English is the official language in Uganda. There are 56 local languages in use.
School is taught in English and the local language in grades 1-4. In grades 5 and higher, only English is used.
Traffic around Kampala was heavy, in other parts of Uganda traffic was not bad. Roads were OK, except for one stretch south of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the road was heavily damaged by heavy truck traffic.
Livestock was mostly cows and goats, I didn't see many sheep. I saw animal-drawn vehicles only very few times. There were a lot of bicycles and motorcycles on the roads.
There were not as many roadside vendors as in many other African countries, there were more roadside stores. Even in rural areas there were not as many people selling local produce along the road as in other countries.
Most loads were carried on the head. Babies are on the back of the mother in a cloth tied around the mother. (1031k) Washing up in the river. (1278k) Local family. (1072k) School children. (651k) School is out. (892k) Kids in a hurry to have their pictures taken. (880k) Cute kid. (581k) Cute kid. (617k) Cute kid. (659k)
Business and Markets
Vegetable market. (766k) Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus, german: Jackfruchtbaum, french: Jacquier) for sale. (923k) Food vendor. (923k) Charcoal for sale. (1151k) Roadside vegetable vendor. (877k) Roadside fish vendors. (641k) Roadside fish vendor. (735k) Cloth market. (1046k) Vegetable market. Everything is neatly piled up. (1011k) At a market. (955k) At a market. (877k) At a market. (940k) At a market. (906k) At a market. (1049k) Banana market. (1029k) Meat market. (884k) Catfish for sale. (997k) This was a nice restaurant, but you couldn't sit under the light. The table was covered with bugs that died on the light. (686k) My accommodations at the Murchison Falls Lodge. (1151k) Doing laundry. (1180k) Local fishermen on the Kazinga Channel. (698k) Fishermen. (717k) Fishermen. (513k) The water in the crater lake is salty. It is used to make salt. (697k) Private schools were advertising everywhere. It seems every larger village had several such schools. (810k) Many such schools were boarding schools. (735k)
Brick making
Bricks were mostly made locally, wherever bricks were needed.
Bricks were formed from clay and piled in a big mound. The mound had holes in the bottom for the fire to fire the bricks. The mound was then covered with mud and the fire lit. (1301k) Brick firing. (904k) Finished bricks being extracted from the mound. (1142k) In this area was a brick manufacturing business that made bricks on a larger scale, not just for local consumption. (528k)
Transportation
Carrying roofing material. (1264k) Getting water from the local well. (1278k) Carrying home a water canister. (1230k) Dirt road under construction. (663k) The dirt for the road construction is dug up right next to the road. (633k) Road under construction. The finished road has a nice firm surface. (607k) Around towns the speed is limited by speed bumps, lots of them. (1045k) This was the only really bad road in Uganda. It was REALLY bad. (631k) Another view of the really bad road. (1061k) Hauling roofing material on a bicycle. (913k) Donkey-drawn cart. (940k) Bicycles are an important means of transportation. (1011k) These bicycles had a padded seat in the back and were used as taxis. The motorcycles were also taxis. (679k) Motorcycle taxi. (686k) Lots of people fit on a motorcycle. (942k) Local bus, fully loaded. (803k) Lots of stinking diesel vehicles on the roads. (536k) One of the many large truck/trailer combinations on the roads. (664k) Traffic in Kampala was bad. (748k) Traffic in Kampala was bad. (832k) Car ferry on the Victoria Nile. (884k) Our car with a flat tire. The jack didn't work, so my guide had to walk to the next lodge to get help. (1131k) I was totally surprised when I saw the name of this gasoline brand, Einsteins famous formula: E = mc2. (797k)
Villages and Towns
Local settlement. Most of the local houses were round like these. (1115k) Local hut in a slightly different style. The small huts are used for storing food. (1384k) Local huts. The small hut on the right is used for storing food. (897k) This hut was a slightly different style with exposed wooden support. It had a small solar power panel on the roof, probably for charging cell phones. (1014k) In some areas the local huts were square rather than round. (1411k) Local settlement. The long building is used to house livestock. (1066k) Local building. These types of buildings were often used as shops. (1122k) Many of these buildings are used as advertising space. (637k) Building in Kampala with a Marabou Stork on top. (732k) Dirt road in the outskirts of Kampala. (647k)
Agriculture and livestock
Livestock was mostly goats and cattle, not many sheep.
The Ankole-Watusi, also known as Ankole Longhorn, is a landrace breed of cattle originally native to Africa. Its large distinctive horns that can reach up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) from tip to tip are used for defense and cooling by honeycombs of blood vessels. Ankole-Watusis weigh 400-750 kg (880-1,650 lb).
Cassava (also called manioc) is a woody shrub native to South America of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates. Though it is often called yuca in Spanish and in the United States, it differs from the yucca, an unrelated fruit-bearing shrub in the family Asparagaceae. Cassava, when dried to a powdery (or pearly) extract, is called tapioca; its fermented, flaky version is named garri.
Cassava is the third-largest source of food carbohydrates in the tropics, after rice and maize. Cassava is a major staple food in the developing world, providing a basic diet for over half a billion people. It is one of the most drought-tolerant crops, capable of growing on marginal soils.
Bananas are grown in a lot of places. They are one of the important staples for the local people.
Cassava field (Manihot esculenta, german: Maniok, french: Manioc). (1397k) Banana plantation. (959k) Tea plantation. (733k) Papyrus field (Cyperus papyrus, german: Echter Papyrus, french: Papyrus). It is used for making mats. (1228k) Burned area. These were intentional burns. (912k) Goat herd and cattle herd. (1202k) Goat. (924k) Herd of Ankole-Watusi Cattle (Bos taurus africanus, german: Hausrind, french: Vache). (1097k) Ankole-Watusi Cattle (Bos taurus africanus, german: Hausrind, french: Vache). (1299k) Ankole-Watusi Cattle on the road. (976k)
Dr. Günther Eichhorn Travel Website
Soaring website