Democratic Republic of Congo – 133rd Country
Democratic Republic of Congo – 133rd Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Democratic Republic of Congo is my 133rd country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and is overflowing with 80 million people and can be found in Central Africa. King Leopold II of Belgium annexed what was known at that time as the Congo Free State. The local populace was forced into labor to produce rubber with millions dying under horrific conditions. In 1960, Congo won its independence from Belgium. Mobutu Sese Seko ruled the country as a strongman from 1965 – 1997 while being a player in the Cold War. DRC is extremely rich in resources but has been plagued by poverty, disease, civil war, and violence. I flew to Kamebe, which is in the southwest corner of Rwanda and crossed overland into the DRC. Over the [...]
Trekking For Gorillas In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Trekking Gorillas Bwindi Uganda. The howl. The whooping. The sounds projected through the forest. Our ranger looked back at us. “We are close … five minutes.” The hair on my arms stood up at attention. I was about to see my first mountain gorilla in the wild. In the world, there are no mountain gorillas in captivity. I was in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park located in the south-western part of Uganda. It is closer to drive here from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda than Kampala, the capital of Uganda. Bwindi is an UNESCO World Heritage site, and for good reason. It is chock-full of a diversity of species … over 100 mammals, 300 birds, 200 butterflies, and so on. Bwindi was gazetted in 1991, and this 25,000-year-old forest is best known for hosting mountain gorillas. Over 400 endangered mountain gorillas make their home in this lowland forest. Another 600 or so mountain gorillas can be found in three national parks in Uganda, Rwanda, and DRC which overlap the Virunga Mountains. Thankfully, the population growth is [...]
Rwanda – 132nd Country
Rwanda – 132nd Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Rwanda is my 132nd country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Rwanda is another landlocked country in East Africa. Around 12 million people make their home here with approximately 10% living in the capital of Kigali. Sadly, Rwanda is best defined by its brutal 100-day genocide in 1994. The Hutu, the majority ethnic group, decimated nearly 10% of the country’s population, mostly the minority ethnic group, the Tutsi. A couple of million people were displaced having them scurry to neighboring countries. Since the genocide, the country has gone through an extended healing period. Rwanda has made giant strides under President Paul Kagame including everything from offering universal healthcare and having a monthly day of community service. I crossed into Rwanda overland and headed to Kigali. I spent a couple of days in the capital learning about the [...]
Uganda – 131st Country
Uganda – 131st Country. To see where I have been so far, check out my map as I count down the final 93 countries on the road to all 193 UN countries. Uganda is my 131st country. Check out the best 193 travel books to read! Uganda is a landlocked country bordered by giant Lake Victoria on the south. Forty-five million people are crammed into the East African nation. Uganda became part of the UK in 1894, and then won its independence in 1962. Uganda has had a chaotic history with governments being overthrown and civil wars. Larger than life, Idi Amin ruled during the 1970s with many losing their lives. Currently, Yoweri Museveni holds the office of the presidency which he took in 1986. I spent eleven days exploring Uganda. I spent my first night in Entebbe (where the international airport is located) on Lake Victoria. Then I spent the next several days exploring the hectic capital of Entebbe. Then the rest of the time was spent road tripping across the country to the Rwandan [...]
Visiting The Nyamirambo Women’s Center In Kigali
Visiting Nyamirambo Women's Center. Eighteen women banded together in 2007. Their goal was to empower local women in the community and address gender-based inequality and discrimination. Today, over 50 women in this Kigali neighborhood are living better and richer lives. Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC) offers community-based tours, including neighborhood walks, cooking classes, and a weaving workshop. Other women are also employed making local wares which can be purchased in their store. And NWC offers workshops on women’s rights, literacy, computer, and weaving courses. Rwanda was home to a vicious and tragic genocide which wiped out nearly 10% of its population in 1994. A movement began after the genocide to promote fairness between the genders. In fact in Rwanda, more women are represented in parliament than any other country in the world. Overall, Rwanda is ranked top five on the continent in gender equality. NWC is one example of the country moving in the right direction. Check out my tour and agenda with G Adventures. I was invited by G Adventures to [...]
Learning About The Rwandan Genocide In Kigali Rwanda
Learning About Rwandan Genocide Kigali Rwanda. The streets are so clean. There are neatly painted curbs demarcating the sidewalks. I fixated on the center line dividing the road as my car rumbled across the pavement. I was fascinated and impressed. I recently spent 3 weeks in Western Africa and the word that comes to mind is chaos. But here in Rwanda, everything seems to be so … well put together. Yet, Rwanda, was savaged by a brutal genocide which decimated the country. In a 100-day period in 1994, up to 1,000,000 Rwandans were murdered by their family, friends, and neighbors. Its estimated that 70% of the Tutsi population was wiped out in less than four months. This is a horrific low-tech killing machine with an average of 10,000 people killed a day, often with just a machete. At the time of the genocide, Hutus controlled the government, military and police, and comprised approximately 85% of the population. Tutsis made up less than the remainder. A sobering sign at immigration Rwanda, to me was a [...]
