Joscelyn and I spent March 2026 travelling through England, Italy, and Uganda. A wondrous trip it was, through rain forest and savannah, rivers and lakes, wine country and history. Photography was high on our to-do list, but so was visiting close friends, experiencing new places, and taking a break from the daily firehose of upsetting and tragic news. Travel is always good for resetting the spirit.
Perhaps unconventionally, but entirely appropriately, this photo essay starts out with a small gesture of gratitude to those who supported and saw us along our way over the past several weeks. Without them, this beautiful experience would have been impossible.
But travel never occurs in isolation. In our case it took the support and goodwill of many, particularly family and friends. Mariana, Gabo, Jess, and Wilson helped see us off and welcomed us home to Washington while countless friends cheered us on via social media posts.
Dear friends Angie and Alan received us in chilly London with warmth, good cheer, and delicious meals. And at the end, also saw us off in grand style for our return to the U.S. We were greeted in Kampala by another good friend, Lauren, who in addition to driving an hour to retrieve us from Entebbe Airport, had helped tremendously in setting up a safari itinerary, giving us the inside scoop on Uganda’s tourist scene, and providing our first taste of the country’s outstanding cuisine – a fusion of traditional Ugandan, Indian, English, and Middle Eastern culinary fare.
Longtime family friends, Beppe and Filippo, hosted us in Alba with fine wine, more exquisite meals, and tours throughout the countryside. Barolo per sempre!
Once we set out to explore Uganda’s natural riches, Fred (our driver) and Isaac (tour company operator-Authentic Africa Safaris), made sure that we were comfortable, on time, and cared for during the two-week expedition. Their attention and flexibility were essential and made for such a grand tour. Stephen, a blacksmith from Bukoora, fashioned a matoke (plantain) cutting tool from scrap metal right before our eyes. Hillary and his Mom turned us on to banana gin (who knew there was such a thing!).
Other guides along the way included Mitty (our Kampala trek), George, our porter, and Ruben, the ranger (both of whom ensured that we walked safely among Mountain Gorillas) Innocence (our escort to gargantuan rhinos), Jackson (who led us to the top of Murchison Falls), and, finally, Julian who helped me fulfill my goal of photographing the elusive and astonishing Shoebill Stork, truly made it an adventure of a lifetime.
But the most beautiful benefit of travel is the possibility and prospect of making new friends. Seeing old Washington DC pals, Oh He Dead, perform in London (a first for all of us!) introduced us to the thrilling, fabulous and wholly original music of Phoebe Rea, a connection that I hope leads to attending future live performances.
Meeting (and travelling with) Rozie and Yury turned out to be both a profound and lighthearted experience. Incredibly fit and adventurous, the brother and sister duo from Siberia showed us how friendship melts boundaries (in truth, obliterates borders), and gave me hope that people from opposite ends of the earth can build rapport and connection through a shared love of humor, history, exploration, and meaning.
Admittedly, many of the relationships we formed started out as transactional, Certainly, guides and hotel staff (thanks Mabel, Brian, Moses, Ruth, among so many others) interacted with us because they “had” to but I’d like to think that we developed a mutual respect based on kindness and generosity, that our conversations about family and background were genuine and honest, and that, in the end, we parted as friends. Therein lay the lesson for us; that travel is more than just taking pictures and partaking of (or purchasing) others’ generosity but rather that we all fulfill a role of representing the best of who we are.
And finally, the photographer’s worst nightmare used to be developing one’s film only to have it all turn out completely blank. With pixels, there is less chance that can happen, nonetheless the nightmare remains. I’m grateful that I was able to document so many of these incredible moments on “film.” I’ll be reviewing, curating, editing, and sharing for the next several weeks and months some of the over 6,000 photographs with which I returned, mindful of, and grateful for the images gifted me and humbled by the people and beautiful wild creatures who made it possible.
Thank you!
(All photographs copyright Mark Caicedo/PuraVida Photography)
Great reflections and wonderful photos, Mark! I like the fact that you add such depth to the narratives.
Your gratitude is genuine, the message is inspiring. I firmly believe we'd all be kinder to each other if everyone could travel and experience interacting with other cultures.
Incredible! You look so happy and the pictures and adventures Incredible. You're an inspiration!