Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.
So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. --- Mark Twain

Monday, August 22, 2011

Uganda, Summary

Kabale, southwestern Uganda, a small town before the border of Rwanda . Driving around Uganda has ended. Particulary green country , it means that as the ground is vertile and the amount of the rain could be in some places 2 metres a year, then everything grows well. The trees are probably four times higher than in Estonia and some leaves are the size of A4. The grass is not greener, it is as green as in Estonia, mentioning it just in case.

The issue of internet here is as usual. This „usual„ means that as there is no electricity in town since morning, then there is no internet either in most of the places.

While driving have taken a few photos of banana – transportation - first bananas on a bike.

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A bit later it turned out , that this stick was used while making a stop. So that the bike will not turn over.


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Road construction ahead. So succeeded to watch this kind of parking.

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And then bananas could be transported also that way. Interesting to know what will happen , when , for example, in Tallinn one will be taking the dayly banana-supply home this way. How fast he will be stopped and into which institution at first will be taken.

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And in case there is something else to transport then the roof of „matatu „ could be used. The existance of roof -luggage -rack is not necessary, it goes without it as well. The only necessary thing is twine.

Further on the Chinese are building the road. And it is good, nice and essential work. But to think a bit deeper, they do not do this without return charge , for example – they will have the right to mine something and then will use the new road to take it away. And most of the workers are from China as well. Perhaps later some more about this topic.

Labels and advertisements.

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All kind of labels and advertisemants have been met But some are still so surprising that you stop the car if possible and try to make a picture. This should be a hair dresser – I guess.

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And I had not seen this kind of a warning before either. The wall of the entire house was full of these labels. Thinking it over later - perhaps I should have gone there to find out why? Etc?



Or just take this – useing the word Excel you can sell almost anything.

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Actually it is a mountain road. Almost one and a half kilometres above sea level.

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And this kind of a million-dollar view opens between the trees.

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You are driving along the mountain road and suddenly you see THIS on your windscreen.

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And one more capture. But this reddish-yellow dust is everywhere. You drive a day long and again all the loose things are covered with that. And not only loose items, you take out something from the closed bag and still it is dusty.

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Hot water spring – or to be more exact – boiling water spring. Sempaya Hot Springs. The guide said eggs could be boiled there. I believed him and didn`t try out.

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All around everything was babbeling and steaming. These pieces of wood and stones were for walking over.

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Just bread



Another million-dollar view over savannah, the place where a real and politically correct tourist makes a stop. This one, who flies there from Europe or from behind the ocean.
I was looking for a camping - place named Kichwamba Lodge. According to Lonely Planet it was supposed to be in this area. But instead I found this kind of a place. Accomodation - Conference Centre with pools and other facilities.



Probably this pool without water is for those of thinner purse.



And this kind of a place in the shade was found for those who came by their own bus.



Queen Elizabeth Park. Butterflies on the road.



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Driving through the Queen Elizabeth Park along the road connecting DCR and Uganda (Katunguru – Ishasha – Rutshuru ) such a vehicle was on the road. The wheel tracks showed that it had been standing there for some time already. And so it was. Passing by it turned out that there were drivers sitting in the car . They began to gesticulate and asked if I had some drinking water. Sure I had . It turned out that this truck from Congo had broken down two weeks ago already and was still waiting for assistance to arrive.





That`s how the drivers were waiting in the car.
Entebbe – the first important sightseeing is UWEC – a long name – Uganda Wildlife Education Centre - or just - Entebbe Zoo.

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Local schoolchildren visiting the Zoo.



The main entrance.



And yet it is not a traditional Zoo, with greater choice of animals and birds. Here are the ones who have been rescued from poachers and illegal traders, or are recovering after the injury.
Link UWEC homepage



A classic image of a lion.



After posing.
And this kind of a label on the wire fence.



No comments. Didn`t remember for the first time, no matter that they were necessary numbers.
Didn`t remember the second time either. So I took some pictures , otherwise in order to call „emergency“ one must run back to the lion cage . To get the numbers.



One more behind – the – wire lion. Peaceful, came nearer and just watched.



A white rhino sharpening the horn.





Shoebill Link



Hamerkop Link





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And the trees behind the cages were full of the biggest spiders.



A good and simple solution to warm up water. Perhaps suitable even for making soup.

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A beautiful sandy beach by lake Victoria, and then this kind of a label. Nobody was seen swimming there.

Container. No comments.



Due to the rules of logic and physics this container should not stand on the car, but there it was. Fixed with some cables not to be lost during the ride. And the traffic rules say nothing about this kind of a load in this area. I mean that how big a load is allowed to have on some vehicle (bike, motorbike) or how many people can drive boda-boda (motorbike) - three persons on a boda-boda is a common sight. And four are also not a rarity.

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Pubilc transport between the mountains. Mostly either Isuzu or Mitsubishi. The car is full of people and driving on a narrow road behind gives a signal to pass by. And usually , before you can get the camera, it is lost in the distance. This road is really decent and I succeeded in taking the picture because the vehicle was coming slowly up the hill.
But no more pictures in this post. And all this long story together with pictures (43 of them) should be somehow uploaded before going to Rwanda. You never know how the net condition is there. Perhaps better, but it will be seen at the spot. A light-blue dream is to upload a video click in Youtube as well.

And it is said that disel in Rwanda is more expensive than in Uganda. So all tanks and cans full before crossing the border.

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Journey in Uganda. An old map. (NB DRC is still named Zaire here.

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