Joe's World Backpacking Trip Stories and pics from my travels.

Fort Portal is in Western Uganda.  It's near the Rwenzori Mountains so tourists usually stage there to climb the mountains or go Gorilla trekking.  I couldn't afford either so I was content to stay in a camp in the wilderness next to one of the crater lakes.  I spent 2 days on a motorcycle.  It cost the equivalent of 10 bucks a day to rent.  They were pretty beat up because they use the motorcycles here as taxis.  They call them Boda-bodas.  I dumped it a couple times as I haven't ridden a bike since my motorcycle class before I started this trip.  Actually, Fort Portal and the surrounding wilderness and villages is the first place I've ever ridden a bike on the open road.  It was great, except when I crashed and dumped the bike into a big mud puddle in front of some villagers.  I thought it was pretty funny, so did the locals, especially when I rode back into camp covered in mud and laughing.  They drive on the left side of the road here which made learning how to ride a bike in traffic extra fun.  The surrounding countryside was beautiful and I got to see it for 10 bucks.  Much better value than spending 500 U.S. Dollars for just the Gorilla Permit.  Not including the actual trek to go out and track and see the gorillas.  There's no way I would pay that much unless when I got there they did tricks or battled a dinosaur.