I was told not to look them in the eyes. Be non-threatening. Turn off your camera’s flash. Don’t get in their way. Stay at least 5 m away at all times. Oh my God! This is real. I’m about to walk into the dense Bwindi National Forest in Uganda in search of a community of gorillas. I’m about to enter their home and hope with my life that they don’t mind. I must be out of my mind. Continue reading
When I planned my trip to Uganda with Africa Adventure Safaris, I was so excited about the gorilla trek that I didn’t spend much time thinking about all of the other amazing adventures I was about to experience. That all changed when I arrived. The first full day in Uganda was spent trekking chimpanzees. The next day I was on a boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park searching for hippos, elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, and birds. It was a whirlwind of one unbelievable, new experience after another. Although I’ve been on a safari before, I never saw hippos in the wild and it was on this year’s list. The actual experience was far greater than I imagined. Continue reading
A community of wild chimpanzees were all around me. The leader, an elderly looking male, had one eye and silvery, grey hair on his back. Don’t mistake that for weakness though. He was powerful and the rest of the community respected him and protected him when they sensed danger. Mothers carried babies on their backs. The babies were curious and often stood on two legs to look around and assess the situation. Another community of chimpanzees was close by and the members were on high alert. Screaming and movement were a part of the full hour that I was able to spend with these magnificent apes. It was the most wild travel adventure of my life. Africa Adventure Safaris planned the adventure of a lifetime in Uganda and this was only day two. Continue reading
What a whirlwind adventure I’ve been on in the last two weeks. From swimming in the Dead Sea in Israel to trekking gorillas in Bwindi, Uganda, I feel like I’ve been part of The Amazing Race. I have so much to share, both good and bad, but I’m still sitting in the airport in Israel waiting to continue my long journey home so you’ll have to wait just a little bit longer to see what’s really happening on my end. The hurry up and wait attitude of airport life is taxing, but it’s worth every second when you get to experience such things as trekking chimpanzees and gorillas, touching the Western Wall in Jerusalem, floating in the Dead Sea, and watching elephants roam alongside the road. Have you always dreamed of seeing apes in their natural habitat? Have you ever wondered what it’s like to walk through Jerusalem? Stay tuned this week for it all. Here’s a quick teaser to bring the last two weeks of my life to you. Continue reading
Every year I make my bucket list more extreme. I keep thinking that life can’t get any better than this moment, yet I’m constantly surprised at the new opportunities and adventures that come my way. We are all capable of astounding things. I want to look back on my life as a magnificent journey. Â My yearly bucket list is never the be all and end all for that year. If I miss a few items because something else comes up or if I have to make additions because new opportunities arise, that’s ok. It’s not set in stone and I’m not discouraged if everything doesn’t go exactly as planned; that’s a major part of the life’s beauty. Continue reading
Kyangwali Refugee Camp: Between Hope and Despair
Featured Writer: Ella Rychlewski
http://ellamr2.wordpress.com/
Soon after I arrived in Uganda, I had the opportunity to visit Kyangwali Refugee Camp in Hoima district, western Uganda. COBURWAS, a partner organisation of Educate where I work, is based in the camp. The journey from Hoima district town to Kyangwali takes over four stressful hours on dirty bumpy roads. Continue reading
Bucket List Publications 