Two photos for now... from the Entebbe Wildlife Education Center!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Kampala, Uganda
For the afternoon, we went to an Anglican Cathedral that was of significant importance to Ugandan history and missionaries’ unsuccessful attempt to Christianizing northern Uganda. Small linguistic missteps can be tragic and change history- Douglas Adams was right.
Well, today reminded me of my summer in Greece and the Native American community, which made me both nostalgic and sad. Sad not because I missed Greece, but because of all the other ridiculousness. In Greece the redheads and blondes were harassed, and don't get me wrong, I don't want to be harassed or incessantly hit on, but it would be nice to be acknowledged. The same issues is here in Uganda. Situations have occurred where it is as if I am not even there. I'm not completely white, but I'm not sure exactly what I'm supposed to be. It also makes me miss my Natives. The music, dancing and humor reminds me of home, but at home I belong there.
Uganda is beautiful. People are very kind and polite. Americans must come across as really rude bastards. When I get a better internet connection I'll post pictures.
Entebbe, Uganda & Kampala, Uganda
Thursday, 7 July
I fllew out of Knoxville at the crack of dawn (or rather a bit before dawn) to Washington D.C., and then we took a direct, 12-hour flight to Addis Ababa. I was pleased to discover that I had again packed relatively light (though not as much as I'd have liked to), and that I apparently had escaped having to tote a lot of the group paraphernalia. After a short layover, and my first African bathroom experience, we got on another plan for a 2-hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. After our small dinner at a nearby restaurant we collapsed.
Saturday, 9 July
Entebbe is a pretty town just north of the equator and sits on Lake Victoria. On Friday we went to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, which is akin to wildlife education centers in the States, though of course their local wildlife is a bit different. Following this we walked to the nearby Entebbe Botanical Gardens which were quite gorgeous... not many flowers, more like Eden with giant trees, flowing waters, and stairways that were medieval in appearance. This was followed by a delicious lunch at Goretti's Pizzeria which is seated on a beach of Lake Victoria. Palm trees shaded us and I drank Pepsi from a glass 300 mL bottle. A cool breeze sometimes caused a stir as it was mistaken for large spiders parachuting out of the trees.
Boda bodas, or the local motorcycle taxis, careened throughout the red dirt streets, narrowly dodging the minibus taxis (14 passenger vans). Like much of Europe, when encountering a paved road, the painted lines are often merely suggestions, and the horns are often used to warn drivers and pedestrians alike of approaching vehicles. The sun shines. The birds I've never seen before chirp. The day is good.
Memorable Bathroom Experience #2
I've begun to realize that the handles of toilets sometimes need to be pumped or wiggled a bit to get the toilet to flush. In my experimentation I happened to notice that the door to the adjoining stall remained closed and muffled noises seeped through the hardwood door. Later, I found out that a fellow travel heard condom discussions coming from that same stall just before a man and woman exited. Scandalous! Condom wrappers were also found at the Botanical Gardens- it's good to know that people are practicing safe sex!
This was followed by a minibus ride to Kampala, which is about a 1-hour drive north of Entebbe. In Kampala we reached the Willis Hotel, unloaded our worldly possessions and headed out for a night on the town. After a death-defying minibus drive to a tasty Indian restaurant, we stopped by an Uchumi Supermarket for water, nutella, and a newspaper. Then showers and bed.
Sunday, 10 July
Breakfast was served on the linai, before we headed to church, more specifically Miracle Center Cathedral, the largest Pentecostal Church in Kampala. Because of churches' strong ties to politics, it was important to experience the megachurch's Sunday service. With charismatic singing and dancing, we were warmly welcomed. This was followed by an outdoor Ethiopian lunch at the hotel... pictures soon.
I fllew out of Knoxville at the crack of dawn (or rather a bit before dawn) to Washington D.C., and then we took a direct, 12-hour flight to Addis Ababa. I was pleased to discover that I had again packed relatively light (though not as much as I'd have liked to), and that I apparently had escaped having to tote a lot of the group paraphernalia. After a short layover, and my first African bathroom experience, we got on another plan for a 2-hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. After our small dinner at a nearby restaurant we collapsed.
Saturday, 9 July
Entebbe is a pretty town just north of the equator and sits on Lake Victoria. On Friday we went to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, which is akin to wildlife education centers in the States, though of course their local wildlife is a bit different. Following this we walked to the nearby Entebbe Botanical Gardens which were quite gorgeous... not many flowers, more like Eden with giant trees, flowing waters, and stairways that were medieval in appearance. This was followed by a delicious lunch at Goretti's Pizzeria which is seated on a beach of Lake Victoria. Palm trees shaded us and I drank Pepsi from a glass 300 mL bottle. A cool breeze sometimes caused a stir as it was mistaken for large spiders parachuting out of the trees.
Boda bodas, or the local motorcycle taxis, careened throughout the red dirt streets, narrowly dodging the minibus taxis (14 passenger vans). Like much of Europe, when encountering a paved road, the painted lines are often merely suggestions, and the horns are often used to warn drivers and pedestrians alike of approaching vehicles. The sun shines. The birds I've never seen before chirp. The day is good.
Memorable Bathroom Experience #2
I've begun to realize that the handles of toilets sometimes need to be pumped or wiggled a bit to get the toilet to flush. In my experimentation I happened to notice that the door to the adjoining stall remained closed and muffled noises seeped through the hardwood door. Later, I found out that a fellow travel heard condom discussions coming from that same stall just before a man and woman exited. Scandalous! Condom wrappers were also found at the Botanical Gardens- it's good to know that people are practicing safe sex!
This was followed by a minibus ride to Kampala, which is about a 1-hour drive north of Entebbe. In Kampala we reached the Willis Hotel, unloaded our worldly possessions and headed out for a night on the town. After a death-defying minibus drive to a tasty Indian restaurant, we stopped by an Uchumi Supermarket for water, nutella, and a newspaper. Then showers and bed.
Sunday, 10 July
Breakfast was served on the linai, before we headed to church, more specifically Miracle Center Cathedral, the largest Pentecostal Church in Kampala. Because of churches' strong ties to politics, it was important to experience the megachurch's Sunday service. With charismatic singing and dancing, we were warmly welcomed. This was followed by an outdoor Ethiopian lunch at the hotel... pictures soon.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Caprica & Tollan Homeworld
Caprica Riverwalk Market from the Miniseries
Battlestar fans, this is me on Caprica, which also may be known as the Tollan homeworld!
Caprica
Stanley Park
The Harbor
From Stanley Park
The Harbor
The Harbor
Stanley Park
Kelp
Beach
Feet in the Pacific Ocean!
Strange Kelp Plant
??
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
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