Waterfalls, Coffee, and Bat Caves!

As of late, and for a while now really, I've been missing my once home of 8 years, halfway around the globe: Kampala, Uganda. I lived there from 2012-2019. I moved back when I was seventeen, right before COVID-19 happened, and I haven't been back since. Fortunately, travel restrictions have dialed down considerably, so I am planning on making a trip over there this July!

As Uganda has been on my mind a lot, I wanted to post some of my favorite memories from when I lived there. There are so many, but I want to share just a few from the last year I lived there...

These pictures are from Sipi Falls, which is in the valleys of Mt Elgon, the mountain with the largest circumference in the world. My dad and I went here in April of 2019 to find some solitude from the big city to write a book together, which is currently being published. In a country that is known for its tropical climate, this spot required long sleeves and sweat pants, something I was not accustomed to! We hiked through coffee trails and walked along the streams which led to the multiple waterfalls. The first picture was taken from just outside our room! It was an amazing week and I hope to visit again soon!

Speaking of coffee...just outside of Kampala, we have a plot of land that is 13 acres which holds the second campus of the school we founded as well as hundreds of coffee trees! For all you coffee connoisseurs, we grow robusta coffee that is said to have hints of citrus and chocolate. Perfect for espresso, but it still tastes great as a basic cup of joe. The coffee starts as a blossom then grows into a green berry. When it is ready to pick, it turns a bright red. I loved to pick the red berries from the trees for hours at a time. The red berries then go through a process of drying for a couple of weeks or so until they turn a brownish color. Here's some pictures of the coffee we grow!

My family and I with the dried coffee beans.

Our last stop on the Uganda tour is the Nile River, the longest river in the world. The boat rides are breathtaking, with beautiful birds and fish. Not to mention the water monitor lizards, which can be up to eight feet long! Don't even get me started on the snakes. A few spots along the river house bat caves that you can stop at and go inside to snap a picture. I did that maybe three times and I was quick to get in and out as I heard the screeching of the bats! Here's some snap shots!

My friends and I, plus my dad, in one of the bat caves.

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Hi there! My name is Emma! As you could probably tell by the name of my blog, I have a passion for baking and travel. A little bit about me... I am originally from Mt. Sterling, IL with ties to my birth town of Elgin in Chicago. In the fourth grade, I moved to Uganda, where my family and I founded a school for underprivileged children. I spent eight wonderful years there. When I was a senior in high school, I moved back so that I could get a job and save up for college. I ended up moving to Macomb, IL in 2020, as did the rest of my family, where I currently do life. I am a junior at Western Illinois University majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Professional Writing. I work part-time as the manager of The Study, a small locally-owned coffee shop on the square here in Macomb. I've worked there for over two and a half years and I absolutely love it. Coffee is another passion of mine. In my free time, I enjoy serving on the worship team at my church, spending time with my bo...

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