8 January, 2024
My past couple of days were spent in Norway with friends who I made at Elverum Folk High School last year. It was really special seeing everyone again like old times. BUTTT, I am so thrilled to get out of Norway’s freezing cold winter because I did not pack for this!!!
Anyway, we went to the OSL airport to fly to DOH, in Qatar. I am traveling with 11 others to Uganda, all who I went to EFHS with. 6ish hours later, we arrived to Doha at about midnight. I think this has been the longest layover of my life. Our next flight wasn’t until 10 the following morning. Did I sleep during this time?… hardly … maybe 20 minutes at most.
9 January, 2024
After getting no sleep at the airport, we got on our next flight from Qatar to Entebbe. For those five hours, I SLEPT. We landed, went through passport control, and waited for our luggage. Our first night was spent at the Fairway Hotel in Kampala after we were picked up by our driver and crammed into a little bus. Everyone was happy to arrive. The employees took your bags to our rooms and we also ate a delicious dinner together at Asian Fusion, one of their restaurants. I shared a room with Lotte and Tess for the night and we just prepared for the following day to drive to Kasese.
10 January, 2024
We left Kampala and made our way to Kasese. This trip took a total of 12 hrs., including some stops for the toilet and food. All I can say is the driving in Uganda is nothing like anywhere else I’ve seen. The driving here is absolute chaos and I don’t understand how people don’t have more accidents. I did not realize that British influence was still very strong in Uganda. From 1894 to 1962, Uganda was a protectorate of the British Empire. Ugandans have learned British English, and they drive on the left side of the road. As you’d probably expect from a third-world country, the roads are not maintained… or lack one. Many times on the drive, our driver would have to avoid various potholes in the pavement or even drive off the side. Oncoming traffic would sway back and forth, to avoid large drops in the pavement. To make it more cozy, we were crammed in this little bus. This was definitely not the “passenger princess” experience. Other than disliking the driving, I have enjoyed looking at everything else. Everywhere you look is so lush. Most of the buildings in Uganda seem to follow a color palette of oranges, reds, browns, or tans, which give a rich contrast to the landscape.
On our drive, we got to see baboons! I’ve only ever seen them in zoos, so to me, this was a cool experience. Many had babies with them, either nursing or being carried. At some point in the night, we made it to our destination. As I explained earlier, we are traveling as a group of 12 but also meeting two others who have been in Kasese since the summer months. The decision was to divide ourselves into groups because there are two houses where we can live. More students are coming in early February, and we’ll eventually be a group of 22, so I guess we’ll have to enjoy the extra space while we can.
Anyway, we arrived at our final destination, where I’ll be living for the next three months! I’m unsure what I was picturing, but it wasn’t as nice as this. After settling in with our luggage, we met up with everyone at the Sandton Hotel for dinner. The two who’ve already been here shared some important information about safety, LGBTQ+ rights, being out at night, and other logistics. I was surprised by how serious their anti-gay laws are here. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal, and same-sex relationships are not tolerated in Uganda’s conservative society. In May 2023, Uganda brought in the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. This act introduces harsh prison sentences and the death penalty in some cases. There are also severe penalties for promoting LGBTQ+ rights. Even as tourists, if we speak about it or show any signs of being “affectionate” (this can be platonic too, such as dancing together, holding hands, etc.) with someone of the same sex, you can be fined.
That being said, safety may be a concern here, but in general, you just have to be aware of your surroundings and use common sense.
For example:
street crime
there are risks of being followed and pickpocketed or mugged
it is unsafe to walk alone at night, especially if you’re a girl
people will watch you at the ATM’s and follow you, so be aware of people trying to rob you or ask for money
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