May Break Adventure: East Africa Edition

One of the very many perks of being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Africa is that it is very cheap to travel to different countries and explore new places. During the Namibian school year there is a one month break in May between term 1 and term 2. This was the first of the few major breaks I get during my service, so as expected my first priority was going back to Uganda where I studied abroad. Another volunteer in my region Bayunt, also wanted to go to East Africa so we planned a trip to Uganda and Rwanda.

The rough beginning:

Just like everything during service, nothing goes completely as planned, so our trip started off with quite a whirlwind. Because we are American citizens in Namibia, we had to send our passports to the U.S. in order to get our Ugandan visas. We sent them 2 months in advance, and my dad sent them back to us using express shipping so that they would arrive with plenty of time. Unfortunately, USPS made an error and accidentally shipped them to Australia instead of Namibia so our passports were lost in the abyss of international mail. We were warned that our flights would have to be cancelled and the arrival date of our passports was unknown. The pure panic set in of crushed dreams and lost tickets, and trying to come up with a back-up plan for break other than just sitting alone in the villages. A day goes by from our scheduled flights and we receive a call from the wonderful humans of NamPost (the Namibian postal service) that our passports have arrived and can be picked up in our shopping town. Other than the flight change fee, the feeling of despair from a lost trip followed by the joy of dreams come true created the perfect concoction for a trip: no plans, no expectations, and 2 weeks of adventure.

Uganda:

After a 13 hour ride through Zambia, two flights with a layover, and another 12 hour bus ride, we finally arrived in Kampala, Uganda. One of my best friends from Emory, Caitlyn was finishing the study abroad program that I did in 2015 and was in Kampala for the first 2 days of our trip. While in Kampala we were able to stay with my amazing host family from 2015, the Kafeeros. It was the perfect reunion with my Ugandan family: it felt like no time had passed by other than the narrowing height difference between me and the kids (my 12 year old brother, now 14 is sadly taller than me). I was able to visit my old teachers and some of my favorite places that I remembered like it was yesterday. The one thing I forgot was how much people called out “Muzungu!” whenever they see a foreigner. Constantly being followed by groups of children chanting “MUZUNGU” is not something I experience in Namibia. The biggest culture shock was going from dry Namibia with a population of 2 million, to the densely populated, lush and green East Africa, where there are more people in one city than my entire country.

The Nile River

After 2 days in Kampala we set out for Jinja, where the source of the Nile river is, for white water rafting and to enjoy one of the most beautiful views in the world. White water rafting on the Nile is an such an exhilarating experience: mainly because of the class 5 rapids which almost guarantee you to flip at some point, and partially because of the creatures living in the Nile. Whether as large as a crocodile or small as schistosamiosis and other parasitic micro-organisms, there is a bit of anxiety that you could come into contact with any of these. I'm happy to report that we came out unscathed, despite flipping twice. 

The next stop on our trip was the Eastern side of Uganda where we visited Sipi falls, a set of 3 gorgeous waterfalls located in the mountains of Kapchorwa. We did a day hike through the mountains to visit each of the falls from top to bottom. Rainy season, in addition to clay soil and elevation does not make a great mix for accident-prone me, so I had a few slips and falls in the mud along the journey. At the final waterfall, which was the biggest (about 100 metres) we were able to swim to the bottom of the falls. As we entered the water, we could already feel the force of the water spraying back at us as it hit the bottom. The closer we got, the stronger the pressure (quite literally felt like a pressure washer), but the more beautiful the view. Just in front of the waterfall, there was a rainbow that was totally reflected in the water so that it appeared to be a circle. The power and beauty of nature was so apparent in that moment that I will never forget that experience.

 

Found a cave by the 2nd waterfall

 

The bottom of the falls

The next stop on our trip was Entebbe in Central Uganda, where lake Victoria is. We had one day before leaving for a safari at Murchison Falls so we visited the Entebbe Zoo and the Botanic Gardens. The zoo consisted of mostly rescued wildlife, including the rhino, which has been extinct from Uganda for almost 30 years. They are hoping to reintroduce the white rhino from neighboring countries in the future. The botanic gardens was unlike any botanical gardens I have seen before. It was filled with natural forests with trees that are hundreds of years old along the shore of the Lake. Wild monkeys live in the forests and will literally come right up to your feet as you wander around the park. 

Our next adventure was Murchison Falls National Park, the largest wildlife park in Uganda. The park has three climate zones, from tropical rainforest to savannah grasslands, and is home to the World's Most Powerful Waterfall. We went on 2 game drives and a river cruise along the Nile up to the bottom of the falls. The van we were in had a pop top so we were able to sit on top of the vehicle while driving through the park. During our game drives we were able to see 4 of the big five: Lions, Elephant, Buffalo, and the most difficult to find Leopard (they hide in trees away from the road). We saw hundreds of giraffe and warthogs and so many hippo that I was sick of them by the end. Although I had been to this park before during my study abroad, my experience this time was even better than the first.

The Ugandan Crane

Lions napping in the shade

Found a leopard on the hunt

Elephant by the river

      

Our safari group!

Lake Bunyoni

Our last stop in Uganda was Lake Bunyoni in the Gorilla Highlands along the Uganda-Rwanda Border. We spent a day on the lake with a canoe we rented from the locals. As a Floridian who is used to canoeing and kayaking as part of my daily life, I was not worried about getting around by canoe, but as we began our trip I realized this would be one of the most difficult water experiences I've had. Local canoes are made very different from our canoes, and thus the paddling technique is different. We didnt realize this until 3 hours into our trip, after struggling through a strong current that turned the canoe in circles as we tried to push forward. If it weren't for the beautiful view to keep our spirits up, we might have been stranded in the middle of the lake. Thankfully after we watched an 80 something old man easily chug along through the current, we were able to follow suit and make it back.

Rwanda:

Beach at Lake Kivu

Our final 3 days of the trip were spent in Rwanda, where we visited Gisenyi where Lake Kivu is along the Congo border and Kigali, the Capital city. We first went to Lake Kivu to relax along the beach for a bit. I am so happy I studied French for so long, because most of the people in the border town Gisenyi speak French, not English. My broken French was enough to help us bargain at the market, which was one of our favorite activities to do in every city (Namibian markets don't have to haggling and barter system that you can find in East Africa). We were so good at bargaining that we ended up with crafts and pieces of fabric that we didn't even need, just ended up getting because it was so cheap and fun to haggle. I came home from the Gisenyi market with 4 sets of Rwandan fabric, which I used to make clothes and gave to my Namibian friends as gifts. Lake Kivu had the perfect beach set up and swimming area for us to enjoy and I was happy for a change to be in waters that don't house crocodiles. Watching the sunset along the beach reminded me so much of my home in Florida (although we don't have the beautiful mountains). 

Our last day of our trip we spent in Kigali, visiting the Genocide Memorial (if you are interested in reading about this, check out my study abroad blog from my visit in 2015) and being stereotypical Americans eating burgers and drinking local beers before heading home.

This trip was the perfect vacation for me, and exactly what I needed to refresh and re-energize for the new school term. I love my village and school, but it was important to step away for a bit to get a fresh perspective and appreciation for my community. I will happily be in Muyako until my next big trip in December with the Morgan family!

P.S. Mbili Mbili did not come to Uganda... I left her with a colleague of mine in town with her best dog friend Swikili. She had a blast eating pap and playing with her bud.