Our Evening at Ndere Cultural Center

We had a free evening after returning from Chobe and Gulu so decided to take Megan to an evening of African dancing and music at the Ndere Cultural Center.  It was one of the best things we have done here... fantastic entertainment, equal to a BYU dance performance.  The costumes were great and the Master of Ceremony was very funny.  The women were beautiful and could really "shake their booty;" the men were fantastic entertainers as well. The dances and music were from different areas of Eastern Africa.

All the dances were to music created by drums and a musical instruments they called guitars, but they looked more like harps.  The dancers moved fast and the dances were very energetic. 

The women dance in a way that resembles the hula but their hips move much faster and the whole dance is fast and energetic.  They have a feather type girdle around their hips that accents the fast hip movement.

Can you see how beautiful the Ugandan women are?  Their smiles are beautiful.  

 

The men beat the drums as they entered the stage while balancing the drum on top of their heads.  They hit the top of the drum as well as the sides. 

These drums are hollowed out tree trunks and looked heavy.  

In this dance the girls shake their hips while balancing a clay pot on their head.  They start with one pot and dance a few minutes...then dance to the sideline and another pot is placed on their head.

Some of the dancers were able to get up to 8 pots balanced on their head while dancing.

 

The entire show was performed outside and a buffet was available for an additional price if you wanted to dine while watching the show.  We passed as it is all Ugandan food -- steamed bananas, rice, beans, fruit, and goat meat.  We have not yet acquired a taste for Ugandan food...but we still have time. 

Sipi Falls and the Source of the White Nile with Megan

 

 

 

 

 

This week we traveled to eastern Uganda to cover a story that we have been wanting to write.  The Bartons are a senior couple that serve in Mbale.  They have been telling us about their Branch President and how interesting his conversion story is as well as what he does for a living.  So, we took Megan and headed east, almost to the Kenya border.  It was about a 4-5 hour drive through some beautiful country to the mountainous part of Uganda.  The Bartons (from Murray, Utah) also wanted us to see Sipi Falls ( 3 waterfalls).  So, Elder Barton drove us up to a very beautiful mountain resort. 

Our first stop was at a resort called Lancom.  This sat right above the lower falls and consisted of thatched roof cabins you could rent for the night.   

  

 

 

These are the huts at Lancom Resort near Sipi Falls.  They are beautiful inside.

Look just like any other motel inside...beds with beautiful, clean white linens, and wicker chairs and tables. 

The three of us at Sipi Falls

Lower Sipi Falls--this is the dry season so not as much water going over right now.

At the Lancom Resort overlooking the valley.  It was beautiful... like going to Park City for the day.
This is a picture of Elder and Sister Barton with Megan and me in the background.

The third and lowest of the three falls 

Middle Sipi Falls

Megan  at the Resort

On the trail up the second falls...reminded us of what the Garden of Eden would have looked like.

Sipi Falls
We are standing on a ledge behind the falls.

Behind Sipi Falls..with vines and roots hanging down in front of our lens.

In the cave behind Sipi Falls-- our African guide gave us all walking sticks to use on the trail which made it easier.

Behind Sipi Falls

The bridge over Sipi River with the falls in the background

The valley near Mbale and Sipi Falls.  The sky was very hazy as they were burning off many of the fields and getting ready to plant again.
 

 

The Bartons shared this photo with us.  It was on the door of a latrine in a village near them.  We often see writing on walls and fences stating "no urinating here" or there will be a fine.

This was a little different.  In Uganda when someone has to urinate they say "I'm going to take a short call."   

If they are going to do more than urinate they say "I'm going to take a long call."

The toilet is a porcelain bowl in the floor or a pit that you stand over.  There is no toilet paper or towels so you are expected to use your hand.  It is important you never shake someone's left hand.  The days can get mighty long.  I carry an extra roll in the pick-up for emergencies and always 2 hankies so I can dry my hands.  We carry hand sanitizer as well as we shake a lot of hands.

The Branch President in Mbale-- Alfred Owidi-- who is an Orthopedic Technologist and makes artificial limbs and prostheses.

 

On our way home from Mbale, we spent an afternoon in Jinja, Uganda where Lake Victoria narrows and becomes the source of the Nile River.  We rented a boat, called an African Long Boat,  and a guide to show us the beauty of the area.  He was full of interesting facts and information about this area.

You are actually seeing the "source of the Nile" in the center of the picture where you see the ripples and churning water.  Before they built a dam 2 kilometers downstream, there was a waterfall right here that dropped 40 feet.  That is where the water left Lake Victoria and flowed into the beginning of the Nile River. 

The ripples designate where Lake Victoria becomes the Nile

Island huts that sell souvenirs

A rock in the middle of the river whitewashed from all the birds that land there.

Local fisherman returning from a day of fishing for tilapia.

Our guide Joseph standing in the Nile at the exact point where the waterfall used to be.
In 1952 the Owen Dam was built for hydro-electrical power and the 40 foot waterfall was lost.



A pair of Cormorants 

 

Woodland kingfisher
 

African Openbill Stork
 

 Egret
 

 Pied Kingfisher
 

 Pygmy Kingfisher
 

 Vervet Monkey
 

Huts at the Gandhi Shrine on the Nile

Information about the Nile River and Gandhi Park located on the Nile River.  This River is the longest river in the world and travels over 4000 miles from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean sea. 



View of the Owen Dam at the source of the Nile in Jinja, Uganda



 





Our trip to Northern Uganda with our daughter Megan

Yes, I know it seems that all we do are game drives and party.  That seems to be a lot of what we have done over the holidays, but that is about to end.  Our daughter Megan flew in on January 1, 2014 to help us bring in the New Year.  What a delight it has been to have her with us.  We have tried to do some work while she is here but we have spent a lot of time showing her Uganda.  We spent the first few days showing her Kampala and the market shops.  She is having some cool items made at a local carver which will be incredible.  Sunday, we left church after Sacrament Meeting and traveled 5 hours to Chobe Game Reserve in Northern Uganda.  Sorry folks, the roads were so bad we decided that trip is out for future guests.  A 4 hour trip took almost 7 due to the road conditions.(unbelievable).  Anyway, Chobe was very nice, and we saw some great animals:



 

We were greeted by this Vervet monkey as we drove into the park.  Susan seemed to have hawkeyes on this trip.  She also saw the first elephants of the trip.

Chobe Lodge is right on the Nile and we arrived just as the sun was going down which made for some great photos.  Notice the sun setting pink shaded water these hippos are enjoying.  

Another Hippo

No Hippos here but a beautiful Sunset

More sunset

The beauty of the Nile

Chobe Lodge is a 5 star hotel and offers great food as well as scenery.

Monday morning we met up with the Senior Couple that serve near Chobe.  Elder Brooks Moore and several missionaries lead us to a herd of about 15 of giraffes.

 

"Mom, wait up."  This little one was running to catch up with the herd.

A lonely Kob

This giraffe is playing hide and seek.  He did not think we would notice him next to the tree if he stood still.

"Mary, get over here or those "white" people will take you."

(This is Ray's narrative you are experiencing along with the photos)

"Cousin" baboon just taking in the scenery   

These boys were not too friendly

This lizard kept us entertained while we had  lunch

The elephants made a surprise visit also during lunch.  We made a mad dash down to the river in a golf cart to get a picture for these 4 bull elephants cooling off in the Nile.

 

It was a hot day and they played in the water for a while, then retreated back into the bush.

After our lunch at Chobe we took another hour ride north to Gulu, Uganda, where Elder and Sister Moore are the MLS Couple.  (Gulu is just 3 hours south of the South Sudan border).  We helped install a "tippy-tap" (or a washing stand near the latrines) so the people using the latrine can wash their hands with soap and water.  Let will paint a picture...these people do not use toilet paper, only their hands. Until now they didn't worry about it.

We went to the Lacor Hospital to visit the patients and take them some bananas.

This is the first sign we encountered.  Needless to say, we didn't touch anybody or anything.

This policeman was run down while doing traffic duty and lost both legs.

This little girl fell into the cooking fire and was being treated for third degree burns.

This sweet girl was in the cancer ward.  While they are in the hospital, their families camp out in the hospital courtyard to feed them and help take care of them.

This is the local high school, out for summer vacation.  Notice the desk.  Yup, that is what they use everyday...dirt floors, no windows or electricity.  Ugandan's learn by rote memory.  Usually there are many more desks and benches in the classrooms...but most had been removed and were all stacked in an another classroom.

This is the outside of the high school.