Bwindi – A Travelling Accountant

https://www.ride4awoman.org/

Ride 4 A Woman is where I stayed when I went gorilla trekking in February. The day before my trip, my fabulous tour operator called me to ask if I was okay with switching my accommodation to a different hotel. I took a look at the website linked above and said Yes Please!

This is a short post, to share this amazing organization with my small following and perhaps inspire someone to donate, shop their store or stay when they come to see the gorillas.

When you arrive you are are immediately greeted, welcomed and offered fresh juice. A staff member gives an introduction to the hotel and the overall organization.

From their website:

Ride 4 a Woman was set up in 2009 by Evelyn Habasa and her husband Denis Rubalema. The organization exists to support local women struggling at home with issues associated with HIV, domestic violence and poverty.

More than 300 women from 11 villages now use or work at the Ride 4 a Woman community centre, where they can learn to pedal sew, weave baskets, dance, sing and drum; learning new skills, making a living and making it possible for their children to gain an education.

The organisation also offers microfinance, helping women to help themselves and support their families. To date over 100 women are actively engaged in the Ride 4 a Woman Microfinance Program.

This retreat in the local community offers local women a place to stay, something to eat and a wage while they learn new skills. Every day we welcome visitors to Stay With Us, Learn From Us, Shop or simply drop by to see what is going on.

Under the Story section on the site, check out the Safe Water Project. Ride 4 a woman provides over 150 litres of clean water to the community every day, without charge. I thought I took a picture but I cannot find it, but you can see the water station on the website. Safe Water Program

Now I am simply going to share my videos and picture, because the place sells itself.

First, let me show you my room:

I was in a room in Noel’s Cottage, with a lovely veranda and spectacular view

Here are some photos of the grounds and restaurant, and another view picture

This lovely stream runs through the compound, below the balcony of the restaurant.

The shop is beautifully stocked with quality textile goods, woven baskets, coffee and more, all from the local area and much of it made in the workshop. I had a lovely wrap skirt made for me. I selected the fabric and had the finished skirt that same day. I was told they ship around the world, so contact them or me if you see something you love. Canadian friends, I can bring things home with me in July…..

I close with a short video I took as I left my room on the final morning.

Peace

After four years in Uganda I finally invested in a trip to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to go Gorilla Trekking. It was so worth it!

I say invested, because the trekking permit cost USD $600 for me. That is the price after the $100 Uganda resident discount I got because I live and work here. I agree with the cost, as it contributes to the protection of the gorillas financially and by ensuring only serious tourists gain access to them.

This post is about the trekking. I will make another post about the rest of the trip, including the great place I stayed in Bwindi.

The day started peacefully with this view as I left my room at Ride-4-a-Woman

After a nice breakfast I was driven to the Uganda Wildlife Authority building in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park where we were treated to some dancing by local women.

After the dancing we were given an orientation about the trekking, including the explanation as to why we needed to wear masks when near the gorillas. Gorillas do not get covid-19 or other vaccinations, yet they are susceptible to our diseases. That was sufficient for me and I masked up for the entire time we were around the group.

We were then split into groups and told which gorilla family we would be tracking. I relied on my memory, so I cannot tell you which group we were assigned. I can tell you that it has eight members – 2 silverbacks, 1 blackback (teenage male), 3 adult females, and 2 little ones. The name of the dominant silverback is in the local language but translates to “Complicated” which I found quite amusing.

One of the couples in our group had been trekking the day before. They said they hiked for 3 hours before finding their group. They were basically stationary for their 1 hour with the gorillas and the poor wife was bitten mercilessly by ants and mosquitos. She was prepared for more of the same so sprayed down and tied her hood tightly around her face.

This was the base photo for my time calculation. The gorillas found us 10 minutes later.

That would not be our experience though. Based on the timestamp of my pictures, we were barely 10 minutes along the trail when the UWA trackers smelled the gorillas (we didn’t). A few minutes later, the family crossed the trail BEHIND us and the trek was on.

Here they are crossing the trail behind us – silverback, toddler and the black back (I think)

Interesting tidbit for those who may go trekking – you are given a strong walking stick to help with the hiking. It is a mountain and rainforest, so the ground is not flat or dry. But, once you find the gorillas, you must surrender your stick to avoid seeming aggressive. No problem, if you find the group already settled.

While our group was considerate enough to find us, and quickly, they decided to lead us through the forest for about thirty minutes before settling on a nice place for brunch. So we followed, down wet slopes, across slippery mucky trails, through bushes and grasses, without the help of our trusty walking sticks. I am proud to say that I did not end up face or ass down on the ground at any time.

The black back felt like showing us he’s boss as we followed the group. I was lucky enough to have my video on at the time.

Teenage bravado

Eventually they settled down to eat. There are not words to describe the privilege I felt, that this group of intelligent beings allowed us to spend so much time with them while they ate. They did not seem concerned about us at all. Our guides cleared foliage so that we could watch three members of the group easily. We were so lucky – the three were the top silverback, a mama and the 3 year old.

Once our time was up, we headed back to the trail. I missed my walking stick more on the way back, probably because I was not pre-occupied anticipating the gorillas. We met up with the porters and returned to the center.

The rest of the post is videos and photos because there isn’t anything else to say, except that I am so happy I finally did this.

Mom & Pop having some chow. The moving bushes are other group members.

Toddler pose