Impression overload

(this entry gets posted a little bit to late, due to the difficulty of acquiring a proper internet connection down here)

Thus far a great many experiences have befallen me in my journey westwards in the country. Now is the time to join hands with the remaining students coming from Norway to experience Uganda, this land gradually emerging to be full of contrast - from heaven to hell.
People have now started to arrive from the airport and a change of perspective will occur in the days to come, both for the few people that have arrived before everybody else, savouring what Uganda has to offer. However, most will come directly from Norway and will be thrown into the wholly different world that this country has proven to be through the last few days, in my own experience.

And now, let me share with you my own impressions, while sowing in some of my newfound friends' stories as well, as my solitary travel draws to a close - through the chaotic yet working life in Kampala to the hills covered in green rain forest, where the only sounds to be heard are not those of cars and people, but of apes and birds.

Coming out of the heavily congested city that Kampala has shown itself to be, Uganda rapidly revealed its beautiful landscapes that dominate the non-urban areas. The state of quirky movement in Kampala and the condition of the bad roads have been demonstrated many times, both to myself and many of my companions. Riding with my backpack and training bag on a boda-boda (taxi motorcycle) certainly was quite interesting!

Roads turned out to be even more `interesting` going out of the city. Infrastructure in Uganda is in general quite bad, an important fact to consider when taking into account that the country is land-locked. Access to the sea through the ports in neighbouring Kenya is essential for trading.

A common experience riding on buses, and mini-buses for that matter, is the presence of competing sellers of everything from sodas to meat sticks and shoe cream showing off their products, hoping to get a sell through the windows of whatever vehicle you find yourself in. A practical thing, I must say! Wandering kebab shops in the streets of Norwegian cities ought to be a successful business venture!

One experience in particular though, I feel compelled to share with a wider audience, one that is very distressing; an example of the ingrained conception of the superiority of white-coloured persons. In my world, i.e. the West, when riding a bus and an old lady, child, or a woman with children comes aboard, it is perfectly normal to give your seat away. Especially to the latter - a woman with her child. Well - in this particular instance something quite shocking happened. When getting on a bus, for a quite long ride (4-5 hours) I was asked to get in front. I looked upon one seat. On it sat - as implied - a woman with her child. And seeing me, she got up, defying my protest imploring her to keep her seat. Saddening me even more, people around her encouraged her to get up from her seat. In spite of my continued protest, she changed seats.
Taking this into the wider picture, the remains of British (i.e. white) colonialism up until Ugandan independence in 1962 seems to have left some traces in the population. And there are more examples, even though perhaps being somewhat more subtle and less extreme, but nonetheless there. From boda-bodas having less collisions when white persons ride them in traffic to clerks treating clients discriminatory. This image of the superior 'white man' is truly a sad fact to find.

All of these aspects were part of the long journey from and back to Kampala. However, the meat in-between yielded a lot of worthwhile experiences.
For my own part, I experienced two places: sleeping in a hut placed high above the ground, built around the trunk of a tree with wooden supports, as well as an other, almost serene setting at a campsite on a hill above a lake with lots of great views. The former was in Kibale National Park, a healthy ec0-tourism project where the basic principle is that profits go to the benefit of the park and its people. The latter was somewhat more humane and certainly very inspiring; the funds went to the funding of an orphanage for children, a center founded by a pastor. Cheery and lovable place, quite simply.
Other travelers savoured the Ssese islands, located on the Victoria Lake, at a place labeled a resort rather than anything else, arising from a reason the eludes me. This place is just one among many paradises in Uganda which are truly very very relaxing. Full of natural beauty and kind people these are the epitome within calm and non-luxurious tourism.

An amazing part of Uganda is wildlife. I will not speak about this at lengths, as pictures (which unfortunately are not possible to upload at the moment, but which we will do ASAP) are definitely worth a thousands words in this context!
Nonetheless, perhaps a few names will bring to mind a few pictures.
First off comes the mountain gorilla, quite clearly. Even though none of us have experienced trekking after these giants weighing over a ton, due to an exorbitant fee of over 500$ to do so, this is one of the most incredible experiences that Uganda has to offer.
After this comes the slightly less heavy primates :) chimpanzees, white and blue 'turacos' (I only heard the name orally), baboons and other members of the family. Some students from Norway were lucky to encounter chimps, just at about ten meters distance! What an experience. One even saw an ape dancing on the roof of our camp here in Kampala! For myself, the most intruiging primate-encounter was returning from a long 5-hour trip past crater lakes, dumping myself down in a chair, and immediately told to turn around; to my amazement, a family of about 8 white and blue turacos were eating up the leaves in a tree just 10 meters away. Wow. And not shy at all!

However, the entire group's upcoming safari to the Murchison Falls National Park tomorrow should surpass this. Rumours tell that lions, hippos, rhinos and other typically African animals will be greeting us there. Let's just hope it doesn't get too intimate... :)

The time to sum up this blog entry is coming close - people are waiting to use the computer here at Red Chili Hideaway, where we've stayed for three days now. The whole group of 60 students and some independents (people not studying econoooooomics) has experienced Kampala sight-seeing and several interesting lectures. And some slightly less interesting. But all of that, I'll save for another time. Now, time to get packing.

- Eric

Charging up...

... in another world. That of Uganda, sprawling Uganda with all its natural wealth, kindness and misery. A land most associate with the tyrannic ruler Idi Amin, but which now struggles to attain prosperity.

My name is Eric, and I'm the lead blogger for the trip of the Society Economists' Aid Action (excuse me if the translation is bad - Samfunnsoekonomenes Stoetteaksjon in Norwegian) here in Uganda in January 2009. All 60 of us will trek all over this country, going from dinner by the beautiful Lake Victoria to hearing the stories of refugees with their lives torn apart. And trying to do some good with the ton of clothes we're bringing down all the way from Norway! But with those 23 kilos worth of aid, open ears and eyes, with humility and respect, I already firmly believe that the results of this trip will remain a precious gem in our eyes and the eyes of those sorely working hard to improve their lives. The inspiration provided for those coming from the far North, to a world unknown to many of them, long-term dreams will surely appear as well.

On this blog some of us will share our personal accounts of our experiences down here. I have arrived ten days prior to everybody else, to peek around alone a bit and get a head-start. Here we go.

Some of the first impressions coming to urban Uganda was the ubiquity of parts of Western culture - the constant pop and rap songs from artists like Britney, Usher, and the whole utterly abominable bunch of sleek USAic harpies/girls I never want to hear again, all dominate the landscape of both small bars and the cool gangstas driving around in their cars. Televisions tuning in to pop stations in Europe and the USA. Just like being home with my landlord in Oslo, where "The Voice" with all of its 'music' is dearly loved and consumed.
These results of colonialism are no less visible by the fact that everybody around speak English. I might sound condescending saying this, but I was surprised to the extent of the vocabulary and eloquence that people here speak with. People politely saying 'I beg your pardon' when not understanding my tongue is commonplace.

One of the most entertaining things that have happened to me up until this time, my fourth day of staying in Uganda, is riding a boda-boda. These motorcycles are everywhere in central Kampala, and serve one purpose: cheap taxis. Walking around, with my clearly being a foreigner due to the colour of my skin, I constantly get the simple phrase 'taxi?' directed at me. After politely turning down these requests some dozens of times, I simply start ignoring them.
In spite of this overabundance of taxi drivers on every corner, some very pleasant and happy things have come out of it. At the end of one night out clubbing (wooo, a whole other story!!) I was returned to my hotel safe and sound by one driver, Sadam, a local student and now a friend. I started chatting with him outside of my hotel, and we soon found a good tone. We exchanged phone numbers (luckily I've bought a local pay-as-you-go SIM phone card), and the following day he called me.

Sadam brought me to the more suburban parts of Kampala, where shacks and narrow streets are the norm. I was honored by him introducing me to his brothers and sisters, and together we all went for a long walk. Exchanges of cultures from two worlds took place, both seriously and laughingly. In particular, my Norwegian translation of "Can you show me the direction to..." was received by amazement and cheerful laughter.
Both of us being 19 years old, I was happy to have found a friend down here.

But for now, my stomach is aching and I will leave the continuation of my tale to another time. And I still have a arm-wrestling match to conclude with Sadam.

Goodbye!

- Eric