I’m a little late posting this due to lack of computer availability and a good internet connection this week. This is for the week of June 6th-14th.
1. Good to be back- After traveling throughout much of Uganda on Safari, it was great to be back in Bigodi and in my normal routine last week. I will miss my little African village when I head back to the states in late July!
2. Attending an introduction- Last week I got to attend the introduction of our neighbor’s cousin. An introduction here is sort of like an engagement party, it’s where the bride’s family accepts the bride price or dowry from the husband to be and the two families are officially introduced. The actual marriage will occur at a church ceremony a month or so later. In this case as with many marriages here the couple had actually lived together for the last seven years and had two children together! The official wedding and introduction are often put off for many years due to the expense of these celebrations.
There were well over two hundred in attendance at this introduction. It was a very formal affair with the men in suits and the women in their best traditional dresses.
3. Losing one of the oldest members of the village-Last week the oldest woman in Bigodi passed away. While everyone knew she had three generations of grandchildren no one knew exactly when she was born. Tinka did know what king she was born under so he was able to look that up on the internet and at least narrow it down to a decade. The decision of the village elders was that she was 113!!! She even cooked for Tinka’s Grandfathers wedding so many years ago!
4. Month long birthday celebration- I’ve always loved birthdays and while this year’s birthday was a little anti climatic, I’ve continued to get packages and cards for the last five weeks! This week two birthday packages arrived, one from my sister and one from my old high school friends. My sister obviously knows me well because not only did she include books, balls for the kids (she is a PE teacher after all), but there was also chocolate for me!! The package from my friends was gigantic and must have cost a fortune to send. They included lots of books, assorted magazines including Bass fishing, volleyballs for the kids (netball is very popular here), and lots of snacks for me! I am very blessed to have such a supportive group of friends and family.
5. Twelve secondary teachers and me- Last weekend, I trained 12 teachers for the local Secondary school. I hadn’t worked with them yet so it was a joy to get to know them. Since they teach at the secondary level they were all fluent in English, which made the training at lot easier on me. We had a great time learning conservation activities that they could incorporate into their teaching. There were two surprising things for me: one was that while the schools mission is “We conserve to develop” they were actually doing very little in the way of conservation education. The second was none of the teachers at the school had ever been on a tour of the Bigodi Wetland which is less than a mile from the school! None of the teachers had any idea of how many birds’ species live in the swamp or could name the different types of primates. We took a guided tour of the wetland and by the end of the weekend; all knew that there are 200 different types of birds and eight species of monkeys living in the wetland!
6. 26 pounds gone- One of the great side effects of living and working in Uganda has been losing weight by sampling eating natural foods and walking a lot. So far I have lost 26 pounds!!!
7. I’ve heard about chickens coming home to roost but this is nuts- I had two incidents involving chickens last week. While napping, I felt something jump up on my bed at first I thought it was Leon but no it was a chicken. Tinka thought maybe she was looking for a place to lay her eggs! Later in the week, I was getting my “juice bucket” from outside as it was drying upside down; when I picked it up I heard a loud squeak and there was a small chicken. Evidently, she had been missing and trapped under my bucket for two days as I was out of town!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Back from Safari part 2
** Please forgive the length of this entry but there was so much to write about!
Saturday May 30- Jinja
After spending an amazing day rafting the Nile, we spent the evening at a fantastic lodge called the Nile Porch. The Nile Porch over looks the Nile as it approaches the falls. According to my guide book “the tents are spacious yet cozy, with inner mosquito netting and verandas facing the river”. It definitely lived up to our expectations; our luxury permanent safari tent was literally on the edge of the bank over looking the Nile. We had an incredible view of the Nile! For the first time in days we had our own ensuite bathroom. Even the bathroom had a view of the Nile! It was incredible to fall asleep listening to the mighty Nile. We awoke to a thick wall of fog over the river so we couldn’t see the Nile at all. It was awesome to watch the fog slowly break and reveal the beautiful river.
After living on “local food” for the last four months, which while it is healthier than my typical American diet tends to be a bit bland. It was such a treat to eat such great food on this trip. The Black Lantern at the Nile Porch was no exception, we had two amazing meals in the restaurant that overlooked the Nile. I’m looking forward to returning to this hotel someday.
Sunday May 31-Leave Jinja for Lake Mburo
Our driver (who is a friend of Tinka’s) picked us up from the Nile Porch in Jinja and was with us the rest of the trip. We drove back though Kampala than west to Lake Mburo, it took about six hours to make the trip. Along the way we stopped to take pictures at the equator! There was a lovely café there as well where we had lunch.
My main reason for wanting visiting Lake Mburo is that it is the closest park with zebras. I couldn’t go on an African safari and not see zebras! When we arrived in the afternoon we did a game drive where we saw my first zebra, lots of impala, buffalo and warthogs.
The entire time we were on our game drive we didn’t see any other visitors. I knew that this was not one of the busier parks but I didn’t expect it to be empty! We were suppose to stay in a safari tent but since that part of the park was completely isolated, we opted to stay in a cottage at another lodge. The cottage was very cute and had its own bathroom though no electricity or running water! We were awoken at about 2am by the sound of something outside our window. It sounded like a warthog or larger animal grazing but every time I looked outside I couldn’t see anything. That kept us awake for awhile for fear it was going to start grazing on the cottage which wasn’t really very study. Just when we were relaxed enough to go back to sleep, we heard lots of scurrying in the ceiling, which was probably just a rat or lizard but was unsettling. I got to sleep about 4am and I think Sharon was up the rest of the night!
Monday June 1- Arrive at Queen Elizabeth
We awoke at 6am so that we’d have time for breakfast before our game drive and the four hour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The game drive was great as I got to see lots of zebras !! We got fantastic pictures of them. I don’t know whey they fascinate so much though I did grow up in horse country in northern Virginia and never saw a stripped horse!
We arrived at Queen Elizabeth National Park a little after 1pm which gave us some to check in to our lodge for the evening and have lunch before our 3pm boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. We splurged for this and stayed at the luxury Mweya Safari Lodge. According to my guidebook and everyone I know this is one of the most beautifully situated lodges in Uganda. Some have described it as a Sheraton in the bush. After staying there I totally agree and it was worth every penny! As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a butler with hot washcloths and fresh glasses of passion fruit juice. The entire lodge offers amazing views of the bank of the Kazinga channel. We could see elephants and buffalo grazing as we were eating our lunch. The food in lodge was fantastic, as good as any four star restaurant back in the states! We both had salads for lunch which is a real treat for me as we can’t eat raw veggies in Bigodi.
After lunch we went on the boat ride which was wonderful and unlike our last boat ride, we didn’t get caught in a storm this time. It was about two hours long and we saw tons of elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, water birds, and hippos. In comparison to the other two parks that we visited this week, we saw more of everything here at Queen. Instead of seeing a family of three elephants we’d see a heard of more than twenty! Instead of a handful of buffalo, there would be twenty-five or more on the bank of the channel. We passed a small island that was full of at least six different species of water birds!
When we returned to the lodge from our boat ride, we went to the spa and had massages! Oh what a treat and they were only $20 per person! I consider a real shower a luxury these days so this was blissful. Afterwards, we had pre-dinner cocktails in the bar that reminded me so much of the Grove Park Inn with its large fireplace and stone accents. Instead of a view of the mountains, we had an amazing view of the channel. The drinks had great names like hippos delight! Dinner was phenomenal, I had fried corn fritters to start and Sharon had the most amazing spinach/mushroom soup I’ve ever had. For the main course, I had chicken cordon blu that was out of this world and Sharon had pork that was also amazing. We both had the chocolate cake for desert-who’s going to say no to chocolate cake!
Tuesday June 2-Queen Elizabeth day 2 and drive to Bigodi
On the one day on this trip where I could sleep in, at about 5:30am I was awoken by the sound of elephants. Sharon questions how I knew it was an elephant and not another African animal but since a large heard was gathered on the other side of the channel; I say it was likely that it was an elephant! Whatever it was, it was very cool. Since I was already up, I went outside on the veranda to catch up on my journaling. While I was there, I witnessed the most amazing sunrise over the channel. It was absolutely breathtaking! It seemed like we could see for miles in ether direction.
We had an incredible breakfast buffet complete with fresh passion fruit juice and nutella for my pancakes! I’ll admit having banana’s, bread, and tea day in and day out for breakfast gets a bit old so this was a real treat! I didn’t want to leave this incredible hotel any earlier than we had too, so we didn’t check out till after 10:30am. This is definitely a place that I want to come back to some day.
We did our last game drive as we departed Queen Elizabeth. On our way out of the park we saw elephants, antelope, warthogs, and lots of birds! We stopped at another equator marker, a salt lake, and a sign post saying DRC is 27 km to take pictures. The stop at the salt lake was a little dramatic as I fell, reinjured my left leg and broke my camera! I think I was more upset about my camera than my leg as the camera was a bon voyage gift from my NC friends. Our driver loaned me his camera for as long as I need it and Sharon took the camera back to the states where it will be fixed!
It was about a 4 hour drive back to Fort Portal and than it’s only 45 minutes to Bigodi my home away from home. As we got closer to Fort Portal, the landscape gradually changed from the tall grasses and scraggly trees of the savannah that we saw at Queen Elizabeth to the lush green foliage and mountains that signal that I’m getting closer to home. I can truly say after traveling a good portion of this amazing country that my favorite area is the one where I live. I am blessed to live on the outskirts of a lush tropical forest and at the foot of the Ruwenzori Mountains!
In Fort Portal, we stopped at the post office where I had three packages waiting for me! One had been mailed on April 8th, so I was thrilled that it had arrived safely. I have been so blessed on this entire journey to be supported by such amazing friends and family. If you have mailed a package, please don’t lose hope –I’m sure it’s on it’s way but the mail can be very slow here.
This evening, we stayed in the tree house in Kibale National Park just a few miles from where I live. The tree house is deep in the forest (it’s a little less than a mile trek to get to it) and has a great view of a swamp that is often frequented by elephants. While we didn’t see any elephants, it was very cool to wake up to the sounds of the forest.
Wednesday June 3- Chimp Trekking
In the morning, we set off on our 3 three hour trek though Kibale National Park to see the famed chimpanzees. I had gone chimp trekking in February and after four hours of very difficult trekking though the forest we had failed to find the chimps. Luckily, this time was different. Within just about 30 minutes, we found over 30 chimps eating high up in a fig tree. It was amazing to watch them eat and play high up in the trees. After watching for over an hour, we followed a few as they came down to the ground and was able to watch one male chimp while standing only about five feet away. It was fantastic!
Afterwards, we took a boda-boda (my favorite means of transport) back to Bigodi and had lunch at home. In the afternoon, Sharon decided she wanted to get her hair braided. We sat outside Betty’s hair shop and attracted half the women in the village as they watched the muzuga get her hair braided! The women were having a workshop on making paper beads so as Sharon was getting her hair done I got to learn how to make beautiful beads out of paper.
Thursday June 4-Bigodi
The original plan had been to leave Bigodi this afternoon and stay in Fort Portal for the evening. However, we were having such a great time in Bigodi and at Tinka’s that we decided to stay another night. In the morning, we went on a guided walk of the Bigodi wetland (this was my eighth visit to the wetland). We had a great walk and saw so many of the animals that live in the wetland, including five different primates, the great blue turraco, and other wonderful birds! We were able to see four different species of monkeys playing in the trees! The only bad part was nearing the end of our walk I was stung by a wasp! I hadn’t been stung in over 25 years. Our guide wanted to put kerosene on the sting which is a local remedy however I refused as I had a first aid kit back at my house with western medicine.
Sharon got to experience a traditional Ugandan meal at lunch. There were three other American’s at the house for what I call “tourist” lunch. Tinka gives a presentation on traditional Ugandan customs and afterwards everyone feats on a traditional meal. We had spinach/carrots, fried cassava, mattoke, groundnut sauce, posha, rice, beef stuff, sesame sauce, and pineapple for dessert-yum!
After lunch, we walked to Bigodi primary school and visited the p4 class which is taught by my friend Alex. Due to the kids break and my safari, I hadn’t seen most of them in well over a month so it was great to get back in the classroom. We talked to the kids about our trip and quizzed them about animals found in each park. Afterwards, they sang traditional songs and preformed dances. As usual it was very touching. I love those kids!
In the evening, we walked around the village and met some of my friends. We visited Irene who operates the local restaurant near my house. Irene is always great for getting the local gossip though sometime she tells me gossip about my self! Our next stop was to see Helen who is Irene’s mom, she who founded and runs the Bigodi peanut butter project. Over ten years ago Helen started buying groundnuts ( peanuts) from the local women and making peanut butter. The project now supports over 40 families in the area! Helen went to NC in 2000 and even named her last born after my boss at the NC Zoo! Our last stop was to visit Alex in his store in the trading center. Alex has been a member of UNITE for years and got to visit NC on one of our teacher exchange programs. He currently teaches p4 at Bigodi primary. After school, he comes to the trading center where he operates his store for a few hours every afternoon. Every time, I come in Alex insist on giving an avocado or a bunch of banana’s because as he said everyone in NC treated him so well!
Friday Jun 5- Trip to the airport
It’s hard to believe this amazing trip is coming to an end. We left Tinka’s at 7am and drove the 6 hours to Entebbe airport. After having lunch at the airport and saying goodbye, our driver and I headed back to Bigodi.
This was an absolutely amazing vacation!
Saturday May 30- Jinja
After spending an amazing day rafting the Nile, we spent the evening at a fantastic lodge called the Nile Porch. The Nile Porch over looks the Nile as it approaches the falls. According to my guide book “the tents are spacious yet cozy, with inner mosquito netting and verandas facing the river”. It definitely lived up to our expectations; our luxury permanent safari tent was literally on the edge of the bank over looking the Nile. We had an incredible view of the Nile! For the first time in days we had our own ensuite bathroom. Even the bathroom had a view of the Nile! It was incredible to fall asleep listening to the mighty Nile. We awoke to a thick wall of fog over the river so we couldn’t see the Nile at all. It was awesome to watch the fog slowly break and reveal the beautiful river.
After living on “local food” for the last four months, which while it is healthier than my typical American diet tends to be a bit bland. It was such a treat to eat such great food on this trip. The Black Lantern at the Nile Porch was no exception, we had two amazing meals in the restaurant that overlooked the Nile. I’m looking forward to returning to this hotel someday.
Sunday May 31-Leave Jinja for Lake Mburo
Our driver (who is a friend of Tinka’s) picked us up from the Nile Porch in Jinja and was with us the rest of the trip. We drove back though Kampala than west to Lake Mburo, it took about six hours to make the trip. Along the way we stopped to take pictures at the equator! There was a lovely café there as well where we had lunch.
My main reason for wanting visiting Lake Mburo is that it is the closest park with zebras. I couldn’t go on an African safari and not see zebras! When we arrived in the afternoon we did a game drive where we saw my first zebra, lots of impala, buffalo and warthogs.
The entire time we were on our game drive we didn’t see any other visitors. I knew that this was not one of the busier parks but I didn’t expect it to be empty! We were suppose to stay in a safari tent but since that part of the park was completely isolated, we opted to stay in a cottage at another lodge. The cottage was very cute and had its own bathroom though no electricity or running water! We were awoken at about 2am by the sound of something outside our window. It sounded like a warthog or larger animal grazing but every time I looked outside I couldn’t see anything. That kept us awake for awhile for fear it was going to start grazing on the cottage which wasn’t really very study. Just when we were relaxed enough to go back to sleep, we heard lots of scurrying in the ceiling, which was probably just a rat or lizard but was unsettling. I got to sleep about 4am and I think Sharon was up the rest of the night!
Monday June 1- Arrive at Queen Elizabeth
We awoke at 6am so that we’d have time for breakfast before our game drive and the four hour to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The game drive was great as I got to see lots of zebras !! We got fantastic pictures of them. I don’t know whey they fascinate so much though I did grow up in horse country in northern Virginia and never saw a stripped horse!
We arrived at Queen Elizabeth National Park a little after 1pm which gave us some to check in to our lodge for the evening and have lunch before our 3pm boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. We splurged for this and stayed at the luxury Mweya Safari Lodge. According to my guidebook and everyone I know this is one of the most beautifully situated lodges in Uganda. Some have described it as a Sheraton in the bush. After staying there I totally agree and it was worth every penny! As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a butler with hot washcloths and fresh glasses of passion fruit juice. The entire lodge offers amazing views of the bank of the Kazinga channel. We could see elephants and buffalo grazing as we were eating our lunch. The food in lodge was fantastic, as good as any four star restaurant back in the states! We both had salads for lunch which is a real treat for me as we can’t eat raw veggies in Bigodi.
After lunch we went on the boat ride which was wonderful and unlike our last boat ride, we didn’t get caught in a storm this time. It was about two hours long and we saw tons of elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, water birds, and hippos. In comparison to the other two parks that we visited this week, we saw more of everything here at Queen. Instead of seeing a family of three elephants we’d see a heard of more than twenty! Instead of a handful of buffalo, there would be twenty-five or more on the bank of the channel. We passed a small island that was full of at least six different species of water birds!
When we returned to the lodge from our boat ride, we went to the spa and had massages! Oh what a treat and they were only $20 per person! I consider a real shower a luxury these days so this was blissful. Afterwards, we had pre-dinner cocktails in the bar that reminded me so much of the Grove Park Inn with its large fireplace and stone accents. Instead of a view of the mountains, we had an amazing view of the channel. The drinks had great names like hippos delight! Dinner was phenomenal, I had fried corn fritters to start and Sharon had the most amazing spinach/mushroom soup I’ve ever had. For the main course, I had chicken cordon blu that was out of this world and Sharon had pork that was also amazing. We both had the chocolate cake for desert-who’s going to say no to chocolate cake!
Tuesday June 2-Queen Elizabeth day 2 and drive to Bigodi
On the one day on this trip where I could sleep in, at about 5:30am I was awoken by the sound of elephants. Sharon questions how I knew it was an elephant and not another African animal but since a large heard was gathered on the other side of the channel; I say it was likely that it was an elephant! Whatever it was, it was very cool. Since I was already up, I went outside on the veranda to catch up on my journaling. While I was there, I witnessed the most amazing sunrise over the channel. It was absolutely breathtaking! It seemed like we could see for miles in ether direction.
We had an incredible breakfast buffet complete with fresh passion fruit juice and nutella for my pancakes! I’ll admit having banana’s, bread, and tea day in and day out for breakfast gets a bit old so this was a real treat! I didn’t want to leave this incredible hotel any earlier than we had too, so we didn’t check out till after 10:30am. This is definitely a place that I want to come back to some day.
We did our last game drive as we departed Queen Elizabeth. On our way out of the park we saw elephants, antelope, warthogs, and lots of birds! We stopped at another equator marker, a salt lake, and a sign post saying DRC is 27 km to take pictures. The stop at the salt lake was a little dramatic as I fell, reinjured my left leg and broke my camera! I think I was more upset about my camera than my leg as the camera was a bon voyage gift from my NC friends. Our driver loaned me his camera for as long as I need it and Sharon took the camera back to the states where it will be fixed!
It was about a 4 hour drive back to Fort Portal and than it’s only 45 minutes to Bigodi my home away from home. As we got closer to Fort Portal, the landscape gradually changed from the tall grasses and scraggly trees of the savannah that we saw at Queen Elizabeth to the lush green foliage and mountains that signal that I’m getting closer to home. I can truly say after traveling a good portion of this amazing country that my favorite area is the one where I live. I am blessed to live on the outskirts of a lush tropical forest and at the foot of the Ruwenzori Mountains!
In Fort Portal, we stopped at the post office where I had three packages waiting for me! One had been mailed on April 8th, so I was thrilled that it had arrived safely. I have been so blessed on this entire journey to be supported by such amazing friends and family. If you have mailed a package, please don’t lose hope –I’m sure it’s on it’s way but the mail can be very slow here.
This evening, we stayed in the tree house in Kibale National Park just a few miles from where I live. The tree house is deep in the forest (it’s a little less than a mile trek to get to it) and has a great view of a swamp that is often frequented by elephants. While we didn’t see any elephants, it was very cool to wake up to the sounds of the forest.
Wednesday June 3- Chimp Trekking
In the morning, we set off on our 3 three hour trek though Kibale National Park to see the famed chimpanzees. I had gone chimp trekking in February and after four hours of very difficult trekking though the forest we had failed to find the chimps. Luckily, this time was different. Within just about 30 minutes, we found over 30 chimps eating high up in a fig tree. It was amazing to watch them eat and play high up in the trees. After watching for over an hour, we followed a few as they came down to the ground and was able to watch one male chimp while standing only about five feet away. It was fantastic!
Afterwards, we took a boda-boda (my favorite means of transport) back to Bigodi and had lunch at home. In the afternoon, Sharon decided she wanted to get her hair braided. We sat outside Betty’s hair shop and attracted half the women in the village as they watched the muzuga get her hair braided! The women were having a workshop on making paper beads so as Sharon was getting her hair done I got to learn how to make beautiful beads out of paper.
Thursday June 4-Bigodi
The original plan had been to leave Bigodi this afternoon and stay in Fort Portal for the evening. However, we were having such a great time in Bigodi and at Tinka’s that we decided to stay another night. In the morning, we went on a guided walk of the Bigodi wetland (this was my eighth visit to the wetland). We had a great walk and saw so many of the animals that live in the wetland, including five different primates, the great blue turraco, and other wonderful birds! We were able to see four different species of monkeys playing in the trees! The only bad part was nearing the end of our walk I was stung by a wasp! I hadn’t been stung in over 25 years. Our guide wanted to put kerosene on the sting which is a local remedy however I refused as I had a first aid kit back at my house with western medicine.
Sharon got to experience a traditional Ugandan meal at lunch. There were three other American’s at the house for what I call “tourist” lunch. Tinka gives a presentation on traditional Ugandan customs and afterwards everyone feats on a traditional meal. We had spinach/carrots, fried cassava, mattoke, groundnut sauce, posha, rice, beef stuff, sesame sauce, and pineapple for dessert-yum!
After lunch, we walked to Bigodi primary school and visited the p4 class which is taught by my friend Alex. Due to the kids break and my safari, I hadn’t seen most of them in well over a month so it was great to get back in the classroom. We talked to the kids about our trip and quizzed them about animals found in each park. Afterwards, they sang traditional songs and preformed dances. As usual it was very touching. I love those kids!
In the evening, we walked around the village and met some of my friends. We visited Irene who operates the local restaurant near my house. Irene is always great for getting the local gossip though sometime she tells me gossip about my self! Our next stop was to see Helen who is Irene’s mom, she who founded and runs the Bigodi peanut butter project. Over ten years ago Helen started buying groundnuts ( peanuts) from the local women and making peanut butter. The project now supports over 40 families in the area! Helen went to NC in 2000 and even named her last born after my boss at the NC Zoo! Our last stop was to visit Alex in his store in the trading center. Alex has been a member of UNITE for years and got to visit NC on one of our teacher exchange programs. He currently teaches p4 at Bigodi primary. After school, he comes to the trading center where he operates his store for a few hours every afternoon. Every time, I come in Alex insist on giving an avocado or a bunch of banana’s because as he said everyone in NC treated him so well!
Friday Jun 5- Trip to the airport
It’s hard to believe this amazing trip is coming to an end. We left Tinka’s at 7am and drove the 6 hours to Entebbe airport. After having lunch at the airport and saying goodbye, our driver and I headed back to Bigodi.
This was an absolutely amazing vacation!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Back from Safari- part 1
Wow, what a trip! Sharon and I had an incredible time touring four of Uganda's National parks, rafting on the nile and other grand adventures!
I have posted a few pictures that can be viewed at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97753&id=572152211&l=0573b5d2bb. You do not need to have a facebook account to view the pictures.
Wednesday May 27- After spending Tuesday evening at the Red Chili hostel in Kampala eating great food and meeting people from all over the world including Durham NC, we left early Wednesday morning for their "Big Five" trip. I had heard great things about this trip from another American so I was very excited. In the upcoming three days we were going to have an opportunity to view the "Big Five"- leopards, lions, elephants, hippos, and rhinos.
It was about a seven hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park from Kampala. Once we arrived, we took a guided walk around the falls. Having left for Safari with bronchitis, being an asthmatic and walking during the hottest part of the day- I'll admit the walk was challenging to say the least. However, it was so worth it!! There are actually two falls and they are both amazing. It reminded me of my many visits with my father when I was younger to Blackwater falls in West Virgina, expect so much bigger. My dad would have loved this trip.
In the evening we stayed at Red Chilli rest camp in the park. We had a wonderful safari tent with two real beds, luxury camping! The canteen for food and drinks over looked an incredible veiw!
http://www.uwa.or.ug/murchison.html
Thursday May 28- By 6:45am we were loaded in the safari van with our packed breakfast ready for our first game drive. We took a fery to cross the Nile for a 4 hour game drive around the Nile Delta area of the park. This is where the most big game gathers and where there are spectacular views across Lake Albert towards the Blue Mountains of the Congo and northern Uganda.
We saw lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, babbons, monkeys, a phython, many types of antelope, hippos, and lots of differnt birds! One babbon even climbed up the back of our van and into top to grab one of the girls breakfast sandwich! It was truly amazing to see all of these incredbile animals in their natural haibatats.
After lunch we departed for a 3 hour afternoon boat launch trip up-stream towards the base of Murchison Falls. We were able to see more hippos, Nile crocodiles, more buffalo, elephants and lots of birds. It was a little nerve wrecking when it started to thunder and lightening while were were on a boat in the Nile!
We spent another night at the rest camp- enjoying the food, great view and company.
Friday May 29- By 8am we left Murchison Falls for the trip back to Kampala. On the way back we stopped off at a Rhino sanctuary where we tracked Rhinos! The trek wasn't long, we did the first 15 mins in the van than the last 15 mins by foot though 5 foot tall grasses. It was amazing to see the rhinos- they were gigantic!
http://www.rhinofund.org/
Saturday May 30- Jinja- At 7:45am we were to leave Red Chilli Hostel in Kampala where we spent Friday night for Jinja where we were to go white water rafting. Being the ever pone acciedent one, while carrying my 40 pound back pack up the hill towards the bus, I fell and twisted my right ankle while skinning my left leg pretty bad. Sharon went and haltled the bus while I got bandged up and back on my feet. Thankfully, I had my first adi kit with us so I was able to take of my leg and my ankle.
We than rode about an hour and a half to Jinja, where we rafted the mighty Nile. Given the excitement of the morning and the beating sun, we opted for the half day trip. Even so we rafted eight rapids, three being class five! It was an incredible experince. The company we went with was fantastic and provided the free shutlle from Kampala, breakfast, fresh pinapplle on the river ( there is nothing like Ugandan pineapple), and a barbeque dinner! My only regret is that we couldn't have our camera's on the river so I couldn't capture the incerdible bird life and people on the banks of the river washing their clothing.
.http://www.raftafrica.com/
http://www.nileporch.com/
I have posted a few pictures that can be viewed at
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=97753&id=572152211&l=0573b5d2bb. You do not need to have a facebook account to view the pictures.
It was about a seven hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park from Kampala. Once we arrived, we took a guided walk around the falls. Having left for Safari with bronchitis, being an asthmatic and walking during the hottest part of the day- I'll admit the walk was challenging to say the least. However, it was so worth it!! There are actually two falls and they are both amazing. It reminded me of my many visits with my father when I was younger to Blackwater falls in West Virgina, expect so much bigger. My dad would have loved this trip.
In the evening we stayed at Red Chilli rest camp in the park. We had a wonderful safari tent with two real beds, luxury camping! The canteen for food and drinks over looked an incredible veiw!
http://www.uwa.or.ug/murchison.html
Thursday May 28- By 6:45am we were loaded in the safari van with our packed breakfast ready for our first game drive. We took a fery to cross the Nile for a 4 hour game drive around the Nile Delta area of the park. This is where the most big game gathers and where there are spectacular views across Lake Albert towards the Blue Mountains of the Congo and northern Uganda.
We saw lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, babbons, monkeys, a phython, many types of antelope, hippos, and lots of differnt birds! One babbon even climbed up the back of our van and into top to grab one of the girls breakfast sandwich! It was truly amazing to see all of these incredbile animals in their natural haibatats.
After lunch we departed for a 3 hour afternoon boat launch trip up-stream towards the base of Murchison Falls. We were able to see more hippos, Nile crocodiles, more buffalo, elephants and lots of birds. It was a little nerve wrecking when it started to thunder and lightening while were were on a boat in the Nile!
We spent another night at the rest camp- enjoying the food, great view and company.
Friday May 29- By 8am we left Murchison Falls for the trip back to Kampala. On the way back we stopped off at a Rhino sanctuary where we tracked Rhinos! The trek wasn't long, we did the first 15 mins in the van than the last 15 mins by foot though 5 foot tall grasses. It was amazing to see the rhinos- they were gigantic!
http://www.rhinofund.org/
Saturday May 30- Jinja- At 7:45am we were to leave Red Chilli Hostel in Kampala where we spent Friday night for Jinja where we were to go white water rafting. Being the ever pone acciedent one, while carrying my 40 pound back pack up the hill towards the bus, I fell and twisted my right ankle while skinning my left leg pretty bad. Sharon went and haltled the bus while I got bandged up and back on my feet. Thankfully, I had my first adi kit with us so I was able to take of my leg and my ankle.
We than rode about an hour and a half to Jinja, where we rafted the mighty Nile. Given the excitement of the morning and the beating sun, we opted for the half day trip. Even so we rafted eight rapids, three being class five! It was an incredible experince. The company we went with was fantastic and provided the free shutlle from Kampala, breakfast, fresh pinapplle on the river ( there is nothing like Ugandan pineapple), and a barbeque dinner! My only regret is that we couldn't have our camera's on the river so I couldn't capture the incerdible bird life and people on the banks of the river washing their clothing.
.http://www.raftafrica.com/
http://www.nileporch.com/
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
16th week in Uganda
1. Back to my first love-I love training teachers but having spent seven years working in museums, it was great to return this week to training tourism site staff. While working in the museum field I always worked in the education department in fact I even got a Masters in Museum Ed, so I have a passion for working with youth in museum settings. Here in Uganda many tourism sites treat school groups as they would any other tourist group. Of course, children are not your average tourist so it was good this week to train two sites on working with school groups. We covered ages and stages of youth development, basics of experiential education, and alignment with the national curriculum!
2. Ants a delicacy- For months, I had refused to try eating ants. I finally gave in this week when thie kids where having them as an afternoon snack. They were umm crunchy but not too bad though I’ll admit, I didn’t go back for seconds.
3. Chopsticks anyone- About four years on a trip out of the country Tinka picked up a set of chopsticks however they had never been used because no one knew how! Like any good American, I know how to use chopsticks! So there I was in a rural African village teaching Deuce (one of Tinka’s sons) how to eat Africa food with chopsticks!
4. Rain, rain go away- While everyone in Bigodi is very thankful to have the rain so they can finish planting their crops, I however wish it could rain with the sun shining so I could still get a little solar power! This week has been challenging to get a charge on the computer as it has been raining a lot.
5. Saying goodbye- I’ll admit it, it was hard to say goodbye to Katatito this week. I had gotten quite attached to the little guy even though he chewed some of my books and clothing. After fostering him for over three weeks and helping him get rid of his fleas, worms and double in weight – it was time to give him to a good Ugandan family before he got too used to being spoiled by a Mzunga!
6. Bronchitis- So one of the challenges of living Uganda for me is dealing with allergies that trigger bronchitis. This week I’ve had my second bout of bronchitis since I’ve been here. It was bad enough that I finally gave in and took the 1 z-pack (antibiotic) that my doctor let me bring with me. I was saving it for when I was really sick and decided this was it, plus I wanted to be able to travel next week with my friend Sharon from the states. It seems to be working very slowly but hopefully I will kick this thing soon.
7. Boxes, boxes- I have been so blessed to get so many packages while I’ve been here- in fact three padded enveloped arrived this week! However, none of the five boxes that people have sent have arrived yet, one was sent over 7 weeks ago L I have been told by my British friend Julia not to give up hope so let’s hope they come soon.
8. Off on safari-I haven’t done much traveling since I’ve been here so I am so excited to travel around the country with my friend Sharon. Here is our itinerary:
Wednesday May 27- Depart Kampala for Murchison FallsIn the morning we leave Kampala on a group tour for the long drive up to North to Murchison Falls National Park.Murchison Falls is a waterfall on the Nile. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a seven metre gap in the rocks and tumbles 43 metres down, then flows westward into Lake Albert.Once we arrive at the falls we will go on a guided walk around the cliffs and right up to the edge of the Falls themselves.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/murchison.html
Thursday May 28-Murchison FallsEarly in the morning we will cross the Nile for a 4 hour game drive around the Nile Delta area of the park. This is where the most big game gathers and where there are spectacular views across Lake Albert towards the Blue Mountains of the Congo and northern Uganda. There is a very high chance of seeing lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe as well as many types of antelope and varied bird life. After lunch we will than depart for a 3 hour afternoon boat launch trip up-stream towards the base of Murchison Falls. Hippos, huge Nile crocodiles, more buffalo, antelope and fantastically varied bird life abound.Friday May 29- Leave Murchison Falls for KampalaWe will leave early to drive to a Rhino sanctuary where we will track Rhinos!
http://www.rhinofund.org/
Saturday May 30- Jinja- White water rafting the NileToday we head about 90 mins east of Kampla to go white water rafter on the Nile. We will spending the night in Jinja.
http://www.raftafrica.com/
http://www.nileporch.com/
Sunday May 31-Leave Jinja for Lake MburoOur driver will pick us up from our hotel in Jinja and will be with us the rest of the trip. On our way out of Jinja we will stop at the source of the Nile. Than we will drive back though Kampala west to Lake Mburo. When we arrive in the afternoon we will do a game drive where we hope to see zebra, impala, buffalo and warthogs.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/mburo.html
Monday June 1- Drive to Queen ElizabethWe pass the equator on our way to Queen and will stop for pictures. When we arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park, we will do a boat ride on Kazinga Channel. It is about two hours long with elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, and hippos seen on a daily basis. We are going to splurge tonight and stay at the Mweya Safari Lodge. According to my guidebook and everyone I know this is one of the most beautifully situated lodges in Uganda. Some have described it as a Sheraton in the bush. The dinning areas and bar offer a view over the bank of the Kazinga channel.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/queen.html
http://www.mweyalodge.com/html/facilities.html
Tuesday June 2-Queen Elizabeth day 2 and drive to BigodiWe will do a game drive in the morning around the park before we drive to Bigodi. Tonight we will stay in the tree house in Kibale National Park. The tree house is deep in the forest and has a great view of a swamp that is often frequented y elephants.Wednesday June 3- Chimp Trekking and school visitIn the morning we will do a 2-4 hour trek though Kibale National Park to see the famed chimpanzees. In the afternoon we can visit Bigodi primary to hand out books and explore the village. Tonight we will stay at my “home”. We will have lunch and dinner with the family. After dinner we will enjoy traditional story telling and dancing.
www.uwa.or.ug/kibale.html
Thursday June 4-Bigodi Wetland and Fort PortalIn the morning, we will go on a guided walk of the Bigodi wetland. After having our last meal with the Tinka family we will head into Fort Portal. Along the way we can stop at the tea plantation or Crater lakes if we would like. Tonight, we will be staying at my favorite guest house in Fort Portal. It is a very relaxing place, each room has a veranda. Dinners are amazing and I always meet the most amazing people here.16th week in Uganda
2. Ants a delicacy- For months, I had refused to try eating ants. I finally gave in this week when thie kids where having them as an afternoon snack. They were umm crunchy but not too bad though I’ll admit, I didn’t go back for seconds.
3. Chopsticks anyone- About four years on a trip out of the country Tinka picked up a set of chopsticks however they had never been used because no one knew how! Like any good American, I know how to use chopsticks! So there I was in a rural African village teaching Deuce (one of Tinka’s sons) how to eat Africa food with chopsticks!
4. Rain, rain go away- While everyone in Bigodi is very thankful to have the rain so they can finish planting their crops, I however wish it could rain with the sun shining so I could still get a little solar power! This week has been challenging to get a charge on the computer as it has been raining a lot.
5. Saying goodbye- I’ll admit it, it was hard to say goodbye to Katatito this week. I had gotten quite attached to the little guy even though he chewed some of my books and clothing. After fostering him for over three weeks and helping him get rid of his fleas, worms and double in weight – it was time to give him to a good Ugandan family before he got too used to being spoiled by a Mzunga!
6. Bronchitis- So one of the challenges of living Uganda for me is dealing with allergies that trigger bronchitis. This week I’ve had my second bout of bronchitis since I’ve been here. It was bad enough that I finally gave in and took the 1 z-pack (antibiotic) that my doctor let me bring with me. I was saving it for when I was really sick and decided this was it, plus I wanted to be able to travel next week with my friend Sharon from the states. It seems to be working very slowly but hopefully I will kick this thing soon.
7. Boxes, boxes- I have been so blessed to get so many packages while I’ve been here- in fact three padded enveloped arrived this week! However, none of the five boxes that people have sent have arrived yet, one was sent over 7 weeks ago L I have been told by my British friend Julia not to give up hope so let’s hope they come soon.
8. Off on safari-I haven’t done much traveling since I’ve been here so I am so excited to travel around the country with my friend Sharon. Here is our itinerary:
Wednesday May 27- Depart Kampala for Murchison FallsIn the morning we leave Kampala on a group tour for the long drive up to North to Murchison Falls National Park.Murchison Falls is a waterfall on the Nile. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a seven metre gap in the rocks and tumbles 43 metres down, then flows westward into Lake Albert.Once we arrive at the falls we will go on a guided walk around the cliffs and right up to the edge of the Falls themselves.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/murchison.html
Thursday May 28-Murchison FallsEarly in the morning we will cross the Nile for a 4 hour game drive around the Nile Delta area of the park. This is where the most big game gathers and where there are spectacular views across Lake Albert towards the Blue Mountains of the Congo and northern Uganda. There is a very high chance of seeing lion, buffalo, elephant, giraffe as well as many types of antelope and varied bird life. After lunch we will than depart for a 3 hour afternoon boat launch trip up-stream towards the base of Murchison Falls. Hippos, huge Nile crocodiles, more buffalo, antelope and fantastically varied bird life abound.Friday May 29- Leave Murchison Falls for KampalaWe will leave early to drive to a Rhino sanctuary where we will track Rhinos!
http://www.rhinofund.org/
Saturday May 30- Jinja- White water rafting the NileToday we head about 90 mins east of Kampla to go white water rafter on the Nile. We will spending the night in Jinja.
http://www.raftafrica.com/
http://www.nileporch.com/
Sunday May 31-Leave Jinja for Lake MburoOur driver will pick us up from our hotel in Jinja and will be with us the rest of the trip. On our way out of Jinja we will stop at the source of the Nile. Than we will drive back though Kampala west to Lake Mburo. When we arrive in the afternoon we will do a game drive where we hope to see zebra, impala, buffalo and warthogs.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/mburo.html
Monday June 1- Drive to Queen ElizabethWe pass the equator on our way to Queen and will stop for pictures. When we arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park, we will do a boat ride on Kazinga Channel. It is about two hours long with elephant, buffalo, waterbuck, and hippos seen on a daily basis. We are going to splurge tonight and stay at the Mweya Safari Lodge. According to my guidebook and everyone I know this is one of the most beautifully situated lodges in Uganda. Some have described it as a Sheraton in the bush. The dinning areas and bar offer a view over the bank of the Kazinga channel.
http://www.uwa.or.ug/queen.html
http://www.mweyalodge.com/html/facilities.html
Tuesday June 2-Queen Elizabeth day 2 and drive to BigodiWe will do a game drive in the morning around the park before we drive to Bigodi. Tonight we will stay in the tree house in Kibale National Park. The tree house is deep in the forest and has a great view of a swamp that is often frequented y elephants.Wednesday June 3- Chimp Trekking and school visitIn the morning we will do a 2-4 hour trek though Kibale National Park to see the famed chimpanzees. In the afternoon we can visit Bigodi primary to hand out books and explore the village. Tonight we will stay at my “home”. We will have lunch and dinner with the family. After dinner we will enjoy traditional story telling and dancing.
www.uwa.or.ug/kibale.html
Thursday June 4-Bigodi Wetland and Fort PortalIn the morning, we will go on a guided walk of the Bigodi wetland. After having our last meal with the Tinka family we will head into Fort Portal. Along the way we can stop at the tea plantation or Crater lakes if we would like. Tonight, we will be staying at my favorite guest house in Fort Portal. It is a very relaxing place, each room has a veranda. Dinners are amazing and I always meet the most amazing people here.16th week in Uganda
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sending children’s books to Uganda
Turns out sending kids books here is “much” cheaper than I expected!!!! My friend Sarah just sent me 5 kids’ books and two magazines for me and the entire package was $19. If you take out the magazines I bet it would be less than half that!
The trick is to send small paperback picture books, they are very light.
As I’ve written about in past blogs, the students I work with are mostly barefoot and walk long distances to attend school, the classrooms are packed with as many as 100 students to a room, and, for all of their efforts to learn, the students' classrooms are without books. Can you imagine growing up with out a book to read? Not having books has large effects here- when students are in P7 they have to take an exam to leave primary school. Since that exam is in English and students learn English as a second language but often not very well, many fail that exam and can not go on to secondary school! Having English books to read throughout primary will help them prepare for the test in addition to discovering the joy of reading!
If you are in the Raleigh area than please contact my friend Jessica jessruhle@yahoo.com,who is putting together a shipment of children’s books or feel free to ship a few here. Thank you!
The trick is to send small paperback picture books, they are very light.
As I’ve written about in past blogs, the students I work with are mostly barefoot and walk long distances to attend school, the classrooms are packed with as many as 100 students to a room, and, for all of their efforts to learn, the students' classrooms are without books. Can you imagine growing up with out a book to read? Not having books has large effects here- when students are in P7 they have to take an exam to leave primary school. Since that exam is in English and students learn English as a second language but often not very well, many fail that exam and can not go on to secondary school! Having English books to read throughout primary will help them prepare for the test in addition to discovering the joy of reading!
If you are in the Raleigh area than please contact my friend Jessica jessruhle@yahoo.com,who is putting together a shipment of children’s books or feel free to ship a few here. Thank you!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
15th week in Uganda
Wow, it's difficult to believe that I have been here 15 weeks. So many amazing adventures!
1. Mama of Katatito - If I ever decide to become a lounge singer and need a stage name, I think I'll use Mama Katatito. The family has taken to calling this since I am a mamma to my pup Katatito. Leon has stopped calling me Jamilyn and just says of Katatito when he wants my attention!
2. Its not easy being green- As my boss has reminded me Kibale National Park and rain forest like it around the world act as the earth's lungs. Kibale is also the habitat for the endangered chimpanzees. The actions of people living around the park have implications that affect us all around the world. While conservation effects have been underway here for years due to survival and lack of information there are still harmful practices that take place. For example many people still venture into the park to get their firewood which of course leads to deforestation. That's why UNITE and many other projects are working in this area.
However, there are also lots of ways in which I think Ugandan's are greener than your average American. Where I live in western rural Uganda there are very few cars. People walk or ride there bikes everywhere! If they need to go some distance they will car pool, take a taxi, or ride in a bus. It is not uncommon to see seven people crammed in a midsize car. While it is economics that prevents people from having automobiles there is an environmental benefit. Imagine if we had good public transportation even in rural areas.
Plastic bags are heavily discouraged and shop keepers even charge you for them! If grocery stores did that in America than maybe we would start brining our own bags to the store and stop filling the landfills with trash. Ugandan's are also experts at reusing everything! Tinka even has a pair of shoes made from used car tires.
3. Looking forward to school starting again- School starts May 25th and I can't wait! I have missed working directly with the teachers and the students. Most of this month has been spent working on upcoming trainings, reports, and budgets. I will miss all of the kids who have been home this month. We have had ten of Tinka's children here over break! Next week will be down to five kids, Betty and Tinka, and I - in America that would be consider a house full.
4. Upcoming trainings- I do have three trainings next week that I am looking forward too. We will be sending almost 1000 students on field trips to three area sites in the upcoming months. Next week I will be training their staff on working with school groups effectively. This is where my 8 years of museum experience, my MA in museum ed, and my years at 4-H youth development will all come in handy!
The three sites are: the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development, Toro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal, and Kibale National Park.
5. Random acts of Kindness- I stayed at my favorite guest house in Fort Portal last week for two days to take advantage of the electricity. While I was there I met a Dutch family who were on Safari. They fell in love with Katatito, as most people do when they meet him. The daughter had evidently rescued a puppy in Greece a few years ago and transported him back to Holland so they were convinced that I should bring Katatito to America. They even gave me 50 Euros (about $65) to start the bring Katatito to America fund. I tried to them that my goal is to fine him a good family here as we already have 3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 hamster, and 2 humans in my small house - we don’t need another dog. However, it was a very sweet gesture!
6. New friends- One of the best parts of this adventure has been meeting people from all over the world. At the guest house I met a lovely American family with two children who had been living in Uganda for over two years! They are running a secondary school on the other side of Renwzori Mountains. They will be here for at least three more years. The children seem to love Uganda and had a great time telling me about all of the animals they have seen here. Ironically while living in America they were members of the NC Zoo!
While sitting on the patio of a restaurant in Fort Portal, I met a Dutch man named Rob. He is traveling around the world for an entire year! He left Holland in March and has been to Kenya, Tanzania, and of course Uganda so far on his trip! He is headed to Rwanda next and latter in the year will make his way to South America. I admit I'm a bit jealous but I have learned with this trip anything is possible. Life is all about choices.
7. This week’s animal count- I have been so busy that I haven't taken my favorite tour of the Bigodi wetland in over a month! Rob coming to Bigodi gave me an excuse to go on the tour for the sixth time - it's different each time. We made the mistake of going in the afternoon when it was very, very hot so the walk seemed much longer than three miles. Thankfully even in the heat we had great luck seeing the animals, we saw three different monkeys, the great Blue Toraco which is my favorite bird here, and many beautiful butterflies.
1. Mama of Katatito - If I ever decide to become a lounge singer and need a stage name, I think I'll use Mama Katatito. The family has taken to calling this since I am a mamma to my pup Katatito. Leon has stopped calling me Jamilyn and just says of Katatito when he wants my attention!
2. Its not easy being green- As my boss has reminded me Kibale National Park and rain forest like it around the world act as the earth's lungs. Kibale is also the habitat for the endangered chimpanzees. The actions of people living around the park have implications that affect us all around the world. While conservation effects have been underway here for years due to survival and lack of information there are still harmful practices that take place. For example many people still venture into the park to get their firewood which of course leads to deforestation. That's why UNITE and many other projects are working in this area.
However, there are also lots of ways in which I think Ugandan's are greener than your average American. Where I live in western rural Uganda there are very few cars. People walk or ride there bikes everywhere! If they need to go some distance they will car pool, take a taxi, or ride in a bus. It is not uncommon to see seven people crammed in a midsize car. While it is economics that prevents people from having automobiles there is an environmental benefit. Imagine if we had good public transportation even in rural areas.
Plastic bags are heavily discouraged and shop keepers even charge you for them! If grocery stores did that in America than maybe we would start brining our own bags to the store and stop filling the landfills with trash. Ugandan's are also experts at reusing everything! Tinka even has a pair of shoes made from used car tires.
3. Looking forward to school starting again- School starts May 25th and I can't wait! I have missed working directly with the teachers and the students. Most of this month has been spent working on upcoming trainings, reports, and budgets. I will miss all of the kids who have been home this month. We have had ten of Tinka's children here over break! Next week will be down to five kids, Betty and Tinka, and I - in America that would be consider a house full.
4. Upcoming trainings- I do have three trainings next week that I am looking forward too. We will be sending almost 1000 students on field trips to three area sites in the upcoming months. Next week I will be training their staff on working with school groups effectively. This is where my 8 years of museum experience, my MA in museum ed, and my years at 4-H youth development will all come in handy!
The three sites are: the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development, Toro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal, and Kibale National Park.
5. Random acts of Kindness- I stayed at my favorite guest house in Fort Portal last week for two days to take advantage of the electricity. While I was there I met a Dutch family who were on Safari. They fell in love with Katatito, as most people do when they meet him. The daughter had evidently rescued a puppy in Greece a few years ago and transported him back to Holland so they were convinced that I should bring Katatito to America. They even gave me 50 Euros (about $65) to start the bring Katatito to America fund. I tried to them that my goal is to fine him a good family here as we already have 3 dogs, 2 cats, 1 hamster, and 2 humans in my small house - we don’t need another dog. However, it was a very sweet gesture!
6. New friends- One of the best parts of this adventure has been meeting people from all over the world. At the guest house I met a lovely American family with two children who had been living in Uganda for over two years! They are running a secondary school on the other side of Renwzori Mountains. They will be here for at least three more years. The children seem to love Uganda and had a great time telling me about all of the animals they have seen here. Ironically while living in America they were members of the NC Zoo!
While sitting on the patio of a restaurant in Fort Portal, I met a Dutch man named Rob. He is traveling around the world for an entire year! He left Holland in March and has been to Kenya, Tanzania, and of course Uganda so far on his trip! He is headed to Rwanda next and latter in the year will make his way to South America. I admit I'm a bit jealous but I have learned with this trip anything is possible. Life is all about choices.
7. This week’s animal count- I have been so busy that I haven't taken my favorite tour of the Bigodi wetland in over a month! Rob coming to Bigodi gave me an excuse to go on the tour for the sixth time - it's different each time. We made the mistake of going in the afternoon when it was very, very hot so the walk seemed much longer than three miles. Thankfully even in the heat we had great luck seeing the animals, we saw three different monkeys, the great Blue Toraco which is my favorite bird here, and many beautiful butterflies.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Great opportunity to live and work in Uganda
If you have been inspired by my stories of Uganda and are ready for a life changing adventure than I encourage to think about this opportunity. I'd be glad to talk to anyone who is interested. Please feel free to forward
Conservation Education Trainer
Bigodi, Uganda
1 year position available (with possibility of renewal) with the North Carolina Zoo’s Uganda and North Carolina International Teaching for the Environment (UNITE) program providing training and materials to aid Ugandan teachers in developing environmental and conservation curricula and activities.
Successful candidate will be based in Bigodi, Uganda.
Duties: Design, coordinate and facilitate teacher training; mentor teaching strategies; develop and implement environmental/conservation units for schools; keep Ugandan education officials informed of project; collaborate with NGO’s and other groups working around Kibale Forest; establish an electronic newsletter; design and implement project evaluation tools.
Qualifications: undergraduate degree in education or conservation required. Experience working in the developing world and/or advance degree desired.
Salary: $10,000 + travel, room and board
Deadline: 5/31/2009
Contact: Please send resume and cover letter to Carolyn.L.Brown@nczoo.org.
Conservation Education Trainer
Bigodi, Uganda
1 year position available (with possibility of renewal) with the North Carolina Zoo’s Uganda and North Carolina International Teaching for the Environment (UNITE) program providing training and materials to aid Ugandan teachers in developing environmental and conservation curricula and activities.
Successful candidate will be based in Bigodi, Uganda.
Duties: Design, coordinate and facilitate teacher training; mentor teaching strategies; develop and implement environmental/conservation units for schools; keep Ugandan education officials informed of project; collaborate with NGO’s and other groups working around Kibale Forest; establish an electronic newsletter; design and implement project evaluation tools.
Qualifications: undergraduate degree in education or conservation required. Experience working in the developing world and/or advance degree desired.
Salary: $10,000 + travel, room and board
Deadline: 5/31/2009
Contact: Please send resume and cover letter to Carolyn.L.Brown@nczoo.org.
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