As promised in my last blog here are a couple of pictures of the rhinos that I saw when visiting the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary:

Here's the one-month old rhino peaking out from behind his protectors!

My housemate, Jens and I visited the Botanical Gardens in Entebbe a few weeks ago. The gardens showcased many beautiful  flowers native to Uganda, as well as some that were very strange. For instance, there was a tree that had flowers that look like a human brain and another that had pods that when opened up revealed swirls of silky cotton! The gardens edge onto Lake Victoria, where we saw families enjoying the beach and water. Although, very tempting the lake holds a disease called bilharzia so it’s not safe to swim in, so it was just the view we could enjoy.  

 Beautiful flowers at Entebbe Botanical Gardens

Brain plant!

 Silky cotton-like substance from a pod.

 Birds of prey (kites maybe?) enjoying a drink and a paddle at Lake Victoria.

We came across a large number of vervet monkeys sitting idly along the path and were lucky to see amongst them a mother cradling a very young baby. 

In a bid to move forward with my alcohol project I visited a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Kampala.  The centre seemed to offer a similar type of programme to what one might find in the UK. However, I found it odd that we were unable to have a look around the centre’s facilities so was unable to get a good feel for the place.  Regardless, it was way too expensive for any of the parents of Hands for Hope's sponsored children to access and so I won't be contacting them again.  Luckily, my recent meeting with a member of Alcoholics Anonymous was much more promising. The gentleman I met was very keen to help support those suffering with alcohol problems in the slum by trying to arrange a meeting in Namuwongo. Fingers crossed I'll be able to arrange this. 

The children on the Afternoon Programme continue to work hard and so are improving with their English and maths. We recently took pictures of them to stick on their new workbooks – they love having their picture taking so there were very happy to pose for a group photo! 

Here are a couple of pictures of my walk to the office: 

One chilled out Sunday afternoon was spent visiting Gaba fishing village.  I went with Jenny (administrator at Hands for Hope) to experience a Ugandan fish auction.  Being a Devonshire girl I was expecting lots of yelling in a garbled dialect similar to our farmers markets back home so I was quite surprised to find that the fish auction was a much more sedate affair. The locals all gathered around the auctioneer and quietly passed their money over when they’d secured an inaudible bid. It was not an uninteresting morning though, as whilst we were waiting for the auction to start we watched boat after boat come in to the harbour from the nearby islands. each one was packed with a variety of things including fish, vegetables, soil, people and even boda-bodas (motorbikes).  I was also taken aback (horrified actually) to witness the filleting of several fish: rather than being knocked out and then cut up the fish were hacked into and butchered into pieces whilst still alive and flapping about. I haven’t eaten any fish since! 

 Gaba fishing harbour

 One of the boats bringing in supplies from the islands

 More of Gaba village

Last week I travelled to the South-West of Uganda with a couple of friends to a beautiful area called Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is studded with about 20 green and mountainous islands. I found it be an incredibly calm and peaceful place. Lea, Imogen and I stayed on  Itambira Island in a geodome (a round wooden hut with some of the wall missing so you can see the lake and the stars from your bed!). It took us about 8½ hours to get there but it was really worth the long drive. We spent two days there enjoying the scenery through walking, canoeing (in a dug out canoe), swimming and reading: it was bliss! 

 Looking hot and sweaty after a hefty trek up to a stunning view of the lake

 You can see a couple of the geodomes on the island we stayed on

 One of the outdoor showers on the island (hot water on request)

 Our geodome

 View from the geodome

 One of our neighbours on the island

Although the journey from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi was a long one it was full of interesting sights of Ugandan life, for example, people selling fruit and vegetables along the roadside. We bought 4 pineapples for 4,000 shillings - that's a pound in sterling!

 Pineapple anyone? 

We also had to stop to have out picture taken at the equator!

Hawkers selling various foods and drinks to people on a bus.  

 My housemates and I are planning to spend Easter weekend at Sipi Falls in the East of Uganda. So more pictures of waterfalls to come!