Senior Couples Retreat to Northern Uganda

December 18-21 the Senior Missionary Couples in our Mission traveled to Northern Uganda for a retreat.  Our destination was the Paraa Safari Lodge in Murchison National Park.  It was an 8 hour drive from Kampala -- 50% of the time on bumpy dirt roads.  But the scenery was beautiful and we enjoyed getting to know different couples from the mission as we traveled.  The above picture shows us entering the park.  We traveled 50 more miles before reaching a ferry which transported our pickups and people across the Nile River to the lodge on the other side.

We quickly settled into our rooms and left one hour later on an afternoon safari game drive.  The following pictures are not necessarily in order, but we started with a sunrise and ended with a sunset. 

The savannah was picturesque at any time.  The weather was perfect -- not too hot nor too cold.  No jackets were needed.

Many "deer-like-animals" -- herds of them on the savannahs.

This was a Coke's hartebeest or Eland. 

 

The birds decided to decorate this tree for Christmas.  Never could find out the type of bird but they looked like large white doves.



Giraffes were plentiful but we never tired of seeing them.  This one was part of a group of eight we came upon.

They are so graceful and stood and watched us as we stood and watched them.  There is also a Cape Buffalo partially visible.

 

Thursday we took a boat ride up the Nile River to Murchison Falls.  This crocodile was sunning on the bank...

...and mouth open looking for lunch.

They open their mouths to cool themselves off.

Murchison Falls was gorgeous.  The Nile narrows down and tumbles over large boulders.  Water sprays high into the air.  It is the only un-navigable part of the Nile. 

Me celebrating having made it to the top of the falls which was about a 2-3 mile climb up from the river. 

This picture gives you a better idea of how high the water sprays as it falls.  The Nile is wide above the falls and wide below the falls but narrows down here to about 20 feet across.

Taken at the top of the falls.

This is a new part of the falls created after 1954 when they had a heavy flood season.  It joins the main part of the falls about 1/2 way down.

 

This is the main channel of the falls.

 

We came upon several groups of hippos in the river.

Baby hippo with its mother.

Wildebeest

 

Water buck

Hartebeest

 

 Steenbok

 

Eland

 

Warthog

 

Baboons outside our room at the lodge.

 

Not sure if this was an African wild dog or jackal.  

 

More hartebeest

 

Elephants and mother and baby hippo.

 

Cape Buffalo

 

Sunset on the savannah

 

Giraffe on hilltop at sunset

Acacia tree at sunset.

 

It was a fun 4 day adventure.  Besides the game drives and boat ride up the Nile, we spent time lounging by the pool at the lodge and participating in a training meeting.  Our final evening at the lodge we enjoyed a fun Christmas party and white elephant gift exchange.  All meals were buffet style and we enjoyed fish, beef, and pork...items we don't have very often.  We pretty much live on chicken and "minced beef" (hamburger) in Kampala.  Also, lots of fruits and vegetables which tasted wonderful.  Lunch and dinner always had a salad bar along with the main course, but salad bars in Uganda usually always contain cabbage instead of lettuce.  We are pretty use to that by now.