Camera on Safari

Uganda is a lovely country with quite alot of things to write and talk about. For today let me give you just alittle info about food plants. Recently when I was out there touring places, I decided to capture two basic plants which are sources of very popular food types that are cherished by Ugandans. Depending on where you come from in this country (The East, West, Central and the North), Staple foods vary from Matooke (bananas), posho (maize bread), millet bread, and Cassava. Today I have captured for you the plants for cassava and matooke.

My photo for today gives you a glimpse into the hustle and bustle of Uganda’s transport industry. My camera just captured a cross  section  of the city’s main taxi park, – an assemblage of commuter taxis that operate across the country, to the city. When in Uganda, and Kampala in particular, the image above is a regular feature. In order to travel to different parts of the country, the commuter taxis is a preferred option. These Japanese Toyota brand vans are popularly known as Kamunye, and in the neighboring Kenya matatu. Transport in this country is marred by bad road but this does not stop the people from plowing all sorts of roads in search for money. Almost on a daily basis, new cars are introduced into the highways and apparently, the taxi owners seem to be in business. The bad road in the city is quickly worked upon as the country is preparing for the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting (CHOGM) that is just months away. Fancy yourself in these kamunyes? Some...

A friend of mine took a safari to Somali capital Mogadishu a few weeks ago! He came back with some photos taken across the country. Of course many of us would expect these photos to be rather negative, not withstanding what the country has gone through. But I decided to dig through the photos and I picked some which may not 'necessarily' give positive impressions about the country and the city, but, speaks a different language about what Somalia may and should have looked like were it not for the internal squabbles. In these photos one can genuinely see that Somalia may not actually be as ugly… (See whatever lies beneath the ruins). Yes, the city may have been gunned and vandalized down recklessly, but on reading between the lines you will see some degree of beauty. It is true that Africa goes through lots of mayhem as perpetuated by its leaders, but behind it all there is beauty and serenity.

Unlike just a few years ago when the groom had to serve the bride with wine and cake, matters have changed a little bit. My camera just got the bride at much liberty holding the glass to herself, and so did the groom. Not everything has changed however. The old customs of pictures in the gardens still hold strong, and in my country such photographs are treasured for many years. A wedding as a whole is a most treasured function in most homes in Africa. Parents of both bride and groom feel honoured when the function of their children out shines that of other families around them. Consequently, alot of money is invested and most partners will go to to any length, including acquiring loans in order to perfect their wedding. Others do not engage in excesses and will remain real. One will spot the groom and bride proudly sitting on bycycles and others will move in a convoy of pick-ups, with the wedded standing at the back, while they wave to on-lookers. After the wedding has been perfected, ...

Before a wedding, most couples have to follow the traditions and go through a formal introduction ceremony. In this ceremony, the man gets introduced to the family of the bride to be. This has to be done meticulously and is intended to satisfy the family of the bride. I attended one in the central region of Uganda 0n 19th of May 2007 and the journey begun by us winding our way through the beautiful green that patterns most of Uganda. We went along with the required number of visitors. In this ceremony, idlers are not tolerated, and any additional person above the requested number by the in-laws will be met by a financial fine. Time must also be kept. Or else a fine will be slapped on the visitors. Our journey reached its end and we went through lots of introductory practices and lots of eating. Here, food is in abundance and the serving must include the popular dish wrapped and boiled in banana leaves (locally referred to as luwombo). The family of the bride will try its best to cook ...