So we set off at 6:20 am and arrived at the mountain by 7. We were very lucky in that we were the only group climbing Sabyinyo that day and so we did not have to wait for any other tourists. This time I was smart enough to hire a porter to carry my backpack because schlepping my bag up Gahinga was not an easy task and I heard that this mountain has some difficult ladders near the top.
Here is a brief summary of my inner monologue:
First minutes: Ugh I feel lightheaded. I have not had my coffee yet. Why did I sign up for this? This guide needs to slow down or my friends in the back are going to die
Hours 1-2: Just keep walking, just keep walking. IthinkicanIthinkican. OOOh look at the bamboo. Oh crap, I see peak 3. WHAT ARE THOSE LADDERS?!
Hour 3: They said we were halfway to peak 1 like 30 minutes ago? Why do they always lie about this stuff?
Hour 4: Yay! Made it to peak 1. Now we just have to climb down the other side. Then up to peak 2. Then down the other side. Then up the ladders. Piece of cake :/
Hour 5: Don’t look down. Probably not a good idea to look up either. How is Sarah standing directly over my head?!
And then once I was up the ladders there was a 5 foot narrow path/cliff where I found myself hugging the face of the mountain and inching across. I made Sarah hold my hand after I made the mistake of looking down.
And then we had done it! All four of us, plus our guides and our porters had made it to the top! We stopped for a brief lunch and lots of photos and then it was time to head back down. Sarah and I were in the lead and decided to sing broadway/Disney songs to distract us from the terrifying ladders that somehow were worse going down than up. The others had an even tougher time so we did some waiting but I really did not mind having the chance to rest my legs. So we made it to the bottom of the mountain and then had to make the several mile trek back to the starting point. When we finished it was nearly 5pm and we had spent over 9 hours hiking. So the next stop was the Gahinga lodge for a three course dinner! The girls played banagrams and I called my mom to tell her I was still alive and then I ate a feast! So delicious at the time but I paid for it later when my stomach reminded me that I have been eating a low fat, mostly vegetarian diet all summer. Not fun.
Today, Tuesday, I shadowed at Mutolere again. I saw two Caesarian sections and they let me hold the babies and show the mothers that they had sons! I also saw two hernia repairs and got to help put a cast on a fractured wrist. I really love the OR but it has been hard to only be able to watch here. I really look forward to going home and having more opportunities to scrub in and assist (even retracting is interesting to me and it is less taxing on your back when you can lean into the table/are distracted by the work you are doing).
Coming Up:
This Saturday Maddie and I are going to Queen Elizabeth for safari. We are sleeping in tents near where the hippos graze and Robert has planned several different safaris/boat trips/ drives for us to see while we are there. Stay tuned for pictures.
Also, next week is my last full week in Uganda. This summer has FLOWN by and I am still having a hard time believing that it is already July. Most of the other students are taking the last week to hang out in Kisoro but I see it as my opportunity to get in any last minute trips. So, I booked a nice hotel room by lake Bunyoni for Sunday and Monday night and will have some quality time to myself. The hotel overlooks a beautiful lake and there are really interesting islands that you can tour. There is also free wifi, good food, a pool and canoes so I am sure I will enjoy myself (and I promised the other students I would bring patient charts so I can get work done too…lets hope I can stay motivated with all of these great distractions).
Still on my to do list:
I have climbed 2/3 of the volcanoes in Uganda. All that is left is that monster Muhabura. I could adopt the medical school approach..65% is passing and I have climbed 66.67% of the volcanoes. But I am so not ok with that, so I plan to spend one of my last weekend days attempting to climb this last one. I also would love to do a sunrise hike of crater hill. I would like to get back to lake Mutanda but it is ok if that doesn’t happen (Bunyoni is like the bigger better version). Deus promised to take us on the coffee tour so I plan to do that too. And if he can find a free morning I really want Deus to teach me how to drive a motorcycle.
So that is it for now. I will probably not blog until next week because I am really just trying to enjoy every second that I have left here because frankly, it is just not enough.
I hope you are all well!
Love,
Hope
It is always the journey AND the destination. Hope that if you do attempt the 3rd volcano it is a reasonable and maintained climb. We can't believe either that your time in Uganda is almost over.
ReplyDeletexoxox
Dad