It all started when Nathan Gardner ( one of the volunteers on our teem who helps teach business classes) started doing some volunteer consulting for a local guy (Thomas) who has a furniture building business. After helping him with his record keeping, Thomas told Nate about another side business he has taking people out on Safaris. Since we have a big group and since Nathan was doing consulting for him, Thomas decided to give us a pretty killer deal on a weekend Safari.
And so it began.....
The beginning of the 8 hour trip to Murchison Falls National Park in North-Western Uganda
We eventually had to stop and get a ferry to cross a river. Olivia and Julia posing with a mamma warthog.
Me posing with the warthogs. Waiting for the ferry.
More warthogs. Timon was nowhere to be found. For most of us whose only experience with African wildlife came from Disney movies, it was cool to see them in real life.
This was truly a unique specimen. Furry and a bit crazy, it runs in a most weird fashion and tends to scare away small children. Oh yeah,, and the monkey on the right is pretty cool too. Stewart Tribe hamming it up for the camera.
Hippos by the river where we ferried across to get to the hostels where we would stay. Later that night at 3am, the girls in one of the rooms said a hippos walked right by their window.
Troy talking with our cooks. And this is what we ate for dinner. Pineapple and chickens. I have to admit, it was difficult eating dinner after hearing Stewart and Troy's account of how they were killed. But I got over it... Mmmm mmm Original Recipe for me please.
Thomas and his brother Monday... Interdigitating.... I just had to get a picture of it. The building in front of them is the kind where we stayed. We were in the one ahead and to the right of them. Other people also stayed there. Mostly students studying zoology or something.
Our first animal citing... I forgot what it was called... For the sake of naming it something... Let's call it the rare African Gazelle Thingie...
This is our guide. Taban. He was really fun and personable and he carried an AK-47. I knew I liked him from the start.
Giraffes necking... or... according to Taban, fighting.
Deer or something
Giraffes
Running away from our bus
Taban stopped the bus several times when he saw all the animals looking in one direction. Apparently that's a sure sign that a predator is in the direction of their gaze. Here he is looking for a lion for us. Since that is what we really wanted to see. We only saw one though.
Lane... lookin for lions
We stopped to take a look at an African ant/termite mound. Not many people know this about me, but I happen to be fascinated by ants. Having watched documentaries and read the entire wikipedia page about ants and seen the ant exhibit in the Smithsonian, I guess that makes me somewhat of an expert. Or not... If I had time, I'd list all of the reasons ants are fascinating. Pull me aside sometime and I'll tell you all about them. ( or just read the wikipedia page)
Taban smashed a hole in the top and pulled out a soldier termite which bit his finger and drew blood. He then ate it. We dared him to eat another one so he did. I was about to eat one and then I imagined it doing to my tongue or tonsils what it did to Taban's finger. Maybe next time I do an African safari. (So... never basically)
Taban getting ready to smash open the termite mound.
African buffalo.
Warthogs, monkeys, Giraffes
Elephants relaxing under a tree
Hippos keeping cool in the nile river.
Just a cool picture of some cliffs on our boat ride up the Nile to Murchison Falls
A Hippo
Little crocodile, big buffalo, bird, other wildlife on the bank of the Nile.
Pretty greenery
Crocodiles coming toward the boat.
Murchison Falls in the distance.
Magnificent specimen of natural beauty and power... and Murchison Falls
Some of the Help volunteers on the boat. Left to right: Troy, Stewart, Kari, Rebecca, Liz, Karly, Brianne, Taylor, Whitney, Elaine, Olivia, Lane
Murchison Falls
Me and nature
Kristen, Marissa, Jessica, and the Nile
Crocodile. I can't figure out how to make my camera take pictures right when I press the button. The crocodile was standing on the banks with its mouth open posing for a really good shot when I pushed the button.
McCall, Rebecca, Whitney, Kerri
The night after our safari, we went to a village where a local drum/dance troop performed for us. After a song or two, half of the town showed up and danced/partied with us. People here are so welcoming/inviting. And the kids love us. It will be tough going back to Provo where no one really notices you when you walk down the street. (Suggestion, If you have the desire to feel loved hugged by thousands random little kids, come to Uganda)
First song of the evening
Second Song
Drum and Dance Troop
They were so much fun. When it got darker, they started pulling us up with them do dance with them. It turned into a huge village dance party. We were all sweating like crazy.
We spent that night in these thatch roof cottage things. It was really interesting. It reminded me of the Wigwam Motels back in my home town (Shout out to Holbrook, AZ) The sunrise the next morning was amazing. I should have taken pictures. (Someday I'll figure out how to be a good photographer
The ride home started getting boring. Whitney, who was seated behind me, had some washable markers. She asked me for my arm to make a tattoo. I told her she had my permission ONLY if she made the tattoo super hard core and manly... Nothing weak-sauce... After 5 minutes of drawing, I was surprised by a pink and purple skull with crossed bones and the "super hard core" message... "Prepare 2 Live"... Not exactly what I had imagined but still pretty hard core... or something.
Whitney decided she wanted one too. I asked Thomas (the guy who runs the safari business) what hard core tattoo I should give her. He said "A Bird" (which isn't very hard core) but I did it anyway... and I gave the bird a gun and a super hard core message "Never Say Die Sucka".
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