Blogs from Eastern Region, Uganda, Africa - page 15

We rafted the Nile, it was awesome!! Too bad we didn't have a water proof camera with us to show you what the rapids were like instead we bought the DVD. They say that the rapids on the Nile are probably some of the best grade 5 rapids in the world. The water was warm, so it didn't matter if we fell out (which Kathie did on the rapid they call "Silverback" - a giant wall of water) and the water is deep enough that you don't really have to worry about hitting rocks. Being that this was Jordan's first time white-water rafting, he's decided to retire from the sport as nothing will be able to compare to the "best in the world". We also posted some pictures of the day to day stuff that you ... read more

Hi everyone!!! Sorry it's been so long since our last posting... we've had some bad luck with the internet lately. We're now back in Ngong Hills finishing up some projects and catching up with friends before we head home. I think our last post left off just before we got to our project in Uganda- here are some of the details. We stayed at a YWAM base in Jinja which was very comfortable- minus the freezing cold showers left kate trying to catching her breathe!! On our second day there, we got a roomate who also happens to be a Canadian. Melanie is a child development specialist from Calgary. The three of us had a blast together! It reminded me of being back in rez all over again! Melanie's solution to coping with the cold showers ... read more

White water rafting on the Nile River was a must do as soon as we heard it was possible. Coming out of Lake Victoria, one of the three sources of the longest river of the world, the Victoria Nile has four grade five rapids and several grade three and four (not to mention the grade sixes we completely avoided) within a day’s rafting distance. (For those not familiar with grading for rafting, grade six is un-navigable; grade one is moving water.) I’ve done rafting in the Rockies involving grade fours and thought it was pretty intense; but now I know that was naïve. It was nothing compared to this. I sat shotgun to start the trip and the first real rapid was one of the more mild grade fives. As you approach you can only see ... read more

A dawning realisation that the pineapples I planted over 18 months ago would be getting close to harvest and ever-increasing airfares made me get my finger out and take action in booking a flight to Uganda before it was too late. Denise couldn't get the time off so I travelled on my own. Here's my notes of the journey taken from my diary: "On plane somewhere over Ethiopia. That strange sense of destiny rises up again. Airline meals - that bouncing bomb effect of explosions of delight at consuming each morsel! What is it that produces such paroxysms of pleasure? Don't know. Partly the false sense of getting something for nothing perhaps?! Excellent journey - 3 seats to myself, charming Kenyan Airways staff (not-the-all-too-often-pretentious-smiles-but-raised-eyebrows-when-you're-out-of-sight-crew). Amazing too that this ticket has cost the same as it did ... read more

Hello! Since you have come to check out my blog, you are probably wondering why I am going to Uganda. As of last year, I signed up with the University of British Columbia's Go Volunteer program. It is a non-profit organization that matches suitable candidates with different countries around the world. It is an affiliate with GAP projects. There are many types of placements that you can choose from. There are health, caring, teaching, and conservation programs. When I joined with them, I wanted to do a placement in either a caring or health capacity. As luck turns out, a placement in Uganda offered me a placement that consisted of both caring and health with a group called TASO. TASO or The Aids Support Organization is an organization devoted to reducing the stigma attached to AIDS ... read more