Observations about Uganda

  • It is lush and green, even now at the end of the dry season.
  • It is one of the safest countries in Africa.
  • It is known as “The Pearl of Africa”.
  • The staple dish is ‘matoke’, a mash of cooked plantains. It tastes like very gluey potatoes, but lumpier and with a bit of a sour taste like turnips.
  • The women are soft-spoken and passive.
  • English is the only official language, although it isn’t usually spoken. Signs and some radio stations are in English, but most people speak ‘Luganda’. Like Kenya, the numeric system is the same as in Canada.
  • The pace seems slower than in Kenya.
  • Like in Kenya, Coke seems to dominate over Pepsi. Coke, Fanta, and Sprite are widely available, but come in glass bottles that are expected to be drunk on the spot and returned. People prefer to drink through long straws, perhaps because the bottles are later refilled.
  • There are a lot of bicycles, all black. None have gears. Most have heavy-duty racks on the back capable of carrying passengers (women ride side-saddle) or baggage.
  • No one obeys the speed limits (if there are any).
  • The roads are about a foot narrower than they should be and there are no paved shoulders.
  • People rarely walk if a boda-boda (a bicycle or motorcycle taxi) is available. They seem shocked that we would want to walk anywhere. We haven’t seen a single runner or jogger in the country.
  • Kampala, the capital city, has a restaurant with the best Indian food that we’ve ever tasted.

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4 thoughts on “Observations about Uganda

  1. April 7th….HAPPY BIRTHDAY Patrick! Hopefully in addition to Coke products there will be a beer somewhere to celebrate! Enjoy 🙂

  2. By the way…I just noticed my USER name is onyl marked as ‘C” – not too helpful..Anyway, ‘C’ is me…Christine Manson! Cheers!

  3. Hi Christine – Thanks for remembering my birthday! Yes, there was beer last night, in the restaurant of a famous hotel. I hope you are doing well. Say Hi to Keli for me!

  4. Hello Pat & Diane! Good to hear you had some libations to help celebrate. All is well here. There is certainly nothing as exciting as your trip to report! However, spring finally seems to have arrived in Vancouver with the past two days being sunny and actually quite warm and the garden beginning to show signs of life. Otherwise, life is ticking along as usual and I'm back in the climbing gym getting some strength built back up to be ready for summer on the rock. We're off to Seattle this weekend for some theatre and a jazz show. Happy travels! Keep up the travel blogs. They are an amazing insight into Africa. Thanks!

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