Crazy Kampala

'Welcome back to crazy Kampala,' Emma said as after about 8 hours of driving, the traffic got denser and the air became stuffier.

Past countless police checkpoints and unfortunately also some accidents, our journey took us from southern Uganda up to the capital of the country.

I now have 3 more days to explore this city, just relax and write on my blog.

Actually, I didn't do anything in the evening and the next day. However, it was interesting to meet Pim, who offers motorcycle tours through Uganda and had also just returned from a trip with two other bikers. Uganda is probably one of the few countries where you can ride motorcycles in the national parks.

So, after almost a whole day chilling on the rooftop terrace of the guesthouse, catching up with interested folks back home and getting some sleep, we headed out to explore Kampala the next day.

Anne recommended a free walking tour of Uganda, organized by students. The tour is, as the name suggests, free, but tips are still appreciated after the walk.

So, we went by boda boda through the already crowded streets of Kampala early in the morning. It's unbelievable how the motorcycle riders maneuver through narrow alleys. I didn't even pay 1 Euro for a 20-minute ride. Fair price.

Since I couldn't find my guide at the agreed meeting point due to communication problems on both sides, I decided to explore the city on my own. So, we went by boda boda towards Old Taxi Park, Uganda National Mosque, and the King's Palace. The last two are especially interesting in terms of culture and history.

The Uganda National Mosque can accommodate nearly 15,000 worshippers. As the only visitor, I walked barefoot on the huge red carpet of the mosque. It was my first visit to an Islamic place of worship. Even though I have no affinity for religions, it was still a very impressive moment to walk through the huge mosque in complete silence.

Afterwards, we went up to the 50-meter high minaret, from where you can overlook the entire city.

The visit to the King's Palace mainly focused on the history of the kings, kingdoms, and presidents of Uganda. The armory on the premises was impressive, but it was later used as a torture chamber by both Idi Amin and Milton Obote. Around 25,000 people lost their lives here. Standing in the musty and humid torture chambers was a disturbing feeling.

On the next and last day, I met up with Artur again for the free walking tour. After sending a few selfies back and forth, it worked out this time. I definitely recommend this tour, which you can book through https://www.immersion.ug/. We passed by numerous statues and monuments and learned a lot about the city's history, and also visited the two largest markets in the city.

In the evening, after successfully passing the Ebola or fever control at the airport, I flew back to Germany.

After 10 days, my trip to Africa is now over. Time passed way too quickly as always. Nevertheless, I had wonderful days in a great country. If you want to go to Africa, I highly recommend Uganda. There are only a few tourists in the country, and I only saw a few outside of accommodations and national parks. The food, people, nature, and wildlife are amazing. Prices for groceries in the cities are more than affordable (Cola 50 cents, a good lunch usually no more than 2-4 euros). Of course, the national parks put a strain on the budget, but it's definitely worth it.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone for the many positive feedback and interest in this blog.

Special thanks to Thijs and Anne for the wonderful time at the guesthouse and the good organization of the tour through western and southern Uganda. The ICU guesthouse is a place where you meet many interesting people and a young audience.

Besides the guesthouse, they also run 'Yako Africa,' which takes care of organizing the gorilla permits and the national park tour. If you are in Uganda for the first time and don't have much time, I highly recommend Yako. The two of them were always helpful, both in advance and on-site.

https://yakoafrica.com/
https://icuguesthouse.com/

Thank you very much :)