Welcome to Travel + Explore & Play with Sallee Jay, I am your host. While my entire trip to Africa was transformative, my solo travel to Lake Mutanda is an experience that I’ll never forget. This is going to be a long one so go grab a snack, something to drink and sit back relax and enjoy my story of healing, walking in purpose and pure joy! Follow along, as I describe my private chartered flight, a day in the life of a traditional African and my charming accommodations in the Kisoro district of Uganda.

From the aerial views of the topography of East Africa, to overall thoughtfulness of each experience that I was able to have in a very short amount of time, I am still overwhelmed with joy in my heart. I’m very thankful for each person I encountered along the way, for the time and energy they shared with me and for the many lessons learned on this trip.

Where do I even begin…

While deciding on and booking my accommodations for my gorilla 🦍 trekking experience was a pain in the beginning, my decision to stay at Chameleon Hills Lodge on Lake Mutanda was one of the best decisions that I have made in my life!!! Since the trekking is completed in the rainforest, many visitors opt to stay in the forest with mountain. Being in land locked Colorado with the beautiful Rocky Mountains made my heart yearn for the water. In the end because of my decision, I ended up getting the best of both worlds. I’ll discuss my accommodations more in a future blog detailing all of the wonderful places that I stayed, as I get lodging questions frequently.

There are two ways that you can reach Kisoro from Entebbe. You can travel by vehicle, which is about nine hours of travel with plenty of opportunities for an “African massage" ’or you can take a one-and-a-half-hour charter flight. Given the gorilla trekking schedule and the other cultural experiences that I wanted to partake in, I opted to fly.

Confessions of a travel blogger:

As a child of a former airline employee, I’ve seen my fair share of planes and airports. And I’d be remised if I failed to mention the aviation museums that I’ve visited as well. I really like planes and airport infrastructure, so I was completely fascinated with my travel experience to Lake Mutanda. Travel to Kisoro yielded a couple of first-time experiences for me. I’ve never flown on a plane that small before or traveled with without a flight crew of at least three. Back when I was in college in North Carolina, I would have to take a small, chartered flight from Dulles to Greensboro and the flight crew consisted of two pilots and an attendant to provide service and if my memory serves me correctly the fight was only 45 minutes.

There were two pilots on the plane, who buckled in and then one turned around to bring salutations and the safety briefing. Other than the pilots, there was one other person on the plane with me and I was given free rein to move about the cabin to take pictures of the amazing views. I cried for the first 30 minutes in complete disbelief of all the greatness I was able to see with my eyes. I saw volcanos, lakes, islands and landmarks from the air that I would later learn about once hitting the ground. Simply breathtaking views.

Once I landed at the Kisoro Airport, I was greeted by my driver Andrew and off to Chameleon Hills we went. Right from the start, I could tell this was going to be a soul regenerating experience. Andrew was a complete gentleman, so calm and collected as he navigated us through the bumpy dirt roads. He shared some of the town’s history with me, pointed out notable landmarks and answered all of my questions. He even stopped along the road on the way to let me take pictures and visit with the locals traveling up and down the hill, we mostly encountered curious children.

Lakes Mutanda and Bunyonyi form the core of what has been dubbed the Switzerland of Africa. Formed by river valleys long-dammed by volcanic eruptions, the lakes form an ever-changing water scape punctuated by small, forested islands. The views driving up to the lodge were breathtaking and I felt a sense of calm come over my body and nervous system. It was everything I’d imagined and so much more. There are picturesque views all around. From the stunning lake to the plush rolling his filled with curious onlookers and workers. The unpaved roads are lined with red clay bricks and brick ovens. As a water resource professional, I am always interested in seeing various water infrastructure around the globe. It was only fitting that I stop by the water district on my way into town.

Once at the lodge, I was greeted by Agnes with watermelon and passion fruit juice, as I sat on the deck of the main house in tears 😭  enjoying the view. I don’t know what I did to deserve such an amazing experience, and I thank God for it all. It was everything that I expected and SO much more. Next, I was escorted to my cottage and asked to change into my hiking boots, as I would be taking a cultural tour of a village and school. Essentially, I would be doing all of the things that traditional Africans in the area did for the day. Boy was I in for a real treat!

On Lake Mutanda, a canoe made from a huge Eucalyptus tree (imported from Australia), has forever been the preferred means of transport. It still is - beautiful, silently, sliding across the lake with a skilled paddler in command - they carry everything from school children to crops to livestock. Even though motorized boats are used by lodges and as water ferries, local people still use dugouts as their primary means of transport. They are free, and you can borrow one from your neighbor if necessary. They are also friendly to the environment. The Gorilla Highlands trekking team promotes the use of canoes as a way of encouraging cultural activities. The skills of making and repairing dugouts exists only among the aged people, as most youth are no longer interested, and they don't want to learn. Canoe experts are very few.

Our adventure began with a small hike from the lodge down to the dock at the lake. There we were met by four traditional dugout canoes — as you recall, last year I rafted and kayaked in the Nile River and in May, I canoed for the first time in Colorado. That said, Herbert definitely threw me for a loop with the +hour-long canoe ride to the next island to begin the cultural experience.

My host for the cultural tour was Louis, and he met us at the dock of the island, where the cultural center is located. We started with a tour of a traditional African church, I had to rub an herb on my hands before entering and put up some blessings, which was a perfect way to start the day. We then moved on to the cultural center where tools, dishes, instruments and a traditional bed were on display. Believe it or not, there are Africans in these modern times that have never slept on a mattress!

I was then invited to have fresh sugar cane; it was so sweet and refreshing as the breeze rolled in off of the lake. Next, I was told that I was going to harvest food for lunch and plant something in the local garden. We met up with Jacinta, who took us down to the garden with her basket, knife and garden hoe. Once in the garden, I had to harvest Irish potatoes, yams, bananas and maze for our lunch. Since they practice sustainable farming in Kisoro, I replanted the yam stalks back into the ground immediately, for regrowth. Louis explained to me about all the various crops grown in the area and their respective growing seasons. They also make very good use of the land and water resources with the implementation of swamp gardens. They build up parts of the swamp with leaves and soil — with irrigation ditches situated between each garden. That way when it rains, the crops do not flood! I know it is an old school method, however, I was fascinated to see the innovation of the community as it pertains to land management.

We had a small hike with our harvest to the community kitchen. There we washed and prepared our vegetables. I was shown by the local women how they use leaves to cover the pot and it acts like foil, trapping in the heat to make the food flavorful and tender. I was then whisked away to let the ladies finish preparing lunch, while I spent time with the blacksmith making tools.

Birihanze James is 77 years old and the resident blacksmith in the village. He was sitting in a hut with a small fire burning, using a mechanism made out of sheep skin to fume flames to the fire. Naturally, I jumped right in pumping the object feverously to get the fire going. Within the flames sat a spear head being heated to a point, where it could be shaped and molded. Next to the fire, was a small rock and hammer. Mr. James removed the spear from the fire and placed it on the rock and began to flatten out the iron spear with the hammer. After a few minutes of banging, he placed the spear back in the fire. I began to fan the flames once again, however, this time I took the spear from the fire. I began to hammer as I had just watched Mr. James, as I looked up all three-gentleman (Herbert, Louis and Mr. James) smiled with amusement.

As a reward for making tools and to prepare me for the trek ahead, we sat down for lunch. It was a delicious vegetarian spread, comprised of the foods that we had picked in the garden and beans and greens. I was also offered local brew and I did take a sip. It reminded me of a cider, less the added sugar. I would definitely try it again under different circumstances. I did try a little of all of the food offered but did not overeat.

After lunch we walked a few down to what Louis dubbed the “African Ampitheater” for dancing and entertainment. Once again Jacinta appeared, this time getting the children in order to dance. Then Herbert, walked toward the children and began dancing and singing in a call and response like fashion. The children immediately fell in line. They were mesmerizing to watch, deliberate with each movement and step. At the end of the performance, I was so excited and wanted to hug and thank everyone…. So, I guess hugging is not a thing because yeah… Awkward Moment!!

Anywho, I took pictures with all the individuals I’d encountered for the day and then we began our walk to the school. We walked for about an hour, through various terrain — dirt roads, swamp lands and even did a little bouldering. It was my precursor to my gorilla trek the next day.

I was told that the children waited for me, it was almost 5:45pm when we arrived. We toured Gisgaru Government Primary School. It was “sports day”, so all of the boys were in the field playing football (soccer) and the girls were in the school yard playing a form basketball, except without a hoop (that’s how it was explained to me).

I met with the school principal first in his office. It was a small dimly lit room with posters all over the wall. He was a very nice man and was pleased to show me the school. All of the teachers, were outside of his office in what we would call the “teacher’s lounge.” This room was also full of posters — curriculum, maps, HIV/Hygiene information and the school song are just a few of the items hung on the wall.

We walked out of the building, and we were immediately met by 30-40 children. I was looking at them, they were looking at me. I think we were all equally curious and nervous about the situation. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a young man with a CU Boulder tee-shirt on! “I went to that school!” I exclaimed, he looked at me like I was nuts! The adults then told the kids to go play as I toured the facility.

I went into almost every classroom. While many resources are needed, the only thing that they asked is for me to find an elementary school in the United States where they could start a pen pal program. I was asked to address the students, so I encouraged them to stay focused on their studies and to be good stewards in their families and community. As we left the school for the day to head to the local market and then hotel, we were followed by what seemed like 100 kids. A few had bikes, and some walked on, even after our stop at the hotel. When I asked about the education system and why I saw so many children out and about, I was told that school fees are $300 per year, per child. Most families cannot afford to send multiple children to school and if they cannot keep up with the fees, the students drop out. I observed a great deal of children working, playing and wandering around throughout the day. Children as young as 4-5 were walking down the road alone with plastic water containers to fetch water for the day. The children that are in school are easily recognizable because of the uniforms that they are required to wear.

All and all, I spent about 7 hours on my cultural tour with Louis and Herbert. My dad asked if we canoed back to the island?? HA!! We did it the African way, we canoed to one island and walked back!! Make that make sense! I would say I walked about 4-5 hours total, however, with all of the experiences and people the time passed very quickly. Cars and motorbikes seem to be a luxury in this part of the world. I have a whole new respect for people who walk up and down hills, barefoot carrying water and other goods. In fact, Louis conducted my entire tour barefoot, I would not have made it!

I returned back to the lodge at 6:30pm and was told upon my arrival that dinner would be in 30 minutes. I rushed to shower and get ready in time to get some pictures before the sun set for the day. Dinner was fantastic, I was met by my driver Andrew on my way back to my cottage, who told me to be ready the next morning at 6:30am to leave for my Gorilla trekking experience!!

I have so many great takeaways from my solo trip to Kisoro.

The first, is that you can truly have anything that you work for in this life. Any person or circumstances that is removed from your life is not for you and you have to rest in that belief. God wants to give you the very best and I was assured of this on my trip. My second takeaway is that I am an extremely blessed woman. As an American, I have rights and liberties that some people in the world do not have. I have simple luxuries like running water, a livable wage, electricity and reliable transportation. While my educational journey has not always been ideal, I was never forced to learn in overcrowded classrooms, with limited resources without lights!

I ate fresh food from farm to table for 14 days, eating fresh food hits differently.

I learned a lot as a woman, I am a bad bitch!! Not many people could have enjoyed the experience that I had with joy and gratitude, especially after being poked by tiny needles while walking through the village.

Lastly, I learned a lot about the spirit of people, both here and abroad. To have what appears to be so little, the Africans in Kisoro live a far better quality of life than many people that I know in the US. The people of Kisoro are very bright, courageous and curious speaking several languages and living sustainably off of the land. I am forever changed by my experience. I am lighter in my head and heart. I have even more gratitude for my life and the opportunities being presented to me in this season.

For the first time in a long time, I feel like I am walking in direct purpose for my life and it feels great. It’s not easy and like the word says, the weapons form BUT do not prosper! I am grateful for that promise.

Louis and Herbert are forever etched in my heart. They made my day and the days after more meaningful by sharing their time and experience with me!

I will go back to Kisoro and Chameleon Hills Lodge in my lifetime, I am sure of it! It’s a magical and mystical place, I am glad that I was able to experience such a wonderful district. Until next time, TRAVEL safe!