Back Through Uganda

On the way back through Uganda we stopped again in Kampala and stayed at the same campsite as before. It was my turn for cook group again, and the dinner was a great success! I feel like I am growing up so much!

In Kampala, the group went out to an Irish Pub that didn't even have Guinness on tap! It was a lot of fun. We danced and I drank Sapphire Tonics with ice which was very lucky treat. The next day, everyone went into town. I on the other hand watched my first rugby game on TV and sat by the pool which was about 6 feet wide and long. It was nice to have a break and rejuvenate.

The next day, I woke up early to go white water rafting on the Nile. I cannot tell you how fun this experience was. I first and foremost was terrified! Not the best swimmer, but I am an adrenaline junky. The adventure started off with a period of instruction for safety. We practiced falling out of the boat, going under the boat floating freely in rapids. It all made me feel much better.

The section of the Nile that I did raft was a class 5 which is the highest that a person can float without being highly advanced in rafting. Only a few people in the world actually raft a class 6. I managed to stay in the boat the whole time minus on the rapid called 50/50, the tour leader and I were both bumped out of the boat but managed to hold onto the safety rope.

The experience was great. We had rapids then relaxing time. We had lunch on the Nile, it was the sweetest pineapple that I have ever eaten! The last rapid that we came to was a class 6 so we had to get out and walk around it and then get back in the water for the largest rapid that we had hit yet. The first swell, I thought we for sure were going to flip. We didn't! But when we came up there was a very small spider on my leg and freaked out and almost jumped out of the boat! I manage to get him off just in time before we hit the next rapid. Such a fun day. I think I might have found a new addiction.

The next day. I woke up early to volunteer for an organization in Uganda called Soft Hope. I loved this day. It just put a lot of things in perspective. The first place that we stopped was at a small primary school. All the kids, came running out to touch us and hold our hands. They then took us to the middle of the play ground to sing us songs like "If your happy and you know it". We then introduced ourselves and they sang a song along with our name. We into the class room with them and sat at there tables. There was a little girl that was just fascinated with the difference of our skin tone. She kept touching her arm, then mine, here belly, then mine. It was very sweet.

We then went to the headquarters. Along the way there were some kids walking that just came up and grabbed our hands. The girl with me kept saying things like Mzungu girl, which basically means that she was calling me a white girl. It was cute, she should have been in school. The headquarters is a secondary school for up to grade 7. They also have a clinic that the people in the community can come to for HIV and Malaria testing. The organization seems to be a good one that I wouldn't mind doing more work for them in the future.

The volunteer work that we did was to paint a school, just the base coat. At lunch time all the kids came out and I convinced them to help roll the brush. I told them "pollee pollee" which means slow and they just loved the fact that I spoke in their language. They kept repeating me and giggling.

Bottom line I had a great time in Jinga. I would recommend it to anyone!

---

---