Day 2

We woke up at 7:30 even without the wake-up call that never came. Breakfast was minimalistic but had fried eggs, cereal and pineapple. CNN covered Ostrich racing and there was an update on US drone attacks. We locked stuff in the safe and headed around the corner to the Nile River Explorations Company. We paid our $125 each and proceeded to a second breakfast of flat bread, pineapple, hardboiled eggs and hot tea. We sat out in the yard, rather than on the porch where the videos were showing of past trips.
We met 8 med students who had been working in West Uganda for the last 6 weeks, mostly treating malaria. Their motto: assume malaria.
Juma was the group leader (couldn’t help but think of the bad guy in 24) and prepped us up with several jokes before we got our life jackets and helmets. No shoes allowed.

We loaded up about 20 to a truck and set off for the embarkment point, where we took a picture before leaving everything behind.
We joined the 4 girls from the medical group and Juma himself – both at Bree’s request.
Our expedition group was eclectic. We had a group of guides who came from Nairobi because the water was too low on their river. We had a group of teachers who had come to support a school. There was a guy and a girl who were volunteers at a Dutch orphanage, as well as a Mercy Cops intern from South Dakota.
Two of the girls – Allara and Stephanie – were from Australia. Sarah was from New Jersey – attending Wheaton College. And Ashley from Ireland.
Juma represented Uganda in the 2004 Australian Olympics in kayaking.
After introductory techniques, we were straight into Grade 3 rapids. On the second set, we had our first flip… of several.
Lots of Grade 5 rapids. Lots of fun.
Beautiful along the river – no development and also no crocodiles. The only civilization we saw were people washing clothes and an occasional canoe.
Overtime and the Waterfall were straight after our lunch of pineapple and Glucose cookies.
Swimming felt wonderful.
The temperature of both the water and the air were perfect, with the exception of when it started raining and got a tad chilly.
The Bad One and the Other one – we had to walk around a Grade 6 to get to them. Bree switched boats just to be safe.
Juma was from the village at the end, had been a guide for 9 years. Told us the scoop on rival guide companies and the legends of the boy who got taken by a crocodile, and the long Nile perch.
Wants to get rich, starting a company Juma and Kids.
Sad that the government doesn’t support kayaking.
Also wants to open a chips and burger place.
Believes that many Africans will be very disappointed when Obama Is not able to let all of them move to the US nor make all of their countries like California. Kenyans especially – if you get pulled over by the police, instead of paying a bribe, just say you are related to Obama or his mother.
If they are serious though, pay 10k schillings. If joking, pay 2k. Girl with big booty worth 10 cows. Small = 1 chicken. Save money later on on baby wraps.
When we had arrived, they took us to a base camp for a hot meal of BBQ beef, flat bread, rice, potatoes and guacomle.
Beautiful view of the river. And that was our day on the Nile. The ride back was through lots of villages.
Life seemed simple – revolving around building houses, bricks and straw roofs, growing food, washing clothes, going to school.
V later explained the reliance that everyone places on those who succeed, often holding them back from every escaping the cycle.
We showered and headed to the S's for stew.
Learned a lot about Uganda.
Another great day.
Falling asleep now at 11:00

Day 1

- Woke up with 20 minutes left in flight.
- Matt was very disappointed as he somehow lost his Adams Crop Insurance hat.
- Plane descended over Lake Victoria, green fields, blue sky, white water – almost cear.
- Nice man at passport control. Had to confirm we did not have any H1N1 symptoms.
- Baggage was ready and we headed out to the greeting area.
- Lots of taxi drivers, signs and people but no one looked familiar.
- Secured a good table in the central café.
- Would be awhile before we actually bought a drink as the cashier did not have change for a 10k schilling note ($5).
- Ride wasn’t there, cell phone not working, so we settled in for some reading and waiting. TIA – first experience of This is Africa.
- Around lunchtime we began to consider that maybe this was not a case of TIA.
- Directory did not work but social networking did. In less than 6 degrees we found a person at the airport who went to a Baptist church whose pastor knew someone at the seminary who took the phone to our host.
- Took $70 ride from Entebbe to Jinja.
- Pleasant ride with Wilson.
- Lots of couches for sale, normal shops, Zain communications
- Took a long time to get through congestion in Kampala.
- Makeshift housing with people sitting on porches
- Quick cat naps and then we were crossing the Nile into Jina.
- Went to the Sunset Hotel where our friend V greeted us.
- Room with view of the Nile.
- Tea on the verdanda.
- Dinner at S’s with V, S, A and 3 kids. Got caught up on Midland connections and work at the seminary.
- Reservation for river rafting.
- Left for hotel at 9 – tired after long day with little sleep.
- Falling asleep under four-poster canopy mosquito netting. Listening to dogs bark outside. Wake up call set for 7:30.
- 10pm

Day 0

-Matt’s birthday and the day we leave for AFRICA.
- Matt was disappointed that we failed to obtain an upgrade even though he was flying on his birthday and the flight was not full. Apparently, BA does not upgrade for goodwill purposes.
- Stopped at Boots and WH Smith for some last minute travel snacks/meds/books. Not much in the book selection.
- Split a chicken fajita wrap for dinner along with our malaria pill.
- Boarded with about 30 Scouts also on their way to Uganda.
- Classic HSBC advertisements – picture of backpack 3x -> debt, fear, adventure.
- Food wasn’t bad. More room in World Traveller Plus – more luxurious than economy.
- Watched “Good.” Wasn’t that good. Someone who missed his chance to do good (multiple times) in Nazi Germany.
- Both slept intermittently – Bree found some “easy listening tunes” combined with Bose-style headphones and eye mask and no shoes worked for her.
- She even looked out the window as the plane was flying over Liberia and it was beautiful. You could even see the stars in the sky. Land below looked like giant sea.