degree in public health, told me he was going to Uganda to
do research for his summer thesis, I asked if I could tag
along. Besides Rick, we traveled with Rich, a friend of his
and an orthopedic surgeon with considerable work
experience throughout Africa. We stayed at a guest house on
the grounds of the main hospital in the capital, and thus
ended up meeting a number of other foreign doctors and
medical students who were either doing short- or long-term
work in the country.
Uganda is a land-locked country about the size of Oregon in
East Africa. It was at one time colonized by the British, and so
English is one of its official languages. Not surprisingly,
however, the English which is spoken and even written in
Uganda is sometimes a little “off” by American standards.
For the most part, however, it was very easy for a “mzungu”
(foreigner) like myself to communicate and get around.
Under the rule of Idi Amin from 1971-1979, Indian residents
were expelled. Indians and other Asians (mainly Chinese)
can be found along the coasts of East Africa, as they came to
Africa for trade when long-distance seafaring became
possible thousands of years ago, and/or were “imported” (to
put it nicely) by the British for work during colonization.
Indians eventually became dominant as merchants and
businessmen. When Amin expelled them, then, much of the
economy of Uganda ground to a halt. In recent years as
Uganda’s government has stabilized and become more
democratic, many Indians have returned. To my surprise, a
good percentage of this population is Muslim and not Hindu,
hence the sustained existence of mosques and Muslim
schools throughout the country (for both Indian and African
Muslims).
The name of the capital city, Kampala, derives from a Swahili
phrase referring to impalas. It is a bustling, hilly city with
quite a mix of slums, older buildings and infrastructure, and
newer, more modern structures. Many of the buildings which
are still in use, despite great signs of wear and tear, are
close to 100 years old. Many building projects stopped
during Amin’s rule and were never completed. These
“skeletons” are a testament to a government which, for many
reasons, is unable to finish what was started.
Despite the state of some of the buildings in Kampala,
however, if you can afford it, you can get reliable water and
sewer service, as well as reliable electricity. This is quite a
change from the past, even over the last four to five years. It
is not safe to drink the tap water, but bottled water is readily
available. Cell phones are pretty common (this is true of
much of the developing world, as the infrastructure needed to
support cell phones is less extensive than that of land lines).
Internet cafes are also common, though connection speeds
vary considerably. Two theaters take turns showing major
movies; while I was there Spiderman 2 was the main draw.
Unlike many other big cities in Africa, it is quite safe to walk
around Kampala day or night, even alone, and even as a
mzungu (of course within reason). In this sense, it was really
no different than being in a big city in the US. I was rarely
harassed by beggars, and even the boda-boda (for-hire
mopeds, for “border-to-border”) drivers, taxi drivers, and
matatu (mini-bus) drivers backed off quickly once I indicated
that I did not need their services.
Kampala was an easy place to be based, with lots of
restaurants catering to the wealthier Indian population and
the mzungu population, which is mainly comprised of
diplomatic staff and aid workers. Access to many of the
Western products we are accustomed to is also available. A
South African store called Shop Rite has two branches
selling a wide range of items; it is much like a Target or
Kmart in quality, modernity, and selection. Again, if you can
afford it (the goods there are expensive by Ugandan
standards but fine by US standards), it is an easy way to have
access to familiar foods and products.
Kampala was otherwise fairly “dull,” which I mean only from
the framework of tourists who are used to needing long, busy
days in a new city. Like other cities in Africa, there is not
much for the visitor to do. There are a few different major
places of worship to visit, but these are of note more because
they are “the first Catholic church in Kampala” (or such) than
for their architectural significance. There was one major
museum in town, and while it did contain some displays
which were interesting, it looked like it hadn’t been updated in
a good thirty years or so. Other venues which might attract
tourists either weren’t worthwhile at all, or could be visited in
an hour or less – and there weren’t many to choose from.
Ugandans are very polite and soft-spoken. Sometimes they
answered their cell phones so quietly that I wondered how
the person on the other end could possibly hear them. This
mild-manneredness is not common in Africa. According to
other foreigners who had traveled throughout Europe, as well
as Ugandans themselves, other African cultures vary
considerably in their mannerisms, just as ethnic groups in
the US behave differently. I was very lucky to be in such a
pleasant place!
Because the equator runs through Uganda (one of ten
countries in the world!), the weather was relatively mild. I
actually thought it was quite similar to Hawaii’s. So the
“Africa hot” temperatures I was naively expecting did not
materialize. I did take a thin fleece jacket (coincidentally and
ironically, made in Uganda – I got it at REI!), which I wore
more to help keep mosquitoes off than because of any cold
weather.
We were quite lucky, as the mosquito situation was very
mild. I did take preventative malaria medicine and dressed
so as to discourage bites (usually I’m a great magnet for
mosquitoes), but after a few days, I stopped using a
mosquito net at night. I got a few bites, but nothing
excessive. I had been very paranoid about malaria, but was
told that in order to get it (at least the strain common in
Uganda), you would (among other things) have to be bitten
many, many times by the particular type of mosquito which
carries malaria, and even then, be bitten by the female
mosquito (they’re the only ones who transmit the disease). I
quickly realized that my two or three bites a day were unlikely
to do anything. The greater worry, I was told, was contracting
hepatitis from mishandled food. Fortunately, I think we were
also lucky about that (knock on wood!). I was also
unbelievably lucky to not suffer any gastro-intestinal distress,
not even once. The only “negative” of the trip in that sense
was the fact that I actually gained weight from eating too
many carbs (an easy thing to do when you’re being cautious
about eating only properly prepared and cooked foods). So
I'm back from Africa and fatter than ever. Can you believe it?!!
Last but not least: a rafting trip down the Nile River with three
Class V rapids! It's only possible because the river is deep
and relatively free of rocks underwater. 99% of the time we
drifted along, paddled lightly or went through lesser rapids,
but the Class Vs were unforgettable. And it was crazier than it
looks!
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