Travelogue to Uganda

In the alleyway of the streets of Uganda, the distressing impact of poverty is glaringly visible. However, unlike Kenya, the security factor in this area is commendably high. The warm-blooded and hospitable people of Uganda extend a cordial welcome to all visitors. Everywhere, one can encounter happy faces and smiling lips of people, which is quite different from the attitude of people in Kenya who seem to be rude and angry to you.

It is important to remember that Uganda is a poor country with rudimentary amenities, and its five-star hotel is not even as passable as an Iranian three-star hotel. Unfortunately, poverty and lack of proper education have deprived these people of many possibilities of the modern world. To explore new places in Kampala, I relied on the TripAdvisor and Google Maps app for recommendations. One such recommendation was a mosque named Gaddafi on Old Kampala Rd. The name of the mosque, which is the name of the dictator of Libya, caught my attention, and I found it intriguing. Completed in 2006, the mosque is situated on a hill in Kampala’s Old Town and has a capacity of 15,000.

It was built at the expense of the accursed Gaddafi, and before the Gaddafi dictatorship ended, the mosque was named after him. Without wasting any time, I hailed a motorbike taxi and told the driver the name of the mosque. Kampala is located on seven hills, and this mosque is situated on one of these well-known hills. I entered the south door of the mosque, but before entering, the guard conducted a search and directed me to the next room. The door of the room said that the entrance fee was $10 for foreigners and free for Muslims.

I told the woman in charge that I was an Iranian and a Muslim and did not think I needed a ticket. However, the woman did not accept my word and tried to sell me a ticket. I explained that nowhere in the world does a Muslim buy a ticket to enter a mosque, especially a mosque built by a dictator! I was quite uncomfortable with the situation and decided that it would not be worth visiting the mosque anymore. I left the room and headed towards the exit door. As I was leaving, the lady in charge tried to handle the situation. She called me for a few times, but it did not matter to me anymore, and I left the mosque without looking back.

Sometimes in life, one has to be deaf to negative comments and eliminate them from life. You cannot keep silent in front of someone who does not understand your point of view. The problem is that people think they cannot be defeated, but sometimes it is necessary to let go of certain things in order to move on. One thing is for sure, life sometimes does not work out the way we want it to, and we have to move on from one place to the next.

Sometimes you have to take your heart from one place to another and leave all the love that you have not experienced yet. Similarly, people come and go from one place to another, with all their smiles and laughter. However, they blow and pass unduly, and we have to accept that it is all part of life.

The people of Kampala are well-known for their joyful spirit, as they can be seen dancing and celebrating on the streets any day of the week, regardless of the weather or political circumstances. I have personally witnessed groups with large speakers playing lively African music and dancing endlessly, with someone singing and controlling the space using a wireless microphone. As the weather grows darker, the city’s clubs, cafes, and restaurants come to life. Regardless of one’s budget or spirit, happiness can be found all throughout the city. Although the journey in Kampala may be challenging, one of the city’s attractions is the motorized taxis that operate outside the law. Everything can be found in this city, and even just a week’s stay can make everything feel normal.

Vendors in Owino market sell a wide variety of items, from mobile butchers who display animal guts at the front of their building to crocodile merchants. However, the market is best known for its affordable clothing, shoes, books, and second-hand linens. Once one of East Africa’s largest outdoor markets, Owino has something for everyone.