Welcome to Uganda

It was a week not likely to be forgotten, ever. A week of beauty and pain; vivid colors and, sometimes, dull boredom; warmth, gratitude, awe—and monkeys.

I had my very first photo opp—and adapted a new personal motto—upon arriving at the Entebbe Airport Sunday night:

As I quickly learned, the Ugandans have a way with words.

A trip to the supermarket the following morning, to stock up for our five-hour drive to Gulu, offered a couple other gems:


(Awww, Milo.)

Otherwise, the week was filled with meeting local farmers and families, organizing photo shoots and long drives in between. I won’t reveal too much as the web site for which we were there launches in mid-September, but these photos will give you an idea of the daily routine and landscape.

We were graciously welcomed into many homes—the people were always so warm and high-spirited.







They grew their own crops (peanuts, roasting in the sun)…


… raised farm animals, which freely roamed everywhere…


… and of course there were tons of kids (the birth rate in Uganda is 6.8 children), who were alternately shy and silly.




The blue skies and green country were beautiful contrasts to the red earth.






We did so much driving. I hated sitting for hours every day, but I loved the way the road always stretched ahead of us….










… and seeing all the pedestrians and bicyclists that added texture and personality to the trip.




It was amazing what the bicyclists could carry, which I unfortunately didn’t capture: stacks of sugar cane, sacks of charcoal, towers of water jugs, mattresses, goats, chickens hanging from the handlebars… It was crazy.

On our drive to Gulu, we also crossed the Nile, which churned madly below us.


And, finally, on our return to Kampala, wait, what is that up ahead??


Baboons!





I still want to make it to Africa for a proper safari and to see some of the southern beaches and wild jungles. But this was a trip that I never, ever could have planned for myself and left me with many simple but profound memories.