As will have been clear from my posts I was quite taken by Uganda… I actually think it is the most beautiful place I have ever visited and I have been reflecting on why it has been so special to me… (yes, another list!)
- The out-of-this-world nature… the mountains, the forests, the bird song at all times of the day
- The drumming from the local school, even though it woke me up every morning at 7am it became a comforting and familiar sound
- The gorgeous children, always staring, waving and shouting ‘haaaaalllloooooo, what is your naaaaaame?’ – Often I could hear them from the hills before I could even see them!
- Gorillas!
- Irish potatoes…I have always loved a good potato – prepared in any way – but these potatoes are super tasty! 😋
- The challenging walks – it always felt like an achievement to reach anywhere…
- The people in general…curious, unassuming, friendly, welcoming and funny – with big smiles even though they have very little..
Now of course there are a few things in the Ugandan culture that I cannot get my head around… I guess mainly the way that women are viewed and treated. I am by no means a feminist, but I could not accept that my husband could have more than one wife and that it would also be OK for him to have what was tastefully (not!) described as ‘side dishes’ as well as several wives… (description came from a man of course 😉). The fact that homosexuality is a crime is also something I struggle with…
But I guess nowhere is perfect – we only have to look at our own cultures to find flaws and things we’d change as well as things that other people would find unacceptable… So instead of focusing on the differences, I choose to focus on what we all have in common…
BETINA IN AFRICA 