East Africa Day 37 (Sun June 19): Bujagali Falls

Meghan and I met up at the hostel this AM, jumped onto one of the bodas waiting at the hostel gates, and headed out to Bujagali Falls. Bujagali Falls is located on the outskirts of town. It isn't really a waterfall - it's an area of rapids on the Nile River. We walked around along the water's edge, an area that will soon be underwater due to the construction of a (very controversial) second dam. A Ugandan that we met as we descended the steps to the Nile viewing area told us that the residents in this particular area haven't yet been paid off, so that's why the area hasn't been flooded yet. Meghan and I both felt lucky to get to visit this spot, before that happens.

We spent some time walking around, and viewing the rapids. We're rafting tomorrow, though not at this particular spot. Wish us luck - these are Class 5 rapids! :)





A fellow Pace Environmental Law Program alum, Elaine, is in Uganda on a Fulbright Scholarship. She is in Jinja from today through Tuesday, hanging out. We tried to meet up today but kept missing each other. Hopefully I'll see her on Tuesday before she returns to Kampala, but if not then I'll see her in Kampala! Meghan and I had lunch at Elaine's hostel, which is perched on a hillside overlooking the Nile, before returning to town. I snapped this photo for my Aunt Diane, to show her that I had olives on Father's Day - however no fruit salad - my favorite things to nibble on at family gatherings:) Meghan and I split this plate. She took the feta cheese, and I ate the black olives:)



After lunch I went into town to run some errands, and then went to Meghan's to hang out and do my wash in her bathroom sink. The Daraja ladies would be proud - I adapted their laundry instructions for the sink:) Then had a great conversation about Uganda's higher ed system with Gerald, who currently works at the hostel but is heading off to university in the fall to study accounting. It seems Ugandan university students can't get loans to pay for university, but that they have more choice in the schools that they attend, as compared with Kenyan students. As can be expected, no system is perfect!