Most people in Gulu have neither seen nor touched real horses because they say there are no horses in Uganda. When it was announced over the radio that 2 horses were in Gulu, they flocked to the place where the horses were. They fondled them and had their pictures taken with them.
An admiring teacher told me that she had only seen horses in textbooks and never imagined that 
she was actually looking at them now. 
But what is really fascinating is the story behind those horses. Crystal and Willie (not their real names) own those horses. From 2005, they have traveled from Tunisia where they bought 3 horses then rode to Libya and 
Egypt. Tunisia to Egypt is 2,132 miles and one of the horses died in the desert. For economic reasons, they stayed in Sudan for 2 years then continued to Uganda. Their final destination is South Africa and they have no idea when they will reach there as they let the horses gallop at 25 kph only. For now they are in Gulu because one of the horses need veterinary attention. Gulu had been very hospitable to them. The vet was summoned from 
faraway to look at the horses, Crystal and Willie were allowed to pitch their tent in government grounds, and their horses were permitted to graze around the area. It is a coincidence that the road taken by Crystal and Willie - Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan are presently in turmoil. Alexandria in Egypt
provided a safe harbor for many foreigners (including thousands of Filipinos) now fleeing Libya. I won't be surprised if someday another Crystal and Willie will make a similar journey but this time from Egypt to Asia 
following the ancient Incense Route. I am certain that they will not miss a stop-over in Petra, Jordan (see bottom photos) just like what the traders did more than 2,000 years ago and marvel (as I did) at how the Nabatean people lived (in structures carved from rose-colored rocks) and controlled the trade of spices, myrrh and frankincense between India and Europe. 
And should they decide to continue their journey to the Philippines and make a detour to Ortigas Center to do some shopping in the malls, I will be too glad to offer their beasts our parking space nearby. Hopefully they use camels so it will be our turn to fondle them, ride on them and take photos.
An admiring teacher told me that she had only seen horses in textbooks and never imagined that 
she was actually looking at them now. 
But what is really fascinating is the story behind those horses. Crystal and Willie (not their real names) own those horses. From 2005, they have traveled from Tunisia where they bought 3 horses then rode to Libya and 
Egypt. Tunisia to Egypt is 2,132 miles and one of the horses died in the desert. For economic reasons, they stayed in Sudan for 2 years then continued to Uganda. Their final destination is South Africa and they have no idea when they will reach there as they let the horses gallop at 25 kph only. For now they are in Gulu because one of the horses need veterinary attention. Gulu had been very hospitable to them. The vet was summoned from 
faraway to look at the horses, Crystal and Willie were allowed to pitch their tent in government grounds, and their horses were permitted to graze around the area. It is a coincidence that the road taken by Crystal and Willie - Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Sudan are presently in turmoil. Alexandria in Egypt
provided a safe harbor for many foreigners (including thousands of Filipinos) now fleeing Libya. I won't be surprised if someday another Crystal and Willie will make a similar journey but this time from Egypt to Asia 
following the ancient Incense Route. I am certain that they will not miss a stop-over in Petra, Jordan (see bottom photos) just like what the traders did more than 2,000 years ago and marvel (as I did) at how the Nabatean people lived (in structures carved from rose-colored rocks) and controlled the trade of spices, myrrh and frankincense between India and Europe. 
And should they decide to continue their journey to the Philippines and make a detour to Ortigas Center to do some shopping in the malls, I will be too glad to offer their beasts our parking space nearby. Hopefully they use camels so it will be our turn to fondle them, ride on them and take photos. |
| The Treasury of Petra; their central bank 2,000 years ago |
hahahaha! what a story! and yes, camels. except they spit! hahaha.
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