Meeting with the Batwa Pygmies - cultural experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Yes -- I was exhausted after the SIX AND A HALF HOURS of gorilla trekking -- but -- I am so glad that I did not cancel the community tour planned for later in the day (as I was very tempted to do!)

My wonderful community Gude Susan escorted me to a number of stops (more climbing up and down the slippery mountainside!) -- including the school/orphanage, the basket weaving experience, the coffee plantation, and a visit to the Batwa village.

The Batwa Pygmies had lived in what is the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park -- a protected area for the gorillas. There is now land designated for the tribe, and while on the community tour, visitors can visit with them and learn more about their traditional way of life.

For some reason I am having "issues" uploading my videos here - which is a shame - because I want to share their dances with you.  I was greeted with a welcome dance, a dance welcoming me to their huts/homes, a dance after a successful hunt, and a farewell dance.

I appreciated learning more about their traditions -- translated by my guide Susan. The Batwa language is Rutwa, but Susan was translating for me in Rukiga - the language of the Bakiga tribe located in the Kigezi region.

(Note - I was traveling in the rainy season - but - if you travel in the dry season - I am sure your hikes would not be as slippery - so - please visit)

For more, see 

https://www.bwindiimpenetrablenationalpark.com/things-to-do/batwa-cultural-experience/

https://batwaexperience.org/tours/

I purchased hand-carved gorillas - and these are the artists who crafted them

the welcome dance

demonstrating how they would start fire using the friction of 2 sticks - I have to say this was most impressive to think of fires starting this way in the wet, rainy, muddy jungle that I had just spent 6.5 hours trekking!! 

success!

they showed me their houses where they lived - shown here a dance to welcome me to the village

the village

this is the special cave where women would give birth

this nest high in the tree is where babies would stay for safe keeping - far from any animals who could do them harm

simulating going out for a hunt (no longer allowed due to poaching rules)
Not pictured -- the chief trying to show me how to use their bow and arrow

there was a dance when the men came back from a successful hunt

a Farewell Dance

Basket weaving experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

As mentioned elsewhere on this blog, my gorilla trekking experience ended up taking SIX AND A HALF HOURS of grueling hiking, up and down the mountains, in the rain, the slippery mud, avoiding the ants and the snakes, etc, etc, 

I had booked excursions for the afternoon, after the gorilla trekking.

The very last thing we did om the community Tour was to visit the women for the basket weaving experience. Their hut was dark after sundown, and we were using the "flashlights" on our phone. 

Nevertheless, we persisted, I was able to get my much-anticipated basket weaving class. And also observed the demonstration about how to make the porridge and the fermented drink from sorghum.

Coffee Experience -- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Before I knew that it would take us SIX AND A HALF HOURS of grueling trekking up and down mountains, in the rain, in the slippery mud, with the ants and the snakes and the vines wrapping around my ankles, climbing over logs, etc, etc during the incredible gorilla trekking adventure, I had booked a number of excursions for the afternoon.

One of the experiences I was most looking forward to was the coffee experience -- the opportunity to visit a coffee plantation, and take the experience from picking the beans, roasting the beans, and enjoying brewed coffee.

Given how late we started the tour, we did an accelerated/abbreviated approach. But the experience did culminate in a delicious "cup 'o joe" 

Also - after the tour I was able to purchase some coffee from Bwindi to enjoy back home (and for holiday gifts).

Cheers to Susan, my wonderful Community Tour Guide

the ground coffee was added to the boiling water -- and then poured through this filter - it was delicious!

this is the kitchen where we prepared the coffee; this is the fire where we boiled the water

the beautiful views from the kitchen 

Visiting the Ruhija Vulnerable Children's School in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

one of the children presented me with this lovely picture that he drew - as soon as I am back home - I will frame this and hang it in my office

As a part of my tour/travel out to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where I had planned to see the mountain gorillas -- I also booked a community tour for later in the day (not knowing that our trekking would be SIX AND A HALF HOURS, up and down the slippery and rugged terrain.....) 

When I returned from the trekking, all I wanted to do was to have a hot cup of tea, sit on the porch of my cabin, and enjoy the breathtaking views of the mountains. Honestly, I did not think I could walk one more step. 

But the tour guide arrived at our lodging (the Gorilla Mist camp: https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/gorilla-mist-camp-our-lodging-at-bwindi.html) - so off I went (!?)

Our first stop on the community tour was the school/orphanage -- the Ruhija Vulnerable Children's School. This school serves the children of the Batwa people/Pygmy tribe (that was displaced when the government created the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park for the conservation of the mountain gorillas) as well as orphans from the region.  We visited the boys dormitory, a few of the classrooms, and the kitchen/dining room.  Because it was about to rain, the students did their singing and dancing performances in the dining room. I am sorry that I am having "issues" uploading my videos - the music and singing in the videos is far superior to the still photos.

After their performance, they invited me to dance with them.  I was so moved, that I got up and danced. I have no idea where the burst of energy came from - or how my legs could suddenly "bust a move" when moments before I felt thoroughly busted (!) - but - the joyous spirit of these precious children moved me.  

I tucked some shillings in the donation box, but, after I return to the US, I will brainstorm possible service-learning projects to support the children at the Ruhija Vulnerable Children''s School.

For more about the school. visit their website:

https://ruhijaorphanagechildren.sc.ug/activities/

one of the dances was the "gorilla dance" complete with this gorilla

overlooking the playground and the girls dormitory

the pathway outside the boys dormitory

one of the classrooms

my tour guide Susan in one of the classrooms

the children met us in the kitchen/dining room and performed songs and dances

the administrative offices of the school

The Community Tour also included visits 

the Batwa people (https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/11/meeting-with-batwa-pygmies-cultural.html

a coffee plantation

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/coffee-experience-bwindi-impenetrable.html

learned basketweaving

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/basket-weaving-experience-in-bwindi.html

Thank you to my knowledgeable guide Susan!

Gorillas in the Mist - Dian Fossey

I was having lunch in Anchorage, Alaska shortly before my trip to Uganda, seated next to a lovely couple from Canada (who were there before leaving on a cruise).  As it turned out, the wife recently returned from a trip to Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya -- and she told me all about her experiences gorilla-trekking.

As I was planning to try to see the gorillas while working in Kampala (not yet realizing that they are a 10+ hour drive away), I appreciated all of her tips.

One thing she mentioned was reading Jane Goodall's My Life with Chimpanzees and Dian Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist in preparation for her trip. (I opened my phone and ordered used copies of both books on eBay before I finished my lunch)

Would you believe that I had never read Fossey's book -- or -- watched the movie! (Gorillas in the Mist movie trailer)?!

Pictured below: reading Fossey's book on the drive out to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on what was a more than 13-hour drive (the travel to Bwindi deserves its own post ...)

It was so inspiring reading Fossey's account of her ground-breaking research about the mountain gorillas - and Goodall's pioneering research with the chimpanzees.

My own gorilla trekking experience involved a grueling six and a half hours - up and down mountains - in the rain - the muddy, slippery terrain, the guide with the machete clearing some vegetation away - but still getting the vines wrapped around my ankles - avoiding the ants - climbing over downed trees - the mountain sometimes so steep it was practically in my face - after trekking for more than four hours  we found our gorilla family - it felt like I was Moses wandering in the desert -  I gave up hope that we were ever going to see the gorillas! My legs started to feel like jelly - and I was not sure how I would ever get out of the jungle alive! During this ordeal, an intern - Samuel - assured me that once we got to the gorillas, it would all be worth it. 

And right he was!  

As soon as we were up close - observing the gorillas in their habitat - it was so enchanting. It's hard to describe in words.  (I will do a separate post with pictures and videos of the gorillas)

I tried recalling what I learned in Drs. Goodall's and Fossey's books about their observations. And, of course, I had a renewed respect and admiration for their work for years in the jungle!

May we all have a similar passion and the resilience and dedication to realize our hopes and dreams! 

And may we all have a mentors in our lives like Dr. Leakey!!

For more about my gorilla trekking experience, see

For more about my visit with the chimpanzees, see

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/jane-goodall-my-life-with-chimpanzees.html

https://drjsmafricanacademicadventures.blogspot.com/2025/10/visiting-chimpanzees-at-ngamba-island.html

on the drive back down the mountain, after our gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi - could see where the expression "gorillas in the mist" came from!