Uganda - saved the best til last

UGANDA!!!!
wow it was amazing! i cant stop thinking about it, i want to go back there already, i'd even do the 30hr bus ride again!! haha so i went there for a week with connie, angus, alisha, alex and candice (ross and marie the last day and a half) and i pretty much spent the whole week either, drunk, hungover or going out and being an adreniline junkie!!!!
so basically after the 30hr bus ride to the capital, Kampala we got a taxi to the backpackers, Red Chili, not much goss for that night, i had 1 beer and felt suprisinly tipsy.. but to my defense they are half a litre!!! haha... then the order is all a bit of a blur, but we got the bus to the EQUATOR!!! after however long of trying to haggle the price... which was fairly unsuccessful... we were on our way...... sort of..... the bus that was leaving "right now" actually didnt move for atleast an hour... and our row with 5 seats... actually had 8 people so yes a few adults squished in, and a few kids on our laps... poor buggers were sweating like crazy.. but we kinda couldnt do anything but take the piss out of the situation, then annoy the whole bus with singing celine dion.... well that was just Angus and myself.. awkward. But after however long of sitting on that goddamn bus we got to the equator.. so hungry we orderes food.. most of us got burgers which was just meat in a bun with a slice of tomato yumm?? i guess you get used to that... dont no how many times meg and i have ordered burgers.. with no cheese even though they were called cheeseburgers.... well that only happened once with the "cheeseburger" but pretty sure the others had pictures of cheese.
so yes got a few pictures at the equator all very exciting, then headed back..
not much else i think.. we went out one night with a few other aussies and whoever else to an irish pub, big night, then the next day we got the shuttle bus to JINJAAAAAA

so we got to Jinja sometime in the morning, and we were shuttled to Explorers backpackers where we were able to chill out and have a coffee or whatever, though i opted for the tea..
we were planning to stay somewhere else and go through another rafting company... but Nile River Explorers (the backpackers place) stole us haha.. we got a better deal so why not.
i think this day we went horse riding.. worst experience of my life.. so scary!!! i have decided i hate horses and i am never doing that again!!! 2 hrs of pure torture... but i survived... barely!
next on the adventure list was BUNGEE JUMPING!!!!!! 44m above the Nile.. honestly horse riding was way scarier!! only Agnus and I jumped, and he lost his shirt! but that was awesome so much fun!!!!
Then i think we went on a Booze Cruise.. or if you prefer... sunset cruise on the nile, with all you can eat and drink, we didnt eat much... gave the drinks a good go though.. and at the end we smuggled off a bottle of vodka and gin.. altough i think that was quite obvious... then we went back to the backpackers and continued the party. But not the greatest move.. the next day was WHITE WATER RAFTING!!!!

uh the best thing ever!!! i only fell out like 3 maybe 4 times, but it got pretty scary being in the big rapids.. they only went up to grade 5.. but still.. i dont actually no what the highest it.. but this is the highest we were allowed to do. and our guide was a bit odd.. JUMAA.. or YO? but he had me beleiving he was new at the whole rafting thing.. but i have now realised everything he said was a lie... haha i think he was one of the most experienced! but that was so fun, although on the last rapid.. we were all sooo fucked it took us a while to actually get through it... almost tipped but we made it... except angus and alex flew out..

we got a free BBQ dinner, it was awesome, best kebabs ever!! then we bought the photos but they're on a CD so i havent seen them yet.. and i got a tshirt... tshirts are my thing.. i have bought soo many!
hmm i didnt do much for the next day and a half until i caught the bus back by myself for the 30hr trip.

ORPHANAGES!!!
so in Kampala we weer all pretty keen to go to some orphanages so the first one we went to was Sanyu Babies Home... kids from newborn to 4 yrs, around 50 kids.. it was really well run and clean, although you could tell there was too many kids and not enough staff... i fell in love with a little baby.. 6 weeks old name Victor!! :) he was so cute, but apparently he was a whinge.. i'd like to call him lively!!! but that place was amazing, there was 2 white girls there in the process of adopting, one wanted twins a maybe a year old, the other wanted a toddler.. they were just going through the courts and everything.

then just by chance we weer at a shopping centre and there was a brass band playing Xmas carols so we stopped to listen and they were street kids from an orphanage called M-LISADA, they use music to get kids off the street, so we decided to pop in for a visit too.. alrought i was more keen to go get drunk... SO GLAD I DIDNT!!!! it was amazing there!!!!!!!!!! they need so much help though, it was started in the 90s by actual street kids, now they run it! there are 80 boarding orphans.. 60 boys 20 girls and 70 day orphans, it was so good they put on a performance for us with music, dancing, acrobatics everything!! we are all going to try and do as much for this palce as possible, they can only afford to give the kids 2 meals a day, and there is 60 boys living in a room no bigger than my lounge room as home!!! but i'll talk more about it all when i get home... on saturday!!!!
well thats about it i think, see you all soon!!!!!!

The Last Week!

Well today was the last day of school, apart from tomorrow which is parent teacher day (and a complete waste of time for meg and i - but we have to go) so, i think i mentioned ealier about the orphanage Boona Baana that we had visited.. well we have been going there twice a week for a while and Monday was our last visit.. it was pretty sad... the kids didnt really care though because they have volunteers coming and going constantly.. so it was a bit of a shut down... haha but its what we were expecting.. also we have been tutoring a staff member from the school, unfortuantly we werent able to have a "last lesson" because she wasnt able to make it for the last 4... so that was a bit of a fizzle!!! haha actually this whole week has been a bit of a fizzle.. yesterday was meant to be a sports day... but it got cancelled before anything had even started because it was too hot.. which basically means nothing was planned or organised for it!
i'll be honest i'm not in the mood for writing so it probably wont be a very long entry... haha
last weekend we took Shakira, the girl who lives with us , (she's 4) swimming! i dont think she has ever been before because she was clinging onto meg and i sooo hard!!! haha she was adorable though, i just wish we had taken her sooner!!
Today at school we had an assembly.. (2 hrs late... but thats how it is) and Meg and i had to make a speech, i was so nervous! and we got given a present.. 2 kangas each! which is good because they are nothing like i would have chosen.. but they are really what they wear! problem is.. i've bought that much stuff i hope it all fits!
It is Meg's last weekend here.. she leaves on sunday :( but i go to Uganda on sunday :) theres 5 others who are also going, so it should be loads of fun, we're going to go white water rafting on the nile.. and bungee jump!!! so i cant wait for that.. not long after that i'll be home!!! its crazy how its just crept up on us!! i dont no how it happened!!!
I'm pretty excited/nervous/sad/happy to be going home.. it just doesnt quite feel real yet...
But after the class partys today.. and when the bell went.. i was just trying to make the students stay behind.. haha it was pretty sad.. im not going to see them again.. and if i do they will be alot older!!
People have already started asking whats your favourite thing about Tanzania, what was the best experience.. or something similar.. i just dont no how to answer it, its just all the little things... like how one of the kids saitoti who could barely read last term, can read.. and quite well.. and he got 60% on his maths exam :) :) :)... he's 5.. but he has matured sooooooo much since when we first got here!!! there are just those kids who you love and the ones you hate.. (well not hate.. but frustrate you to the stage of wanting to pull your hair out.) then they run up and give you a hug.. so yes.. dont be expecting any life changing stories when i get back.. because i hate to tell you.. but i dont think i have changed too much, maybe it will be more obvious if i have when i return home.. but im still the same! haha although i have gained a bit of weight! haha..