I am a selfish traveller. I do not like to share. When I find something special, and better yet undisturbed, the last thing I want to do is tell everyone about it. Because as you can say about most hidden found treasures –Humans ruin everything!
I bookmarked (online) the Edirisa and the Gorilla Highlands pages nearly three years ago. The approach to culturally immersive trekking experiences was attractive to me. This is my jam, I thought. I travelled to Africa twice during that time, but I wasn’t close enough to the region to follow-through, and so the notion was tabled time and time again.
This year I got my geographical shot. An opportunity for me to travel to nearby Kenya arose—and so Uganda re-entered the fold.
In his first few sentences replying to my email inquiry, Miha cast some friendly doubt on my plan to only spend a few days in the region (I had limited time, unfortunately), calling it ‘… preciously little.’ And to be honest, I knew he would be right, sight unseen.
I am sure I am supposed to mention here that I was travelling alone (as a female) and talk about how “safe” I felt, to comfort the wary, but all of that is secondary. (It’s secondary, because I did feel completely safe, and thus it never became a part of the story.)
I arrived at time when traffic was slow, and so my plan of becoming an interloper on another group’s trek didn’t come to fruition. …Two unfortunate things about Americans that any foreign outfitter should be privy to: a) we never have enough time (due to limited work holiday), and b) we always [think we] have to have a “plan.” There wasn’t much I could do about a) but when it came to b) I was happy to let this one go into the hands of my smiling hosts.
The beauty of doing everything or doing nothing (whichever you prefer), is enveloped and exceeded only by the beauty of Lake Bunyonyi as your backdrop.
I know this because I canoed. I hiked. I swam. I read two books. I sang and danced with the Batwa. I was fed. I was awed. I was humbled.
I was obligated to [cryptically] tell you about it, because it is not my secret to keep.
This place, this space—is bigger than me, and is more than can be recapped in a few words. It deserves to have word spread. I am sharing it.
Humans, you may proceed…
text: C.R. Cullins