Moving over to my own domain

Well, even though the blog has been pretty much dead, it’s being moved over to my new domain: www.christopherlindahl.com. Check it out and you can catch up on some of my photography from around the world.

Kasubi Tombs

OK. So I haven’t posted anything on here in a long time. I understand that. Let’s move on.

If you recall, last summer, I visited the Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Kampala. Well, earlier this week, they were destroyed in a massive fire. This is the second major incident, at least that I’m aware of from New York, involving loyalists to the Buganda king and the government, the riots in September being the first.

BBC Story
Pictures from New Vision

Safari with African Voyages

Trying to find a safari can be pretty complicated, especially since it is hard to find out information on a lot of safari companies. Plus, they are expensive so you want to work to find a good deal.

Danielle and I decided to go with African Voyages, largely because they offered a great student discount. However, one of the main drawbacks, was that, as a new company, they aren’t part of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators. Apparently, this is hard to do since you have to have other tour operators recommend you to be part of it. However, they are fully licensed by the Kenya Ministry of Tourism.

Not to mention, if you google “African Voyages”, not much comes up specifically relating to the company besides their website.

I have to say, I was a little nervous that it was going to be some sort of scam so I was extremely relieved when we were picked up at our hotel in Nairobi by John, our safari guide. As our guide, John was great. He answered every question we had, was extremely knowledgeable about everything, especially the birds, but also was good at letting us enjoy the scenery and wildlife.

If you’ve made it here trying to find information about African Voyages, I fully recommend the company as they, and the accommodations they arranged, met or exceeded our expectations.

As I’ve promised, I’ll be putting up more safari posts soon, but be sure to check out the new pictures if you haven’t done so already.

UPDATE

Back in New York

Well, I’ve made it back to New York. It’s going to take me some time to adjust, but it’s nice to be back. In the next few days, I’ll add some posts about the last two weeks, including safari in Kenya and the few days I spent in Rwanda as well as add a ton of pictures. I managed to take about 1300 pictures in about 10 days, mostly of lions. Not all of them will go on my Flickr page since it limits the amount of data I can upload so the rest will be on Facebook. Guess you’ll have to become my friend in order to see them all.

Still Alive

It’s been a while since I’ve posted since I never paid my internet bill and, thus, didn’t have internet at home. However, I am alive and well after a week in Kenya and three days in Rwanda. In fact, I am at the Entebbe Airport right now waiting for my flight to Amsterdam…

Kenya Tomorrow

I finished my internship on Friday, so I am officially on vacation now. Danielle and I are heading to Kenya early tomorrow on the bus and should be getting in sometime in the evening. The bus is scheduled for 13 hours but I imagine it’s going to take longer than that, but one can hope. We’ll have a day in Nairobi before heading out on safari on Wednesday. We’re back in Nairobi on Monday the 17th when we head to Rwanda for the rest of the week. Then, it’s basically back to Kampala for a weekend and then back to New York.

I’m not sure what the internet situation will be like, but it’s possible that some of the lodges we are staying at will have it. Posting might be light for the next week or so.

Power Outage

The power has been out at my apartment for over 48 hours now. And for the first 20 hours or so, we were without water. Most of the city has been affected by either power or water outages for the past few days.

Rolex!

Perhaps the most delicious food you can get in Uganda is a rolex. Basically, it’s an omelet wrapped in chapatti bread that you buy on the street. For 800 shillings ($0.40) you’ll get two eggs, cabbage, onions, tomatoes and, if you’re lucky, green peppers cooked on a metal plate over charcoal and then wrapped in chapatti.

Kasubi Tombs

Honestly, there aren’t that many things to do in Kampala as a tourist. For the most part, Kampala is a place that people use as an entry point for safaris and gorilla tracking. One of the few tourist sites in the city is the Kasubi Tombs. The last four Buganda kings are entombed there and the grounds are still maintained by the descendants of the royal family.

Even though it is a bit out of the way, Danielle and I went the other day and found it to be pretty interesting. For 10,000 shillings, you get a ‘tour’ of the grounds with a guide who explains a lot of the history surrounding the tombs.

At a Nice Hotel

Danielle got to Kampala on Monday night so we’re staying at a hotel for a few days. It has a tv and everything so I got to watch tv for the first time in two months. Granted, there isn’t much on, except for soccer, news, and what appears to be East African soap operas, but I can’t complain too much.

I also took the best shower I’ve had in two months. The shower at my apartment isn’t bad, but the water pressure and temperature leave something to be desired.

We’re in Kampala until Monday when we are taking a bus to Nairobi for a week-long safari. The bus is scheduled to be 13 hours, and the company says they pride themselves on being on time, but who knows how long it will take to get there.

After a week in Kenya, we’ll be spending a few days in Rwanda before heading back to Kampala. Before we leave, I have a few things to finish at work, but it’s hard to believe that I’m done in two days, not to mention the fact that I’ll be back in the states in less than three weeks.