OUR AFRICAN ADVENTURES by Sam Luker
 |
| Sam Luker in Rwanda |
In November of 1985, after spending time in Israel and Egypt, my wife
Melva and I flew to Dar el Salaam, Tanzania, then on to Mount Kilimanjaro.
Although the tallest mountain in Africa, Mt.
Kili is not technically a difficult ascent. But the altitude (19,341 feet
above sea level) is a killer! Even though we spread the climb over
several days, it was exhausting. But we did it!
 |
| Sam Luker climbing Mount Kilimanjaro |
We then
flew to Nairobi, Kenya (I had some university business to do there);
then on to Burundi, where we picked up our safari and headed for Zaire
(now Congo) to see the rare Mountain Gorillas, and hopefully meet the
famous "Gorilla Lady" Dian Fossey in Karioke, Rwanda.
That night, our group was arrested by the government militia and carted off to a deserted village! All night long our tent camp was encircled by soldiers armed with AK47s. In the morning, they explained that it was all just a small misunderstanding. They actually thought we might have been mercenaries who crossed into Zaire on the anniversary of their glorious revolution!! When our daughters heard the story, they thought it was hilarious. One said "Yea Dad, mercenaries with bi-focals". Not funny.
 |
| Sam Luker camping in Rwanda |
We did have a very successful interaction with the
gorillas, both in Zaire and Rwanda. We were able to get up close and
personal with several families, a glorious experience. Unfortunately, Ms.
Fossey refused to see us (or any other tourists.) She had made enemies
of some of the local poachers and government officials, and was already
under the protection of an armed guard when we were there.
 |
| A rare Mountain Gorilla |
On our flight home, we received the tragic news that she had been
murdered (likely by an agent of the same corrupt government official.) So ended our first excursion into mysterious Africa.
Our second African trip took place in October of 1997. We travelled to South Africa, Losotho, Swaziland and Namibia; primarily to view the wonderful display of wildlife there. The national parks of South Africa
and Namibia were particularly impressive. We saw elephants, lions,
hippos, rhinos, zebras, gazelles, ostriches, gnus, and countless exotic
bird species.
We stayed an extra few days in Capetown, South Africa; a
most attractive city. We climbed the world-famous Table Mountain which
provided us with an incredible view of the city and its surroundings.
All in all, another fine trip. We recommend Africa to anyone with a yen to see the natural world.
---
Thanks, Sam!
If you have a travel story to share with us, please contact me at this email address:
No comments:
Post a Comment