Out of Africa

So I arrived back in New York today, and not surprisingly, was greeted with a hearty welcome in the form of some serious questioning at immigration. "What exactly were you doing for 3 months in Africa?" It wasn't so bad though, and I am writing this final entry from my home in NYC. Though my bag is happily sitting in South Africa...

Anyways, after leaving Uganda last Saturday, my final stop in Africa was quite arguably the unparalleled highlight. A safari in the Masai Mara during the Great Migration. The Great Migration is considered one of the 8 natural wonders of the world and is really the single most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed. In addition to numerous lions, cheetah, buffalo, giraffe, etc., every July to September, millions of wildebeasts and zebras move north from the depleted fields of the Serengeti to the Masai Mara to feast on the fresh plains. Everything I heard about it sounded amazing, but I was slightly dissapointed with the one caution, "Do not expect to see one of those Discovery Channel river crossings -- those are really rare. But expect to see millions of wildebeasts gathering and grazing together, also an impressive sight"

So, with that in mind, the first day of safari, I took in the thousands upon thousands of wildebeasts mixed in with the zebra, some antelope and the occasional predator in simple awe, thinking THIS is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The highlight was watching a group of 4 cheetah devouring the remains of a wildebeast.

But then it got better. On my second day, my driver suggested we go to the crossing point and give it a shot. And what do you know -- after 3 hours of watching the wildebeasts slowly make their way down the banks of the Mara River to dip their feet in the water, only to retreat to dry land -- all of a sudden around 4pm, a courageous group of 5 or 6 wildebeasts started down the river bank with the clear purpose of making the crossing. Almost immediately, an absolute downpour of wildebeasts began to race across the river, jumping down the steep slopes to land on their spindly legs by the base of the Mara. Over 20 minutes, tens of thousands of these strange looking cow/horse/something else mixtures poured passed two very confused hippos to the other side of the Mara River in an absolute stampede:

It has been described as the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth, and I can see why. Honestly, a perfect end to a perfect summer!

Week 12: Farewell Uganda

It's hard to believe how fast time here has gone. The two months flew by and I still cannot believe the number of great people I met along the way and whom I hope to keep in touch with. And what better way to celebrate those relationships, my farewell, and birthday than a huge bash at my homestay with 30 of my closest friends in Uganda. Peter, my homestay father, suggested we have my birthday/farewell party at home with "some pork and beer." Little did I know the incredible feast that awaited -- vats of pork, pumpkin, beef, rice, banana, beans, and so on, not to mention the huge double layer chocolate cake made by one of the other intern's host sisters. And it was great to get everyone together in one place for one last celebration -- my fellow FSD interns and coordinators, my homestay family, a few pastors I met along the way, and lastly my co-workers. I saved my co-workers for last because, for one, they arrived last, and two they got completely lost on their way over despite my supervisor Henry being good friends with Peter and having visited the house before.

Evidently, after work, 14 people piled into Director Chris's Toyota Hilux Surf. Soon after crossing the Nile, the right front tire blew out, this in the middle of a HUGE rainstorm that earlier had almost left me stranded on an island in Lake Victoria. So anyways, the group, for some reason, decided to split up, with half getting lost in a banana plantation and the other half hitching a ride in the back of a pickup. In the end they all made it -- and in quite interesting shape (let's just say they had a bit of a preparty:). It was quite a celebration and a very difficult goodbye.

It's funny, when I first came here 2 months ago, I never realized how hard it would be to take those last 2 steps on Ugandan soil before boarding my flight. I could not imagine how beautiful the country is, how nice the people are, and how at home I felt. It's a place with so much potential and so many good things that make it an unforgettable place. That makes it easy to overlook the things that are holding the country back. Corruption is rampant (the President has been compared to Mugabe of 10 years ago), there is genuine poverty, and there are some racial tensions which cannot be ignored due to the cultural differences between Ugandans and Indians. But on that last point, I found Uganda to be less racist than almost anywhere I have been. Friendliness is greeted by friendliness 98% of the time. Try that in New York!

So in closing, a big Thank You to everyone who made my experience in Uganda an unforgettable one -- to my co-workers for assimilating me into work and social life, to my fellow interns for providing a great muzungu outlet, and to our coordinators for all of their support. It is not without a great deal of emotion that I make my way back to the States after a week in Kenya.