Day 1 - A jewel with a not so sparkling past

In 1908, after his journey through the English territory in Africa, Winston Churchill wrote the following about the British colony of the time: ‘The Kingdom of Uganda is like a fairy tale, once you arrive you imagine yourself in a completely different world. The landscape, fauna and climate are different from the rest of East Africa, but above all, the people are completely different from anywhere else in Africa. My advice (for the visitor): focus on Uganda! For its splendor, for its great diversity in shape and color, for the abundance of wildlife, be it birds, insects, reptiles, large and small game and for the vastness of its landscapes. Uganda is truly the jewel of Africa’.

So I didn't have to look far to find a suitable title. Gorillas in the mist might have been obvious, but the gorillas are only one part of a trip to Uganda, even though that is without a doubt the main reason for my trip. And who am I to doubt the insights of an erudite man like Winston. As he rightly says in all his wisdom: Uganda stands for so much more. Astonishingly more. I already noticed this when reading the travel brochure. You can easily spend 10 days or even longer in this country.That Uganda is known as a tourist destination these days is in itself half a miracle. Because Uganda has an unenviable history. After its independence in 1962, the country did not prosper like so many other African ex-colonies. And a row of dictators has a lot to do with that. Obote and Idi Amin are roaring names, but certainly not in a positive way. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives under their reign of terror. At the time it was absolutely not a destination to go on holiday. Although the political situation is still not optimal, Uganda is stable enough to travel safely to, with the exception of the north of the country. And so today we cross the border into Uganda. The border between Rwanda and Uganda is closed to the local population. Only western tourists are allowed to cross. This is done with the necessary precautions. For example, we must first pass the tents of the UNHCR where we are disinfected and our temperature is measured. This prevents the dreaded Ebola virus from entering Uganda. After a lot of paperwork at the different administrations of both countries, we finally get a stamp for the Jewel of Africa. Hopefully that stone sparkles like never before.