My initial impressions of Uganda – seen from London

Last Sunday I settled down to dinner in front of the TV to watch a nature programme called Swarms. On came Lake Victoria (5 km from where I’ll be living in Kampala). Black flies congregate there to mate once a year – up to a trillion of them! They swarm in ‘columns’ up to 200 metres high that look like flumes of smoke above the lake or wisps of smoke rising out of the forest. I was itching by the end of the programme … I mean I like wildlife but not THAT much.

This week I watched Secret Life of Elephants on BBC1. Dead cute baby ellie and I really warmed to them (Teresa Pettican said she was crying by the end of the programme). Interesting to see the satellite tracking they used, great use of technology.

Richard Fawthrop has said I will see some totally shocking sights on the streets of Kampala. He looked shocked as he said it. He said people drive bumper to bumper too. They look like they’re going to hit each other but very rarely do. The pollution is really bad especially when you’re stuck in traffic jams.

When I said all of this to Phil on the other hand (previous volunteer with UCF) he just laughed and said how much he and his wife enjoyed driving in Kampala. I’m in the Phil camp I think, sounds like driving the dodgems! I am my father’s daughter after all 😉

Richard F also warned me to think carefully before ‘bucking the trend.’ He said it isn’t easy. Even if it’s just doing your own food shopping, you’re not expected (as a white person) to do it. Sounds challenging! But I love going shopping! Washing and ironing, now I can compromise on that one …. 😉