Happy 1 month Anniversary in Uganda!

Well, I’ve officially been here one month!  It still hits me with full force at times when I’m looking at a particularly beautiful and unique vista, on the receiving end of a distinct smell, getting excited over the extra helping of chiapatti I received, or running away from the 4 inch grasshopper on my pillow in the middle of the night…that I’m in Uganda halfway across the world!  I started thinking back to everywhere I’ve been throughout the world.  I’ve really been so blessed and lucky enough to have been able to spend several months in several different countries.  Not to mention significant time in many countries all throughout the world.  I've even been able to see most of our amazing country.  This is my second time on the African continent and I’m just in love with it!  I’ve been somewhat grounded this past decade while having children, but my wanderlust is once again ignited and I must admit, I’m already day dreaming where we are going next!  I really am lucky to have seen so much of this beautiful world and learn about so many different cultures and meet so many different kinds of people, especially for extended periods of time in many cases.  There’s nothing like it.  So happy 1 month anniversary to me!  And most importantly, thank you to everyone who has helped make this, the most important trip of my life, possible.

 

Our safari was such a fun getaway from the stress of our process.  We headed out 30 minutes late because I couldn’t fine the Dramamine for Charlie and the roads the last 2-3 hours are very bad.  We made it through the rough roads o.k. though and practically ran into a family of baboons along the way.  We got to the ferry that is suppose to take us across the Nile River at 2:20.  We found out the 2:00 had just left and the next one was 4:00!  So we sat in the sun, eating our granola bars and dried fruit, savoring our last drops of water, throwing rocks into the Nile and watching the 4 elephants across the river from us…for 2 hours. 

We pulled into the beautiful Paraa Lodge, complete with thatched roof, and were greeted with cold towels and passion fruit juice. Our room opened out into the pool so of course we had to have a quick swim before dinner.  This was Kirabo’s first time swimming and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go as he has a really difficult time with change.  We are talking ‘can’t change his seat in the car or at the table ever or he completely melts down’ kind of difficult.  I put his floaties on and turned around to put my bag down while Charlie dove in the water.  Then, I hear another splash and giggling.  I turn around and Kirabo had jumped in the deep end behind Charlie.  Charlie and Kate start giggling for a split second before we all realized what had happened.  It became quickly apparent that the floaties were a waste of space and that while floating, he was not pulling his head up.  I snatched him out of the water and dried off his face thinking I had just ruined swimming for him and then he flashed me a huge smile and off we went to the shallow end.  He sure clung to me tightly but he loved it.  He loved to play in the kiddie pool and start water fights or splash us while we sat at the swim up pool bar and drank freshly squeezed mango juice.  I accidentally insulted the waiter by asking if the juice was freshly squeezed.  Francis just looked at me and shook his head. 

The next day we woke up at 5:40 am and headed out on our game drive.  There had been 3 lion sightings the morning before so we were really hoping we'd see one.  We drove for 3 hours in our Land Cruiser with open windows and sun roofs so we wouldn’t miss a thing.  Well, we didn’t see a lion but we saw everything else on the beautiful Ugandan savannah.  We got home for breakfast  and went swimming again.  Kirabo took a quick nap while Francis and Charlie played Scrabble. Then we were off on The African Queen, our river boat ride, that would take us to see the spectacular Murchison Falls.  Our boat was named after the Hepburn/Boghart movie of the same name that was filmed in this area.  Along the way, we saw hippos galore, elephants, game, crocodiles, and beautiful birds including eagles and vultures.  The waterfall did not disappoint and we were all very relaxed upon our return.  We finished our day with another swim and mango juice while Francis and Charlie battled each other in chess.  We ate a delicious Ugandan dinner and the 4 of u slept well in our 3 twin beds pushed together under the same mosquito net.

Today is Saturday and we are on our way home.  I received news on Friday from Victoria, the same lawyer that urged me to go on our safari, that my passport was ready and they are insisting I have to pick it up myself instead of her and I should’ve stayed home.  As I have to have everything turned into the Embassy by Monday at 10 am I asked her if we can get it before then on Monday morning.  There’s nothing we can do about it now so I’ll just hope.  As for problem #2, the judge told the clerk on Thursday when he travelled to Masaka, that he would make the change to my court papers but he wouldn’t do it on Thursday.  So the clerk went back down Friday and he came home with the papers.  12 hours of driving in 2 days...yikes!  Then, Friday afternoon, my witnesses still hadn’t been contacted by the lawyers so I reminded them for the 10^th time to do so.  Francis, called them for me so we could make sure they at least knew when to come to the Embassy and we realized the great aunt who lives hours away in a remote village had a broken phone.  We called some people we knew were working in her backyard and tried to get to her through them.  Meanwhile, I’m wondering what I’m paying my lawyers for!  In the end, they all know to meet us at 2:00 at the Embassy on Monday and I am meeting the clerk at the passport office that morning at 8 to get the passport and my court papers.  Let’s hope it all comes together! 

The setting expectations side of me says, ‘while we have narrowly avoided some potentially huge delays in our process, nothing is certain and anything can happen at anytime.’  The optimist in me says, ‘All signs are pointing to coming home next week.’  We’ll see which side prevails, but I am ever the optimist…