Uganda, Africa: Day 2

I woke up the following morning at 6:00. It was time for yet another grueling day of parading around Africa in an attempt to try to emulate one of the greatest authors of all time. Well, I suppose Hemingway was in love with the place, so I should do my best not to complain. Code heroes don't complain; they endure. I found it necessary to take my breakfast on the go. On this day, I decided to travel back to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in order to see Mount Sabinyo, a volcano and the oldest mountain in the Virunga Mountain chain (www.answers.com).

I have decided that I truly love the Emin Pasha Hotel. They have supplied tour guides for each of my Ugandan expeditions, and I have found the staff to be most accommodating. I couldn't possibly thank them enough when they rolled out that jeep yet again. Nearly one hundred thank-yous later, we were on our way to Mt. Sabinyo.

My guide delivered us both to the base of the volcano at noon. I thought ahead this time, and I packed extra food from breakfast for lunch. My guide, a young man named Eko, and I both dined on rice and beans. Although I am grateful that food was available, I must admit that I'm quickly growing tired of eating so little food with so little flavor, but I shall press on.

After hiking for about one mile, we happened upon group of competing male gorillas. As I watched them battle it out for what seemed like an eternity, I was reminded of Hemingway's character, Santiago, from The Old Man and the Sea. It reminded me of the time during the story when it mentioned Santiago's arm wrestling match that lasted for longer than a day. Eventually, one of the gorillas dominated the other, and the excitement was over. It was time to start heading back. As we were walking back down the mountain, I picked up a small volcanic rock as a momento. Eko and I pulled into the Emin Pasha at 10:00. I had never been so tired in my life. For once, sleep was exciting.