Tracing the Batwa in Semuliki  

King Geoffery Nzitu (R) and other members of the royal family preparing for the tour. PHOTOs by EMMANUEL AINEBYOONA 

By EMMANUEL AINEBYOONA

In Summary

Though displaced from the forest, their natural habitat, the Batwa still observe and respect their culture

Dressed in their cultural regalia, bark cloth hats, feathered-spears, bowls and arrows in their hands, the Batwa cut the image of the forest people.

But for the changing times, the little people, as they prefer to be called, have since put up their settlements at the foot of Mountain Rwenzori and adapted to living alongside other tribes like the Bakonjo, Bamba, Banyabindi and Basongora.

The forest now remains a reminder of their past and a symbol of their rich heritage, one they proudly show off as tour guides along the Batwa track in Semuliki National Park where their king, Geoffery Nzitu, 45, leads the pack. Other members comprise of the prince, Wilson Kaita, and five others of the royal family. A recent visit with a team of other journalists led to a discovery of many interesting facts about the Batwa.

The new Batwa settlement is only separated from Semuliki National Park by the recently constructed Fort Portal-Bundibugyo highway. They were resettled by government and other development partners in early 2000.
We started with the Batwa track; a two-hour nature walk in the Semuliki forest that hosts the Semuliki River, which separates the park from the famous Ituri Forest on the Democratic Republic of Congo side.

After a 10-minute walk, we arrived at the Batwa kings’ burial grounds (Kaweelo), that also acts as a burial ground for all members of the royal family. A very tiny grass-thatched hut of about 50cm covers the deceased king’s grave.
“We come here for blessings when we have challenges like diseases,” says Kaita, before adding that the Batwa have reduced in number, following the outbreak of diseases like cholera, malaria and sleeping sickness that claimed their lives while still staying in the jungle. The Batwa population currently stands at less than 300 persons in the entire country, with others living in the Kigezi sub-region in south-western Uganda between Kabale and Kisoro districts. This makes them one of the most endangered human races on the African continent.

Still at the king’s grave, the Batwa show us some of their crafts like a small pot in the hut. The clay pot is used to keep offertory from the people who visit the site. Another craft was the three-holed smoking pipe.
“This pipe is used to smoke opium by the men for extra energies before they set off for hunting and doing other activities in the forest,” says King Nzitu, as he demonstrates with the pipe stuck onto his lips how they smoke it.
Our next tour was the medicinal track, a track within the thick forest where the Batwa get herbs to treat most diseases, including one that boosts men’s sexual capabilities, so we are told. While at the site, we are shown a tree that produces poisonous substances used on the spears to kill dangerous wild animals in case of an attack.

The group also reveals that the Batwa circumcise their male which as a symbol of strength and pride.
As we head to the king’s palace, we stop at a beehive that has some cultural significance to the Batwa. According to our guides, the hive serves as remedy to any possibility of bad luck for anyone in the Batwa community who commits murder. “When you kill someone and you rush to this point, you get cleansed. Prince Kaita explains that the killer uses the tool used in committing the crime to pierce the hive, causing the bees to sting his entire body as a ritual of requesting for forgiveness.

When the Batwa are mourning a loved one, they spend four days without bathing. “The family of the deceased is taken to the river for cleansing after four days,” observes Kaita.

The king’s palace

As we get closer to the king’s palace, we come across the dancing place, which is demarcated into two zones, one for the males (Bengo) and the other for the females’ (Muleku).
At the males dancing place, the Batwa men play their music as they dance to the tunes and the females also dance their different cultural dances at an adjacent location.
“Young men who are looking for marriage partners come here to choose their suitors as the young girls dance,” says the king. The dance is known as Muredu. Batwa girls get married at 17-18 years.

The king’s palace is the symbol of the Batwa powers. A huge tall tree with roots protruding out of the ground forms the king and the queen’s seat. King Nzitu has three children with one wife, the queen. At this point, we are told that the Batwa don’t marry many wives.
“The ideal man marries one woman and at the extreme, they marry only two,” says King Nzitu.

While the king and his subjects were still living in the forest, the palace was heavily guarded by warriors with spears, bowls and arrows. The king’s subjects would come to the his palace for advice and for settlement of the family wrangles in their homes.
Most of the Batwa sites have been demarcated by the Semuliki National Park management with small signposts leading to the various locations along the foot path navigating the forest. The king’s palace is located deep in the forest.

About the park

Residents. Semuliki National Park, besides serving as home to the Batwa cultural sites, hosts the Sempaya Hot springs, the male (Bitente), female (Nyansimbi) and the son. The three hot springs excrete hot water from the inner earth crust. Water at the female hot spring boils at 103 degrees whereas, the one at male hot spring boils at 1O6 degrees. The park is also home to various tree types, butterfly and bird species considered to be endangered in most parts of Africa.

Charges. For a guided tour of the park, Ugandans pay Shs10,000 and non Ugandans part with $15 (about Shs38,000).

RIDING A BICYCLE FROM SOUH AFRICA TO UGANDA

Above, the rider camped at Red Chilly in Mbuya. He stayed in Kampala for a few days and continued his journey to Rwanda. Below, he met Keneth Kaunda when he was in Zambia. PHOTOS BY ISMAIL KEZAALA AND COURTESY PHOTO

In Summary

The bicycle adventurer. Canadian Dave Conroy gave up his job as a computer consultant and set off on the adventure of his life, cycling to different countries in the world. He has already been to 10 African countries on what he calls a “one of its kind” bicycle.

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Dave Conroy’s life story is as incredibly amazing as it is unbelievable. For four years, the 35-year-old Canadian, currently in Uganda, has ridden his bicycle around North America and Africa and is still on the move. He quit a well paying computer job, sold off his life possessions and set out on a mission to discover the world- on two wheels. How long it takes him, he has no idea. Whether he will pull it off or not, he is not sure.

A bicycle, his everything
From first impression, Conroy comes off as a perfect time manager. The appointment at Mbuya based Red Chilli Hideaway is set for 4pm. A phone call at the guest house’s gate to announce our arrival receives an instant, “I will join you in a second.” Hardly had we identified a seat for the interview, than a well built medium height man dashes out, dressed in a tight fitting red t-shirt and pair of black multi-pocketed cargo pants. Walking towards us, his pair of weighty, mountain-climber like shoes stamp the green compound.

When the photojournalist asks to have photographs taken first and then leave us to proceed with the interview, his face lights up with a contagious smile. He reaches for his bicycle, holding it with enviable warmness and murmurs, “this is my wardrobe, kitchen, girlfriend, office, bedroom, best friend and worst enemy at the same time.”

The sports bicycle, he claims, is the only one of its kind in the world. It was specially assembled for him in Britain six months before he hit the road. He will not reveal how much it cost him, but heaps praise on the machine whose rim bears 13 stickers of flags of the countries he has visited so far.
On average, the bicycle’s weight, with all the six bags he travels with combined, comes to 75 kilogrammes.
“It has some amazing features. I charge my electrical devices like the music system and phone using pedal power. The faster I pedal, the more energy it generates, so I only use petrol and diesel for the cooking stove,” he says, holding its tyres that have most recently ridden all the way from South Africa.
When we finally zero down on a comfy place for the three hour long interview, the sight of a tent draws more questions than sheer admiration.
This is his bedroom, anywhere and anytime wherever darkness dawns on him. The water proof, one metre long structure has a cozy yellow interior and air mattress.
“I need a good night’s rest otherwise I won’t ride the next day so it has got to be that cosy,” he shares, nodding his head. With a fairly good rapport established, we are now set to dig into his life.

Life of a computer nerd
Born in Canada, the last born of three children of two working class parents admits obsession with computers, calling himself, “a computer nerd.” By the age of eight, he would sit behind a computer for an average of 12 hours a day. Not playing games. And neither surfing the internet. In any case, this was in the 1980s when social media platforms like Facebook or even its founder, Mark Zuckerberg were not yet born.

Whilst other children played about, little Dave busied himself trying to learn how computers worked. Scratching his head to understand complex computer aspects like programming and networking. “My parents were okay with it because they knew where I was,” he quips. Nature however, was not okay with it. The computer without play lifestyle took a stall on him. “My life went crazy, I was not sociable, and I spent a lot of time on the screen, seeing things and yearning to learn everything about them. I could not sleep, I was not happy with life,” he says.

He started to worry about how to be successful, rich and what he was going to do with his life at 70. For a teenager, life was taking him on a rollercoaster of illusion and out of the world fantasies. Perhaps, he suggests, this had to do with his childhood environment. His sister was on special needs education following a pre-mature birth. Today, she is his role model. “The doctor said she would never sit upright. Today she has two children, a degree and is happily married. She inspires me because she didn’t let someone’s opinion determine her life.”

Describing himself as an introvert, architect of ideas, who loves adventure and doing things outside the conventional, almost structured western way of life, this single man, who shoves off the marriage question, set out to do something different with his life. First, he quit high school. A few weeks to graduation. The reason?
“I wanted to see what would happen. But on a serious note, school was too slow for me. It was not giving me the challenge I wanted in life.” That was only a step into a zillion miles of an anew life that would leave tongues wagging. Next on the agenda was to resign from a well paying computer related job that earned him consultancy stints beyond Canada.

Daring to follow his dreams
Then came the bombshell. He sold off all his possessions. From the mansion to whatever came with it, be it kitchen ware, clothes or furniture. Everything had to go. He only remained with two boxes of books and letters from friends.

“He has gone crazy. May be he wants to kill himself,” he quotes reactions to his eye-brow raising actions from family and friends. “I knew what I was doing. I told them you can express your concern, you are allowed to but just sit back and watch, wait and see and wish me well,” he told them.

It is this that amazon.com, in a review of his self published 240 page book entitled, “Tired of I.T. How I learnt to stop worrying and love the bicycle,” calls Dave’s quest to, “reprogram his mind and find inner peace.”

Conroy saw that inner peace in only one thing- the bicycle. It is at this point that the idea to discover the world and its peoples was born. For six months, he did extensive research on the internet and read self help books. About tourism, bicycles, cookery, accidents and first aid and everything he needed for a ride around the globe. The initial plan was to achieve the dream in nine months which later stretched to a year, two years, three years and now four years. He has since stopped counting.

The start of an incredible adventure
He chose July 2009 as the start of his journey. On the D-day, he didn’t sleep, thanks to intense anxiety. Much as he loved bicycles, he had taken two decades without riding one. He awoke, hurried to a restaurant for breakfast and grabbed his bicycle for a ride from Vancouver to the Gulf Islands in Canada. That was in 10 hours for a distance of 160-180km. His speed has since gone on a down ward spiral to 140km in 2010, 120km in 2011, 100km in 2012 and 80km in 2013.

Deep in the woods’ wilderness, he suffered his first set backs. First came mosquitoes and other strange insects that stung him, ripping skin and causing unstoppable bleeding. Then surviving death by a whisker when a suspected poacher shot at him twice, mistaking him for an animal. Luckily both bullets missed him.

That however, did not deter his ambition to cross to the United States, where he spent 30 days cycling across different regions of the vast North American nation. Another package of challenges awaited him in the wild with four legged creatures ranging from wild cats to beasts he had never seen attacking him. He pulls out a small knife, pushes its sharp end to his lower lip and says, “this lip is paralysed for the rest of my life. I got fellow riders in the US and we hang our bikes in trees. Mine fell and hurt me.”

CLIMBING KAGULU HILL OF MYSTERY

Visitors to the site pray at the “Well of life” on the hill. Kagulu Hill in Buyende District where the founding father of Busoga’s royal house, rested after crossing to Busoga from Bunyoro on Lake Kyoga is fast becoming a must visit tourist site in Busoga. On Saturday, May 11, I was one of the thousands who traveled to Kagulu for a hill climbing challenge organised by the Busoga Cultural Tourism Initiative. The hill is subject of many mysterious tales, a number of which I had heard before the challenge. It is said that the last ritual during the installment of Busoga’s Kyabazinga is done here- he has to climb the hill and if he fails, he is not the right Kyabazinga. A multicoloured snake with two heads is said to inhabit the hill and guard it together with a leopard. Shiny rocks and caves With anxiety we started our climb uphill. As we moved closer, the hill seemed to be moving farther away. It has a staircase on the southern side, built on the orders of President Idi Amin who was enchanted by the clear view it gave of neighbouring districts in Busoga, Teso and Lango regions. The staircase was one of two options of reaching the top of the hill, the other, climbing it from the northern side. The journey to the top takes you past six small rocks which tradition says are Mukama’s wives; Kagweere, Bukolimo, Butadewo, Mpanga, Kagweese and Muwaale. The summit of the hill, 10,000 feet above sea level, is home to a number of shiny black and grey rocks and caves which are now habitats to primates. However according to folklore, these caves once offered sanctuary to early settlers in Busoga. An aged woman Mandwa Kagulu Nabiryo, who is said to be an oracle haunted by the 45 spirits that own and patrol the hill, has a shrine at its top. There are also two wells, and a dugout canoe and an oar said to belong to Nabiryo. Etched into the rock are a man’s foot, a spear and dog which were allegedly drawn by the spirits. A small lake at the summit attracts people from all over Busoga who believes it gives good fortune. Kagulu residents claim that the lake does not dry up no matter the intensity of the drought. A bodaboda cyclist from Kamuli who only identified himself as Mawanda, said the water is a source of blessings, but the blessings depend on “what you want and how you ask the gods to meet your needs.” Dropping a coin into the water, he said, earns you a reward from the ancestors. That day, there were also a number of women imploring the gods to bless and strengthen their marriages. One had brought a child for blessing, saying she “got it” from the gods last year when she came to Kagulu after a decade in a childless marriage. While the water from the wells and lake does not look clean, this was no problem to some of the climbers who drunk it as they meditated on their wishes to the gods. A call to preserve heritage: Prince William Nadiope IV of Bugabula, where the hill lies, who had visited the hill a week earlier to “clear” way for the climbers by telling the spirits on the hill that friendly visitors were coming, asked his subjects to showcase their clans and totems. “Many people don’t know their totems and clans,” he said, and yet they “explain the depth of their culture.” The prince, who had travelled to Malaysia when the challenge was held, asked cultural leaders to create awareness of the totems so young people can easily trace their ancestral roots. At the foot of the hill are signs of quarrying activity which run counter to the Kingdom’s strategy to promote the hill as a tourist attraction. Sulaiman Balyejjusa, the area Member of Parliament, asked Kagulu residents to protect the site. “This is a good chance we should not let go. Our fish has reduced; we no longer keep as many cows like our ancestors used to. Please take advantage of this initiative to address poverty,” he said. BY Rafiki Adventure Tours

Family tour with Rafiki Adventures

A tour in Uganda with children will be a memorable experience for the whole family. Rafiki Adventures designed a great trip whereby you pass all the "must see" of Uganda. What makes this trip special is that we shortened the travel distances compared to our general tours and where possible we included accommodation with a swimming pool.

Note: Chimpanzee tracking is only allowed for persons from 12 years and older. We don't visit Bwindi in this tour because gorilla tracking is only allowed for persons from 16 years and older. For this reason we go to see the chimpanzees at Ngamba island and Chimpanzee permits in Kibale Forest are optional.

Program

Day 1: Pick up from Entebbe Airport.
Day 2: Monkeys and birds in the Botanical Garden. Chimpanzees at Ngamba Island.
Day 3: A safari walk to the rhinos. To Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 4: A morning game drive and an afternoon boat safari in the park.
Day 5: A morning game drive. Transfer to Hoima.
Day 6: To Kibale Forest National Park: "A world of monkeys!!"
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and walk through Bigodi Swamp (monkeys & birds).
Day 8: Relaxing and game drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 9: A morning game drive and an afternoon boat safari in the park.
Day 10: To Lake Bunyonyi + relaxing on one of the island.
Day 11: A whole day relaxing on the island.
Day 12: To Masaka.
Day 13: Visit the equator. To Kampala.

Rates

We can't give you a fixed price for this trip because all accommodations and activities have different prices and discount for children of different age groups. As well the amount of adults and children will change the price. Please ask for an offer.

Accommodation

Mainly luxurious lodges plus a few middle class lodges/hotels.
Meal plan

During this trip your have 2 nights accommodation based on 'bed only', 1 night on Half Board and 17 nights on Full Board.
Inclusions / Exclusions

Inclusions:
Transport in a 4wd mini bus with pop-up roof for excellent safari viewing.
English speaking driver/guide.
All fuel.
Accommodation based on Full Board (6 nights) in Paraa Lodge (Murchison Falls), Primate Lodge (Kibale Forest N.P) and Mweya Lodge (Queen Elizabeth N.P.), based on Bed & Breakfast in Entebbe, Hoima and Masaka (4 nights) and based on 'bed only' in Lake Bunyonyi (2 nights);
Entrance fees for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls N.P., Kibale Forest N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Ferry Murchison Falls N.P. (3 days).
Hike to the Top of the Falls (Murchison Falls N.P.).
All game drives as mentioned in the program in Murchison Falls N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Two boat safaris (Murchison Falls N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.).
Ranger fees (Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls N.P., Queen Elizabeth N.P.).
Exclusions
International air fares, entry visas (Visa Uganda is 50 US$).
Airport transfers before and after the trip (though this can be arranged at an additional cost, please enquire on booking).
Personal (medical/travel) insurance.
Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide, porters, hotel/camp staff etc.
All expenses of a personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, souvenirs etc.)
Optional activities (Swamp walk Bigodi).
All activities not mentioned in the program.
Chimpanzee permit (for all who are 12 years of age or above).

Meal plan

During this trips your have 2 nights accommodation based on 'bed only', 2 nights on Bed & Breakfast, 2 nights on Half Board and 6 nights on Full Board.