Safari

So I just got back from an exciting weekend of going on a safari to Murchison Falls. On Friday night we drove into Kampala and stayed at the Red Chili Backpackers Hostel. A few of us went out clubbing that night and it was a load of fun. I definitely want to go clubbing again here! The next day we got into a van for an 8 hour bus ride to Murchison Falls. On the way there we passed an area of 200 consecutive speed bumps that were placed about 15 feet apart. It was so annoying! I don't really know what the purpose of it was. It just comes to show just how inefficient and illogical some things are here, but it is just one obstacle to overcome.

We finally arrived at the camp site and everyone went to bed early. The next day we got up before sunrise and headed out on Safari. I got to watch the sun rise of the Nile River, which was pretty incredible. We headed out through the national park and saw tons of different animals. There were a million different types of deer and I couldn't tell half of them apart. I also saw many giraffes and we got super close to some elephants. We also saw a lot of hippos, a monitor, warthogs, baboons, and various other creatures. In the afternoon we took a boat ride down the Nile to go see Murchison Falls. I saw a bunch of different birds, water buffalo, crocodiles, and tons and tons of hippos. Overall it was a really good time and it was pretty amazing to see all of the animals in their natural habitat. The next day we got up a bit later and set out to hike up to Murchison Falls. It was absolutely beautiful looking out over the falls and the water looked freakishly powerful. In spots there were full rainbows.

I am really glad that I did the safari, but I am definitely looking forward to getting back to the village and back to teaching. I feel like I haven't gotten much done in the two weeks that I have been here and so I will be glad to actually have a full week of teaching and interacting with people. I also hope to be able to start doing some HIV/AIDS outreach work. I am starting to feel like no matter how much I do, it will never be enough. I guess the only thing I really can do is just make a difference in a few people's lives. I can already tell that this trip is going to give me a very interesting perspective on education and grassroots movements. We will see if I still feel that way by the end! Until next time!