We rode all around in the boat, which was fun, and we saw lots of birds of all kinds, dragonflies, and even what we are pretty sure was a Black Mamba snake! It was at least three feet long, and was hanging like garland in a tree near the shore. Our boat driver approached closer on purpose, and one of my friends FREAKED out, yelling, Those things can jump from tree to tree, far!"
Thankfully, the snake took off when our boat was close...it was as scared of us as some of us were of it!
We saw pretty large Minotaur Lizards, too, whose bodies were about the size of my arm. And we saw water birds fishing, other birds roosting, and lots of nests. Some of the non-water birds were brightly colored - one had a blood red stomach, and another looked like a zebra with its black and white stripe like markings.
There were people fishing, too, so we saw many other boats with people hard at work.
And what a view! Three countries touch Lake Victoria (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania) and the views are spectacular! Green hills, distant mountains, lush jungle, and the vast water. Breathtaking! The photos to come later will not do it justice.
Even the land on the drive there was lush. We drove through a portion of rainforest, and apparently farther up the road than where we were, babboons just hang out by the road. We traveled alongside countless fields, and I saw a tea plantation, among other crops. And we saw cows, goats, etc. We would see some small "village houses" like I would expect in Cameroon, and within five minutes, we would be going through a town with lots of shops and advertising everywhere. There are a LOT of billboards here in Uganda, just like at home, except they are tall and not as wide.
Then we had lunch at a great restaurant, and we all had bacon cheeseburgers and fries. It was so ridiculously good. I haven't had a burger, much less one with cheddar cheese and bacon on it, in a loooooong time. Mmmmm :-)
I got to go to one of the nicest grocery stores in the city on the way home, and it was like walking into one in the States. It smalled like one, was lit like one, offered most of the same items you'd buy at home, some with variety and choices, and the checkout counter was like home. You don't realize how different things can be until you've experienced it, and it is hard to describe how the subtle differences add up. I wish I could have stocked up on soy milk, since they had several kinds, but I don't want to have to figure that out with traveling.
It took a loooong time to get home, because we hit downtown traffic...way worse than home in Jacksonville ever is. There are people selling stuff on the street, and constantly maneuvering bodabodas (motorcycle taxis), in addition to all the cars. We were near where embassies and government buildings are, so we saw beamers, Benzes, etc. We enjoyed most of our drive, however, laughing at the random things the people were selling (vanity mirrors, childrens' toys, chargers [how would you match that up?], and pretty much anything that they could carry. They should sell cold drinks...those would sell! We cheered on one man who ran after a car where he had a potential sale, and they bought the carrots successfully when they stopped again in traffic, just long enough to make their exchange before the car advanced again! We clapped and waved at him, and he raised his fist, triumphant. Too funny. We also enjoyed people watching in that very international area, and we got a laugh when some people were doing the same thing, and staring at us.
It passed our time, and finally we arrived back home.
Everywhere we have gone screams progress - Uganda and Ugandans want to work toward a greater, more successful future. They are more advanced than Cameroon already. They have some significant hurdles to overcome as of yet, but the people seem committed to working hard and gaining progress.
We'll be airport bound soon....I will be sad to leave my friends. Being with them, and visiting some of the more western places, has often tricked my brain into thinking I'm at home, or somewhere in the States.
I am excited to get back to the bush, teaching, my friends there, and my quiet life, now that we are finished traveling. But I am really going to miss my friends, and home now, I think. I really can't believe that I will be going home to Florida in only two and a half months. Time really has flown in many ways, though I know I will never be the same as before this experience. God is good. I've learned a lot. I've gained perspective and vision. I still don't know what God's next step is for me with certainty, but I know that He will provide what I need in it.
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