Intentional Travel: Adding Value to the Bucket List
My first reaction to pandemic lockdowns was to obsessively plan future trips. After months of planning several new adventures, it became apparent that there is just too much to do on this Earth and, most likely, not enough time to do it all. I might need to prioritize, to focus on intentional travel, if I want to ensure that I get to the destinations that are most important to me. Sure, 2020 might have been a torturous bout of travel deprivation for the travel obsessed, but it also turned out to be a time for revelation. Mainly, this: there is no better time to kick my old “bucket list” to…
Birding Ethiopia: My Unusual Introduction to Africa
It turns out that birding Ethiopia is an unusual choice for a first-time vacation to Africa. There are no big game safaris like in areas to the south, and it has no gorilla treks like in countries to the southwest. And those other countries tend to have more tourists and, of course, the infrastructure to provide more comfort to those tourists. But what it lacks in big game and infrastructure, it makes it for in compelling history, unique wildlife, tasty cuisine, and the best darned coffee you’ll find anywhere. It might be an unusual first trip to Africa, I will admit that much. But Ethiopia still warrants a visit for…
How to Prepare for Mountain Gorilla Treks
If you’re here, maybe you’re considering a gorilla trek. Is it something you want to do? Probably, yes! But to prepare for gorilla treks, you’ll want to know your options. And once a destination is determined, many questions pop up. How should I dress? What do I need to take with me? Is it safe? I’ll tell you here, but first let’s provide a little context about our target species. An Introduction to Gorillas The short story is that there are two species of gorilla: eastern and western. That’s pretty simple, right? Populations of the lowland subspecies of western gorillas are more significant, but the Cross River subspecies numbers are…
The Ultimate Mountain Gorilla Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 8 of the Uganda Highlights tour was a special day on the tour. This was the day for a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park! On this particular day, our birding tour group became split into three parts. And although four of us had expressed interest in a trek, mine was the only permit reserved in the Ruhija sector. The Ruhija sector was a two-hour drive from our lodging, so my day started dark and early to get to the orientation by 8am! Our drive took us out of the Buhoma sector of the park, along bumpy rural roads until we re-entered the park in the Ruhija…
An Observation of the Rare African Drop Bear, Lion Variant
Ah, the drop bear. Often thought of as an Australian myth, or an amusing joke used to scare tourists at the very least. As legend has it, they are koala-like in appearance, but with fearsome sharp teeth. They will ambush the unsuspecting who come within spitting distance of their arboreal perch. Drop bears are even referenced by Sir Terry Pratchett as one of the unusual creatures of Fourecks (an island eerily similar to Australia). The drop bear certainly seems to have Australian roots if cryptozoology were to tell the tale. But I have seen them. And I’m here to tell you the truth: drop bears are African, through and through.…
An Entertaining Wildlife Cruise on the Kazinga Channel
We’d reached the halfway point – Day 6 of my Uganda Highlights tour. What began as my quest for shoebills quickly morphed into a regular maelstrom of butterflies, frequent big game sightings, and – as luck would have it – some fine feathered friends. Uganda had made a very positive impression thus far, and the afternoon promised to continue that trend. We were scheduled to spend a couple hours on a boat, seeing all the birds and other wildlife Queen Elizabeth National Park could offer. A Morning Drive We started our day with a big game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, during which we spotted more birds than big…
