DID YOU KNOW?

 

Uganda is on the equator. Visitors to the equator in Uganda can watch water swirl in a funnel one way on one side of the equator, the opposite way on the other side of the equator and see it go straight down on top of the equator.

 

Uganda is bordered by Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north, Congo to the west, Tanzania to the south and Rwanda to the southwest.

 

Uganda is only 230,000 square kilometres. Its population is approximately 25,000,000. There are over 50 different languages spoken in Uganda, the local language of Kampala and the surrounding areas is Luganda.

 

Uganda’s landscape is part of an extensive uplift of Africa as a whole. You can see this in the western rift valley of Uganda, the massive Rwenzori mountains and the central basin holding Lake Victoria.

 

There are many volcanic mountains, craters, springs and geysers.

 

Uganda’s elevation varies between 900 metres and 1500 metres above sea level. I have had to adjust my baking ingredients and oven time and temperature to reflect this, I don’t have it quite right yet. Even pasta and rice cooks differently, it takes longer. I read that this is because there isn’t as much oxygen here to speed up cooking time. Weird.

 

Uganda’s Rwenzori mountain peaks form the second highest point in Africa, next to Mount Kilimanjaro, at 5110 metres above sea level. Thus, we have snow and many ambitious mountain climbers. The popular Rwenzori spring water that we drink on a daily basis is collected there. 

 

18% of Uganda’s total area is taken up by open fresh water. When I say “fresh water”, I mean the opposite of “salt water” not fresh as in “take a yummy fresh drink” because you definitely wouldn’t want to drink it.

 

Next to Canada’s Lake Superior, Lake Victoria is the next largest fresh water lake in the world. You will see it just beside the airport when you land here. Again, don’t drink it, don’t even swim in it, there is way too much sewage and too many parasites waiting to enter through your skin. So sad.

 

The nile river begins in Uganda and is a tourist destination for white water rafting. We have done the very tame “family float” there which was beautiful but only goes down Grade 1 and 2 rapids. Go on the regular rafting day trip for Grades 3, 4 & 5 rapids and be prepared to be ejected out of the raft several times and do a lot of heavy duty paddling.

 

 

Uganda was colonized by Britain in 1894 and became independent in 1962. Like Canada, it is part of the Commonweath and is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) for the Queen and 5000 delagates here in Kampala next week.

 

Only 2500 kilometres of road is paved in Uganda. Paved with huge potholes that is, although many roads have been repaired and repaved for CHOGM. Hooray for CHOGM, it has brought so many improvements to Kampala, thanks to the British Government.

 

Uganda is regarded as the best and most popular country in the world for trekking Gorillas. The licence to do so has become steep, around $500 due to its popularity. You go out in small groups with guides and go as close as you dare to the large Silverbacks. We talked to a friend last night who just returned from his gorilla trekking expedition. He said it was truly amazing to be within a metre of the gorillas and their families.

 

“For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life - bird, insect, reptile, beast - for vast scale, Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa"  - Winston Churchill.