"a dance with the Divine in ancient Celtic lands..." - Lara Jai - Travel Blog

Science Centers

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I've had many opportunities to play for the local Kanyawara kids who hang out at the Science Center on the weekends. They are ENTRANCED by my little lap harp! There is a local instrument, called the ennanga that is similar to a harp, though it sounds different- and most kids here haven't seen them either.

Many of the children here are unable to afford school fees, and all are hungry for knowledge and entertainment. They LOVE to learn! There are virtually no TVs or radio (no electricity, either) , and almost no books or libraries, so the kids are eager for mental stimulation. The folks at The New Nature Foundation created this Science Center (and 4 others) around Kibale National Park, so the kids can learn about science, wildlife and the natural world. There are all kinds of displays: an elephant skull, a python skeleton, and beautiful antelope antlers, as well as puzzles and hundreds of BOOKS!! Many of the kids say they look forward to their time here above all else. Wow.

We opened a new Science Center when I was there, and I got corraled into writing a radio ditty to let people know about it! We had a great time in the recording studio!

Wild Elephants!

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I took a few days to go on Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, in the southwestern corner of the country. Driving around the Kasenyi Plains we saw Uganda cob, waterbuck, warthogs, buffalo, and even LIONS!!

We then went on a boat trip through Kazinga Channel- between Lake Edward and Lake George. Lake Edward is so vast, it appears as a flat ocean! It is daunting and heart-wrenching to realize that the Democratic Republic of Congo is on the other side of the lake. Ugandans have been swarmed by refugees escaping the viscious fighting of the DRC "civil" war countless times...and many displaced persons remain there.

Kazinga Channel is hippo heaven, and we saw more than we could count. Frequently, one could just catch a glimpse of ears and nostrils sinking down into the depths. They float in and out of view, as they can sleep in the water- They surface to breathe automatically, without waking. Amazing! Elephants were also plentiful around the lake shore, along with buffalo, warthogs, and birds, including African Fish Eagles, king fishers, bee eaters, spoonbill storks, yellow-billed storks, sacred ibis, and many more. Here is a video of it:

I love Uganda

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

OK, not to make you all jealous...but I have found heaven. :) I
arrived yesterday noon at the home of my host family. The coordinator
of the project is a 29 year old dynamic, high-energy Ugandan woman who
balances about 10 different projects that she runs with her family-
husband and 2 and 3 year old boys.

The boys follow me around constantly when I am there- they love the
harp, and are very respectful. The family has very progressive views
(according to me) and we get along like we've known each other
forever. It's fascinating to talk about the cultural differences with
people who live here, but understand western view points, too.

Weather is lovely and cool mostly

Haven't kissed any hippos or played with chimanzees yet, as we visited
farms today to encourage people to plant the fast growing trees, and
switch stoves. The people within just a few miles from eachother
speak different languages, so I have not much hope of learning them,
but they all speak some English and the kids love to practice with
mzungwas.

I made it

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Uganda - I made it!

I made it to Uganda! WOW! It's like India with a tan. Lovely, warm people. :) The cities are packed with 2-stroke motorcycles, old cars, and massive buses. All proceed with unmitigated intention. The air is choked with fumes. Markets are bustling with brightly clad women and vegetables carefully stacked in orderly towers. There is a method to the chaos... though the Western mind finds it difficult to decipher.

I met a Canadian on the street who literally took me by the hand and helped me get around in Kampala- this is no easy feat. After several hours of wandering around, I successfully hired my own boda-boda - a motorcycle for hire...dodging in and out of the most insane traffic you've ever seen. And you know... I'm not a fan of motorcycles, but I actually was really having fun. If surviving all that in fun isn't an indication that *Well Being* is everywhere, I don't know what is!

People here are the sweetest I've ever met anywhere in the world. In the first two hours, I had a lady hugging me telling me all about her family in Kibale (where I'm headed tomorrow), a little boy who dragged me around by the hand, and so many warm, genuine smiles. Beautiful.

more soon...
Lara Jai

Inspiration in travel

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I sit and watch cold wet clumps of white snow fall to the
white Earth. The spring flowers poke
through this last vestige of winter defiantly, as if to say “spring IS here”.
As I watch this wrestling match unfold, there is no doubt that change is
coming. Like the seasons, our lives
continually change”¦whether we want it or not.

.. ..

And change is good.
Change generates the contrast that inspires us- either by its beauty or
through a desire to experience something different. It lets us see through new eyes. I think this is what has drawn me to visit
remote parts of the Earth”¦to experience a world that is completely different
than mine. To connect with people who
have known an entirely different reality that I have. And yet, we share something fundamental”¦a
smile never needs an interpretation.
Perhaps in dropping our western customs, we are finally able to release
our mental conditioning, our habits of thought, that are our only real barriers
to a joyful life.

.. ..

And so today, I feel the beckoning of the road”¦another
journey is gestating. This time, I feel
a call to the heart of ..Africa..”¦a place I have
felt drawn to for as long as I can remember.
I can’t say what this calling is about, exactly, but I’ll relish the
inevitable unfolding”¦ I’ll keep you
posted”¦.