Giraffes, Elephants, and Buffalo. Oh my!

After we finish our Mon.-Thurs. work week, we get to go on weekend excursions. So far we have been on three trips with our last trip coming up this weekend. The first weekend we were here our tour company gave us a tour of Kampala, the city in which we are staying. As newbies to the city, everyone was extremely excited to leave the guest house to explore! Our first stop was the Namugongo Shrines, which was constructed in honor of the 22 martyr’s that marched to their death in protest of their king and in good faith to their religion. The shrine was beautiful itself, but the large amphitheater behind it was even more impressive. Next on the agenda was a tour of the Baha’i Temple. There are eight of these temples all around the world and the one here in Uganda is incredible. The lands and gardens surrounding the Temple are absolutely amazing. The temple sits at the top of a large hill, so it overlooks most of the city. The views, the gardens, and the temple itself created such a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere. For this reason, the Baha’i Temple is definitely my favorite landmark in the city. On the tour we also stopped at the Uganda Museum to learn about the history of the country and at the Kasubi Tombs to view the burial site of Uganda’s former kings. We ended our day visiting the Lubaga Cathedral, the Namirembe Cathedral, and the Old Kampala Mosque.
For our first overnight trip, all of us gathered in the bus for a nice five-hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park. This trip did not disappoint. As soon as we pulled up to the gate we saw baboons and other wildlife running around everywhere! We took a boat ride on the Nile River to the bottom of the falls and were able to see lots of hippos, crocodiles, warthogs, water buffalo, antelope a few elephants, and a leopard!! After our boat ride we drove to the top of the falls to see the rainbow and the water crashing over the rocks. Our first day in the park was amazing and a ton of fun for everyone. On day two in the park we woke up very early for a morning safari. While crossing the Nile by ferry we were able to watch the sunrise! Our safari was amazing. We saw hundreds of animals grazing, resting, and running around in their natural habitat. None of the animals were afraid of the bus and would come up very close to us. We saw some more elephants, three different species of antelopes, water buffalo, hippos, warthogs, and many species of birds. However, the highlight of the trip was the large pack of giraffes that crossed the road right in front of our bus. These creatures are even more elegant, stunning, and adorable in person.
This past weekend we went on an overnight trip to Jinja. On the first day were took a boat ride down the Nile River to its source, Lake Victoria. It was pretty amazing to see the water change from a calm, still lake to a strong, flowing river! That night, we were able to explore the town of Jinja to do some shopping. The next day we went rafting on the Nile for the entire day. At first everyone was a little nervous and uncomfortable, but when we all got out on the river we were ready for the new experience. We did eight rapids of all different levels ranging from a 3 to a 5 with a break for lunch in the middle. Rafting was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It was so much fun and I would definitely love to try it again. Now I can officially say that I have been on an African safari and been rafting down the Nile River!