Uganda has been described as one of the most beautiful countries in Africa. Winston Churchill coined it the "Pearl of Africa". It is a country of 236,580 square kilometers bordered by Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Uganda is a country of stunning physical contrasts and diverse topography. Lake Victoria on the southern border of Uganda is the source of the great Nile River. The south is mainly forest zone, although much of it has been cleared for farming. The north is predominantly open savanna with small areas of semi-desert, but the country also has many areas of bamboo and lush rain forests. Mountains rise on the eastern and western borders of Uganda, 13 of which are more than 4,100 m (13,500 ft) tall. The Ruwenzori Mountain Range, in western Uganda contains seven peaks that are snow covered year-round. Uganda is home to 992 different species of birds and 338 species of mammals such as elephants, lions, crocodiles, hippopotamus, chimpanzees and gorillas (Microsoft Encarta Reference Library, 2003).
I will be travelling on May 3rd from Calgary - Amsterdam - Entebbe (Uganda). Entebbe is a city right on the shores of Lake Victoria - a lake so huge it looks like an ocean. I beleive it's the world's largest fresh water lake. From there it's about a half hour taxi ride to Kamapla, the capital city. I'll be there for a few days to get organized. From there, I'll take the public bus to Fort Portal, which is a town about 300 km from Kampala. I've heard that the road has been paved!! :-)
Fort Portal is a beautiful town (pop 46,000) nestled between the Ruwenzori mountain range, Kibale Forest Reserve, Lake Albert, Lake George and the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Check it out on google maps if you like!
My favourite photo of all! This young boy, so proud of his amazing bicycle!
A woman preparing Matooke - it's a cooking banana and has the same consistency of potatoe when it is cooked. It is very starchy - not sweet. It is the main food staple.
