Sipi Falls

"The waterfalls, you should really go see the water falls!"

 Fred kept mentioning it, and I finally agreed to go! I assumed it was mostly because he really wanted to go back to these so called "magical falls," but I wouldn't trade that experience for anything now! They were pretty magical!

Fred and I heading off on our adventure!

We left pretty early in the morning, since it was kinda far away. It was my first time riding on one of their motorcycles, which they call bodabodas. (They are one of the most popular means of transportation in the country).We sped past children heading off to school, the cows grazing in the fields, and farmers beginning their work in the crops. Once we reached the city nearest to us, Mbale, we switched to a taxi!

Word of advice, try not to get stuck in the back of a Ugandan Taxi; It sucks! Each taxi should only seat about nine passengers, but sits fourteen or more if they think they can fit it! I was squished in the back next to Fred, back pack and all! At least I was near the window though! After an hour of near suffocation and bashing my head against the window, we finally made it! Our wonderful guide, Nabil Ramazan, began out tour.

Part of the trail

Sipi Falls is a series of three water falls in the Kapchorwa district of Eastern Uganda. The highest fall is 100m high! We hiked down a trail through the bush to the first fall, which I viewed from the protection of a cave! It was pretty cool to be inside a mostly natural cave and viewing a water fall!

The second waterfall was a bit of a hike, but a beautiful one! We climbed up the side of the first waterfall into a spacious open field. It was cut in half by the river feeding the Falls. Women sat on the stones washing their clothes, and children splashed about in the water. Up ahead was another large hill, and the next water fall in the distance!

Since it was dry season, the Falls were not as wild as they could have been. However, that meant we were able to go almost under the second one! Climbing down the slippery slope, I grasped onto Fred's hand as he helped me onto a nearby rock. We stood gazing up at the falling water, feeling the little spray of cool droplets on our face. I realised almost sub consciously that I was still holding his hand. We both seemed to realise this at the same time, and let our hands slip away from each other. 

Down where Fred and I stood.

Selfie by the second fall

The third water fall was the tallest at 100m high. However, we were running out of time, so we viewed it from a distance instead. It was still incredible seeing it from a distance though, and taking in the whole landscape from that height as well! It's incredible coming from a different ecosystem and culture all together, and being able to explore and be a part of another. All in all, if you ever travel to Uganda, I definitely recommend making a trip to Sipi Falls! 

The 100m waterfall!

We said goodbye to our guide before we departed. Nabil Ramazan was incredible! His English was fantastic, and he was very knowledgeable about the falls, the environment, and culture! Nabil is looking to continue his education in Tourism. He wishes to attend the Global institute of Information and Technology in Uganda. His tuition costs 840$ for the whole year. If anyone is interested in helping him out, you can connect with him or myself on facebook. 

Fred, Nabil, and I!

On the way back to Mbale, I got to sit directly in the front of the taxi! That was a lot more comfortable then being in the back! When we took the boda back to the guest house, the sky took away my breath! The sun was setting, and the sky was a blaze of red and orange, like fire! Soon the sun faded, and we sped off under the starry sky back to the village.

Peak into the Past

Uganda is part of Eastern Africa and sits on the equator. Because of this, they only have two seasons. The wet season when it rains a lot! Then there is the dry season, when it is very, very dry! 

And HOT!

I was in Uganda for most of the dry season, so it was very dusty and very hot everyday! Despite this, I wanted to see and explore a bit of the country. A country so different and so unique from my own!

The team of us at Nyero Rocks

The first place I went to explore, was the Nyero Rocks. They were a large hill full of boulders and brush. From the outside you would never be able to tell that they were covered in cave paintings. Our guide was a sweet old man, with a few missing teeth. He seemed ancient, but was still very fit and strong! He lead us up a rugged path to where the first set of paintings were. The paintings were drawn with a red and white pigment that had lasted for several hundred years. The drawings were of animals, canoes, families, and the sun, which represented their God. 

It was very captivating to be surrounded by the giant rocks covered in glimpses from the past. I imagined the small children playing bellow the rocks, the men and women recording their memories on the boulders. Them having meals by fire light, the light illuminating their stories....the stories that still remain there today. Faded, but they are still there! 

While we were there, a traditional Uganda family let us explore their compound! We got to go inside their brick mud huts. There was one hut that was the kitchen. It had a few holes in the wall to let the smoke vent outside. There was one painted in white and blue colours, which was a bedroom. There were also a few others used for different things. The whole family, and even some extended live together in these little compounds! 

On the way back to the school, we stopped at a market. I had brought only one skirt, so I wanted to buy one or two dresses. The market was full of fresh fruits, vegetables, traditional foods, and clothing. I went to one dress vendor sorting through their array of dresses. I found two I wanted, but unfortunately I was off by about 1000 UGX shillings. Suddenly Fred fished in his pocket pulling out the remaining amount. "Here," he said handing the money to the vendor. Thanks to Fred I got my two dresses! 

A little girl we saw on the way to the market

Women selling bananas

One of the dresses Fred helped me buy

Sorry for my delay in posting! I have been without a computer for several weeks. I will be getting my laptop back soon, and then I can be more diligent about updating this! Thank you all for following my adventure! More stories to come! 

Photo Cred: Sheri and Ian Kahane Federman