Three hundred and fifty people that died in a catastrophic landslide in Uganda doesn’t seem like a very big deal to those of us who might be jaded by the staggering numbers of deaths the last two months or so all over the world due to natural disasters. But let me assure you, from a front row position, when you put a face on the child, when you stand next to the inconsolable, weeping parents as yet another body is dug out of 10 feet of mud, it’s real. It’s sad. It’s a tragedy. A devastating, horrendous tragedy.
And so…this being my very first landslide, there were a few things I learned, some on the lighter side, that I thought I’d like to share with you….
#10 A Walking stick is not just something that looks cool…it is absolutely necessary if you’re going to make the trek up the slippery, treacherous mountain without falling hundreds of feet to sure death.
#9 A poncho is a great idea to cart around with you. It WILL rain heavily at some point when you are headed up or down the mountain…especially if you don’t have a poncho.
#9 A poncho is a great idea to cart around with you. It WILL rain heavily at some point when you are headed up or down the mountain…especially if you don’t have a poncho.
#8 Band-aids are important for the blisters that will appear on your fingers from clutching the walking stick…and on your feet if your gum boots don’t fit you perfectly.
#7 Have boots (that fit) – to keep the rain out, the mud out, the snakes out, and to give you some traction on the mountain
#6 You should begin the trek hydrated and stay hydrated while climbing the mountain and while digging to recover bodies…it helps with the thinning atmosphere which you haven’t had time to adjust to, because, well it’s an unexpected crisis
#5 There’s such a thing as “reading the soil” as our local walking companions shared with us. They knew exactly where to place each foot. After almost falling off the mountain several times, we learned to listen.
#4 Going down the mountain is NOT easier than going up the mountain
#3 We never got used to seeing people carry the bodies of their dead loved ones pulled from the mud, simply wrapped in pieces of fabric, or not at all
#2 We continued to be amazed at the resilience of the people…and
#1 We were humbled by the local people who were constantly more concerned and worried about us mzungus getting wet or muddy or being tired on the long hike, than their own well-being, or their devastating losses.
