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 [...]
Thor Pedersen … left home in October of 2013 to travel the world without taking any flights
Thor Pedersen … left home in October of 2013 to travel the world without taking any flights Thor has traveled to 173 countries On today’s episode, I welcome back Thor Pedersen to Counting Countries. Thor is on a mission to see every country in the world with several caveats; no airplane flights, at least 24 hours in every country, and will not return home until the mission is finished. Before I introduce Thor, I am reminding you that Counting Countries is now partnered with Patreon. Patreon is a platform that allows patrons, that’s you, to support creators, and that is me creating Counting Countries. I have been extremely fortunate to be be able to create this podcast and be able to meet so many interesting and compelling travelers, but I have also spent a tremendous amount of time and some money creating this podcast. So for example, some benefits are extended interviews. Some Patrons are able to listen to an exclusive additional 20 minute interview with last month’s guest, Petro. Or a five minute update from [...]
Wat Pan Tao Ceremony
Wat Pan Tao Ceremony. The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is the home of hundreds of Buddhist temples. A visitor can spend several days cycling and visiting these diverse temples in this ancient walled city. There is so much to see and do in northern Thailand, check out these Chiang Mai tours. One temple of note is Wat Pan Tao. It resides within the old city and dates back to the 19th century. It is carved from teak wood and had been previously part of the royal palace. Wat Pan Tao is an attractive temple, yet you would not recall it to be a highlight from a trip to Chiang Mai. Unless you were fortunate enough to visit the temple during the festival of Yi Peng and Loi Krathong. And why is that? Loi Krathong which translates to “float a basket” and takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar (typically November). It is somewhat difficult to plan your visit, since the dates changes every [...]
Visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park In Uganda
Visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda. One of my favorite travel experiences has been going on safari. I have been fortunate to go on safari in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Namibia, and now most recently in Uganda. There is simply no equivalent of being able to witness these magnificent animals in nature. Safari in Uganda was no exception. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in western Uganda and covers over 700 square miles. Lake George, on the east, and Lake Edward on the west partially surround the park, with the Kazinga Channel, a 20-mile waterway, connecting the lakes. The drive to the park is approximately seven hours from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. The park was originally named the Kazinga National Park but was renamed in honor of Queen Elizabeth during her visit in 1954. Check out my tour and agenda with G Adventures. I was invited by G Adventures to attend this tour. And I will earn a fee if you book a trip with G. I am a G Wanderer, part of a team of content [...]
Trekking For Chimpanzees In Uganda
Trekking Chimpanzees Uganda. When someone mentions Uganda, located in East Africa, I think of two things. Gorillas and Idi Amin. Uganda is well-known for tracking gorillas in the wild. And Idi Amin was a larger than life figure who ruled Uganda in the 1970s after overthrowing the government, and it is estimated that the General was responsible for the deaths of up to 500,000 people. While trekking for gorillas is a must-do experience, another incredible opportunity is trekking for chimpanzees. Chimps are considered an endangered species and number somewhere between 170,000 – 300,000 chimps that can be found in West, Central, and East Africa. Chimps are threatened by poaching, disease, and loss of habitat. Kibale National Park is a 296 square mile park located in Western Uganda. The park is a thick, moist evergreen rain forest that ranges from 3,600 to 5,200 feet in elevation. The park was gazetted in 1932 and it is well-known for trekking for chimps. Over 1,450 chimpanzees make their home in this park. The adult male chimpanzee weigh up to 130 pounds, [...]
