Ugandans Adopt – “Why I do what I do”
Welcome to Diary of a Muzungu! This week’s guest post is by Agwang Aidah, who is the Communications Officer at Ugandans Adopt. She writes to us about her work and why she believes it is so important:
“Ugandans Adopt was founded on the belief that all children deserve to grow up with a loving family, instead of in institutional care.
During my interview for this role, I remember being asked what I thought about adoption in Uganda. I told the interview panel that I believed, while it is a relatively new concept in Uganda, all we had to do was put the word out.
My task as Communications Officer is to run our Ugandans Adopt multi media campaign promoting adoption in Uganda, supported by the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development. 11 months later we have discovered the huge appetite that Ugandans have for adoption and have shattered the myth that “Ugandans aren’t interested in adoption.”
At our emergency care centre in Kampala, Malaika Babies’ Home, we provide short-term care for babies until we can find them a family. I’m usually based at our small offices at Malaika and every day brings something new. Seeing a little one go home to a loving family and how they blossom thereafter, are some of the special moments that I never tire of.
Love, home and family. The building blocks of a happy life
There have been times after I have accompanied our Social Work Team to collect a child who has been abandoned when I could almost break down but, fortunately, this is always short lived. In our care, the babies are so quick to thrive and, above all, love again.
To date we have 28 Ugandan families and individuals who have adopted children from Malaika and another 35 who are on a waiting list to adopt. Our social workers are currently assessing even more people who are interested in adopting, too. Our Ugandans Adopt Facebook page has 3,403 followers to date and growing every day. The Ugandan media has embraced our campaign and we have been able to appear on major media outlets like The Sunday Vision. I think it’s safe to say Ugandans’ are definitely more than just interested in adoption.
What makes my job so worthwhile is not just seeing a child go home but knowing, after our social workers conduct follow up visits, how truly happy the children are. It always brings a smile to my face. It is why I do what I do.
Sunday Vision Article. Ugandans Adopt
At Ugandans Adopt we strongly believe that every child belongs in a family – and we couldn’t achieve this without our supporters.
Thank you so much from all the team at Ugandans Adopt for helping us “make families instead of orphans.”
To find out more about our Ugandans Adopt Campaign, call Agwang Aidah on +256 776110304 or send an email to adoption@childsifoundation.org
You can also visit the Ugandans Adopt website and become a Fan on Facebook or follow Ugandans Adopt and Child’s i Foundation on Twitter. The site is in Luganda and English.
The Muzungu: thanks Aidah for an insight into the great work you’re doing, creating happy families. Keep up the good work!
Do you have a story or some advice you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
“Eat my dust!” de Muzungu’s quad bike Safari
Get yourself on a quad bike Safari, you’re in 4-a-wheelie good day out!
Have you tried quad biking in Uganda?
The format of the quad bike Safari is a real giggle!
After a wonderful Aussie welcome from Shirray, Herbert guided us through the safety procedures and warned us against: racing, running over kids, killing goats, the usual! Jinja’s quad biking safari setup is very professional with lots of highly visual printed information on quad biking day out “Do’s and Don’ts.” It’s tempting to race of course (but I knew Shirray and PK would never let me back if I did!)
Quad biking adventure part one – “get your kit on!”
Anyone can ride a quad bike and no previous experience is necessary – all training, guiding and safety equipment are provided by All Terrain Adventures.
It doesn’t matter what you wear for your quad biking Safari either, but I’d wear something light and loose, like leggings or a tracksuit. All Terrain Adventures provide quad bikers with big baggy all-in-one overalls. They also provide the Ugandan uniform favourite: gumboots. Alternatively, you can wear your own shoes – but forget wearing flip-flops or sandals (or need I say – stilettos?)
The pièces de résistance are the (compulsory) helmet and goggles – Biggles style! These guys have thought of everything: we even had branded bandanas to cover our mouths. (It becomes difficult to see who’s who once you’ve got all your kit on!)
Cameras were placed in protective plastic bags and the rest of our stuff was safely stowed away in the ATA office. Then you only have one choice to make: dust? or mud!!
You’ll get dirty as hell, whatever the season. In the dry season you’ll get dusty. In the rainy season you’ll get muddy. All part of the fun!
Quad biking adventure part two –“anyone for a round of mini-golf?”
The practice session saw us do a couple of laps around the training circuits including a circuit that runs through the Big Game Mini-Golf course – part of the All Terrain Adventures enclosure – that includes life size statues of the Big Five and other animals such as ‘an African Tiger.’
Herbert was the safari guide for our drive-yourself quad biking adventure. During the practice, more guides were on hand to show us how to handle the quad bikes, change gear, direct us, pull us back onto the track (!) They took plenty of photographs for us too, leaving us to concentrate on the serious business of scaring the hell out of ourselves.
Kids from the neighbourhood stood watching us race round the mini-golf. SAFETY TIP: this is not a good time to wave at the kids. You will need both hands on the handlebars!
After a few laps, and posing for more photos, Herbert led us out for the start of our quad bike Safari and freedom (to drive into a Bush in Isla’s case!)
Quad biking adventure part three – “Come! We go!”
I felt very proud of myself driving the quad bike. As a boda boda drove past, I kidded myself I’d graduated to being one of them. It felt quite good to be in charge of a bike in Uganda for once.
A quad bike Safari is a really fun way to visit a typical Ugandan village. You won’t see any cars. You may only see one or two bicycles. What you will see are people planting crops, harvesting, spreading millet out in the sunshine to dry. We watched a lady slowly walk past with a huge jackfruit on her head. Another lady was carrying a huge bundle of firewood.
Off we went on our quad bike Safari through the villages around Bujagali, smiling and waving at the kids. (They couldn’t see our smiles through the bandanas of course and if you’re following in the cloud of dust behind another quad bike, which you probably will be, it’s not a good idea to have your mouth open anyway!)
A couple of the kids ran after us and tried to jump on the back of my quad bike. Herbert wasn’t having any of it. He was constantly looking out for us.
Quad biking adventure part four – “Eat my dust!”
We came to an abrupt halt in front of a piece of red and white tape strung across the marram road in front of us. Was it the scene of an accident? Was there some kind of drama ahead? We waited for a couple of minutes and watched as a new electrical pole was erected. (It’s good to know that even in ‘the back of beyond’, safety measures are in place when few people are watching).
Back on the road a few minutes later, Herbert prepared us to go down a long, steep, rutted track towards the River Nile. It was very exciting and a test of our newly acquired skills. Navigating the ruts required concentration. Catch a hump of earth too fast, or at the wrong angle, and you might throw yourself off. I can’t imagine how crazy that section of track must be during the rainy season!
From Bujagali Falls to “Lake Bujagali” …
As our quad bike Safari continued along the shores of the Nile, Herbert told us the history of Bujagali Falls and pointed to where the famous rapids used to be. I visited Bujagali Falls – once “a spectacular series of cascading rapids which Ugandans consider a national treasure” – in 2010. In those days, the going rate to watch a young boy negotiate the Falls in a Jerry can was just 5,000 shillings (just over £1 / $1.50). The 2013 rate is a whopping ten times that amount! It’s a highly dangerous occupation, one that now takes place 15 km downstream, on the other side of the new Bujagali Dam.
Uganda’s famous grade 5 white water rafting has changed little really and still remains the best in Africa. If you’ve never done the white water rafting in Uganda before, you will notice very little difference on the new course, below the new Bujagali Dam. I’ve rafted both sections of the River and I couldn’t tell the difference. (Both are equally scary – but you can’t visit Uganda without trying white water rafting at least once).
Of course ‘Lake Bujagali’ – as it is affectionately known now – is a much safer place for local people to do their washing.The rafting and adventure activity industries employ a lot of people along the banks of the River Nile in Jinja.
Before heading back to base, Herbert took us to a dusty trading centre, where we ripped off our bandanas and necked down an ice cold ginger Stoney soda. We’d had a fantastic couple of hours and were grinning from ear to ear. I was washing the dust out of my hair for days!
Did you know Jinja is “the adrenaline capital of East Africa”?
From the Nile River Explorers Camp two minutes away from All Terrain Adventures, you can go kayaking, grade 5 white water rafting, horse riding, fishing, bird watching, and more. The NRE Camp is a great base for a few days adventure activities, a visit to the Source of the Nile and Jinja Town – or to just chill out and enjoy the view (and the great value food). I’ve stayed in the Safari tents overlooking the river a number of times. It’s a lovely place to lose a couple of days.
DISCLOSURE: This blog is based on my personal experience. I was lucky enough to be given a free night’s stay at NRE Explorers Camp in return for this blog post. For more information about guest posts, read the Muzungu’s Terms and Conditions.
Have you been quad biking in Uganda? What was your experience like? If you ran over a goat, you better not tell me 😉
I love birds! Uganda’s Big Birding Day
Diary of a Muzungu is proud to be a sponsor of Big Birding Day 2013, supporting the next generation of birders in Uganda.
Diary of a Muzungu is delighted to support Big Birding Day (BBD) Uganda
How many birds will you see at Big Birding Day 2013?
Bigger and better than ever, help us beat last year’s record – 290 birders in 58 teams, birding in 35 areas, recording 657 species (63% of the total species of Uganda recorded and an increase of 82 species from the 2011 record)!
The Muzungu with young birder Hope at Kasenge on International Day of the Safari Guide. Photo courtesy of Titus Kakembo and Uganda Tourism Press Association
This Friday 18th October is the official launch of Big Birding Day 2013 at the Uganda Museum in Kampala.
Diary of a Muzungu helped promote Big Birding Day 2013
The free to enter Big Birding Day race is a 24 hour competition this Saturday, 19th October, at dozens of sites across Uganda, involving birdwatching groups competing to score the longest bird species list in 24 hours. Birding teams are led by professionally trained guides and experienced bird guides from NatureUganda membership and UWA staff. Each group must have at least 2 members who are experienced bird watchers to confirm the species identification.
All birds seen and/or heard calling within these sites will be recorded (TICK!) A tally centre will be set up at NatureUganda to receive and check all records.
Each new bird sighting gets a TICK – but no cheating please guys!
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and National Forestry Authority (NFA) are offering FREE entry for all Big Birding Day participants birding in National Parks, Wildlife Reserves and Forest Reserves – but you need to register your team first. (Scroll down for the flyer and contacts below).
…And if you can’t make the Big Birding Day race this Saturday, why not join us for the Festival Saturday 26th October? Here NatureUganda will name the Big Birding Day winning teams at Kitante Primary School Gardens (behind the Uganda Museum). This free event is open to the whole family and will be a chance to learn more about birds and birding. There will also be live music, dancing, face painting for the kids and more…
What can you expect from the Big Birding Day 2013 Race?
One year I was lucky enough to tag along with expert birders Roger Skeen and Nathan Eluku who recorded an incredible 175 bird species between Namuwongo, Kampala and Entebbe. What a fantastic day out it was. And the best bit? Our team won!
Diary of a Muzungu is proud to be a sponsor of Uganda’s Big Birding Day 2013, supporting the next generation of birders. Birds, conservation, tourism
It’s not all about winning of course… this year I’m excited to be going to Mabamba Swamp, famous for its rare Shoebill Stork. I can’t wait!
Shoebill Stork, first seen by the Muzungu (though the mesh of its cage) at UWEC, Entebbe, Uganda
If you’re asking yourself, “why exactly does the Muzungu keep banging on about birds?” read “Why we should embrace Uganda’s Big Birding Day.” They delight me and enthrall me.
There’s a serious side to the event too and this year’s theme is: Birding, Our Livelihoods and Our Economy
Birdwatching can present significant economic opportunities for countries through sustainable tourism, says the United Nations environment agency. In Uganda, tourism is the number two foreign exchange earner (second only to remittances from Ugandans living overseas).
Did you know that worldwide, one in eight people earn their living directly or indirectly because of the tourism industry?
You only need to look at Uganda’s gorilla tourism and the way this single species has promoted Uganda internationally and helped fund other tourism initiatives and conservation across the country to see the huge potential for birding to develop Uganda’s economy. The Uganda Wildlife Authority, conservation organisations and tourist lodges work very closely with the community: training and employing local people.
Birding directly employs qualified bird guides and rangers, tour operators and sales consultants. Employment opportunities exist for land owners, farmers and producers who supply lodges, people who maintain tracks and trails, lodge and hotel staff and all the smaller businesses that support these: boda boda drivers, restaurants and shops. Birding tourism or ‘avitourism’ can thus become an economic and political force for both development and conservation.
Birding disproportionately favours the poor, since we find the highest number of bird species in remote areas. Thus, with the right investment in training and tourist facilities, birding can contribute to raising people out of poverty.
By supporting Big Birding Day 2013, the training of the next generation of birders and the investment in tourism infrastructure, you’re helping build the skills and opportunities of individual Ugandans, the economy of Uganda and protecting its wildlife and natural heritage at the same time … and you can have a great day out at the same time!
Please contact NatureUganda on 0414-540719 / 0414-533528 / 0772929626 to find out more, email bbd@natureuganda.org or register via the NatureUganda website.
NatureUganda is a membership-based organisation that would not exist without your support.
Did you know you can renew your NatureUganda membership by mobile money? Just 5000 UGX for students and 25k UGX for annual family membership. Send to 0777147367
Follow NatureUganda on Twitter and be a Fan of NatureUganda on Facebook
If you like my birding stories, you might enjoy Diary of a Muzungu’ s page dedicated to our feathered friends, Uganda’s birds.
Do you like birds? Are you taking part in Big Birding Day this year? This annual event is growing every year. If you have ideas on how we can help develop BBD, do get in touch!
Hiking in search of the Lucky Bean tree, Bwindi
Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, in the far south western corner of Uganda, is the ideal starting point for: hikes through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Buhoma on the northern side of the Forest, walks to Lake Mutanda and journeys across the lake by dugout canoe towards Kisoro, as well as mountain biking and bird watching. It’s a popular place to stay if you plan to track gorillas from the trailheads at Nkuringo or Rushaga.
On my first stay at Nkuringo Gorilla Camp (which has grown over the years to be known as Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge) friends opted for the ‘one-day circular forest walk,’ starting at Nteko village and following the Ivy River trails and Kashasha River into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. It was spectacular!
Walking safari into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
As we walked downhill towards the River Ivy, our excellent guide Adolf listed some of the mammals we might see in the forest: a golden cat, civets, serval cats, jackals, flying squirrels, red tailed monkey, L’Hoest and black and white Colobus monkeys. The Muzungu’s wildlife wishlist for the day: a Blue Monkey, forest butterflies and some new ticks for my forest bird list please. (A gorilla sighting would be pretty cool too…)
We stopped at a swampy area before crossing the river to enter the park.
“One time we came here and the bridge had been washed away. We had to remove our clothes and walk across through the river,” Adolf told us.
“Even with clients?” I asked.
“Yes!” He laughed.
Safely across the water, Adolf welcomed us into the impenetrable forest. “If you take the wrong turning, you can get lost in the forest for seven days. It happened to someone I know from the village. They had to send out a search party for him.”
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest derives its name from the Mubwindi Swamp in the eastern part of the Forest; its full name being Mubwindi Nyamukari, named after a young woman who was ‘damped’ (drowned) by her father in the swamp. This was one of three local stories we heard of young women being drowned in swamps or waterfalls. Verdict: this was not the best place in the world for a girl to be born. In every story, it was the young woman who copped it every time while the man got away unscathed.
Back in the forest, Adolf warned us to beware the biting safari ants and pointed out the trails where forest hogs had crossed. He also showed us Wild Pineapple, Wild Ginger and the beautiful red Erythinia abyssinia ‘Lucky Bean Tree.’
The pods of the Lucky Bean Tree contain bright red seeds. Local people believe that if you find one of these seeds and put it in your pocket, you will be lucky for the whole day. The thorny structure of the tree is believed to ward evil spirits away too. The Lucky Bean Tree also has medicinal qualities: the ash from its bark can be applied to burns.
“I know it sounds like a silly question, but what does a Blue Monkey look like?” asked my friend Robert.
I never did hear the answer, as we were distracted trying to identify a bird – that turned out to be an enormous cricket!
Encounter with a Silverback
Adolf recounted the story of the day he was called from Nkuringo to Buhoma. This meant he had to walk through the middle of Bwindi Forest.
“As I was moving, we came across a group of 19 gorillas sitting on the track. In the middle was the Silverback gorilla. I had a big stick and I stood back, watching him, and moving very gently. The Silverback started snapping branches on either side of the trail.”
Adolf imitated the low pitched growling of the Silverback. The other gorillas joined in, displaying sounds of annoyance at having been disturbed.
“I didn’t want to turn back. Clients were expecting me in Buhoma.”
“Couldn’t you just wait until they moved?” I asked him.
“It would have been dark by then in the forest. It was already 6 o’clock in the evening.
The Silverback came towards me with his mouth wide open, thumping his chest, screaming at me!
I had to walk backwards, slowly but still facing him. The Silverback mirrored my pace. I took two steps, he took two steps… then I took off running!”
“Was he chasing you?” I asked.
“Yes!” answered Adolf.
“I had turned my walking stick at an angle and the Silverback thought I was going to hit him.” (Adolf imitated the gorilla covering his head with his hands as if to protect himself).
“After some time, the Silverback slowly walked back to his family. I managed to get out of the forest by 8 o’clock. It was completely dark by then. I slowly walked back towards where the gorillas were and walked around them. It was the Nkuringo family of gorillas.”
After hearing Adolf’s alarming gorilla tale, the Muzungu decided to reconsider her wildlife wishlist for the day. I was very happy to settle for some birding highlights that included:
- Brown-throated wattleeye
- White-eyed slaty flycatcher
- Paradise flycatcher
- Black-billed turaco
- Dusky long-tailed cuckoo
The total tracking time was around six hours, in which we covered 17.5 km (most of which seemed to be uphill!) Our steadfast guide Adolf paced our walk just right and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, even the steep bits!
It was on our final ascent that we came across a Lucky Bean Tree, right next to our path. Guess which Lucky Bean put the seed in her pocket?
An alternative hike is from Kisoro
After a 90-minute walk to Lake Mutanda, there’s a 2 ½ hour dugout canoe trip north to Rwajenje. (Don’t worry about overexerting yourself: the tour includes a comfy seat, lifejacket and a man to paddle you, while you take photos of the volcanic peaks reflected in the lake). The gentle padding is followed by a 9km / 3-hour walk along community trails up to Rubuguri Junction; here you can be picked up for the final 10km uphill to Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge.
The view from Nteko Ridge
Nteko Ridge is the highest point: there’s nothing between you and Bwindi’s lush rainforest for miles left and right, on one side of the hill and a staggering EIGHT volcanic peaks on the opposite side of the hill.
Volcanoes and rainforests have their own unique weather patterns so the visibility can’t be guaranteed. For me though, that’s half the fun. Wake and look out the window “what will I see today?”
If you’ve never seen a rainforest before, you must visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: it’s incredibly dense and incredibly green. THERE ARE A LOT OF TREES. The air is pure and the National Park has almost unimaginable biodiversity. I tingle, just remembering it all.
Gorilla trekking information
The Nkuringo gorilla family group is just a few minutes walk from Nkruringo Gorilla Lodge. Robert Brierley advised us that tracking the gorilla families in Rushaga involves a 23km / 55 minute drive from the lodge. Interested in trekking the gorillas in Uganda? Read Diary of Muzungu’s guide to gorilla trekking. My guide is based on many years’ trekking the gorillas, working with conservation organisations, lodges, guides and tour operators. You can also contact me directly for recommendations.
Were Toto right about Africa?
Were Toto right about Africa? Had they even visited Africa?
It’s been ages since I published a blog, hasn’t it Dearest Reader? Travel, IT problems, work commitments, the death of my beloved Baldrick – and plain old exhaustion – have taken their toll… but de Muzungu is back on form. I hope you can keep up?
Sunshine – and the promise of an evening filled with talk about Uganda and birds (and possibly even a sneaky little Uganda Waragi) – followed a captivating day at the UK Bird Fair. Driving along in evening sunshine, I follow Roger (driving the wrong way!) in his little red car.
I switch on the radio.
“Who would you like the request for?” Asks the DJ.
“Please play it for me and my husband who are going on Safari in Kenya this weekend.”
Negative African stereotype no. 1:
– The Caller pronounced it “Keeeenya,” the old colonial way.
“Sounds like the ‘holiday of a lifetime’!” Says the DJ.
“We’re taking a drive across the Rift Valley, then to the beach in Mombasa, hoping the pirates from Somalia don’t get us.” (The DJ agrees that being kidnapped by pirates would not make for a good holiday of a lifetime. Memory of a lifetime flashing before you, maybe!)
Negative African stereotype no. 2:
– Visiting the East African coast necessarily involves Somali pirates.
Negative African stereotype no. 3:
– We’re lucky that we know the Caller is going to Kenya, not just any old African country. She has no idea where in Keeeenya she’s actually going for her Safari.
“Where did you spend your honeymoon?” Asks the DJ.
“Cornwall,” she replies. (South West England). “Nothing to hunt there!” She jokes.
Negative African stereotype no. 4:
– Going on Safari equates to hunting animals.
The DJ corrects her: “I don’t think you’ll be hunting animals on Safari. We don’t do that anymore.” (Actually, there is limited, regulated hunting on some Safaris in Africa but the vast majority of holidaymakers just come to shoot with cameras).
“And what song would you like me to play for you Caller?”
“Africa” by Toto.
Negative African stereotype no. 5:
“Africa” by Toto.
I confess: I can’t help it, I love singing along to the song – perhaps because I’ve heard it a gazillion times.
But… it does seem a bit naff to be listening to it in Uganda – though God knows we hear it at least once every night if we’re at a local bar. Toto’s ‘Africa’ was released in 1983, here’s the video.
**Scroll down to find out what Toto’s Africa is really all about!*
I hear the drums echoing tonight
But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation
She’s coming in 12:30 flight
The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation
I stopped an old man along the way
Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies
He turned to me as if to say
“Hurry boy, it’s waiting there for you!”
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
The wild dogs cry out in the night [the Muzungu: that’ll be the street dogs running amok!]
As they grow restless longing for some solitary company
I know that I must do what’s right
Sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti [the Muzungu: hmmm? geography!]
I seek to cure what’s deep inside
Frightened of this thing that I’ve become [the Muzungu: not a good lyric writer, I’m telling ya!]
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
Hurry boy, she’s waiting there for you
It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had
The Muzungu’s having mixed feelings now about singing along to Toto’s song ‘Africa.’ What a patronising load of crap.
So, Dearest Reader, apparently “this song tells the story of a man who comes to Africa and must make a decision about the girl who comes to see him. He is enamored with the country [Africa is a country is it?] but he must leave if he is going to be with her.”
Toto keyboard player David Paich wrote the song, and explained: “At the beginning of the ’80s I watched a late night documentary on TV about all the terrible death and suffering of the people in Africa. It both moved and appalled me and the pictures just wouldn’t leave my head. I tried to imagine how I’d feel about if I was there and what I’d do.” Paich had never been to Africa when he wrote the song.” [You don’t say!]
Jeez what did I start? I wish I hadn’t Googled this. What a depressing load of uneducated rubbish.
There’s so little exposure of the many wonderful, beautiful, talented and extraordinary things happening right now on this continent. Writing Diary of a Muzungu is my minuscule, personal attempt at trying to combat some of the many negative perceptions and untruths about Africa.
Are you (still?) a Toto fan? Does Uganda fit your idea of ‘a holiday of a lifetime’?
Yes or no? Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
How to date a Ugandan
A blog post about dating in Uganda will not suffice. This material fills at least one book!
Ugandan men can be handsome and very charming.
They know how to tell women what we want to hear. Delivery of promises is an altogether different issue!
I’ve had more marriage proposals in Uganda than in the whole of my life.
I’ve been promised love, marriage, children (natural and adopted), meeting the family and even a house overlooking Lake Victoria!
And what have I got? My fingers burned – more than once …
I love the idea of having a relationship with a Ugandan man but the reality of mixed relationships is harder than I thought it would be, for many reasons.
It’s quite usual for your male Ugandan suitor to be:
- married
- living with someone
- a father of many children
- simultaneously with any number of girlfriends
– or all four!
Bare-faced lies are very common.
Still, Muzungu ladies are very popular and we all like attention don’t we 😉
Mixed Muzungu Ugandan relationships can be challenging. How to date a Ugandan. Dating Uganda
Make your own mind up ladies but don’t believe everything you hear. Enjoy the moment, as that’s probably all it is, despite what they say. Just don’t take it too seriously – and insist on condoms every time! Yes I’m being explicit …
The Uganda dating issue is going to run and run!
If you enjoyed this post, you’ll LOVE these:
Why do muzungu ladies like dating rastas?
Downtown dreadlocks – the Muzungu’s blind date
What’s your experience of mixed race relationships?
Please leave a comment here, I’d love to hear from you. (Just don’t ask me to hook you up with one of my friends!)
How to ride a boda boda
Riding a boda boda (motorbike) is all part of the Ugandan experience, but play it safe and minimise the risks.
Early morning boda boda ride from Upper Konge in Kampala. In Uganda, you are never far from the village… although I lived just a few kilometres from the city centre (and even closer to Lake Victoria) you would hardly think so. The bumpy early morning ride down a steep marram dirt road is a great way to wake up – and a lovely way to see Kampala, the city of Seven Hills.
There’s nothing more exciting than having the wind blow through your hair on a beautiful sunny day – but you wouldn’t take the risks of riding on the back of a stranger’s motorbike without wearing a helmet back home would you? Ask yourself: would you do this if your mum knew about it?
Here’s the Muzungu’s advice on how to ride a boda boda in Uganda:
- You might be on a budget, but your safety is worth more than saving a few thousand shillings. Try and get a licensed ‘special hire taxi ‘home, sharing with friends if possible.
- Don’t ever just flag down a passing boda driver at night – they could be anyone.
- Wear a crash helmet, ideally your own. If the boda boda driver has one, the chances are it will not fit, there will be no chin strap, it may have been dropped many times (and thus rendered almost useless) and, besides, you don’t know who else has had it on their head!
- Use a boda recommended by a friend. Store his / their numbers on your phone. (It doesn’t mean you have to date them ladies, although they may try it on!)
- Use a boda from a recognised boda ‘stage’ (like a bus stop). These guys are licensed, whereas the majority of bodas on the streets are not. If you have an accident, the boda is likely to disappear before you scrape yourself off the tarmac. If you take a boda from a stage, you can at least report the driver to the stage chairman or the police.
- If your friend goes home on a boda at night, store the number plate of the bike on your phone. Let the boda driver see that you’re doing this. Tell your friend to SMS or beep or ‘flash’ you when s/he gets home safely.
- This advice is for men and women, Ugandans, expats, tourists, volunteers – everyone.
- There are some unscrupulous guys out there who are just criminals on motorbikes. Don’t be a victim.
- When you’re riding a boda, keep your personal items close to your body. Hide jewellery. Take it off until you arrive at your destination.
- Wedge your bag between you and the boda driver. Someone tried to pull my friend off a bike when she had her bag loose over her shoulder. He only wanted the bag but he nearly pulled them off the bike and into the road.
Have fun, but be safe.
Remember Uganda is a developing country with limited facilities.
If you have an accident on a boda boda (the statistics are TERRIBLE), the medical services may take a long time to get to you in an emergency. Can you risk your dream holiday or your new life to be flown home in an emergency?
Visit her blog Bodaboda baby Dedicated to Uganda’s most stylish boys
What are your tips for travelling safely on a boda boda in Uganda?
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips or expat travel advice you’d like to share? I’d love to hear from you!
Where’s my wall gone? Uganda’s weather gets the better of us
Rain… rain… rain… Uganda’s weather is disorganising me!
This whopping pothole in Kampala’s Industrial Area has been filled in but most reappear. Terrific rains and poor drainage combine for maximum destructive effect.
Rain stopped work.
Rain stopped play.
Rain stopped John our askari going home – until two hours before he was due back here for the night shift.
Nora sweeps flooded kitchen. sigiri on floor
Rain meant that seven people were cooped up in our little house (my office!) while I’d planned to catch up the backlog of work…
It certainly rained on someone’s parade: the National Resistance Movement’s public holiday parade to be exact – and it was soggy public holiday weather in Uganda for the rest of Kampala’s population.
Simpson surfaced at midday, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a mega lie-in. I scowled at his good humour. I’d got up early to work – and my plans had been scuppered by the weather.
It was 3 pm by the time everyone left the house, my work day obliterated.
What makes it worse is having to look at the destruction in the compound from last week’s hailstorm.
Simpson surveys the damage after the hailstorm. The top third of the compound wall sliced off. The storm was so loud I didn’t even hear the wall crashing down!
I thought the roof was going to come off our house – the rusty iron sheets certainly flew off the house opposite!
The landlady started yelling at me when she saw the wall, insisting that I was going to finance the whole thing.
“No way!” The muzungu shouted back at her. She’d intimidated me once, but not this time.
Yes, I may have let the Bougainvillea grow too big but it breaks my heart to cut the flowers off in their prime, deprive the birds of their roost and expose our compound to passing strangers. (Ugandans tend to hack plants back to an ugly bare stick!) The bush was huge before we arrived, otherwise the rock hard, sun-baked branches intertwined amongst the railings would not have wrenched the railings out of what a friend called the *fake wall. The railings were secured to brick posts by a mere 5 cm of cement. Ascari John knocked the mortar off the old bricks with a stick – so it was hardly built to last!
The wind and rain entered the house horizontally through the mosquito mesh covering the ventilation bricks above the windows. A fine brown water spray covered every surface in every room; even the laptop came out of the affair muddy!
The noise from the hailstorm was so loud we didn’t even hear the wall come down.
“The fence got knocked down” said Jemima. Fence? What fence? I wondered. I tried to picture a bamboo or iron sheet fence near our house but couldn’t.
And then I opened the front door onto what looked like a bombsite!
Uganda’s weather continues to amaze me.
Baldrick enjoys sniffing through the debris of our compound wall. Sadly a bird was catapulted out of its nest. Dawn chorus seems quieter too!
Top Dog Baldrick has come into his own and is finally earning his keep! He seems to be enjoying barking at every passing person peering into our newly exposed compound.
Percy the rescue puppy checks out the damage to our compound wall
I need to destress. The live-work situation in Namuwongo was often stressful. When you work in an office, you can leave your stresses behind at the end of the day. When you work from home, it’s not always that easy.
This is my choice though, I must remember. Or as a friend once said be careful what you wish for!
*The friend appears to be as fake as the wall… another chapter for the book?
So how do you find the weather in Uganda? I love its dramatic twists and turns – but how much has this month’s weather cost you?
Diary of a Muzungu’s travel highlights – across Uganda and Kenya
The Muzungu’s travel highlights of 2012 – Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls, community tourism in Mabira Forest, Lonely Planet, Nairobi – and two Royal Weddings!
Life in Uganda has tested me in many ways and 2012 was ‘challenging’ as we say around here – but I’m still here ‘living the dream’ (on a good day!)
The year ended on a real high, literally – waking up on Christmas Day in a treehouse overlooking Kibale Forest to the sound of chimpanzees and forest birds.
We had a feast! – with “all the trimmings” of a British Christmas dinner, including bread sauce, crackers, naff jokes, silly hats and Christmas stockings, all imported specially for the occasion.
Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After Christmas we put the Baby Car (a.k.a. Mimi) through her paces. Our party of twelve people went on a 4 wheel driving adventure along the muddy marram tracks across heavenly crater lake country, en route to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a couple of days Safari, a luxury overnight in Volcanoes’ Kyambura Lodge and the most brilliant water safari and birdwatching day out on a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. Simpson saw his first hippos and crocodiles! – I adore the waterways’ incredible birdlife (TWITCH!)
It’s almost a year since my last trip for our epic bird-ringing week-end at Julia’s amazing home in Kibale Forest – maybe that’s where I’ll write my book? Chimp alert! or muzungu bolthole?
From there Julia and I travelled to the wide open savannah of Ishasha where we’d jumped in an elephant trench and had a go at maintaining the matooke (banana) plantation – all in a day’s work for the Bazungu!
Why I love elephant dung! tells the story.
Back in Kampala, my photographer friend Javi and I rocked up to State House, the President’s office. Javi asked me to collaborate with him on a book about Uganda and we have the makings of a great project – we just need someone to pay for it! And so we spent Valentine’s Day sweltering on the veranda as our 10 a.m. meeting got put back and back and back. By 4 p.m. we finally had our slot with one of the President’s Permanent Secretaries, a charming lady called Grace: but alas the answer was NO.
We didn’t get to meet The Man With The Hat (The Big Man) either. Boo, hoo Valentine’s Day, no red rose, no book deal, not nuffink.
September saw the launch of the Uganda photo souvenir map Facebook page. The Uganda map is designed by Andrew Roberts, a UCF Director and co-editor of the Bradt travel guide. Special thanks to ‘Chimp Girl’ Julia Lloyd and Harriet ‘Ebola’ Fowler for commissioning photo maps and for all your support! Each montage is individually created with your photos and 10% of sales go to the Uganda Conservation Foundation to help fight poaching in the National Parks – now at its worst level in decades.
Poaching is fuelled mostly by the growth of the Chinese middle classes and facilitated by China’s growing networks and investments in East Africa. Check out my friend Anne-Marie’s brilliant article about poaching in Uganda, entitled There is a lot of it about.
In October, I was delighted to welcome fellow Lonely Planet* blogger, Isabel Romano, on her first trip to Africa. After a visit to Ggaba market on Lake Victoria and a relaxing lunch at Cassia Lodge taking in the view, Ronald and I introduced her to a very different view of Kampala: a visit to Namuwongo slum.
To find out more about some of the excellent development work in Namuwongo slums, check out Events for Namuwongo on Facebook.
My friend Ronald is a professional dog trainer based in Kampala. I love my walks with him and De Boys – Baldrick and Percy!
Namuwongo is dear to my heart – the first place I lived in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park
I celebrated my birthday with Red Chilli’s at their camp in Murchison Falls National Park, where we partied all week-end to celebrate the camp’s tenth birthday. A percentage of all the camp’s profits go to support the Steve Willis Memorial Fund.
Anne-Marie and I should have known better: as we entered the Park, we opened the car doors in exactly the wrong spot letting vicious biting Tsetse flies loose in the car. We spent the weekend itching, scratching and regretting it!
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Tembo Canteen on Mweya Peninsula in Queen Elizabeth is possibly the best location in the world to endure three days of PowerPoint presentations, with Mike Cant’s talk about mongooses being the highlight. Kabina squashed on a hard wooden benche, I loved reconnecting with my conservation friends for UWA’s research symposium: Dianah, Phionah and Richard from NatureUganda, Aggie and Dr Margaret from UWA, Gladys of Conservation Through Public Health, Alex, Erik and Emmanuel from UCF, Alastair and Andy from Wildlife Conservation Society. Poaching, invasive species, climate change and human wildlife conflict are just some of the big issues UWA is challenged with.
The weekend finished with a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. The eager eyes of a warden even spotted a leopard, a distant dot high up on the hillside! We certainly didn’t expect to see a leopard in broad daylight from the boat, but that’s the wonderful thing about going on Safari – every outing is different.
Birds and bird watching in Uganda
By the way, if you like birds you might enjoy some of the muzungu’s Uganda birding stories, now grouped on one handy page inspired by attending the UK Bird Fair and hanging out with expert birders Roger, Malcolm, David Lindo ‘the Urban Birder’ and Aussie Chris Watson.
The best community tourism projects in Uganda are promoted by UCOTA
The UCOTA community tourism fam trip was another highlight. We had a lot of fun, as you will read in – Can you play the Xylophone? – and got to meet the real people living on the edges of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Theirs is not an easy life.
A wave of patriotism flooded Uganda in 2012 as the country celebrated 50 years of independence. Needless to say it also brought up a lot of discontent, mostly aimed at the current regime’s 26 years in power. My contribution to the party? 50 reasons why I love Uganda – my most popular blog ever.
A moment of feeling homesick…
I felt a twinge of homesickness as I thought of all my friends and family celebrating the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the London Olympics. British expat friends dressed in the red, white and blue of the Union Jack and gathered round a TV set in Kololo to watch the celebrations along the Thames.
Uganda was delighted to welcome home the Marathon gold Olympic medallist Kipsoro. It seemed to be a typical Ugandan achievement – mpole, mpole ‘slowly by slowly’ – wait until the very last event to win a medal…! Ugandans are rightly proud of this homegrown talent, who actually trained in next door Kenya.
Running across East Africa, with the Hash House Harriers – and a Royal Wedding
I know a lot of talented runners. Kampala’s Seven Hills race (or does Kampala have 22 hills now?) certainly keeps us fit! At 1000 metres above sea level, rumour has it that if we train here in Kampala, we return to the lower lands of Europe with more stamina. (I certainly huffed and puffed my way up Tank Hill in Muyenga, Kampala for a few months before I acclimatised to the increase in altitude).
Regular Diary of a Muzungu blog readers will know of my Monday evening antics with the Kampala Hash House Harriers, that have taken me to all corners of Kampala, Jinja, Nairobi and even Ethiopia. I felt a million Muganda ladies sigh (and maybe a couple of Muzungu ones too) as the Buganda Kingdom announced the engagement of our friend Prince David Wassaja. We wish you all de best Federo! The Muzungu was honoured to be invited to the Buganda Royal Wedding.
Northern Uganda comes to Kampala
In April we welcomed back the sometimes controversial comedienne Jane Bussman to Kampala for another run of her award-winning show, entitled “The worst date ever – or how it took a comedy writer to expose Africa’s secret war.” It was a sell-out night in Kampala. All proceeds from Jane’s show went to complete construction of a house for ex-LRA child soldiers in Northern Uganda.
Meeting new tribes in Nairobi, Kenya
Check out the Muzungu with my new friends – the guy looks very cute! Kenya is only a bus ride away and I need to explore the country further!
The two are not connected 😉
Griffin Falls Ecocamp, Mabira Forest, Jinja
Set in the heart of Mabira Forest, Griffin Falls campsite is a charming little hideaway.
The banda accommodation and food are basic and cheap; if you’re happy with cold bucket showers and a kerosene lamp, you’ll love this place. Isla and I hired bikes for a guided tour of the Forest and the Falls and I even saw my first Grey Cheeked Mangabey! Hussein and Peter (tel +256(0)751949368 / +256(0)751955671) are very friendly and knowledgeable about the forest’s birds and trees, under threat from so-called developers. The campsite is a real gem.
PHEW! Well I’ve worn myself out just reliving all of that lot…! Time for a lie-down now…
So what does the New Year hold for the Muzungu?
2013 is my year – and hopefully Uganda’s too, after National Geographic voted Uganda one of the top 20 places to visit in 2013.
*Sadly, after four years, Lonely Planet has dropped its links with Diary of a Muzungu and the 100s of other travel bloggers featured on its web site, after Lonely Planet was sold to the BBC. Farewell #lp we’ve had a good run. We in Uganda loved being Lonely Planet’s no. 1 destination to visit in 2012 and working with Lonely Planet bloggers to create a free downloadable book of photography was a personal highlight.
Diary of a Muzungu now accepts guest posts so if you have a story you want to share with the world, please get in touch! Thanks to my first guest blogger Mark Penhallow for a hilarious blog about Driving in Kampala
If you haven’t visited Uganda yet, feel free to explore my blog or drop the Muzungu an email for more Uganda and East Africa travel ideas. Wishing you an adventure-filled New Year!
Wake up and smell the coffee, Rift Valley style
Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
Day breaks over the Rift Valley and my early morning coffee has arrived, a wake-up call for my morning safari game drive in Queen Elizabeth.
“Game drive or lie-in? Game drive or lie-in?” I ponder. Hmmm…
Too many decisions, too early in the morning. I lie there in the huge double bed, the smell of the wonderfully aromatic Omwani coffee filling the room. My friends depart for the game drive and I decide I’ll opt for the birding walk along the top of Kyambura Gorge – and drift back to sleep.
Everyone clambers onto Julia’s new Safari roof rack to watch a lion feeding on a freshly killed Kob on Kasenyi Plain. Safari game drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge , overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda
So far our Safari has taken us north from Kampala for a few days stay in Kibale Forest. From there we drive the magical back route, through the crater lakes and on down south, descending across the Savannah floor of the Rift Valley and into central Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After a few days sleeping in a cold treehouse with no electricity and no phone network, we’re looking forward to a couple of days of luxury. I briefly looked around Kyambura Gorge Lodge while passing on a previous trip and couldn’t believe my luck that I am about to spend a couple of days there with my group of 11 friends. We pass the journey pondering what to try out first: a massage or dip in the pool? Will we have time to visit all the community projects? Will we see elephants from the lodge?
As we navigate around the potholes on the low-lying roads crossing the Rift Valley, I point across to Kyambura Gorge, site of the chimp trekking. I wonder if the baboons will be waiting for us at the bottom of the hill?
The Lodge is perched high up on Kyambura Gorge, 1050 metres above sea level, with a 180° view across the Rift Valley with the Rwenzori Mountains in the far distance. On a clear day you can see across to the Blue Mountains of the Congo. Kyambura Gorge Lodge sits just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most popular park.
And so we arrive en masse: two very dirty vehicles chockablock full of tired and dusty travellers, a hungry toddler and assorted baggage. What a lovely welcome from the Kyambura Gorge Lodge staff! Even before we’ve reached our rooms, we feel at home. After a glass of fresh juice, the staff pick up our bags and we are quickly settled – even though we are a big group.
The view in every direction is breathtaking. The clever positioning of a telescope in the breakfast area immediately grabs this twitcher’s eye.
Is this the best pool in Uganda? Kyambura Gorge Lodge
The layout and decor are quite unlike any other lodge in Uganda. Many lodges tend to adapt the same style but Kyambura Gorge Lodge is in a league of its own. Each banda has its own colour scheme and ours was a mixture of blues. I loved the recycled MTN kiosk bedside cabinet! We stayed in Lumumba, so named after one of the Gorge’s chimps.
Each Banda is cleverly divided into sections to suit your every mood: a huge window seat cum day bed, a veranda with a wicker hanging basket chair – and a bed which is HUGE by any standards. I vote this possibly the most comfortable bed in Uganda.
To me there is nothing worse than going to a beautiful lodge in a natural setting and finding a load of Chinese-made plastic fittings in the bathroom. This couldn’t be further from the case at Kyambura Gorge, where there’s attention to detail in every aspect.
The fabulous converted Coffee House is the centrepiece at Volcanoes Safaris’ Kyambura Gorge Lodge overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park
The refurbished coffeehouse is a fantastic living space. The eclectic décor provides something interesting for the eye, everywhere you look. The upholstered furniture in bold African prints lends a nice twist to European style furniture.
Even the ceiling is funky! The attention to every detail is second to none at the converted Coffee House main living area at Volcanoes Safaris’ Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Activities from Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Despite its remote-seeming location, there’s a whole list of activities to choose from!
- Game drives
- Afternoon boat trip on the Kazinga Channel at Mweya: elephant, hippo, Buffalo and many of the park’s 600 bird species
- Chimp tracking. Kyambura Gorge is home to “a family of 27 chimpanzees who live in a magical sunken forest with a unique eco-system, along with many species of primates and birds, leopards, hippos and elephants.”
- In 2019 a short private walk will connect the lodge directly to Kyambura Gorge to track ‘the lost chimps.’
- Wildlife Gorge Walk, around the rim of the gorge, accompanied by one of the lodge’s trained staff. We saw lots of birds and Black and White Colobus Monkeys. You might see a chimp!
- Community Coffee Tour. The Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative, developed by the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust gives local women a much-needed source of income.
-
Omwani Coffee Processing Tour is organised by the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust
Omwani coffee is served at Kyambura Gorge and Volcanoes’ other lodges in Uganda. It is also available as freshly made cappuccino at the Omwani Training Cafe, along with delicious home-made snacks, pizzas and rolex. This great little cafe offers training and job opportunities to local disadvantage young people. The cafe is open to everyone who passes through Kyambura. There is even a small campsite which is popular with Peace Corps volunteers and others. You can also buy Omwani Coffee to take home. The Omwani project has featured in Uganda’s Monitor newspaper.
- Search for the Tree Climbing Lions in Ishasha
- Track Mongooses on Mweya with the Uganda Wildlife Authority
- Birding in Kyambura Wetland, a habitat that is recovering well thanks to the work of the Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust
- The Omumashaka Drama group performs for guests at the lodge. The group puts on monthly performances of educational plays, songs and dances for the community
- Visit the bee-keeping project. At certain times of year, you can even suit up with our local beekeepers for this unique hands-on experience!
- The Blue Lake at Kalinzu
- UCOTA, the Uganda Community Tourism Association, helps develop and manage a series of community-led tourism projects across Uganda. One of my favourites in Queen Elizabeth is Katwe Salt Lake, situated past the Equator crossing.
- Chimp tracking can also be arranged in Kalinzu Forest.
- Did you know flamingos can be seen on one of the crater lakes in Kyambura Reserve at certain times of the year?
- The lodge is a good base for joining a lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
We took turns to lie in the hammock and gaze out across the savannah and into Kyambura Gorge. The pool, massages and all your meals and alcoholic drinks (oh yes) are included in the cost of your room. This photo was taken in 2012. In 2019, the pool area and the pool itself was upgraded
There could be no better setting for a honeymoon. Note to self: look for a husband 😉
Spectacular views of sunsets and mountains, attentive but discreet service, a gentle welcoming smile, wonderful food, a real commitment to ecotourism and community development, a beckoning swimming pool, a bed I never wanted to leave and a whole range of activities on your doorstep, I can wholeheartedly recommend Kyambura Lodge.
The spacious bandas rooms are full of light with floor-to-ceiling glass along one side. The thick curtains should make sure you’re not woken up too early in the morning however.
I loved our banda bathroom. With its double basins and open plan design, it had a decadent feel to it, softened by the use of natural materials to give it an understated elegance. Standing under the hot, powerful shower I enjoyed the sweeping views out onto the Savannah. Oh why did I stay for just one night? I didn’t even try the outside shower!
The cone-shaped thatched roof of the converted coffee house, Kyambura Gorge Lodge. The planting of the lodge’s gardens complements the original decor throughout the lodge. It really is a special place.
At the breakfast table I’m joined by my excited friends. They’re all chatter and laughter after their game drive – and ravenous. We dive into a huge breakfast of fresh fruit, 100% organic Omwani coffee, locally produced honey (another Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust initiative), brown bread toast, a ‘full English’ cooked breakfast and pancakes.
They recount stories of the Lion with its adolescent cubs, a huge herd of Buffalo and a Hippo watching them all in the distance. Not bad for a morning’s work! I’ve been spoiled though: three years working for the Uganda Conservation Foundation have given me many days in the bush.
Beyond the gardens of Kyambura Gorge Lodge are the wetlands, previously used as an illegal brick works. The Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust has rehabilitated 30 acres of wetland. The area is now rapidly regenerating to its natural state.
If you want to stay in a real ecolodge, look no further than Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Ecotourism is a word that’s often used in Uganda but very few lodges or operators live up to the title. Volcanoes really deliver. Investments such as solar energy, rainwater harvesting, a salt water swimming pool and low Flushing eco-toilets are just some of the environmentally friendly lodge features. Active development of conservation and community projects are key to the company’s vision. As an active supporter of conservation and community development in Uganda, I was seriously impressed with what I saw and read.
DISCLOSURE: This blog is based on my personal experience. I was lucky enough to be given a free night’s stay in return for this blog post. For more information, read the Muzungu’s Terms and Conditions.
Are muzungus all rich?
“For us we know you are rich”
Being a Muzungu (having a white skin) defines me as rich, or so the rolex man tells me.
Let’s talk English semantics here: when he says he knows I’m rich, he could also mean he believes I am rich.
Are school fees due? I don’t think so. Nonetheless, three incidents in 24 hours this week annoyed me – they’re nothing really, but when they come at you – one after the other – they can get you down.
Part One – the Muzungu and the casino chips
Last Monday night Julia and I went to a local restaurant. It looked like a bit of a dive but we were starving. There were no other customers so we thought we might be lucky and get served quickly.
We went through the normal routine: “We are in a hurry, how long will it be?”
“It will be quick Madam” came the reply, “we have machines.”
Three quarters of an hour later, a bowl of vegetable dall and chips finally emerged (quite what those machines were, we will never know…)
Did she think the Muzungu had ordered Casino chips?
When it came to paying the bill, a sultry girl (invisible until this point), hung around the table demanding attention. She presented us with a handwritten bill for two mango juices, chips and dall.
“8500 shillings for chips!” screamed Julia. “Let me see the menu.”
“You had chicken and chips” the girl said. “No we didn’t,” Julia answered back. The remains of dall – and not chicken – were clearly there on the table in front of her.
There was some reluctant shuffling and the greasy, fingerprint-stained remains of a menu were handed to us.
“We’re not paying this bill – the menu says chips are only 3000 shillings.”
The girl picked the bill up from the table in her left hand – and with her right hand replaced it with another handwritten bill, identical except for the total.
“Why did you write two bills?” I confronted the girl. Her attempts to fleece us were so transparent, it’s laughable.
Part Two – the Muzungu and the gold-plated Rolex
The next morning in Entebbe, I pulled over at the side of the road for a quick breakfast before my meeting.
“How much is your rolex please?”
“Only 2000 shillings.”
“I don’t pay that even in Kampala!” I retorted. (I pay maximum 1500). I was half asleep but the second blatant attempt to rip me off in less than 24 hours really got my goat.
Riled, I asked him “so you think all muzungus are rich?” He laughed “For us we know you are rich.”
Gold plated Rollex – this is what I thought I was being charged for – not an omelette wrapped in a chapati
How can I explain to him that the car he sees me drive was bought with a loan from my dad? Will he appreciate the fact I spent the first 2 1/2 years of my life in Uganda working as a volunteer? Will he respect the fact that I’ve been helping a Ugandan friend through university? What will he think of the fact I employ two people that I can’t really afford to employ simply because I like them and want to support them? These thoughts go through my head time and again – but there’s no point in saying anything, he wants his bit of me just like everyone else does. And really, what’s 500 shillings to me anyway?
[500 shillings is approx 12 British pence or 20 US cents]. What a shame I am paid in shillings though, isn’t it?
Part Three – the Muzungu gets tanked up
I pulled over at the petrol station to buy fuel for the 40 something km drive back to Kampala. The attendant greets me with a fabulous grin “Good morning Madam, how are you?”
Such a lovely greeting is the norm and I reply in kind.
I know the question is coming but I’ll have to disappoint him… “Fill her up Madam?” He beams.
“Just give me 30,000” the muzungu snaps back at him.
Don’t get on the wrong side of Tank Girl Charlie!
Some days Uganda, I am just not in the mood!
I chatted all this over with Simpson and he’s right – Ugandans get treated exactly the same way. People need money.
Just don’t expect me to tip you if you get caught trying to rip me off – and at least the man at the petrol station greeted me with a smile.
So how has your week been? Did you come out on top?
If you like reading Diary of a Muzungu, please comment and share my blog with your friends. If you’re interested in writing a guest post, I would love to hear from you! Read more about writing a guest post here
50 reasons why I love Uganda
As one of the shiny new fighter jets flies over my house, no doubt practising for this Tuesday’s independence day fly-past, I’m mulling over the week-end papers, full of stories about Uganda@50 and what the last 50 years of independence have meant to Uganda. Is the country better or worse off as an independent nation? What does the future hold? Will the celebrations be hijacked by anti-government protesters? Will there be tears before bedtime?
I’m no expert on Ugandan politics (although the muzungu is very proud of her politics degree from SOAS) – so let’s leave the analysis to the pundits and have some fun.
So, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of independence, I thought I’d share with you my top 50 reasons why I Love Uganda.
1. Airtime. Everywhere you go, every shop, bar or street corner can sell you mobile phone credit, for as little as 200 Uganda shillings (a few cents or pennies).
2. Boda boda. There are 100,000 of these motorbike taxis in Kampala. Huge fun but use with extreme caution. Don’t expect them to hang around if you have an accident. Read How to ride a boda boda.
3. Birds, birds birds. I LOVE BIRDS! And Uganda has over 1000 species: pretty, beautiful, stunning, huge, noisy, elegant, comical, graceful, they’re all here.
4. Bus Journeys. Hmmm am I crazy? Frankly, any bus journey could be your last but one of my favourite memories is taking a bus from Kasese down to Butogota. 10,000 shillings for a free Safari as we drove down through Maramagambo Forest sighting elephants. Ahh.
5. Cappuccino. I love Ugandan coffee, just don’t serve me Star coffee powder!
6. Chimps at Ngamba Island. I fell in love with the hilarious chimps.
7. Dancing. Africans invented dance! Try keeping me off the dancefloor.
8. Dogs – ‘the boys’ Baldrick and Percy. These recycled street dogs light up my day. Always happy to see me, following me around until I give them what they want – food and a chance to escape the compound and chase a goat.
9. Driving in Kampala. Yes the traffic is a nightmare, yes the potholes wreck your car, but there’s something quite liberating about driving through this city at times. Careering over the wrong side of the road to dodge potholes can be fun, let’s be honest!
10. Dung Beetles rock!
11. Elephants brought me to Uganda. (Yeah I know, most people would just get on a plane!)
12. Food menus. Guaranteed entertainment. A menu is simply a guide to what may possibly be available at one given point in time. It does not reflect what is actually in the kitchen.
13. Fruit and vegetables. Huge, fresh, tasty and cheap.
14. Gorillas. I enjoyed the trek through the rainforest as much as meeting Bwindi’s Gentle Giants.
15. Grasshoppers taste greasy and smoky (best dry fried in chilli I’m told).
16. Greetings! I love the time and care Ugandans take to greet each other properly.
17. The Grey Crowned Crane – previously known as the Crested Crane – is Uganda’s iconic national symbol. The Crested Crane may well be extinct in Uganda within just 20 years, if degradation of the wetlands is not stopped. NatureUganda is leading the campaign to Save the Crane.
18. Jane Bussman is a British comedy writer campaigning to have Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA, caught. She’s on the ball and she’s hilarious.
19. Jinja, Source of the Nile, interesting colonial architecture, a market that is less congested than Kampala’s – and location for some memorable weekends at Nile River Camp.
20. Kampala Hash House Harriers have taken me to every bar, club – and slum! – across Kampala. The ‘drinking club with a running problem’ meets every Monday night.
21. Kibale Forest is where my friend Julia calls home, ideally at the top of a tree!
22. Lake Victoria. The world’s second largest freshwater lake – and the largest on the African continent – is where we taught our dogs to swim. Even as my feet crunched onto the tiny snails on the lake bed, I seem to have so far avoided Bilharzia! Can dogs catch it too?
23. Lions. Breathtaking – and a lot bigger in real life!
24. Mongooses experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
25. Mount Elgon. An unexpected wilderness experience, we climbed through seven habitats in four days and passed only two other groups of people. Would I do it again? Yes. Would I climb Margherita in the Rwenzori’s? One day maybe, but not without getting a LOT fitter first …
26. Muchomo roasted meat. No ‘gizzards’ (entrails) for me. I’m an occasional “chicken on a stick” woman.
27. Mighty Murchison Falls. Isn’t it annoying when you’ve heard the hype about a place then feel disappointed when you get there? GUARANTEE: I promise you won’t be disappointed when you reach the top of the Falls! Read Stirring up magic at the Devil’s Cauldron, Murchison Falls.
28. Music booming out from the church on Sunday morning can drive you to distraction. I love Ugandan music – but I have no idea what I’m singing along to! 😂
29. Namuwongo. Once maligned as a no-go area of Kampala (I found out after living there for a year), I love Namuwongo. Squashed between the industrial area and smarter Muyenga, it’s where I first fell in love with Uganda.
30. Owino market has everything you could ever want to buy, but it’s hard work.
31. Power cuts can drive you crazy. But the romance of candlelight has its moments!
32. River Nile. “Bring it on!” I screamed on my first Grade 5 white water rafting expedition. Second time around, I invited a friend to take my place; third time rafting, and I bailed out as the biggest rapids approached! Feeling nervous, learning to trust your guide, screaming with laughter as you successfully (or not!) negotiate the rapids, you’ll certainly never forget a day on the Nile.
33. Rolex or ‘rolled eggs’ – an omelette rolled up in a chapati – is my favourite street food. Bigger than a snack, although no self respecting Ugandan could possibly call a rolex a meal (since that should be served on a plate at a table). Rolex taste best at midnight in Kabalagala on the way home from a bar 😄
Trveor Noah gets his rolex fix (allegedly) in Wandegeya, Kampala
Read The rolex: celebrating Uganda’s uniqueness.
34. Safari. Every Safari is different. To say that you have “done X Park” when you visited for a day or two just doesn’t make sense. I can’t get enough game drives!
35. Sense of humour. Ugandans can charm the pants off you. Difficult situations tend to be dealt with humour (so refreshing after living in London where people quickly resort to shouting and swearing).
36. Simpson. My ‘Ugandan brother‘ has been with me through thick and thin (in fact he became very thin when he was a student, going without food so he could afford the fare to university). He’s my hero! I have a front seat at his graduation. I’m so proud of him.
37. Smoking. Oh yes. Cigarettes are cheap and we spend most of our time outside. No stuffy rules to worry us!
38. Snakes. Would I like to find one in my shower? No, but they do fascinate me.
39. Sunrise and Sunset. A reason to get up early – and later, a reason to have a drink in your hand 🍹
40. Tilapia. Best eaten whole, with your hands, on the lake edge at Ggaba.
41. Totems. Having the Ugandan name ‘Nagawa’ – thanks to my friend Rashid – has been a huge icebreaker. It’s given me hours of fun. This name makes me a member of the Nkima red tailed monkey clan. What an honour.
42. Uganda Conservation Foundation. Anti-poaching and human wildlife conflict – a.k.a. anything to do with elephants – is the mission of UCF, whom I volunteered with for nearly three years.
43. Uganda Museum. Dusty and under resourced, the Museum is still a gem. I’ve fallen for its charms.
44. Uganda souvenir photo map. This fun project keeps my creative heart thumping.
45. Uganda Waragi is a triple distilled ‘war gin.’ Handbag size bottles available ladies 😉
46. Uglish. Otherwise known as Ugandan English, this language gives us – expats and Ugandans alike – endless laughs. I tried to keep a straight face when Janero told me he had “pregnanted his girlfriend.” To read more funny examples, check out the superb Uglish Facebook page
47. UWEC Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (once Entebbe Zoo) has a cafe overlooking the beach. It’s quite a view! You can see virtually all of Uganda’s big mammals and reptiles at UWEC.
48. Vultures may be ugly but our health depends on them. Fascinating!
49. Weather. Even when it rains, the sun comes out a few minutes later.
50. Writing Diary of a Muzungu has kept me distracted (when Ugandan TV couldn’t) and kept me sane (kind of!) when life hasn’t gone to plan. Thank you so much to everyone who reads this. You make the late nights and the missed week-ends all worthwhile.
50 reasons why I love Uganda – and I could have found more! So tell me what would be in your top 50 things you love about Uganda?
– I know my Ugandan friends will scream MATOKE! (steamed green banana – compulsory eating for many!)
