Saturday I put in a new flower bed in the back yard and a small patch of sweet corn. Saturday afternoon I played tennis and then Saturday night was movie night here at the house. Sunday afternoon some friends and I went for a hike at one of the nearby water falls.
We made the drive towards Uganda then headed east along the north side of Lake Burera to Rusumo falls. We knew that we needed to check this place out because there is a project underway to construct a hydro-electric facility which will divert the water. In about a year, these falls will be different and the top one will be gone.
From the top, you look south out across the valley towards the lake and where construction has begun which will divert the water. To the north, you can easily see the impact of poor farming practices that are common in this region.
The stream on the right comes out of the marsh while the stream on the left comes from an agricultural area. Big difference. The combination of steep slopes and constant cultivation results in a severe loss of top soil. It's not really gone I guess, it's just all relocated to the bottom of the lake.
Conservation is often called a western luxury. It will be sad to see the falls go, but, this 23.5 million dollar project will supply electricity to a bunch of people who have never had it before. That's the thing with developing countries, trying to find the balance between progress and things like conservation and scenic beauty. At least this way, they are not creating a lake where there wasn't one or creating a place where fish are no longer able to swim up stream. Most importantly, there won't be any smoke stacks.
The first drop (2 pictures up)is over 250 feet, the second drop (the above picture) is about 30 but the third is nearly 350. This picture is from the cliff at the top of the third fall. The last picture is the view of the third fall from the bottom. Don't forget that you can click on the picture to get a larger view.
Overall, it was a great weekend. Now it is down to business. I have about 2 weeks to finish putting my lecture material together for the five courses that I will be teaching. Starting in mid-March, I will be teaching every day until the end of May, then for the month of July. I am sure that I will find some time for an adventure or maybe two. I'll keep you posted.
