Journey to Gulu: On the Road!

Most of our merry band started out in Knoxville, but the trip truly began on  Ethiopian Airlines Flight  501 from Washington DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Just a short 14.5 hours!

   

Arriving in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Just in time for some seriously
cold and rainy weather

After a delayed boarding, and an even more
delayed takeoff, we arrived in sunny Entebbe!

Poor Stephen, along with the wonderful staff from Backpackers' Inn, had been waiting for us for hours.

The next day, we all gathered to take a trip to Entebbe's Botanical Gardens. We might have been a little jet-lagged when I took this picture.

The Botanical Gardens were an oasis in bustling Entebbe, with the beautiful Lake Victoria as a backdrop.

After our visit to the gardens, we headed over to Gorretti's Beachside Pizzeria. In addition to pizza, we chowed down on some excellent fish.

    

Obviously, it proved to be pretty popular. Not to brag, but I was the only one brave enough to eat the eye for luck.

Then it was time to head down to Kampala, the capital of Uganda. With a population of over 2 million, Kampala is a bustling metropolis. From our hotel, we had a view of Kampala's Ugandan National Mosque, gifted to the city by the former leader of Libya,  Colonel Muammer Gaddafi.

While in Kampala, we visited Miracle Center Cathedral  a Pentecostal Church with a huge (and lively) congregation. We were also honored with an invitation to visit with female members of Parliament. 

On our last night in Kampala, we went to a Cultural dance/music performance and class by the Mizizi Ensemble led by Sam Okello at Shell Club. Hajie (far right) won the pot dance above!

Then it was time for a  ride six hours north to Gulu. The scenery was a good distraction from  the bumpy road. Excuse the thumb! We also got a view of the Nile, but it was too dark for pictures, sadly. Hopefully on the way back down.

Though it was too dark to take pictures when we arrived, I was able to snap this from  my balcony the next morning. Our first ten days in Uganda have been amazing, and already I am finding Gulu to be a wonderfully warm and friendly town. I can easily see why so many former GSSAPers have elected to return to Uganda. I'm so looking forward to seeing what the next month brings.