Note: Photos courtesy of Rebecca Lovell and Nancy Lovell Hess
They're heeeeeere! March 6th Dennis and I set out before sunrise for the long drive to Kampala and on to Entebbe Airport to pick up the lovely Lovell ladies who would be landing in the early afternoon. What happened between the end of the last post and now? The household said a tearful goodbye to Travis, followed by a busy administrative week filled with grading final examinations and log books, writing grants for equipment for the hospital, completing a long overdue chapter for a textbook, writing lectures to be given in the coming weeks, and applying for two state medical licenses, all while solidifying travel plans for the family. Whew! Once at the airport, Dennis and I were peering through the final exit point to see when my mom and sister might be coming through. After an hour we recognized my sister Rebecca, and started making ridiculous waving motions as they finished gathering their luggage and walked toward the sliding doors. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was to have them in Uganda, to show them the country where Dennis and I have been living, and to share with them some of the incredible experiences the country and people have to offer.
March 7th was an early start for my sister and I, heading to the morning meeting where she was able to meet the wonderful people that I work with. The meeting included a heart-wrenching story, as one of the intern physicians had returned to work that day after burying his wife, a nurse, who had died the week before. As he told us of her long battle with the illness, the nurses consoled him through their story of being present at the burial and giving her the customary nursing send-off ceremony.
Rebecca and I had a quick tour of the gynecology ward before Dennis and my mom joined us at the hospital. Throughout the introductions to the hospital and university staff, one thing became clear: meeting family is an honor. Even more clear: parents receive an incredible amount of respect. People were extremely excited when I introduced Rebecca as my sister, and when I would introduce my mom they would gasp and say, "this is your mamma?!?" An additional cultural fact learned at the end of the day: you never introduce your parents by name. It is considered rude. They are simply introduced as your mamma or pappa. No name needed.While giving a tour of the school, I received a phone call from an intern physician on the ward regarding a patient who had just died, with a history of fevers and now with blood running from the nose and mouth. This constellation of symptoms can be concerning for hemorrhagic fever, incorporating the Yellow, Lassa, Marburg, and Ebola viruses. Less than 12 hours after my family arrived in Mbale and there was suspicion of Ebola! The most widely known outbreak of Ebola was in 2014 in the west African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. However, Ebola is a zoonotic disease (transmitted from animals such as fruit bats and primates to humans) with occasional small outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. We quickly made a plan to get in touch with the head of department and head of the hospital, while I promptly notified Peace Corps who got me in touch with the CDC and the Ministry of Health response team. Within 48 hours results came back showing no evidence of any type of hemorrhagic fever. Thank goodness!
Saleh and Fred both work at/own Casa Del Turista. They are a phenomenal duo, who have taken a small business and expanded rapidly over two years' time, all the while giving back to the community and supporting other entrepreneurs in Mbale. While most national parks in Uganda are located on the western border with Congo, they are working to build up tourism and ultimately help to bring more business to the eastern side of the country. Both are incredibly friendly and fascinating people. When planning out the tour of Uganda for my family, Saleh warmly invited the entire Peace Corps Mbale group to a dinner at his house and with his family, including the whole extended Casa family. Throughout the year we had been attempting to have a movie night with Fred watching "The Lion King," as he had never seen the film before. This was the night. With Saleh's youngest climbing her way up and sitting firmly in my lap, we were all humming and singing along to the opening song of the movie. What was the verdict from Fred? Loved it, including changing his phone ring tone to "Hakuna Matata," which really does mean no worries in Swahili. Asante sana, Disney! Dinner was easily the best we have ever had in Uganda, with traditional local dishes including malewa (a dish consisting of boiled bamboo shoots that the Bagisu are most known for and my favorite!), pumpkin, cassava, spiced rice, fish, goat stew, chapati, and many many other delicious dishes. It was a huge spread of food and a fantastic evening with a wonderful family.
March 8th was a national holiday in Uganda for International Women's Day! This day was incredibly special, celebrating with all of the Lovell ladies together in Uganda alongside the incredible young women of Busitema University Faculty of Health Sciences. It was the first Women's Day celebration for mom, and the second that Rebecca and I have celebrated together; the first was when she and one of my best friends, Matthew, came to visit me in Guatemala in 2014. By 9am we were out the door and heading to Magic Graphics to print booklets of The Inspirational Women Of Uganda Directory as a gift to the young women. While the printer was making the books look absolutely perfect, we found a delectable cake for the celebration. Once all was in order we were off to the school to help set up and get the celebration underway!
The leaders were hard at work in the kitchen when we arrived, sitting in chairs arranged in a circle and peeling cabbage, cutting tomato and green peppers, while others were working hard over the coal stoves steaming matooke and rice. We helped with cutting garlic, onions, and carrots before heading inside to make bows for the decorations. Festivities were planned to start at 11am. Around 1:45 pm the DJ was set up and the women were cleaning up for the party. The ladies came downstairs wearing their finest dresses, high heels, and make-up for the occasion. Letitia and Claire were the MCs, keeping the event fun and entertaining with games, singing, poems, and speeches from Rebecca, Mamma (who made the entire room teary with her words), as well as visiting midwives and doctors from the hospital. At 4:00 pm it was time for food and cake cutting, followed by the whole room erupting in laughter and dancing. We were joined by a special guest, Irene Atuhairwe, our GHSP champion at Peace Corps Uganda. She has been an amazing supporter of the Women In The Medical World club from the beginning, and I'm so thankful she could join the celebration!
By the time we made it home at 5:00 pm, it had been a full day of love, laughter, dancing, and tears of joy. The whole household including our guests, Irene and Bonaventure Ahaisibwe from Seed, gathered on the oh-so familiar stairwell for the traditional happy hour where we all catch up on successes and challenges of the day, discuss the latest news stories, and review books we are reading or recommend, amongst so many other topics. With the limited time in Uganda, I am so thankful that the few days in Mbale were so rich and full of life in this city. After a dinner out on the town, it was time to head home to pack up and prepare for the tour-de-Uganda beginning the following morning.
March 9th we bid adieu to Mbale and set off for Jinja, the town situated at the source of the Nile River. This marked the start of our tourist adventure, with Fred as our driver and guide, as well as the newest member of the family during the trip. After a harrowing ride along the highway (ask for details next time you see us 😉), we arrived at our hotel and relaxed by drinking Nile Special beers by the Nile before heading off to a boat ride. The boat took us up the Nile to the source of the mighty river, then to Lake Victoria where many fishing villages saddled the shores. Otters played and popped up from the water nearby, birds flew overhead, as countless others were singing in the trees. Uganda is known for its immense population of birds, with over 1,000 unique species in the small country. It was nearing sunset as we returned to shore so we enjoyed the magnificent view, along with a tasty meal, at the Jinja Sailing Club. 
We had an early start in the morning, leaving Jinja at 5:00 am to avoid Kampala traffic as we continued south-west, crossing the equator line from the northern to the southern hemisphere, through Mbarara and on to our final destination: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest! Having done the gorilla trekking in January, Dennis and I knew the Rushaga Gorilla Camp was the perfect accommodation and what essentials were needed so my family was well prepped. Along the narrow and winding road to Bwindi, children were dancing and waving while shouting "mzungu!" to our car as we drove past. We arrived at 4:30 pm, a mere 11 1/2 hours after embarking on the journey. That evening Rebeck and I stretched out the long car ride through an hour-long yoga session on the deck overlooking the green forested mountains beyond. Before dinner the guests at the lodge were entertained by a group of local children, singing traditional tribal songs to raise money for school fees. One little girl was not officially part of the group, but that didn't stop her and her pink dress from dancing, clapping, and singing along with the rest of the kids.
March 11th was gorilla trekking day for mom and sis! Dennis and I joined them for breakfast before wishing farewell on the journey; although the trekking fees go towards a great conservation cause, we couldn't justify going again as the cost is prohibitive. Looking to trek gorillas in Uganda? Find the tariffs here. Dennis and I enjoyed a morning on the veranda and lunch including a chips omelette - essentially french fries held together by fried eggs - delicious! At 2pm our trekkers returned, with photos, videos, and stories galore of the fantastic creatures. The best video was captured by mom of a baby gorilla overestimating the strength of a tree. The afternoon was spent reading and relaxing (some of us reading a book with a backwards book jacket) and listening to incredible stories from two adventurous travelers who were staying at Rushaga over drinks and dinner. The gentlemen hailed from the U.S., and had driven to Uganda all the way from South Africa, equipped with a refrigerator and freezer with ice cubes readily available in their souped-up land cruiser.
March 12th was another driving day, from the lush hills of Bwindi to the very hot dry desert landscape of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our stomachs were filled with the infamous rolex - chapati with fried eggs rolled up inside - bought from a roadside stand. Even before entering the park we saw elephants grazing in the distance as we made our way to Simba Safari Camp. The national park was originally founded as Kazinga National Park but the name was changed to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP)in 1954 to commemorate the queen's visit. The park contains volcanic craters and salt lakes, as well as the Kazinga Channel, connecting Lakes George and Edward, filled with hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and buffalo. QENP is known for the tree climbing lions, found deep in the south-west of the park in the Ishasha area. Our stay was in the northern section of the park; if visiting, plan an extra day or two to drive the rocky road south to Ishasha.
The morning of March 13th we were up with the rising sun for a game drive through the park. The start was delayed, however, as the admission attendant didn't arrive until 7:15am, a full hour after the park was supposed to open. On the trails we encountered several vehicles of tourists who had seen a pride of lions. Not long after, Dennis, perched atop the roof of our moving van, spotted a lioness deep in the brush. She was powerfully moving through the plains, eventually crossing the dirt path we were driving on, passing right by our car in order to find shade in some nearby bushes. After our encounter we continued on, driving by a salt lake to a fishing village where the locals live amongst the wild animals in the park as they had done for centuries. As the fishermen were loading up the nets in their boats, hippos were keeping cool in the water not far offshore. We learned that the fishermen had to strike a very delicate balance between getting their catch for the day to sustain their families and coming back early enough to be safe from the hippos who come to shore for feeding during the cool nights. Returning late from fishing out on the lake could be fatal. From the village we cruised the road next to the Kazinga Channel, encountering a large yet skittish herd of elephants. We enjoyed our packed lunch at the Mweya Institute of Ecology, overlooking a herd of elephants cooling off on the opposite bank of the river below. As we finished our food, a marabou stork - understandably known as the ugliest bird of East Africa - was looming nearby. Yikes! 
In the afternoon we explored the Kazinga Channel by boat, getting up close views of the elephants bathing next to herds of buffalo on the banks, and pods of hippopotami deeper in the water. The refreshing breeze coming from the water was a welcome respite from the heat. Best of all our guide was able to spout off the names of every bird we came across, flitting through the trees or feeding onshore. Back at the hotel we had a lovely candlelit dinner out in the cool evening air before heading in for the night.
March 14th we tried our luck at another early game drive, however there were some mysterious fires burning nearby and the park entrance attendant was again significantly late to her post. Since the animals usually hide from fire as well as the heat of the rising sun, we decided to skip a second visit to QENP and instead grabbed one last cup of coffee at the camp before heading north to Kibale National Park. Kibale (pronounced Chi-bale in this area) is a beautiful tropical forest, lush and green, home to forest elephants and over 13 species of primates including chimpanzees. Our new home was the Primate Lodge, a luxurious accommodation within the national park, with secluded cabins each having a large porch looking out onto the forest. A serious family yoga session in the afternoon was perpetually thwarted by uncontrollable bouts of giggling as well as the site of beautiful birds perched atop the nearby trees and monkeys swinging from branch to branch right before our eyes. During our fabulous dinner we watched nature putting on its own entertainment, with over 6 geckos scaling the walls in front of us in pursuit of a butterfly. Nature at its finest!
The Kibale forest and the stay at the Primate Lodge was one of the most amazing places Dennis and I have ever visited. The lodge itself is comfortable, has fantastic food, and a setting that is serene yet simultaneously stimulating with the number of wild animals and birds nearby. Highly recommended.
In the morning, all four of us went on a hike through the forest to observe a community of chimpanzees. In comparison to the large and majestic gorillas, the chimps are crazy. The communities have upwards of 100 members, with most members present not visible when you encounter them in the forest. Once the chimps begin to communicate with each other, you quickly realize that there are far more of them than meet the eye. With male chimps fighting and clamoring through the trees for the few females in heat, you could feel the tension between the males running high. Perhaps the most harrowing experience was when the community's alpha male was displaying his strength, charging within inches from Rebecca and me. With a solid hour and a half with the rambunctious animals, we were all ready for the quiet walk back to the lodge to decompress.
Reading, yoga, and more animal watching followed throughout the afternoon, before heading out near sunset for a night walk through the forest. With only a flashlight to help you see what is immediately in front of you, the forest takes on a completely different feel. Our lights were scouring the tree tops looking for the tiny bush baby, weighing 150 - 250 grams as an adult. You can imagine this makes them difficult to see at any time. Fortunately at night their eyes reflect any light shone at them, making it possible to identify them as they agilely leap through the treetops. Rebecca was the main spotter, identifying three in the tree tops. 
The next morning we ate breakfast while a family of red tail monkeys played in the trees surrounding the dining area. With that it was time to leave the forest and head east for the long drive to Entebbe. In Entebbe we settled into the Lake Victoria View Guesthouse, taking in the large lake and packing up for the next day. With one last dinner of matooke, rice, beans, pasted greens, and chapati, it was the perfect way to round out the week of touring. Of note, the guest house charges and exorbitant amount of money for local food - for that reason we would recommend against staying here.On March 17th Dennis and I dropped off mom and Rebecca back at Entebbe airport for their long journey back to the U.S. Just as we were leaving the guesthouse we heard through the news that the highest ranking police official had been assassinated just outside of his home - creating some changes in regulations and adding new tensions in the country. Nevertheless, all was safe where we were.
Although sad to see them go, Dennis and I were so grateful for the two weeks spent with family and sharing our experience in Uganda with them, alongside new adventures together. Not bad for a first international family vacation. Once mom and sis were safely at the airport, Dennis, Fred, and I made our way back to Mbale to resume life as usual in the hospital and university.
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