Uganda Be Kidding Me: Day 4
Get it? UGANDA be kidding me...you GOTTA be kidding me?! :)Day 4 in Uganda was just as wonderful as the past few days; I promise Uganda is worth making a visit to.
Isaac needed a few more interviews this morning so we woke up early, had some Ugandan tea and sweet fruit for breakfast, and headed out into the field. I had another "do nothing" morning, but Allen took me around the villages and we walked in towns. That is something I have not had the chance to do in Uganda or Kenya because I'm not allowed to walk out by myself. Allen was so kind and funny as he told me the stories of people in the towns and answered my weird questions about the vegetation and life here.
One of the highlights of my day was meeting Arizik Ali, a 20-year old Ugandan woman. She was so kind and really enjoyed meeting an American her age. She asked if I could find her a boyfriend in the States...I told her I would keep a look out for her!At her house, they had three baby kittens and she gave me one to hold. It was barely the size of my hand! To the right is a photo we took together and she took the selfie. We are now friends on Facebook and she gave me a photo of her and her contact information as we left.Meeting new and exciting people has been such a fun part of my travels. Their compassion, openness, engaging personalities, and happiness will likely never leave my heart. I am constantly in awe of how happy Africans are in spite of their less-than-ideal situations. Even in the worst parts of town or in the most food insecure families, there are people with smiles on their faces excited for what it is that they are doing...even if it's carrying a 25 pound barrel of water on top of their head for several kilometers.Each house brought a new story and a new face for me to remember. These kiddos were so sweet and loved seeing their faces on my camera!
After Issac finished his interviews and we said goodbye to Richard (Jacob had a training today and couldn't make it), Allen and our trio traveled to the real "Uganda be kidding me" experience. Sipi Falls is in Eastern Uganda is the district of Kapchorwa, near Mbale. "Sipi Falls is a nice place to unwind, relax and literally chill out away from the hustle and bustle of the towns and cities." Here is the Wikipedia link if you'd like to read more: Wikipedia. I have never been mountain climbing, near a waterfall, on a bridge like this (!!!) over water..I'm not traditionally an "adventurous" type, but I've discovered a new love of adventuring and conquering my fears through this trip.
Isaac needed a few more interviews this morning so we woke up early, had some Ugandan tea and sweet fruit for breakfast, and headed out into the field. I had another "do nothing" morning, but Allen took me around the villages and we walked in towns. That is something I have not had the chance to do in Uganda or Kenya because I'm not allowed to walk out by myself. Allen was so kind and funny as he told me the stories of people in the towns and answered my weird questions about the vegetation and life here.One of the highlights of my day was meeting Arizik Ali, a 20-year old Ugandan woman. She was so kind and really enjoyed meeting an American her age. She asked if I could find her a boyfriend in the States...I told her I would keep a look out for her!At her house, they had three baby kittens and she gave me one to hold. It was barely the size of my hand! To the right is a photo we took together and she took the selfie. We are now friends on Facebook and she gave me a photo of her and her contact information as we left.Meeting new and exciting people has been such a fun part of my travels. Their compassion, openness, engaging personalities, and happiness will likely never leave my heart. I am constantly in awe of how happy Africans are in spite of their less-than-ideal situations. Even in the worst parts of town or in the most food insecure families, there are people with smiles on their faces excited for what it is that they are doing...even if it's carrying a 25 pound barrel of water on top of their head for several kilometers.Each house brought a new story and a new face for me to remember. These kiddos were so sweet and loved seeing their faces on my camera!After Issac finished his interviews and we said goodbye to Richard (Jacob had a training today and couldn't make it), Allen and our trio traveled to the real "Uganda be kidding me" experience. Sipi Falls is in Eastern Uganda is the district of Kapchorwa, near Mbale. "Sipi Falls is a nice place to unwind, relax and literally chill out away from the hustle and bustle of the towns and cities." Here is the Wikipedia link if you'd like to read more: Wikipedia. I have never been mountain climbing, near a waterfall, on a bridge like this (!!!) over water..I'm not traditionally an "adventurous" type, but I've discovered a new love of adventuring and conquering my fears through this trip.
I'm coming back to Uganda. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be back here within three years (hopefully much sooner!). I want to bring Joey and my family to Sipi Falls...I want them to try the crazy banana concoctions and Ugandan tea/coffee, I want them to understand the luxury of an American bathroom..but most importantly, I want them to fall in love with Uganda the way I did whenever I stepped outside the car for the first time a few days ago. I needed Uganda, almost as much as I needed Kenya over seven weeks (!!!!) ago. Travel has completely taken over my heart.