The Worldwide Adventures of Halo the Bear and Ndovu the Elephant: January 2013

Warsaw, Poland

Ndovu arrived safely in Warsaw, Poland in the heart of Eastern Europe just in time for winter. Melissa, Ndovu's host, was kind enough to purchase him a scarf as this was Ndovu's first real encounter with winter. After getting bundled up, Ndovu and Melissa saw the sights of Warsaw, which is quite a beautiful city.

Ndovu taking the bus

Look at those beautifully colored buildings.

A much-needed cup of tea

Is that a palm tree . . . in Poland? :)

Helena, Montana (United States)

A map of Uganda, where Ndovu came from.


A map of the continent of Africa.


Ndovu at the helm, working hard.

Ndovu enjoying some quality time at Carroll College.


Helena, Montana: the state capital


Ndovu enjoyed Thanksgiving in Turah, Montana. Look at those pies!

So, after Halo settled down in the Ukraine, Ndovu the Elephant took over. The word "Ndovu" is Swahili for "elephant." Ndovu originally hails from Uganda and made his way to Helena, Montana as part of Grassroots Uganda, which helps Ugandan women sell their products internationally. For more information on Grassroots Uganda, click here. Check out the map of Uganda and Africa to learn more about Ndovu's home country and continent.

Ukraine and Russia

Well, from South Korea Halo headed to the Ukraine and Russia. Halo liked it there so much that she decided to stay for a while and handed traveling duties over to Ndovu the Elephant. Above is a map of Halo's current (general) location.

South Korea

South Korea! Halo left Europe and headed to Asia. Halo's host, Matt, wrote the following: "I had the pleasure of showing halo around The Republic of Korea. (South Korea). I am a teacher here, and teach kids from ages 7-17. My friend and I took Halo to some traditional Korean places and had a great time. Korea is a very old country with a rich and ancient history. Over the ages they have seen many kings and have always focused on education. They even made their own language in the 1400's called Hangul (Korean). Though they are very modern today, you can still see remnants of the past in their culture."

Germany and Ireland

From Missoula, Halo traveled to Germany, where he stayed with Jason and Andrea Shull, who were living in a small village outside of Bitburg in the western part of the country. Jason and Andrea were incredible hosts, taking Halo all over Europe, from sightseeing tours in Metternich and Rittersdorf, Germany to a New Year's trip to Ireland, including Dublin and Belfast, to skiing in the Alps. What a great stop!

Missoula, Montana (United States)

Halo's first stop was Missoula, MT. Missoula was founded in 1860, not long after the Lewis and Clark expedition came through on the Clark Fork River in 1805. The valley was previously inhabited by Native Americans, including the Salish, Pend d'Oreille, and Kootenai tribes. Missoula is home to the first woman to serve in the United States Congress. Jeanette Rankin was elected before women were allowed to vote. She began her first term in 1916. The Missoula valley was formed 12,000 years ago, as a huge ice dam formed near the current Idaho border. The giant lake was almost 2,000 feet deep and was as big as Lake Erie and Lake Ontario -- combined! There was a huge flood when the dam broke, that rushed through Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon on the way to the Pacific Ocean. Now Missoula is home to almost 100,000 people and is well-known in the region for the University of Montana, many outdoor recreational opportunities, and of course, the setting for Norman MacClean's book/movie "A River Runs Through It." Good luck on your project and I hope many great stories get sent your way!