked out with the weather and needed sunscreen rather than rain gear for our hike.
Once in the forest, it was only a matter of minutes before we were told to leave our gear with the porters and to take our cameras and follow the guides to the Nkuringo family group. We excitedly crept through the forest to the group and suddenly found ourselves nearly in the middle of it. They were feeding on the ground and in trees; there were babies, adolescents, black and silverbacks all within sight.
The gorillas were obviously comfortable with our presence and continued their feeding without interruption. One blackback came and sat directly in front of our group. He had a small wound on his left hip which he almost seemed to be showing us. Our guide confirmed that this family does in fact show the rangers and trackers any injuries they have in the manner we were witnessing. After he gave us a good, long look at his wound, the gorilla moved on to feed some more.
We enjoyed what felt like quite a long time of uninterrupted viewing of the gorillas as they moved around the clearing feeding, as well as the fun of two juvenile gorillas playing up in the trees. The group finally started to move off and as we still had time left in our hour we were able to follow them further into the forest for a bit more observation. At one stage, the silverback slapped the ground two times not far in front of me; I could feel it through my feet! This behaviour is considered to be one that prevents conflict between and among groups.
The final and most exciting part of the day for me was when one of the blackbacks (named Karibu - thank you in Swahili) sat nearly at my feet to feed. Because of the dense vegetation, I was unable to back away, so the guide advised me to stay put. The gorilla sat peacefully feeding for a few minutes before moving on his way, continuing to follow his family. Our time was finally up, and we left the Nkuringo family with regret, but also with joy at the privilege of spending time with one of the planet's most amazing creatures.
I mentioned before that it was difficult to put the experience of observing mountain gorillas in the wild into adequate words, and I feel I've had the same struggle in this blog. What I can say is that it is one of the most profound nature experiences that I have ever had, and is certainly amongst my favorite and most memorable experiences I have had in Africa. When we returned to the lodge, I enjoyed an afternoon massage which worked the fatigue out of my muscles and refreshed me immensely. The spa at clouds is simple, but the treatments are wonderful. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the lodge reading and talking with other guests. During our sundowner drinks, we were treated to a performance by a local youth community group. They sang and danced for the guests, incorporating the importance of gorillas to the community into their performance. (see performance video on our You Tube channel!)
We have several itineraries available that offer gorilla trekking in both Rwanda and Uganda. If you wish to stay at Clouds Lodge (and I can't recommend it highly enough!), we can create a customized itinerary for you. Just give us a call!
Next: Arusha and the newly opened Mt. Meru Hotel!
First photo courtesy Clouds Lodge. Remaining photos and video Gretchen Healey
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi - Habinyanja group - Gretchen's trip report #3
Trekking day, I had a 6:30am wake up call, which gave me enough time for a delicious cooked breakfast and to gear up for hiking. I took the packed lunch that Gorilla Forest Camp provided and loaded it into my backpack along with my rain jacket, camera gear and water. It was plenty heavy once loaded up, but I knew I would be hiring a porter before setting off.
I can't stress enough that anyone gorilla trekking should plan and budget to hire a porter. There are lots of reasons to do so, but the most important one is this: you are providing a local person with employment, which in turn incents them to continue to protect the gorillas and their habitat. Better yet, I can promise you that on a difficult hike, you will be grateful to not be carrying an awkward and heavy backpack and even more grateful that someone is there to help you on particularly difficult terrain. I am fit and I hike nearly every weekend year round at altitudes up to 14,000 feet, and I was plenty pleased to have hired a porter. It was $15 very well spent.
My permit for my stay in Buhoma was for the Habinyanja group, so after the informational session and briefing at park headquarters we headed off in our vehicle for an hour's drive to get to the trekking start point. Our hike began in an agricultural area but was a well utilized trail and was easy going initially. After the first hour or so, we broke off on to a smaller trail through cultivated fields, which was surprisingly steep and challenging with all of the dense crops and vegetation. We had a few stream crossings then eventually came upon a gorilla nest from the previous evening when we neared the edge of the forest.
Our UWA (Ugandan Wildlife Authority) ranger was in constant contact with the trackers, who reported that our habituated group of gorillas had just had an encounter with a wild group and the silverbacks had engaged in fighting. As a result, we had to do a fair bit of back tracking and enter the forest at a different place. In the meantime, the gloves had come out to hang on to vegetation while climbing steep hills, and the gaiters had done their job keeping safari ants and stinging nettles from annoying me.
We finally entered the Impenetrable Forest. We were immediately enveloped into the canopy, which was actually a cool relief from the blazing sunshine that had been upon us all day (lucky weather to be sure). The sounds were dampened and we could hear more birds and primate life around us, replacing the cheerful calls of local residents as we hiked by.
Another 25 minutes of up and down and we were in range of the gorillas. We put down our walking sticks and bags, grabbed only our cameras, then proceeded to a clearing where we spent an enchanting hour with the H group. They were resting under the forest canopy as a family; a few were feeding, but most were grooming and the young ones were playing.
It is hard to express the feeling I had while spending time in such close proximity to these magical apes. They come across as extremely gentle and you can see very clearly that they care for one another. One can also imagine the ferocity that might be possible in a rival silverback encounter, though I would stress that in my two days with the different gorilla groups, all that I witnessed was gentle, calm behaviour.
Each gorilla clearly has their own personality. The young were full of energy, and the youngest, a four-month-old infant, was so obviously treasured by his mother. The dominant silverback was watching over his family, as well as sitting down to groom and be groomed. Interestingly, the gorillas seemed to know when our hour was up; right at the appointed time, they rose from their family relaxation and slowly made off as a group. The hour seemed to go by in a flash, but I remember every moment of it like it only just happened.
The hike back was less arduous as we didn't have any of the backtracking, but the overall hiking time was near six hours. Getting back to the vehicle felt like a victory, and the shower and cold drink back at camp were immensly refreshing! I also took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Batwa (or Twa) community the next morning before my departure. A local guide took us on a walking tour of the nearby village. We were privileged to meet a number of people and get an intimate look at local industry. We saw a (banana) distillery and how banana juice, wine and gin are all produced, we walked through coffee and tea growing enterprises, and we also visited a local witch doctor who showed us a few of his secrets. These were just the highlights. It was nice to get an on the ground picture of the local community and to interact with some of the residents in this beautiful part of the world.
Next: Trekking to find the Nkuringo group from Clouds Lodge!
Video taken with a Flip video camera - it weighs nothing and slips into a pocket. Undoubtedly not the highest quailty, but fun for a novice videographer!
The lesson you've been waiting for - Swahili names for animals you'll see on safari! Some of these you will no doubt recognize as they have been made popular in movies and pop culture. Others may be new to you. Work on them and you'll be at the head of the class while on safari!
Have you been practicing your Swahili? We've had three lessons so far. We have focused on greetings, basic expressions and making friends. Today, we will add a few more expressions and phrases that you might find useful in your travels.
Nina furaha. I'm happy.
Nina njaa. I'm hungry.
Nini kiu. I'm thirsty. Nisaidie tafadhali? Can you help me?
Nimechoka. I'm tired.
Ni maridadi. It's beautiful. Hii bei gani? How much is this?
Nikupatie kinywaji? Can I get you a drink?
Ni joto/baridi. It's hot/cold.
Natumai tutakutana tena. I hope we'll meet again.
Safari njema! Have a good trip!
Mbona unachecka? Why are you laughing?
Kivi kiswahili changu kibaya hivyo? Is my Swahili that bad?
That's all for today. Stay tuned for lesson five where we will look at some words and phrases that will come in most handy while on safari.
Our third foray into the Swahili language will concentrate on interactions with other people and making friends. After this lesson, you will be able to introduce yourself and learn a bit more about others.
Jina langu ni... My name is...
Nimefurahi kukutana nawe! Pleased to meet you!
Hujambo? (or Habari gani?) How are you?
Sijambo, wewe? Fine, thanks. And you?
Mnastarehe? Are you enjoying your stay?
Ndiyo, ninapapenda sana. Yes, I like it very much.
Unatoka wapi? Where do you come from?
Mimi ni... I'm...
Mmarekani American
Raiya wa Uingereza British
Mkanada Canadian
Leo kuzuri! What a lovely day!
Asante, nimefurahi sana jioni hii. Thank you, it's been a wonderful evening.
Continuing on with useful words and phrases for your trip to East Africa, today we will focus on some more basic expressions. We will focus on questions and some practical phrases for conversing with your new language skills.
Wapi? - where?
Vipi? - how?
Lini? - when?
Nini? - what?
Kwa nini? - why?
Nani? - who?
Iko wapi...? - where is?
Umbali gani? - how far?
Muda gani? - how long?
Bei gani? - how much?
Sema pole pole, tafadhali? - Could you speak more slowly?
Sema tena tafadhali? - Could you repeat that?
Vipi unatamka? - How do you pronounce this?
Nifasirie hii, tafadhali? - Can you translate this for me?
Sifahamu - I don't understand
Nafahamu - I understand
Note that most Swahili words are pronounced phonetically. One word above that might give you pause is 'hii'; which is pronounced hee-ee. Give these words and phrases some practice before our next lesson. If you haven't planned your trip yet, give us a call and we'll work with you to customize a safari to Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania, so you can get some real world practice!
When you travel to a foreign country, it is considered courteous to learn a few words (or more) of the local language. It is sometimes hard to do when travelling to Africa, as many of the countries have more than one, if not dozens of official indegenous languages. East Africa is cooperative in that Swahili is widely spoken in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda; with nearly 50 million people speaking it across Africa and some pockets outside of the continent. While you could easily communicate by only speaking English, a little effort can go a long way with local residents.
We'll look at a few words and phrases in Swahili today that you can practice in advance of a trip. There will be future blogs with additional vocabulary; just search for them with the 'Swahili' keyword.
Jambo - hello
Mambo - hello (collq.)
Kwaheri - good-bye
Ndiyo - yes
Hapana - no
Asante - thank you
Asante sana - thank you very much
Si kitu - you're welcome
Samahani - excuse me
Hujambo - how are you ?
Sijambo, asante - very well, thanks.
Na wewe je - and you?
Nzuri - fine
Practice these words and phrases and check back for more lessons soon!
Lots of great updates coming straight to us from our partners in Rwanda and Uganda. Read on for the latest information on this exciting region where chimp trekking, game viewing and gorilla trekking are safari highlights!
Nyungwe Forest Lodge has just opened in Rwanda's Nyungwe Forest. The lodge was built to blend in with the surrounding environment and is situated in a tea plantation on the edge of the forest. All of the luxurious rooms are forest facing and offer a king bed or twins beautifully crafted furnishings and balconies on some rooms. The lodge has an outdoor heated pool and jacuzzi and fitness center.
Additionally, a new canopy walk has been built in Nyungwe and will be open to the public soon. Stay tuned for updates!
The Kyaninga Lodge recently opened near Fort Portal, about a 1 hour drive from Kibale Forest and chimpanzee trekking opportunities. The Lodge is situated on a picturesque plot of land with a large crater lake and surrounded by a natural forest that is home to four troops of Black and White colobus monkey. The lodge offers 8 cozy log cabins with large verandahs.
KLM airlines is introducing a new flight from Amsterdam to Kigali (with a stopover in Entebbe). The service will begin October 31, 2010 and the flight will operate Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays departing Amsterdam Schiphol at 10:15 and
arriving Kigali the same day at 21:25. The return flight from Kigali departs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays at 22:30 arriving Amsterdam at 08:15.
For more information on safaris in Rwanda and Uganda, please contact us for more information.
There's nothing like serving a light dish in the evening to reduce the impact of summer's heat. This dish comes from Uganda. In East Africa, the recipe is made with a whole fish, either with or without the head. It works well with red snapper.
Uganda
