Lions and Martyrs and Cranes (oh my!)

This post is a compilation of various Ugandan adventures. (And it's a long one, sorry. Feel free to break as needed, like if you have a meeting at work or a hungry child.)

Adventure #1: Wildlife

My first day in Uganda, I stayed at a backpacker's hospital in Entebbe, close to the airport. Julie and I waited for Angela's flight to arrive so we could all go to Lugazi together.

To pass the time, we went to see real, African wildlife! At the zoo.

There were lions, but apparently I didn't take photos of them. I think they were being boring. But look! Chimpanzees, zebras, hyenas, and ostriches.

We also encountered a random camel eating leaves on the road near the hostel.

Julie and I stopped by Lake Victoria, too. We were advised to not swim, so I just put my feet in. Turns out you're not supposed to do that, either, because the lake is full of this snail parasite. So I'm gonna die. 

Or I'll take a pill in a few weeks to get rid of any possible wormies that might be chilling in my liver or whatever. Leave it to me to contract a parasite within 12 hours of arriving in Africa. 

Anyways, here is Lake Victoria:

Adventure #2: Martyr's Day 

June 3rd in Uganda is Martyr's Day, or the anniversary of the killing of Ugandan Christian converts in the late 19th century for resisting some Ugandan king's pagan rule.

Today, pilgrims from all over Uganda and surrounding countries flock to Namugongo, the site of the murder. They come to pray, get holy water, and attend services.

We were invited to go. I wasn't incredibly interested in the material per se, but since Namagongo is only about 40 minutes from Lugazi, I figured I should see what the fuss was about.

Basically, it's just a lot of people. Literally about a million. They wait in very long lines to pray at the church and tour the statues created in the martyrs' honor.

Would not recommend this experience unless you are a pious Christian who enjoys heat and crowds.

The martyrs' memorial is not subtle.

 Adventure #3: Uganda football game

Among the best experiences so far was the football match on Saturday, June 8th, between the Uganda Cranes and the Liberia Lone Stars. Currently, Africa is in the middle of its second round of Qualifiers for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. This match determined if Uganda will stay in the running.

Tickets were pretty cheap, at about USD $4.50. We got jerseys with Luta with our Luganda names printed on the back. (Mine is "Nanyonjo," which means "smart" in the sense of being neat or well-dressed... not intelligent. The name is a bit ironic because I'm bad at hand-washing my clothes and I'm constantly covered in red dirt.) We got the face paint done outside the stadium. Actually, Julie seized the paintbrush from the vendor, and we trusted her artistic abilities more than his.

Before the game, we sold Ugandan flag-colored jewelry, which the Musana women quickly created the day before. Florence (above) helped sell them. It wasn't easy - the few bracelets we sold were to dudes. But we had fun talking to the crazy fans before the game.

Luta originally told us he'd wear a gorilla suit to the game but opted instead for less suffocating attire. He was no less enthusiastic.

The game itself was spectacular. Uganda scored a goal in the first five minutes. They kept the lead the rest of the match for the win.

The crowd was probably more remarkable than the game itself. The noisemakers were abundant and horrendous, but tolerable. Except when they were right in your ear.

All in all, A+. Uganda just beat Angola this past Saturday and it apparently was a real nail-biter. Now the Cranes lead in their football group. We hope they advance to Rio next year!

Family photo!
Back: Angela, Florence, Julie
Front: Andrew, Phoebe, Vilate, Sigrid, me