This little weekend trip wasn't part of the original plan for Uganda but the more the adults {I still say that and I'm an adult myself-- uh... grownups? no. elders? eh. let's stick with adults.} talked about it, the more it fit. Papa Alfred & Mama Carney haven't been on a Safari in 25 years {after spending most of their adult life in Uganda} and Uncle Meredith has been to Uganda 18 times and never been on a Safari. 'Course El & I had never been on one either but that wasn't really a deciding factor;) haha
We spent most of Friday driving to our lodge which was roughly 16km from the Nile & Murchison Falls. {You can read more about it HERE}
Then on Saturday, after a leisurely morning, we drove up to the top of Murchision Falls. 14km of dirt washboard/hilly/twisty/hangonforyourlife roads! Then a short hike and you were there. Absolutely breathtaking! I've been to Niagra Falls and many other falls in the U.S. but nothing compared to this! Though they aren't as wide as Niagra, the entire Nile River has to pass through them. We were there at the end of the dry season and it was tremendous. I can't begin to imagine what the water looks like during the rainy/flood season! At one point a few years ago, they built a bridge across the falls... but it didn't last very long once the floods came!
From the falls, we drove to another lodge -new but simple- for drinks and our lunch of energy bars, ripes & peanut butter. {We had planned on eating more meals at the lodges but didn't realize our schedule would be so tight around lunches... and that's why we hadn't brought more food with us.} It also looked out over the Nile and we could see hippos & a few elephant lunching on a few of the "islands".
After a quick lunch, we drove down to the ferry launch on the Nile where we boarded our Safari boat for a 3 hour ride. I thought that I'd call my parents while waiting to set off since we didn't get a signal at our lodge. It wasn't until I hung up that Uncle Meredith says, "you realize it's around 5a their time, don't you?" OOPS! It was 3p our time and I had totally forgotten! ahhh!!
Being on the Safari boat was the only real culture shock Eleanna and I had the entire time we were in Africa. And it wasn't because of the Ugandans, it was mzungus! We had had little interaction with other mzungus the whole two weeks {other than our group} and loved being with Africans so much. At times we had mentioned how hard it was going to be to go back to the western world but we hadn't thought about it so much. Then we boarded this boat and it was FULL of mzungus- mostly europeans. They were all being really loud, drinking, smoking & sunning themselves {60 yr. old men with beer guts sunning themselves. not pretty.} and we were, to put it frankly- disgusted! Mostly it was because we hadn't dealt with people like that for two weeks but also because we realized that for many Africans, that is all they see/know of westerners! How awful is that?! And seriously people, it was a Safari for goodness sake! Not a party boat!
Anyway! Other than all of that, the boat trip was gorgeous! We didn't see as many wildlife as they typical do {even Evelyn, who's been on the trip before, was very surprised we didn't see more...including herds of elephants} but it was still incredible!
At one point our boat sidled right up to a cliff/small beach and there, not 6 feet from us, was a Croccodile slipping into the water! Of course everyone rushes to our side of the boat to see better and the captain starts calling out, "balance the boat! balance the boat!" and I'm thinking, "yeah, y'all *better* balance the boat!! I don't want to be that Croc's snack today!" haha
We rode all the way upstream to see the bottom of Murchison Falls, passing hippos, baboons, water buck, elephant, crocs, birds and other wildlife. So cool!
Later that evening, after docking back at the landing, we piled back in the Prado for a sweaty & bumpy ride back to the lodge. Arriving at the lodge,most of us headed straight to change & then dive in the pool. *sigh* It felt marvelous after a day in the sun! Showers and dinner, then an evening of journaling came next before we all fell asleep- exhausted. {oh and those hot showers were amazing after two weeks of lukewarm or cold showers every 3-4 days!}
Having breakfast together for the first time the entire trip! In Soroti, we always scrounged for breakfast and ate when we could- never all at once. {l-r: Evelyn, Eleanna, Uncle Meredith, Mama Carney, Papa Alfred}
morning devotions & journaling
looking out from the porch of the main lodge building
To the right of Uncle Meredith, El & Evelyn is an ant hill built up around a tree. Ant hills are ginormous in Africa! Like nothing I've ever seen before!
gorgeous!
Mama Carney & Papa Alfred-- back at the falls for the first time in 25 years... and probably for the last time.
looking down the Nile from the top of the falls
you probably can't tell but I'm soaked from the waist down due to unexpected heavy spray at one point!
I love how there is a woman in the background {by El's head} doing the same thing we're doing! You just can't help but lift your hands and praise Jesus- the Creator! {oh and if you can't tell- there are no railings or anything around most of the falls! you go at your own risk!}
El & Uncle Meredith
in.awe.
the necklace I'm wearing was made by Beatrice-- the seeds are found in swamps and come in different colors
There are actually two falls at this point and the Nile splits to go over them. Murchison is straight on and then another one -forget the name- goes to the left.
even better in person!
Praise HIM!!
that little corner behind Uncle Meredith is where we were standing just a few minutes before and it's a mud pit from all the spray! Our shoes were a mess afterwards! But the cool thing is that when they dry, it looks like you walked through glitter {and mud too of course} because there is tons of Mica in all the earth and rock surrounding the falls.
these are bat caves, overlooking the falls
well 'ello mr. baboon
Stoney- another African drink... basically ginger soda but very strong
our friendly guide
the captain's son-- so sweet!
weaver bird nests were everywhere! Basically, all the males make nests, and then the females fly around and pick which one they like best and then mate with the male who built it. How cool is that?! haha
texting Ugandan friends. waddup!
story of our lives during that trip! haha African dust makes you look like you went and got a spray on tan!
the name/number of our hut
feeling a little fancy in our usual clothes, just cause we're clean! funny how that works.
up next: our last day in Africa
Oh my heavens this post was awesome!!! I was laughing often with your writing because it's so YOU and your funny comments were great!! And remember us saying, "There's Micah on my shoes!!"??? :P haha
ReplyDeletehaha YES!!! and I finally remember to tell Micah about it!! haha
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