My 20th Birthday in Africa

Activities

Aug 27

Let’s Celebrate

I celebrated my 20th birthday while on safari in Uganda. How cool is that!

It was an incredible day (like most days in Africa) out in the bush looking for game. The open plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park were unusually quiet that day, but I still enjoyed being perched on the roof of the game vehicle on lookout for tree-climbing lions. The sun shone down through the open roof of the game vehicle while the warthog and Ugandan kob settled in the grass. All too quickly the sun began to set. We drove down the bumpy road with a cloud of dust following us all the way back to camp. Our home for the night was perched on the banks of a small river where we could watch the water buffalo graze and hippo snort just on the other bank.

After an evening drink by the fire pit, we were called to sit for dinner. The staff stood eager to serve us a beautiful meal prepared by our talented chef. They were always happy to chat with us, but I got the sense that something was up, and they kept glancing in my direction and grinning. I returned my focus to the warm, soft bread rolls when I thought I heard the distant sound of drums. As the drumbeat approached the volume and rhythm increased and suddenly, I caught sight of a line of people coming up the path. The first man was dressed like an old chieftain, covered with a cape and feathers. And he “supported” himself with a crooked old stick, like the staff Rafiki carried in Lion King. The rest of the party was outfitted in zany ensembles with feathers, bark, scarves, and just about any other source of color one can find in Africa. The group danced and sang down the pathway until they surrounded our table, and I suddenly found myself the center of attention. They changed the chorus to their traditional birthday song, which I can confidently say is WAY better than “Happy Birthday to You.” I kept thinking, “This can’t all be for me!” But it was. And the festivities continued .. song after beautiful song.

The joy they brought me that night will be an experience that I will never forget. Their “joie de vivre” was infectious, and soon the other guests joined the party, dancing and laughing along. I might have felt embarrassed but I wasn’t. I couldn’t stop smiling. The night was so loud and fun and bright that it just made me happy to be a part of this amazing experience. A beautiful homemade birthday cake was presented to me, the top of it alive with sparklers.

So, there I was on my 20th birthday, in an amazing tented camp along a river in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. There were incredibly entertaining staff and international guests dancing and joining to celebrate my birthday. Guests, staff, and the local people were banging on pots, pans, and the large drums that were set up in the center of the lodge’s dining area.

I remember looking around and trying to take it all in, thinking I would never forget this night, and that there was no place in the world I would rather be than celebrating with my new friends in the heart of East Africa.

Article by Ella Berglund