Because I love to travel as much as I do, I had the idea long before Aloha Summits to bring people to Uganda for a safari, cultural experience and humanitarian work. I have had a connection to Uganda since Don and I went to East Africa for our honeymoon in 2006. I returned in 2023 with my brother and while I had no idea what the Universe had in store, I did mentally plan what a trip with guests would look like. I also thought about brining to reality my long held wish to bring my two small gems to Africa before they finished high school.
Well, earlier this year, both those things came true. I brought 9 guests in total to Uganda (including the girls and I) for 10 days of game drives, river boat cruises up the Nile, chimpanzee trekking, humanitarian work and so much more. There were a lot of learning curves but overall it was a success. Having Amara and Havana with me made the trip even more special. To share with them the motherland for their first time, to see them experience seeing hippos, giraffe and elephants (Luvey and Ellie came with us and were SO excited to see their kind!), along with lions, lion cubs, leopards and so much more was something words can not describe. I was often brought to tears that I was able to create this life for them and share this part of the world with them.
In addition to wildlife and history, the girls made connections with locals, especially the many children who were so curious about them. Both Amara and Havana fell in love over and over with some pretty sweet little ones. It was joyous to witness. They also got to see a part of the world so very different from their own. Without phone service for all those days, they had to look outside the the thirty year plus Land Cruiser window and see how a different culture went about life with very little. They were taken aback at times by what they saw and while they did not always say much it, I know it impacted them greatly to see the tiny brick homes and outdoor kitchens. Having outside squat toilets and no running water, those are things that change one’s view of the world permanently. The girls have traveled quite a bit but Africa is a place like no other. There is immense beauty, love, natural richness but there is also a stark contrast of poverty lack. They were included in conversations about the hows and whys of this forced reality in a place where there is so much natural wealth but the locals do not benefit.
The girls got to visit a school and that too was eye opening. The head of school was concerned about their western dress, bit too modest, but the children enjoyed asking Amara questions (Havana did not want to go inside the actual classroom) and the short exchange was valuable for both.
Both of the girls connected with our driver, Ema, whom he quickly claimed as “my students.” He taught them many important things about life in Uganda and East Africa. From the people, to the food they bonded well and they had many laughs. I enjoyed getting to know Ema as well, being he was the brother of Alfie, the drive who took Don and I on a 20 hour round trip to the Congo so many years ago.
The food, another big part of travel, was not that unusual or different for us. They eat a lot of green banana, called mat
Home now for two months, we still speak about Africa often. Uganda changed them in ways, as travel often does and it bonded us even more so. They are already planning on joining me when I return next year, although Amara’s status as a freshman may prevent her from actually. Havana is keen set on it!
Here are some photos of our time in Uganda.
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