Don't look down

I think I mentioned before what a long trip it is to actually get to Uganda, East Africa - like two days plus. Well, it just so happened, that since it took me so long to get there, it was the weekend by the time I arrived, which for our volunteers means time to play. First though, let me give you the run down of my arrival - get to the airport; get off the plane by means of stairs coming out the side (yes, just like in the movies) and walk into the airport; immigration/customs consists of 3 people sitting at a folding table checking your passport and the card that states you do not have the swine flu; pay another guy $50 for my visa and I'm in. After I gather my luggage, I realize I never talked to the Country Directors about where we were going to meet, not a big deal, but I can't stand being hounded by taxi drivers. Luckily, in every other country besides the US, the luggage carts are free and readily available for use, so I pushed my luggage around and looked for my ride; realized they were probably just late, so I hung out, all the while assuring the taxi drivers that I did have a ride and no matter how long I had to wait I still would not need their services. Just a few minutes later they arrived and we gathered my bags and started the drive toward Lugazi, where the volunteers live. I was so excited to see them! We talked the entire 2 1/2 hr ride about plans for the week - all the projects, the volunteers, the house, the country, our partners, everything! I think my tiredness was outweighed by my excitement.

So as I was saying before, I arrived on the weekend, just in time for a little fun and a break from the work week (even though I hadn't actually done any work yet). We arrived at the house, dropped my bags, ate some food prepared by the team's cook, Mary, and after throwing a few things in my back pack headed out for a five hour journey to meet up with the volunteers. Our destination was a place called Sipi Falls, north of where we were, close to the Kenyan border.

Getting there was typical for a less developed country - squished, stinky mini-buses and drivers who tell you they will take you so far and then in the end decide they aren't going and tell you to switch buses yet again. At some point along our route we realize we are not going to make it to this remote area this late at night without paying a bundle and risking our lives, so we decide to stay in Mbale at a cheap, but safe motel and join the volunteers in the morning. Luckily on our ride there, several of the other passengers direct us where we can find such a place, and one of them, who happened to be a police officer from our town, offered to escort us there. Turns out the only room they had left had one queen bed. No problem, this is what third world living is all about, right? So the three of us slept sideways on the bed under the protection of a beautiful canopy-like mosquito net for only $7.

I was so happy we decided to wait til morning, the hour drive from Mbale to Sipi Falls was absolutely gorgeous. And not having been in Uganda even 24 hrs yet, I was still just soaking it all in and loving it. The little resort where they were staying was absolutely adorable and in a perfect setting.

This is the view as we sat there eating our yummy Ugandan meal they cooked for us.

Sipi Falls is a set of three waterfalls, each one getting successively bigger. The third one is about a 300 foot drop and then the water heads out into this gorgeous, lush valley. So my first full day, I decide to jump off a cliff (ok, not really jump, just a slow drop). For about $20 I let a couple of African men lower me down the rock face next to the last waterfall. Was I scared? Yes, for a minute. But after the first few terrified steps, I realized that it was totally gorgeous and amazing and thrilling. I would do it again in a second. The last time I was rapelling was in high school and I think it was about 75 feet. That was nothing. Not only was it cool to be on the cliff right next to the waterfall, dangling in mid air, but the view of the valley and beyond was absolutely stunning. So amazing that I am running out of words to describe it. Of course, the pictures do not do it justice. It was huge. As you are going down, you only have your feet on the wall for about a third of the way, then the wall recedes and you are just dangling as you go down. Not for the faint of heart, although I would totally recommend it to anyone - it was awesome!

Looking over the edge

zoom in on the little specs at the bottom that are actually people

The view of the valley from the top

Me at the bottom, safe and sound