Enter Uganda - Kingdom of Smiles

January 5, 2007
Enter Uganda-Kingdom of smiles.

I truly could not have dreamt a better, warmer, more human welcome into this beautiful continent, and within, to the breathtaking country of Uganda. Even though the group was exhausted from approximately thirty hours of piercing thousands of miles through the Atlantic, our fatigue was completely replaced by an incomparable sense of welcome and happiness by the greeting received as we took our few steps into Africa. As we exited the airport terminal, we encountered a group of ten or more eager Ugandans, introducing themselves and their smiles. Honestly, the looks on their faces, that insurmountable expression of gratitude and acknowledgment, were worth the entire trip. From that moment onward, I knew the trip was already a success, one that could only grow wider.

We were then introduced to “Bukanso”, our Ugandan-style taxi/van. This creative van replicates the taxis found all within Uganda. These vans are known for their genius use of space, being formed by numerous movable seats that can be either folded and stored or used, the choice dependant on the number of passengers. The trip toward our Hotel was to say the least, a bombardment of indescribable images. It was a feat for the eyes, a feast of biblical proportions. Flying through Kampala’s main road, the country’s capital greeted us with hundreds and hundreds of businesses immersed in noise, trade, and color. The claim that Uganda is the world’s most entrepreneurial country was proven and solidified. The road was simply suffocated by furniture craftsmen, meat shops, hardware stores, supermarkets, artisans, and the local tradesmen, all stacked back to back, leaving only enough room to be covered by he road’s red dust.

As we strayed from Kampala’s main road, “Bukanso” began its trek up a slightly steep red road leading up to our night’s stop, the Buziga Country Resort. Even though the ride was almost over, our feast was not. Our eyes were now savoring a dessert of waves and smiles. As our van glided through the street, we found that all the children and adults within our immediate sight were smiling and waving, decorating their already outstanding gestures by the occasional “How are you?” Our president, John Mecham summarized the Ugandan spirit by expressing how “it is impossible to see a Ugandan wave and not smile”.

As if we hadn’t filled our smiling quota for the new year already, we were greeted, treated, and welcomed with the same self-less devotion by the staff at the Hotel. In addition to offering splendid accommodations edified on Ugandan spirit, the Hotel offered a fantastic view of Kampala’s beautiful geography, a mix of vivid green vegetation surrounded by clear blue bodies of water, towered only by a scorching sun in a cloudless sky.

Before we parted to rest, we enjoyed a delicious dinner made up of numerous local dishes, the group’s favorite debating between a fried tilapia fish from the nearby lake, goat ribs, and ox liver.

Uganda makes up in smiles and generosity, what it lacks in physical size. Smallness is simply not a fruit grown in Uganda. The kingdom of smiles is huge in every aspect.

Alex Souza