We went to Murchison Falls National Park this weekend, and I
had my favourite time in Uganda so far :) We got off of work early on Friday so we could drive to the park. Traffic
leaving Kampala was awful, but after we hit the Kampala-Murchison Road, almost
all was smooth sailing. We watched the city give way to green fields of corn, scattered brick houses, tropical trees, and less and less children waving to us.
We stayed at Palm Gardens Guest House, and I am blown away by the
people’s hospitality. I got a call earlier from Ronnie, our driver, asking if
there were any vegetarians in the group. It turned out the hostesses at the
hostel cooked chicken curry for us and prepared a side of vegetable curry just
for Sammi (she’s vegan). Ronnie is also super thoughtful! He bought shower shoes and towels for us because the campsite we were staying at on the second night didn't provide any (and he didn't think we would bring them). We didn't end up showering that night, but I have never met a person (much less a driver) who is so kind to people he barely even knows. When I grow up, I want to be as joyful, hospitable, and loving as him.
Our Amazing Driver, Ronnie
This post really shouldn’t have too many words. Once we got
into the National Park, we drove to the top of the world’s most powerful waterfall: Murchison Falls. 300 cubic meters of water pass
through the width of 6-7 meters every second, and it is so much more powerful
than the ocean. We got a shower at the top of the falls!
After lunch, we went on a river cruise on the Nile. We saw
so many animals! Including the ones in the picture below (from Huda’s iPhone
8+). We also saw a giant crocodile up close, but the video of it running into the water won't load so remind me to show you when I get back. The Dutch couple with the fancy cameras took a picture of us when we
got as close as safety allowed.
Elephant, Hippo, and Bee-eater
Murchison Falls from Afar
Our 2.5 hr river cruise brought us back down river, where we
went on a safari with a ranger! In addition to thousands of antelopes and
buffaloes, we saw lots of elephants, giraffes, and three lionesses. We were SO
CLOSE. It was really amazing!
What are ya lookin at?
It's a Lioness!
Giraffes
The stars were big and bright when we pulled into the campsite where we stayed overnight. We saw satellites, shooting stars, and glimpsed the Milky Way (sorry, no picture). In the morning, we crossed the River at sunrise to leave the park. We slowly drove through the savannah, then the woodland, then the rainforest. Pictures cannot capture the feeling of being in the open. And don’t tell Miller Center, but we had the best seats on the Landcruiser.
Sunrise
Better than Shotgun
This short weekend opened my eyes to the greatness (in size)
our world. I have never seen so much land all at once, and we were driving for
so long! I’ve also never seen so, so many animals. The Bible says that God
cares for even the sparrows, and I never realized how many animals He cares for, on top of the 7+ billions humans that live on earth. But He does, and
I am humbled that He chooses to bless me with such an incredible experience. Huda said she’s shook. I’m blown away. What
a creative, majestic, and beautiful God. I wonder how people can visit these
places and not worship the Creator.
Through this trip, I also realized how delicate I am. Ronnie
commented that first-time visitors are delicate; the first experience either
makes or breaks their experience. I absolutely loved this trip, but I also
learned that I can’t live in the wilderness. Every bathroom that flushes and
has toilet paper brings a sigh of relief, and I am glad we have showers that
don’t have cockroaches (dead or alive). I acknowledge that some Ugandans live in
awful conditions, but I didn’t grasp the reality until this weekend. But no, I
really don’t understand what it’s like to live with no running water and no electricity
in a house the size of my bathroom. We are all created equal, but not with equal opportunity, and I don't know how to handle that.
Well, it’s back at the office again tomorrow morning. It’s
difficult to focus after seeing the world this weekend, but as my aunty always
says, one must play hard and work hard. I played hard, and it’s again time to work
hard. Thanks for reading. Enjoy a picture of the Nile River!
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