Traveling

 

Over the past two weeks, I’ve done a little bit of traveling and it made me realize how much I need these weekend getaways!  It’s not that I dislike Kuluva, there’s just not really much to do here.  Books and movies are entertaining for a while, and riding my bike to Arua town gives me a little bit of exercise, but I need to leave site occasionally and hang out with other PCVs (not just the Arua crowd).

Kampala is a central meeting place for volunteers (because all roads lead to Kampala) and it’s also the location of the Peace Corps Administrative and Medical offices, so PCVs are frequently coming and going.  We all tend to meet up at the same hotel and then pick a place to go eat – because indulging in food is what we do in the city.  Where else am I going to find cheesy nachos with guacamole, sub sandwiches, Tofu Pad Thai, or garlic broccoli over vegetable fried rice?  Definitely not in the village.

The 8-hour bus ride from Arua to Kampala has become surprisingly pleasant.  I pack up a few snacks for the road (granola bar, apple, banana chips, a bottle of water, etc.); I know how long between bathroom stops (and ration my water accordingly); I’ve learned a little about the villages along the main road (and know where to stop for the best price on pineapples); I always ride with the same bus company and feel like the conductors recognize me (the mundu [white person] from Kuluva).  I’m pretty comfortable with the journey now.

Going beyond Kampala is always a new adventure.  I love seeing different regions of Uganda and how the landscape changes.  The north is particularly dry and dusty, while the southwest is much cooler and greener.  For the most part, Ugandan towns are kind of the same – they all have the same type of shops and restaurants.  Although there are a few towns with some perks – Gulu has a coffee shop with actual lattes and cappuccinos!  Jinja has pizza delivery!  Mbarara has a bakery!  Unfortunately, Arua is too small for any of these luxuries.

This week a group of us (from the West Nile region) decided to go to Murchison Falls National Park.  It’s only a 2-hour drive from Arua, so we went there and back in a day.  During our 4-hour game drive through the park, we saw:

·      Ugandan Kobb

·      Warthogs

·      Ugandan Crested Crane (official bird)

·      Elephants

·      A python

·      Water buffalo

·      Giraffes

·      Hippos

·      Water buck

·      Vultures

·      Baboons

·      Crocodiles

But no lions :(

(Check out the rest of my pics on Facebook and Shutterfly.)

 

And we also went for a 3-our boat trip on the Nile River and saw Murchison Falls, which was absolutely stunning.  Next time I’ll do the hike to the top of the waterfall (we just didn’t have time that day).  Since Murchison is so close, I might venture there a few times during my service.  :)

FYI – the newest Peace Corps Trainees just arrived in country!  It’s hard to believe we’re not the freshman class anymore.  Unfortunately, none of the trainees will be coming to Arua or the West Nile region.  The Peace Corps rotates regions for training groups.  I don’t know when I’ll get to meet the newbies – perhaps on some random weekend in Kampala.