Back to Bunyonyi

A quick 27 hours of flying about the globe and Presto, I was back in Africa. The last leg, a 9 hour flight from Brussels to Kigali, Rwanda, laughed at the gray Alps, European forests, Mediterranean miles and the vast spans of the Sahara beneath us. All three oversized bags ($200 in excess baggage fees) burdened me not a whit.

The sparkling valleys of Rwanda’s glittering capitol were eventually familiar as I readjusted my perspectives to familiar smells, and dim streets teeming with African life. Glorious, as Miha, director of the Gorilla Highlands initiative, welcomed me  back while Boy David drove. Boy explained that his name used to be accurate 20 years ago when he was younger. He would remind me right off, how the rich sincerity of the people here is what truly fascinates.

We drank Waragi (war-gin) and lemon soda as we discussed tomorrow’s planned TV shoot, and the general thrust of our reality TV production. I, an American investor, Isabel Masozera, a dynamic Rwandan TV personality, and Miha would be looking for places to build a lodge to encourage not only foreigners, but local people to discover the beauty of these many stunning places. In East Africa, locals largely stay home, unable to bear the burden of tourist economies.

Ultimately we planned to use proceeds to bolster the impoverished and dispirited Batwa pigmy tribes of three countries (Rwanda, Congo Uganda) that have been deposed from their forests that blanket volcanoes where mountain gorillas and vast tourist wealth resides. We’ll vitalize job and construction markets locally, without importing expertise and development companies.

We explained all this to Florence, mayor of Burera district, where a gorgeous lake with Irish green shores might be perfect land for the community to give to us.  While Miha filmed, I gushed compassionate, the lovely Izy translated in three languages and a spectacular storm engulfed the trio of volcanos over our shoulder. Day one of shooting complete, in our ever evolving plot. 

Boy David vanned us over excellent roads north toward the Chaynika crossing into Uganda, where I’ve spent lots of time since retiring from several decades of correcting English papers and trying to beat the Dons. We arrived at Lake Bunyonyi, in the heart of Kabale district, home of the most fabulous people alive.

I spent the day today visiting old friends and distributing gently worn laptops, cellphones, volleyballs, kids clothes and shoes American friends donated to desperately needy students, new parents and fabulous Ugandan friends. I had watched the dawn with the new night guard, Spildon, the 18 year old grandson of the old night watchman, Tom, now my age and largely just watching - much like my volleyball role these days. Spildon now has a new pair of Nikes given by a La Colina PE teacher, brought to Africa by United Airlines. By the end of the day several friends and babies had joined me for a great reunion that went emotional when a young student called us all a Lee family in Kabale.

My cold water shower in an old worn enclosure, beneath the brilliant half moon, illuminated by a headlamp hung on a nail, came off without an injury. And if only I didn’t wish my wife and so many other friends were here, life seems perfect in my thatched mud walled bungalow. A slice of heaven.