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the inflight magazine of air uganda part of the asante issue number 004 nov–jan 2011
your complimentary copy
EDITORIAL
Welcome Aboard!
W
e welcome you on board our flight and wish you a pleasant journey with us. Now that you are seated we want you to relax and enjoy the flight while we take care of your needs.
As the Station Manager of Air Uganda, stationed at Entebbe Airport, I am proud to
be part of the Air Uganda team and most of all to be of service to you as our customer. I would like to give you some background information on what transpires before a flight takes to the air. Flight punctuality is one of the main concerns of any passenger, as no passenger likes to arrive late at his or her destination. Whether you are on a business trip or going for a vacation with your family, we know our passengers want to get to their destination on time. My top priority is to continue to deliver the best on time performance for Air Uganda. From the moment you check in up to the time that you take your seat in the aircraft, a number of things have taken place to make your journey a safe and enjoyable experience. As a Station Manager I oversee the check-in counters to ensure that you are treated with the respect that you deserve. I administer a dedicated team, beginning from the document verification to luggage control. One of the most challenging parts of my duties is to ensure that the check-in counters close on time. To eliminate delays we have to close the counters exactly 30 minutes before departure to allow for the aircraft documentation to be prepared in time for a punctual take- off. To achieve this I work in close collaboration with the Flight Dispatch team to ensure that all requirements are met for dispatching the flight in a safe and regulated environment. The Flight Dispatch team ensures that the flight crews are briefed in detail about the flight and they prepare all the flight documentation, such as weather charts, flight plans etc. All the required paperwork, such as flight manifests for passengers and cargo, with all the declarations, must be on board the aircraft and verified before the Captain in command will give the go-ahead for passengers to board the aircraft. For this reason we cannot accept passengers after the check-in counters are closed as it will result in the flight being delayed. From the check-in counters in the terminal we move to the aircraft on the apron. Around the aircraft I work with the team of well trained staff to ensure that the catering for your flight is loaded in time, that the fuelling of the aircraft has been done and that the aircraft is cleaned properly. I also oversee that the luggage and the cargo for the flight are loaded under very strict security to ensure your safety onboard our flight. Usually all of this is done in a very limited time period due to our busy flight programme and everyone in my team has dedicated responsibilities to ensure a smooth operation. Once all the passengers are on board and the aircraft ‘pushes back’ we record the precise departure time for daily punctuality reports. Only then can we relax a little and I thank all my team and the handling agents for great teamwork and a job well done. Sit back, relax and enjoy your flight. You are in safe hands with Air Uganda. Great timing, Great Service, Great People. Johan du Toit Station Manager
CONTENTS
4 • Destination Uganda
Photo: © Peter Holthusen
10 •
The Virunga Mountains – Kingdom of the Mists
Tracking mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains is a peerless wildlife experience, and one of Africa’s indisputable travel highlights.
14 •
Impressions of Dar es Salaam’s Uhindi Quarter
Cover picture: The spectacular Virunga Mountains.
Explore Uganda, the warm heart of Africa, offering unique experiences, unparalleled dramatic landscapes, and a profsion of wildlife.
18 •
22 •
Stroll through Dar es Salaam’s charming Asian quarter and discover a rich history and a fascinating, yet fast-changing, present.
Magical Migration Witness one of nature’s greatest spectacles, the annual migration of a million or more wildebeest across hundreds of kilometres of African savannah.
Tanzania’s Burgeoning Butterfly Projects
The next time you plan a trip to south-eastern Zanzibar be sure to visit the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre.
26 •
Zanzibar’s Open Doors
At the exotic Swahili-speaking island of Zanzibar, we encounter the rich history and modern-day attractions of the Spice Island.
30 •
In Search of the Perfect Pearl
REGULARS 1
Editorial by Station Manager, Air Uganda
36
Book World
45
Air Uganda Flight Schedule
46
News Page
48
Healthy Travelling
49
Route Map
50
Offices
32 •
Tips for the Traveller
52
Crossword Puzzle & Sudoku
Keeping Track of Time
Hours, minutes, seconds – they all get us through the day. But what about time on a more grand scale?
37 •
Have yourself a very Merry Christmas
51
What is the reality behind these famous objects of desire?
40 •
This December we gear up for another festive season.
Green Tea – A Winter Tonic Too Green tea has clearly emerged as an elixir and is accompanied by a catalogue of health benefits.
42 • Travels in Cyberspace
Get a grip on that mouse and prepare to start pounding the keyboard …
30
WELCOME ABOARD Publishers:
4
Editorial Director:
Rukhsana Haq
Editor:
Roger Barnard
Editorial Assistant:
14
Senior Designer: Design Assistants:
Cecilia Gaitho Shakira Chaudhary Charles Kamau Fatima Janmohamed
Production Manager:
Azra Chaudhry, U.K
Production Assistant:
Rose Judah
Editorial Board:
10
Camerapix Magazines Ltd
Rukhsana Haq Jenifer B. Musiime Regina Busingye
ASANTE meaning ‘Thank you’ in Kiswahili is published quarterly for Air Uganda
26
by Camerapix Magazines Limited P.O.Box 45048,00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya Telephone: +254 (20) 4448923/4/5
18
Fax: +254 (20) 4448818 or 4441021
40
E-mail: creative@camerapix.co.ke Editorial and Advertising Office:
22
Camerapix Magazines (UK) Limited 32 Friars Walk, Southgate, London, N14 5LP Tel: +44 (20) 8361 2942 Mobile: +44 79411 21458 E-mail: camerapixuk@btinternet.com Correspondance on editorial and advertising matters may be sent to either of the above addresses. Printed in Nairobi.
40
32
©2011 CAMERAPIX MAGAZINES LTD All rights reserved. No part of this
42
magazine may be reproduced by any means without permission in writing from the publisher.
37
All photographs by Camerapix unless otherwise indicated.
destination: uganda
U
ganda, once the ‘Pearl of Africa’ has cast off the layers of its grim past and now stands proudly lustrous.
After a decade of peace the land if flourishing, the towns and cities bustling with trade and activity, the economy expanding and the people as welcoming as always. Straddling the equator in the heart of Africa, Uganda is blessed with an abundance of natural assets. The size of Britain and lying between the two clefts of the Rift Valley, Uganda’s terrain ranges from snow-capped mountains to lake-filled valleys, from extinct volcanoes to highland plateaux. The country’s varied beauty is breathtaking. Nicknamed the ‘breadbasket’ of Africa, Uganda is one of the most fertile countries on the continent. It receives more than 2,000 millimetres (78 inches) of annual rain feeding streams, rivers and lakes which cover 25 per cent of its surface. The resulting vegetation – tropical rain forests, savannah scrub and Afroalpine flora are host to an awe-inspiring variety of wildlife including the threatened gorilla. All of this rich heritage is being jealously guarded by the current government to retain its splendour for everyone’s enjoyment today and in the future. Some of Uganda’s features are outstanding. The country boasts the second largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria, where the boundaries of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya converge and the River Nile starts its 6,400 kilometres (3,977 miles) journey to
Murchison Falls:
the Mediterranean. Close to Lake Albert in
At the top of Murchison
the west, the Nile waters are thrust through a
Falls, the Nile forces its
6-metre (20-foot) gash in the rocks producing
way through a gap in the
the awesome spectacle of Murchison Falls
rocks, then flows westward
plummeting 42 metres (138 feet).
into Lake Albert.
The force of the river, harnessed by the Owen’s Falls Dam near its source at Jinja, provides the country with its major electricity supply and much of its earnings; both Tanzania and Kenya also benefit from this hydroelectricity scheme. Other commercially exploitable assets include rich sources of minerals and metals such as phosphates, graphite, magnesite, dolomite and limestone, copper and gold, and – potentially – oil in the Rift Valley. With stability restored, the people are able to reap rewards from the country’s natural gifts and exploit their native entrepreneurial >>
4 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
DESTINATION
UGANDA Uganda, the warm heart of Africa, offers the visitor unparalleled dramatic landscapes, a profusion of wildlife and unique experiences. Asante reports.
destination: uganda
Murchison Nile River hosts so much wildlife; buffalo (below right), crocodiles and a fantastic variety of birds.
>> skills. Eighty seven per cent of the population are employed on the land producing 70 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Profit. The major cash crops include coffee, cotton, tea, tobacco and maize. The natural fertility and abundant rainfall allow farmers to produce two or even three crops a year. Future developments look
The country boasts the second largest fresh water lake in the world, Lake Victoria.
to other horticultural products such as vegetables and flowers for export to Europe and the Middle East. Diversity of the land is reflected in the diversity of the people. Although there are four major groups, Bantu, Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic and Sudanic comprising over 33 ethnic groups, speaking over 40 languages, the people are united in their efforts to restore Uganda to its previous posterity. Uganda has a rich history dating back 500,000 years when, according to fossil evidence, early humans inhabited the western Rift Valley. The Bantus have an agricultural heritage; by 5,000 BC Bantu groups living in the west, south and east of modern Uganda tilled the land and smelted iron, later adopting south-east Asian crops such as yams and bananas – today’s staple food crops for the average family. Pastoral immigrants from the Ethiopian region intermarried with the agricultural Bantus and established pastoral aristocracies in western and central Uganda. Nilotic nomadic groups migrated from the north by the first millennium AD and eventually established the dynasty of Bunyoro. For centuries the various groups have traversed the Ugandan plateaux, merging and clashing and establishing new groups and languages. Out of these diverse groups developed several states or kingdoms: in the west and centre the original Bachwezi empire, later superseded by the centralised kingdoms of Bunyoro and >> nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 5
destination: uganda
On arrival, visitors are impressed by the modern, efficient Entebbe Airport run on international standards
Above: Aerial view of the Kampala city.
>> Nkore which in turn became dominated by the
was once the site of a Bugandan palace where the
more cohesive and liberal kingdom of Buganda.
Below:
royal impala grazed. From this picturesque tradition
Buganda continued to dominate until colonisation in
The Buganda
the city derived its name: Kasozi ka Impala or Hill of
the late 1800s.
Kasubi Tombs
Antelopes. But rather than one hill, Kampala, like
in Kampala,
legendary Rome, was built on seven. The original hill
Uganda.
on which British explorer and adventurer, Captain
In the late 1700s Arab and European traders of cloth, utensils and guns, in exchange for ivory and slaves, were closely followed by Muslim and Christian missionaries, explorers such as Grant and Speke, and
Frederick Lord Lugard, built a fort and administrative post, is now known as Old Kampala Hill. The fort
finally European colonialists. After innumerable political squabbles
still stands and although the government offices have moved to
amongst the colonial powers, Uganda eventually became a British
Nakasero Hill, now the city centre, it is one of the main tourist
Protectorate in 1894.
attractions of the city.
The financially-stretched British resorted to indirect rule,
Other places of interest to visitors include the prestigious
relying on Bugandan agents to administer the rest of Uganda.
Makerere University – the first in East Africa; the National
This administrative legacy still has political repercussions for
Museum housing several cultural, ethnological and musical
modern Uganda and resentments have reverberated throughout
collections; the imposing parliament building; Nommo Art
this century, causing much bloodshed. Ethnic hostilities even
Gallery dedicated to local artists; the ancient Buganda Kasubi
threatened the birth of independent Uganda which eventually
Tombs; the macabre Martyrs’ shrine and other religious centres
occurred in 1962.
including the Bahai Temple unique in Africa.
After the terrifying times of presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin, the current political situation has a healthy broad-based government drawn from all political parties and groupings. The government aims to achieve a more equal distribution of power through its new constitution. And it is this new political climate which has secured peace for the country and restored optimism and energy to the people. On arrival, visitors are impressed by the modern, efficient Entebbe Airport run on international standards. It has been greatly renovated and expanded since the dramatic days of the Entebbe raid when Israeli troops liberated the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) – hijacked French plane. Entebbe is only half-an-hour’s lake-side drive from the thriving capital, Kampala, also on the shores of lake Victoria. The capital 6 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
BE
our
Reservations: + 256 (312) 550 000 + 256 (414) 550 000 res@proteakla.co.ug www.proteahotels.com/kampala
The Madrasa Early Childhood Programme provides an opportunity for children to excel later in life. For the last twenty five years
and ethnicities. Many
Aga Khan Foundation has
people believe that education
supported the formation
starts at primary school
of the Madrasa pre-school
and to such people they
programme in East Africa
find that their children
(Kenya, Zanzibar, and
struggle to cope with formal
Uganda). Today when one
schooling. And the Madrasa
talks about Madrasa a lot
programme was established
of mixed interpretation
to help children get a good
come into play, but the word
start in their education,
“Madrasa” is Arabic and is
stay in school and most
related to the verb “darasa”
important of all excel later
which simply means to study.
schooling. An example of
In its most basic meaning a Madrasa is thus a place where
such children is Naima Shartry who is currently offering a
one studies. The application of the term therefore has as
Bachelor of medicine degree at the University of Nairobi.
many meanings as that of the English word school.
Naima went through Liwatoni Pre-school supported by the
The Madrasa programme is the first of its kind in East
Madrasa programme and she says that “My Success in
Africa where secular is integrated into the local cultures,
both academic and social life is particularly founded on my
including language, songs and stories with key values and
pre-school experience at Liwatoni. My two teachers made
teaching in Islam. The developmentally focused pre-school
learning fun. They handled us in a very personal way. We
curriculum has further integrated components of food
were like their children not their pupils. They were our
and nutrition, health, as well as moral and psychosocial
second parents and I can remember that at the end of each
development, safety and well – being. According to
day we were not eager to leave pre-school for home. It was
evaluations (and feedback from parents/ community
our second home.” At madrasa children are provided with a
leadership) conducted the health, hygiene and nutrition of
variety of materials and time to play. This helps the child to
many children have improved directly due to this kind of
develop a range of skills that they will need later in life. The work of the Madrasa Resource Centre in East Africa
integration. The programme is guided by three principles creating
is dependant on the support of individuals and institutional
awareness of the value of early childhood education,
donors. Your contribution to the future of East African
creating Child friendly environments, improving the
Children is most welcome. You can help by raising some
wellbeing of children from marginalized communities, and
money small and large or in Kind. For example Supporting
improving access and retention. The Madrasa programme
a pre-school in all its activities for an entire year costs
has helped establish 203 ECD centres that offer quality
100,000US$, at the same time feeding a school of 30
teaching / learning, they are affordable, sustainable
children for one year costs approximately US$1500.00 or
& culturally relevant community based early childhood
support all the health and Nutrition initiatives at a pre-school
development centres open to children of all faiths, cultures
for one year costs US$ 150.00.
For More information,please contact: Mrs. Najma Rashid MRCEA Regional Project Director rpd@mrcea.org Tel: 005412228135
Mr. Shafique Ssekalala Project Director Madrasa Resource Centre in Uganda Sekalaala.madrasa@utlonline.co.ug Tel: +256414343040 P.O.Box 14092 Mengo
Mr. Masoud Mohammed Ali Project Director Madrasa Resource Centre Kenya masoud@mrck.com Tel: 005412221797
Ms.Rose Kyando Project Director Zanzibar Madrasa Resource Centre Rose.kyando@zmrc.or.tz Tel: 007242232277
Photos Š Camerapix Publishers/David Pluth
Photos: © Peter Holthusen
destination: rwanda
THE VIRUNGA MOUNTAINS Kingdom of the Mists By Peter Holthusen.
source of the Nile, and the rumoured lair of giant alligators, man-eating plants, and the primeval cousins of King Kong. Blanketed by mists and bordered alternately by dense jungles filled with rampaging beasts and trackless deserts awash in treacherous sand, the region around the Virungas were literally the last place in Africa visited by the adventurous European explorers. Although skirted by John Hanning Speke and Richard Burton in their search for the source of the Nile in the 1850s, the Virungas were not actually seen by white men until the 1890s, for the Kingdom of Rwanda was isolationist and closed to
Above:
foreigners (also to many Africans) until this time. The famous
he eminent primatologist Dian Fossey wrote: “In the heart
The Virunga
American explorer, Henry Morton Stanley, attempted to enter
of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than
Mountains
several times and did penetrate as far as Lake Ihema in 1874,
you sweat, are great, old volcanoes towering up almost
are a string
but was then forced to retreat under arrow attack from the
15,000 feet, and nearly covered with rich, green rainforest – the
of volcanoes
local tribesmen.
Virungas”.
straddling the
T
Straddling the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic
Of course, the real land of the Virungas is much less exotic.
borders of
The mountains themselves are indeed spectacular, but the mild
Republic of Congo, the Virungas are the embodiment of western
Uganda, Rwanda
climate on the high plateau around the mountains long ago
fantasies about ‘Darkest Africa’. The mountains are in the heart
and Democratic
attracted extensive native African occupation and development.
of the legendary land of ‘King Solomon’s Mines’, the long-sought
Republic of Congo.
The dense forest on the mountains’ slopes are home to some >>
10 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
destination: rwanda
>> unusual plants and animals, but the best known – the mountain gorillas – are placid giants munching mostly on forest vegetation and not on wayward travellers! The land of the Virungas is beautiful and rich, desirable to both beast and man. Many have tried to posses it. Consequently, its story is long and sometimes turbulent. The Virungas are not a mountain range as such, but a chain of isolated freestanding volcanic cones strung along a fault line associated with the same geological process that formed the Great Rift Valley 20 million years ago. Rwanda’s mountainous topography is a product of its position on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift, an integral part of the Great Rift Valley which cuts through Africa from the Red Sea to Mozambique. Sometimes referred to as the Birunga or Bufumbira Mountains, the chain comprises six dormant and three active volcanoes, all of which exceed 3,000 metres in altitude – the tallest being Karisimbi (4,507 metres), Mikeno (4,437 metres) and Muhabura (4,127 metres). The Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park) protects the steep slopes of the Rwandan sector of the Virungas that straddle the Ugandan and Congolese borders, and forms part of a contiguous 433 kilometres trans-frontier conservation unit that also includes the Virungas National Park and Mgahinga National Park. The names of the individual mountains in the Virunga chain reflect local perceptions. Sabyinyo translates as ‘old man’s teeth’ in reference to the jagged rim of what is probably the most ancient and weathered of the eight volcanoes. Muhabura is ‘the guide’, and anecdotes collected by the first Europeans to visit the area suggest that its perfect cone, topped as it is today by a small crater lake, still glowed at night as recently as the early 19th century. Gahinga is variously translated as meaning ‘pile of
The vegetation zones of the Virungas correspond
Above:
stones’ or ‘the hoe’, the former a reference to its relatively small
It is difficult
closely to those of other large East African
size, the latter to the breach on its flank. Of the other volcanoes
to describe
mountains, although much of the Afro-montane forest
that lie partially within Rwanda, Karisimbi – which occasionally
the simple
below the 2,500 metres contour has been sacrificed
sports a small cap of snow – is named for the colour of a cowry
exhilaration
to cultivation. Moist broad-leaved semi-deciduous
shell, while Visoke simply means ‘watering hole’, in reference to
attached to first
forest dominates up until the 2,800 metres
the crater lake near its peak.
setting eyes on
contour, whilst the slopes at altitudes of 2,800-
a wild mountain
3,200 metres, where an average annual rainfall of
gorilla.
2,000 millimetres is typical, support bamboo forest
This part of Africa is being pulled apart in an east-west direction. The cliffs that form the walls of the Great Rift Valley mark the fault line where the ground has split apart, allowing the huge blocks of rock between them to slip downward to form the
interspersed with stands of tall hagenia woodland. At higher altitudes, the cover of Afro-alpine moorland,
long linear valleys. The uplift of the crests of the cliffs and the
grassland and marsh is studded with giant lobelia, senecios and
land behind them is caused partly by the inflow of molten rock
other outsized plants similar to those found on Kilimanjaro and
from the earth’s upper mantle and partly by the heating and
the Ruwenzori. Above 3,600 metres, biodiversity levels are very
thermal expansion of cooler rock near the earth’s surface.
low and the dominant vegetation consists of a fragile community
Volcanoes such as the Virungas, often form along rift valleys
of grasses, mosses and lichens. A total of 1,265 plant species
where molten rock from the depths is able to reach the surface
identified across the range to date includes at least 120 that are
through rift faults. The bases of the Virunga volcanoes are at
endemic to the Albertine Rift.
an elevation of 1,220-1,525 metres, and their peaks reach
The most famous denizen of the Virungas is the mountain
elevations of 3,660-4,507 metres, high enough to squeeze vast
gorilla, which inhabits all six of the extinct or dormant volcanoes,
amounts of water out of passing air masses. The resulting heavy
but not – for obvious reasons – the more active ones. The largest
rainfall supports the growth of a dense montane rainforest on
living primates, gorillas are widespread residents of the equatorial
the volcanoes’ slopes.
African rainforest, with a global population of perhaps 150,000- >> nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 11
destination: rwanda
>> 200,000 concentrated mainly in the Congo Basin. The mountain gorilla was first discovered on 17 October 1902, on the ridges of the Virunga Mountains, by the German explorer Captain Robert von Beringe. He had set up camp on a narrow, chilly, windswept rock ledge on the upper slopes of the ‘so far unknown’ Mount Sabyinyo, an extinct volcano whose 3,634 metres peak stood at the juncture of German East Africa, the British protectorate of Buganda and the Belgian Congo. The following morning, to the mutual astonishment of both man and beast, the rocky campsite was bypassed by “a herd of big, black monkeys which tried to climb the crest of the volcano”. Fearing for his life, von Beringe opened fire, causing two of the mysterious primates to tumble down into a deep ravine. In Captain von Beringe’s report of the expedition adapted from In the Heart of Africa by Duke Adolphus Frederick of Mecklenburg (Cassell, 1910), he would later recall, “After five hours of strenuous work we succeeded in retrieving one of these animals using a rope. It was a big, human-like male monkey of one and a half metres in height, and a weight of more than 90 kilogrammes (200 pounds). His chest had no hair, and his hands and feet were of enormous size. Unfortunately, I was unable to determine its type; because of its size, it could not very well be a chimpanzee or a gorilla, and in any case the presence of gorillas had not been established in the area around the lakes”. As things transpired, von Beringe would soon be recognised as the person to establish the species, for in 1903, his preserved specimen found its way to the Berlin Zoological Museum in Germany. Here, Professor Paul Matschie, a leading primatologist, recognised the animal as a previously undocumented species of gorilla, which he named Gorilla beringei in honour of its discoverer. The first study of mountain gorilla behaviour was undertaken in the 1950s by George Schaller, whose pioneering work formed the genesis for the more recent research initiated by Dian Fossey in
Above:
the 1960s. Fossey’s acclaimed book Gorillas in the Mist remains
The land of the
peerless wildlife experience, and one of Africa’s indisputable
perhaps the best starting point for anybody who wants to know
Virungas is
travel highlights. It is difficult to describe the simple exhilaration
more about mountain gorilla behaviour.
beautiful and
attached to first setting eyes on a wild mountain gorilla. These
rich, desirable to
are enormous animals: the silverbacks weigh about three times
her two-decade behavioural study of mountain gorillas and
both beast and
as much as the average man, and their bulk is exaggerated by
launched a crusade against poaching that led to her brutal
man.
a shaggily luxuriant coat. And yet despite their fearsome size
It was on the slopes of Karisimbi, that Dian Fossey undertook
Tracking mountain gorillas in the Virunga Mountains is a
murder in 1985. It was here, too, that Fossey’s associates Amy
and appearance, gorillas are remarkably peaceable creatures,
Vedder and Bill Weber initiated the world’s first gorilla tourism
certainly by comparison with most primates – and the Virungas
project in 1979. And all else being equal, that should have been
are renowned for the population of mountain gorillas that inhabit
the beginning of Rwanda’s emergence as a truly great eco-
its forested slopes.
tourism destination. Instead, the country was destabilised by a
Rwanda is the world’s premier gorilla-tracking destination, but
protracted civil war that started in 1990 and reached its horrific
the Virungas also form the main stronghold for the endangered
climax four years later.
golden monkey, possibly the last one now that their only other
One of the flaws inherent in viewing the world through the
confirmed haunt, the more southerly Gishwati Forest, has been
restless eyes of the mass media is that the likes of Rwanda are
cleared to cover less than one per cent of its original extent.
deemed newsworthy only when disaster strikes. Miraculously,
Recent estimates based on dung surveys tentatively place the
Rwanda today is widely regarded as ranking among the most
buffalo population at close to 1,000, while the total number
economically buoyant and politically enlightened countries in Africa
of elephants might be anything from 20 to 100. Other typical
and the Virungas are once again open to tourists.
highland forest species include yellow-backed duiker, bushbuck >>
12 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
destination: rwanda
eruption on 17 January 2002. Lava flowed down the southern and eastern flanks of the volcano into Goma itself, killing at least 50 people. Goma was evacuated, and an estimated 450,000 people crossed into the nearby Rwandan towns of Gisenyi and Ruhengeri for temporary refuge. Three days later, when the first evacuees returned, it transpired that about a quarter of the town – including large parts of the commercial and residential centre – had been engulfed by the lava, leaving 12,000 families homeless. The lava lake in Nyirangongo’s crater remains active, with a diameter of around 50 metres, and, although there has been no subsequent eruption, the crater rim still glows menacingly above Gisenyi’s nocturnal skyline and a new lava lake has started to form about 250 metres below the level of the 1994 one. Only 15 kilometres northwest of Nyirangongo stands the 3,058 metres Mount Nyamuragira, which also erupted in January 2002. Nyamuragira vies with Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania as probably the most active volcano on the African mainland, with 34
Above:
eruptions recorded since 1882. Only the 1912-13 incidence
The Virunga’s
resulted in any known direct fatalities, though 17 people were
also form
killed and several pregnancies terminated as a result of ash-
the main
contaminated drinking water in the 2000 eruption. Nyamuragira
stronghold for
most recently blew its top on 2 January 2010, spewing lava
the endangered
hundreds of metres into the air, along with a large plume of ash
golden monkey.
and sulphur dioxide that destroyed large tracts of cultivated land and forest in the Virunga Mountains. It is perhaps worth noting that these temperamental Congolese
>> and giant forest hog. The mountains’ avifauna is comparatively
volcanoes pose no threat to visitors to the mountain gorillas,
poorly known, as evidenced by sightings of 36 previously
as the relevant cones are all dormant or extinct. That might
unrecorded species during a cross-border biodiversity study
change one day: there is a tradition among the Bafumbira people
undertaken in early 2004, bringing the total checklist for the
that the fiery spirits inhabiting the crater of Nyamuragira will
Virungas to 294, including 20 Albertine Rift endemics.
eventually relocate to Muhabura, reducing both the mountain
Still in their geological infancy, none of the Virunga Mountains
and its surrounds to ash. Another Bafumbira custom has it that
is more than two million years old and two of the cones remain
the crater lake atop Mount Muhabura is inhabited by a powerful
highly active. Indeed, they are together responsible for nearly
snake spirit called Indyoka, which lives on a bed of gold and need
40 per cent of all the documented eruptions in Africa. The
only raise its head to bring rain to the surrounding countryside.
most dramatic volcanic explosion of historical times was the
So if you’ve ever dreamed of tracking gorillas through the same
1977 eruption of the 3,465 metres Mount Nyirangongo in the
misty slopes once trodden by Dian Fossey, you must visit Rwanda.
Democratic Republic of Congo, about 20 kilometres north of the
And while you’re about it, don’t forget that there is much more
Lake Kivu port of Goma. During this eruption, a lava lake that
to see besides the gorillas. The mountain-ringed inland sea that
had formed in the volcano’s main crater back in 1894 drained
is Lake Kivu; the immense Nyungwe Forest National Park with
in less than an hour, emitting streams of molten lava that flowed
its chimpanzees, monkeys and rare birds; the wild savannah of
at a rate of up to 60 kilometres per hour, killing an estimated
Akagera National Park – and above all, perhaps, the endless
2,000 people and terminating only 500 metres from Goma
succession of steep cultivated mountains that have justifiably
Airport.
earned Rwanda the soubriquets ‘The Land of a Thousand Hills’
In 1994, a new lake of lava started to accumulate within the main crater of Nyirangongo, leading to another highly destructive
and ‘The Switzerland of Africa’. It is a truly wonderful place to visit and I defy you to chart a course to her borders.
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 13
destination: tanzania
At the South Asian quarter Photos: © Reto Kuster
of Dar es Salaam we smell exotic spices, hear different languages and see remarkable architecture.
Impressions of
Dar es Salaam’s
Uhindi Quarter W
A stroll through Dar es Salaam’s charming Asian quarter reveals a rich history and a fascinating, yet fast-changing, present, says Reto Kuster.
alking along Indira Ghandi Street, we turn left
from Punjab came as skilled labourers. Of the thousands of
into India Street. Next to me, an Asian couple is
labourers who were contracted in the first half of the 20th
waiting to cross the road, the woman wearing a
century, many of them decided to remain in East Africa after
red sari. No, we are not in Delhi or Mumbai, we are in Uhindi,
their contracts had ended and became dukawallahs, as
the South Asian quarter of Dar es Salaam, just a few minutes
they were called locally: mostly traders, but also clerks or
walk from Tanzania’s main city centre. Yet, this is a different
artisans. For many South Asians in the first half of the 20th
world. We smell exotic spices, hear different languages and
century, East Africa became a land of opportunity.
see remarkable architecture. Without doubt, Dar es Salaam’s Asian quarter is a most colourful part of the city. Most Tanzanian South Asians were recruited during colonial
Often, South Asian traders settled in the interior where they had previously worked for the railway. Later, they came to Dar es Salaam and built impressive houses. “We Asians
times in India and brought to East Africa to build the railway
don’t bring money to the bank, we invest it in buildings”, an
lines, a hard and dangerous work. Traders from Gujarat in
elderly man with moustache explained when I met him near
western India, as well as civil servants from Goa and artisans
the Indian library. >>
14 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
destination: tanzania
In shops virtually anything you can imagine is on offer.
>>
In the 1930s, Tanganyika’s economy began to thrive,
Walking in the streets of the Asian quarter we come across
reflecting in a construction boom in Dar es Salaam, mainly in
strange flavours, people dressed in unusual clothes, we witness
the Asian quarter. The South Asian communities expanded,
religious rites at Hindu temples in Kisutu Street. We enter shops
and so did their architecture: In the 1930s many impressive
where virtually anything you can imagine is on offer, from a sari to
buildings, three or four storeys high, were built, with flats for
Indian perfume. In Sewa Street, we find one of Dar es Salaam’s
the extended families on the upper floors. Often in the traditional
last curry grinders and spice traders. We can’t resist the intense
Gujarati style, pitched roofs and ornate fretwork decoration
smells of his spices and buy several blends. At the fruit market
were carefully executed by craftsmen brought from India. The
along Zanaki street, Asian women are buying large quantities of
quality of the buildings is exceptional. Even after 70 years in Dar
mangoes. A fascinating hustle and bustle takes place in the Uhindi
es Salaam’s tropical climate, many Asian buildings are in good
quarter, always in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere.
condition. Asian immigrants have shaped Tanzania’s history, and they
After hours of walking, we enter a local tearoom in Chagga Street. Owner Alif offers sweet tea and quick bites such as spicy
shaped Dar es Salaam’s architecture. Today, Dar es Salaam’s
meat balls and samosas. Alif’s tearoom is a popular place. Here,
Asian quarter is like a living open-air museum. No other East
Asians mingle with Africans, long discussions taking place each
African town has such a wide-ranging Asian architectural
afternoon. In the colonial days, Europeans would occupy the
heritage. In 1936, the clock tower of the Ismaili Jamatkhana
city centre, the Asians would live in their Uhindi quarter and the
mosque in the Asian quarter was the highest building in Dar
Africans in the outskirts of Dar es Salaam. This separation has
es Salaam, a symbol of the economic success of the Ismaili
long gone, and in the Uhindi quarter, Africans interact with Asians.
community. Even today, the Ismaili mosque is one of the most
I ask Alif if he feels more Indian or African. “I am Tanzanian”, he
striking landmarks in the Uhindi quarter. Apart from the Gujarati
replies. “Dar es Salaam is my home. I have never been to India, I
style, some buildings in the quarter are a mixture of Art Deco
have all my friends here”.
and Art Moderne, with colourful patterns, reinforced concrete
Although most South Asians living in Dar es Salaam today
and metal window frames. Originally developed in Europe in
were born in Tanzania and have Tanzanian nationality, the Asian
the 1920s, this style was popularised in India by the wealthy
cultures and religions are still practised and make up part of the
families who included Indian characteristics to make it a unique
communities’ identities. In shops, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi and other
‘Indian Art Deco’ style.
South Asian languages are spoken. >> nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 15
destination: tanzania
Today, modern high-rise buildings which yield more profits have become more common in the Asian quarter.
young Asian families want more space, want a more modern
>> Dar es Salaam’s Asians are highly diverse: Up to the 1960s,
life,” he says.
the Ismailis, followers of the Aga Khan and known to be
Dar es Salaam’s Asian quarter will undergo significant
progressive, formed the dominant South Asian group. After
changes in the coming years. Recently, property prices have
the postcolonial nationalisation of many Asian properties and businesses, a great number of Ismailis left Tanzania for Europe and North America, and the Ithnasheris (also Muslim) became the largest group. Another Asian community, the Bohras, Gujarati-speaking Shiite Muslims, are successful traders. The Bohra men in their elegant white robes and white caps and Bohra women in ridas, their colourful and all-covering two-piece garbs are a common sight in the Asian quarter. As we step into a Bohra sweets shop along Mosque Street, we have the choice of dozens of desserts in a combination of sweet and spicy. As exotic as these delicacies look, so are their names: sagla bagla, larwa and khajila berfi, just to name a few. Elsewhere in the Uhindi quarter, we get spicy tandoori chicken, excellent potato kachori and masala dosa at reasonable prices. A stroll through the Asian quarter of Dar es Salaam is well worth doing to experience the tastes and aromas of Indian food alone. Traditionally, whole extended families would live in one building. On the ground floor there was the shop, on the first floor the family and immediate members, whilst the second floor was usually rented to other family members. “The rooms were small, and there was little privacy”, remembers Karim who is the fourth generation of a family originating from Gujarat. “Today,
16 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
Below: Youngster at home: traditionally whole extended families would live in one building.
risen, and modern high-rise buildings which yield high profits have become more common in the Asian quarter. Today, many old buildings are being torn down and some fear that the historical character will fade away and an important Tanzanian heritage will be lost. At the moment, however, the Asian quarter retains much of its charming historical character, being the main residential and commercial area of the South Asian population in Dar es Salaam, estimated to number around 50,000.
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Photos: Camerapix
nature & wildlife
MAGICAL
MIGRATION
a million
H
wildebeest
in Africa’s complex wildlife modern mosaic, and the problems
One of nature’s greatest spectacles, the annual migration of
south of the
a million wildebeest across hundreds of kilometres of African
Serengeti to the
as one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives
savannah reaches its climax in the rolling grasslands of Kenya’s
Maasai Mara’s
comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the
Maasai Mara, Asante reports.
rich grasslands.
plains and forests of Africa. >>
18 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
Above: More than
undreds of thousands of people from the five continents visit Kenya’s Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its attractions have been described in countless books
and articles and captured on film and canvas. Its importance
migrate annually
that concern its survival, are the themes of many television
from the dry
documentaries, conservation seminars and learned papers. Yet despite this close attention the Maasai Mara holds on
nature & wildlife
>> The Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife sanctuaries, drawing tourists from all over the world to
movement brings them to the Mara, the best watered part of the ecosystem.
experience, and marvel at, its stunning attractions.
The strange, almost comical-looking, wildebeest – sometimes
Its most spectacular feature is the annual migration of a
described as the ‘clowns of the plains’ – trek hundreds of
million or more wildebeest and attendant zebra, plains game and
kilometres each year following the grazing which varies from one
predators, travelling from the deep south of Tanzania’s Serengeti
end of the Serengeti system to the other, according to the rains.
National park into the Maasai Mara, the northernmost end of
Lines of them, march in columns in a series of looping meanders
the Serengeti Sanctuary. It is an essential dry season refuge for
across the grasslands to merge into a snorting, braying, lunatic
migrants, and for the large numbers of resident animals. Well-
groups numbering hundreds of thousands.
watered, seldom without an ample food supply, whether for the
Though an antelope, the wildebeest displays little of the grace
grazers or the hunters, the Mara is unique in containing such a
one might expect. It is really an absurd-looking animal, with large
diverse, year-round wildlife population.
forequarters sloping to a weak behind, the body supported on
The impact on the visitor, even the cynical city dweller, can be profound, and few remain unmoved by its magnificence. The wildebeest’s year starts in January on the Serengeti, where the cows give birth. Within a few weeks hundreds of thousands of calves are born on the close-cropped plains. As they emerge into an unwelcoming world thousands die-snapped up by hyena and jackal. Though young wildebeest can stand within five minutes of birth and soon run as fast as an adult, the mortality at the most vulnerable time – as the calf emerges from its foetal sac – is quite horrifying to the casual observer.
spindly legs. They run with a jerky, stiff-legged gait
Below: In a frebzy of feeding activity, Mara River crocodiles demolish a zebra unfortunate enough to stray too close. The crocodile cannot chew; instead, it
and, for no apparent reason, dart from side to side and kick their hind legs in the air. Yet these clowns of the plains are one of nature’s most astonishing success stories, their numbers having risen more than three fold in 20 years. The majority of wildebeest that pass through the Mara are migratory, but there is a resident population of several thousand. They stay mainly on the Loita Plains, but form a migration of their own as the rains fall, when they head to the Musiara area to the west of the game reserve. Driven by genetic intuition implanted thousands of years ago, around June
clamps its jaws on
every year when their grazing becomes depleted, the
Water dries up, and the wildebeest move, generally
its victim’s body
wildebeest hordes of the southern Serengeti head
westerly and veering north, in search of new
and spins to tear
north to greener pastures, gathering into single file
grazing and water. Eventually their continued
off chunks of flesh.
columns (unique among African wildlife) that can >>
Soon, the plains grass is cropped to its roots.
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 19
nature & wildlife
>> stretch across the savannah for up to 16 kilometres (10 miles), sometimes walking calmly, at other times running as though in a state of panic or excitement. Where rivers halt their steady progress they turn into a riotous assembly, mindless of dangers in their stubborn advance, leaping off the banks and churning the placid waters into a boiling cauldron, many to die of drowning or in the jaws of the lurking crocodiles. But most stumble up the opposite bank, safe for the moment, in a cacophony of bewilderment. Their migration – a forced march over hundreds of kilometres,
Above: An early morning game flight in a hotair balloon is the high point of a Maasai Mara visit for some.
January and March. The foals, which can stand within an hour, begin to graze about 10 days after birth. The zebra’s call, a highpitched yelp somewhere between a dog’s bark and donkey’s bray, is a familiar sound on the plains for most of the year. Thomson’s gazelle, the Tommy, named after the explorer Joseph Thomson, is a familiar species and a third component of the annual migration. While a great number of Thomson’s are resident, probably half a million are migrants. Unmistakable in appearance, with a sandy fawn back and a rufous tinge, black stripe running along the flanks, white belly and white rump with
stalked all the way by attendant predators who find easy pickings
a black verticle stripe on either side, a stubby black tail is in
among the diseased, the old and the new-born – comes to an end
constant motion. The strongly ringed horns rise from the skull to
in Kenya’s Maasai.
bend back in a gentle curve, becoming verticle at the tips which
So successful has been their evolution that they now merge into concentrations of more than a million, accompanied by as
are smooth. Thomson’s gazelle is sometimes confused with the Grant’s,
many as 250,000 zebra and half a million Thomson’s gazelle. The
though it shouldn’t be. It is larger, lighter coloured and the
zebra arrive first, their grazing pattern helping the wildebeest.
black stripe along the flank is absent in the adults, but not the
The zebra eat the long woody grass stems, which the wildebeest
juveniles. It has a chestnut stripe down the face and a dark nose
do not favour. This is another aspect of the grazing succession
spot. The horns are lyre-shaped, and heavily ringed. The new
which helps to maintain the Mara’s abundance and diversity of
born fawns are a ploy to deter predators, for a young Tommy is
animal species.
easy prey for any carnivore and avian raptor.
Zebra stripes are like fingerprints, unique to the individual.
Members of the ungainly wildebeest clan are two hartebeests,
The zebra is not a herd animal, but stays in groups headed by a
the topi and Coke’s hartebeest, or Kongoni. They are neither
dominant stallion. In the Mara most females give birth between
beautiful nor graceful. The topi, related to the tiang of Sudan and >>
20 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
nature & wildlife
>> tsessebe of southern Africa, are the better looking with blueblack thighs and yellow stockings. A large group with the sun shining on their iridescent backs makes a pretty sight. There is no question that one of the most beautiful and graceful
kilometres west of the Kenya capital of Nairobi at an altitude of more than 1,600 metres above sea level. There is a variety of accommodation in the Maasai Mara, ranging from well-equipped game lodges and luxury tented camps,
of all antelopes is the impala, and happily the Mara has an
to self-service bandas. All provide a wonderful experience in a
abundance of these delightful creatures.
magnificent setting. A dawn balloon ride offers stunning views
Then one day all these grazers, raise their grotesque heads,
of the rolling grasslands teeming with one of the continent’s
sniff the air and pause. The time has arrived. Within days, millions
largest surviving concentrations of wildlife, including the Big Five.
will be on the march, cows calving on the way, predator and
Balloon rides do not come cheap but are worth it if your budget
scavenger waiting to feed on the lame and the laggard and the
will stretch that far. It was in the Mara in the 1970s that Africa’s
strays which cannot keep pace. By August and September their
first regular hot-air balloon service was inaugurated by naturalists
millions darken the golden Mara.
film-maker Alan Root. Several others followed his lead and the
Mingled on the Mara plains with large herds of buffalo, elephant, and giraffe, the annual migration has become one of nature’s greatest spectacles. After a few months in the Maasai Mara
colourful balloons provide a splendid backdrop to the wildlife for those watching from terra firma. From Nairobi there’s a tarmac road to Narok, taking in splendid
the wildebeest gradually drift south again into the green-again
views from the escarpment along the way, and then its out into
Serengeti, only to form up again the following year
the wilderness, bumping over roads through the fertile wheatlands
to begin the migration all over again.
until you reach the Reserve’s gates. But many
Below left:
opt for the convenient 40-minute scheduled or
Mara, founded in 1961, is a unique tourist
The nocturnal and
charter flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport –
destination. Throughout the year this 320
secretative leopard has
longer, of course, from Mombasa. The Mara is
square kilometres national reserve remains one
a wide and varied diet,
well-equipped with tarmac landing strips – and
of the world’s great wilderness sanctuaries – a
including this African hare
the aircraft sometimes provide a canopy of
sea of rolling golden grasslands after the rains
caught in the Maasai
shade during the midday heat for prides of lions
that provides food and shelter for an abundance
Mara.
or other game.
Below right:
wildlife: it’s a bizarre mix of cultures, for the
The latticed tiles of the
creatures inhabited these grasslands long
river and the Mara Reserve’s other Rivers, are
reticulated giraffe make
before mankind first walked upright on the
many hippo and crocodile.
it a most handsome
shores of Kenya’s Lake Turkana, far to the
animal. Though giraffe
north. Lets hope that the wildebeest and
varied and fascinating as any in Africa with major
social groupings are very
other animals will be allowed to continue their
raptors feeding on small game and hundreds of
fluid, mother and calf will
age-old migration patterns for many years
smaller birds adding to the colourful pageantry
not stray far from one
to come, providing one of nature’s most
of this unique game sanctuary, which lies 300
another.
hauntingly remarkable spectacles.
Kenya’s hauntingly beautiful Maasai
of lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and every major African species including the endangered black rhinoceros. In the Mara
And not just game. Mara’s prolific birdlife is as
Modern aircraft, tourist buses, people and
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 21
Photos: © Christine O’Maley
nature & wildlife
Above: During my visit, I spot a black and white female
Tanzania’s
flying handkerchief, named so because of the species defensive erratic flight, pausing to open and close her wings on a leaf before fluttering off.
Burgeoning Butterfly Projects
The next time you plan a trip to south-eastern Zanzibar be sure to stop in at the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre, writes Christine O’Maley.
S
ince its inception two years ago the Zanzibar Butterfly
For visitors, not only can you stand among Zanzibar’s most
Centre (ZBC) at Pete, about one kilometre before the
beautiful and exquisite vipepeo (Swahili for butterflies) as they
Jozani National Park headquarters, has been running
flutter about inside East Africa’s largest butterfly enclosure but
an initiative that encourages local farmers to catch and breed
the small entry fee you pay goes a long way towards improving
butterflies in return for a small salary. Pupae fetch anywhere
living standards in surrounding rural communities.
from 200 Tshs to 350 Tshs depending on the species. As is often the case in tropical climates the butterflies only live for up to six weeks, providing an endless source of work and income for eager farmers. The ZBC has provided training to 18 farmers in the village of Pete in the hope that this alternative source of income will raise local living standards. The training also provides farmers with a vital botanical knowledge of their surrounding area and an awareness of the importance of conserving natural habitats. Democracy is also practiced at regular meetings of the ZBC
A similar project has been running on the mainland for six years and butterfly expert Alfred, who has worked in both centres, says it’s an effective and worthwhile initiative. Since 2004, the Amani Butterfly Project has grown to help 400 rural Tanzanians (more women than men) from six villages in the East Usambara Mountains farm and market native butterflies. But it’s no walk in the forest. In fact it’s serious business that is having a seriously positive effect on the villages and their surrounding environs. An elected board of 12 farmers set prices, policies, and control the dispersal of the project’s village development fund.
Farmer Council where ideas are shared, problems discussed
A tenth of profits is funnelled back into projects that benefit the
and advice provided to new farmers.
whole community like building schools. >>
22 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
nature & wildlife
seven Seafood & Grill
Inset:
“Redefining the Flavours of Local Produce”
Alfred brings my attention to a tiny yellow speck on a leaf – the blue and black winged forest queen has laid a tiny egg. Above: One by one butterfly’s slowly emerge from their silk shell to find their wings inside the protective walls of a box before being released back into the wild or into the centre’s large butterfly enclosure.
>> New members are only allowed to join if there is a need for more production. When 100 new farmers were recently added it was on the condition that they only produce species not presently in sufficient supply. Farmers receive about 70 per cent of the project’s sales with the rest covering staff salaries and operating costs. Species are sold for as little as $ 1, with the bright-blue winged Charaxes xiphares or Forest King Emperor fetching
Open Monday to Saturday for Lunch & Dinner, closed on Sundays
the highest price of $ 3. As the Amani project’s annual sales grew from $ 20,000 in 2004 to $ 90,000 in 2008, the average household reported a 25 per cent increase in earnings – even though
For reservations please contact: 0737 776677
butterfly farming is only a hobby for most participants. Proving the benefits of butterfly farming aren’t solely
Ground Floor, ABC Place, Waiyaki Way Westlands, Nairobi-Kenya
financial, a 2006 study confirmed the link between increased livelihoods and forest conservation. It found that households involved in butterfly farming participated more often in forest conservation than households that were less dependent on the practice as a source of income. >> 7up.indd 1
10/15/10 nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 23 10:51:33
nature & wildlife
Left: While there are about 17,000 different known species of rhopalocera (butterflies) in the world, at the Zanzibar Butterfly Centre there are usually anywhere from 10 to 20 different breeds. The enclosure is a peaceful sanctuary of native flowers and ferns.
>> The Amani workers can compete with wealthier farmers in
To ensure sustainability and unnecessary collection from the
other parts of the world because they have ready access to
wild, the farmer retains a proportion of pupae to provide the next
natural forest, reducing their capital costs.
generation of adults for the breeding cage. A female butterfly can
The project is part of the Tanzania Forest Conservation Group, which provides technical assistance regarding butterfly farming, marketing, export, financial management, and conservation efforts. Alfred currently supervises the Zanzibar site, which works in association with Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Jozani Environmental Conservation Association (JECA) and Pete
lay between 250 and 500 eggs in her lifetime, so very few female butterflies are required to start captive populations. After starting a population, there is really only need to return to the wild occasionally to catch wild males to maintain a good genetic diversity. The reproductive capacity of butterflies ensures the practice has no effect on the health of the wild population. While the Zanzibar project finds its wings, the Amani project is
Development Association (PDA). It’s his job to teach villagers
shipping pupae off for exhibit to Europe and the United States of
how to catch butterflies.
America twice a week.
Armed with nets in the surrounding forest, they are
The pupae is neatly and protectively packed into cardboard
encouraged to scour native flowers for female specimens
boxes lined with styrofoam and cotton and delivered to each
(which are almost always carrying eggs) and bring them back
destination within a few days – just in time for a beautiful
to a small netted enclosure filled with the food plant for the
butterfly to be released into an enclosure for worldwide
target species of butterfly. In this safe haven, the female lays
enjoyment and education.
her eggs. The freshly laid eggs are moved to a pest free container where they will hatch after 10 to 14 days. Upon hatching the caterpillars, or larvae, are transferred to their food plant in the farmer’s plant nursery. Farmers tend to the growing larvae until they are ready to pupate, approximately two weeks after hatching. At pupation, larvae attach by their abdomen to a suitable leaf or stick and shed their skin to form the pupae. It’s at this point that farmers harvest the pupae for sale to the butterfly centre. 24 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
The Zanzibar Butterfly Centre is a not-for-profit project that relies on visitors to keep it fluttering. Entry costs 6,000 Tshs (about $ 5) for tourists and 3,000 Tshs for residents.
Zanzibar Butterfly Centre Pete village – One kilometre from Jozani national park Headquaters Open every day from 9 am to 5 pm www.zanzibarbutterflies.com
nature & wildlife
Butterfly facts: •
There are approximately 170,000 species of butterflies and moths – about a tenth are butterflies.
•
Jointly they are known as lepidoptera meaning scaly wings because their wings are made from thousands of overlapping scales.
•
The scientific name for butterflies is rhopalocera.
•
Butterflies have clubbed antennae and usually rest with their wings in a vertical position – moths have feathered antennae and rest with their wings flat across their back.
•
Pupae can resemble twigs and leaves and some caterpillars even look like bird droppings.
•
Butterflies have also been known to take on some of the poison from the plants they eat, like milkweeds, making them distasteful to birds.
•
What is Butterfly Farming? •
Butterfly farming is the breeding of pupae for sale to local butterfly exhibits or for export to zoos and live exhibitions overseas.
With no obvious defense mechanisms, butterflies protect themselves through camouflage, often showing the dull underside of their wings to blend in to their surroundings.
•
•
numbers are decreasing – some species have even become extinct – making it more important than ever to study and manage their environment.
•
Butterfly farms are situated in close proximity to areas of natural forest and provide an alternative, sustainable, income to rural communities.
•
Butterfly farms have been established in many tropical countries worldwide including the Philippines, Cambodia, Costa Rica, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. •
•
Butterfly farming requires intact forest providing an economic incentive to conserve habitats.
•
As butterflies are bred and reared in enclosures with limited extraction from the wild, farming has a negligible impact on the health of wild populations.
•
Butterfly farming allows the local community to diversify their income generating activities and to work at home around childcare and domestic duties.
Above: The process is clear of
Because of their distinct diet, scientists can closely monitor butterflies to gauge the health of the surrounding habitat.
the centre’s reception
In some parts of the world butterfly
a stick.
where Alfred has lined up pupae on the underside of
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Most types of agriculture in tropical countries require forest clearance and this habitat destruction is a major cause of species extinction.
•
It also raises awareness among residents about the benefits of conservation.
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nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 25
destination: zanzibar
ZANZIBAR’S OPEN DOORS
Entire books have been published on the exotic Swahili-speaking island of Zanzibar off the coast of East Africa. Glenn A.Baker delves into the history and modern-day attractions of the Spice Island.
F
irst settled by Africans three to four thousand years ago and once the seat of the government of faraway Oman, Zanzibar may bear a proud and vibrant
Islamic identity – reflected in its striking architecture with Koranic inscriptions, the Aga Khan mosque, and the elaborate henna painting on the hands and feet of married women – but it also boasts a cultural collage comprising a wide range of introduced produce and practices. Not just Islam from Arabia but rice from Malaysia, cloves from Indonesia, bullfighting and kanga cloth from Portugal, cassava and cashews from Brazil, tomatoes and corn from the Americas, turmeric and carvings from India, bananas and coconuts from the Pacific and South East Asia, and even some of its civil service structure from Britain. Perhaps it is the relatively direct line westward from the sub-continent which has seen Indians impact more often than most. Steel spikes and rounded lintels on doors notwithstanding, the most widely recognised contribution, in contemporary eyes, could well be the island’s most famous son. Go wandering about the labyrinthine Stone Town, past covered balconies and stone coral-lime buildings in various states of disrepair, and somebody will eventually point out the nondescript structure, now a bar, where Farrokh Bulsara was born and spent most of the early years of his life. The Bulsaras, part of the Persian-descended Parsee community in Gurajat, India, came to Zanzibar when it was a British protectorate, to help keep the wheels of empire >>
Above: Photos: © Camerapix
Tall houses line the narrow, lively street of Stone Town. Right: Woman applying an intricate henna design.
26 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
destination: zanzibar
>> turning. Prosperous enough to pack their young son off to
That Zanzibar was, in the mid 19th century, the world’s
boarding school in India, with high hopes for a medical career,
largest exporter of cloves, vying with Ambon in the East
they no doubt responded with some dismay when he formed
Indies for the title of ‘The Spice Island’, is overshadowed by
a pop group. Reunited with the boy when they fled to London
a more odious distinction. Zanzibar Harbour, on the edge of
just ahead of the bloody revolution of 1964 they were able to observe first hand his eventual transformation into Freddie Mercury, leader of international rock sensation Queen. Zanzibar’s strong identification with the late Mercury – which has resulted in his depiction upon a postage stamp – goes beyond the mere tourism advantage of a ‘Freddie Slept Here’ plaque (which doesn’t actually exist, yet). The band’s biggest hit, the dramatic Bohemian Rhapsody, includes the Arabic word Bismillah which had great significance for a particular Zanzibar political group. The well-worn path that led the Bulsaras to work in Zanzibar had only a little to do with the fact that Britannia once ruled the waves and half the known world. Around the seventh century AD Islam arrived on Zanzibar and the East African coast, with Persian and Arabian immigrants fleeing religious persecution, and marrying locally. Their desire to trade with their homelands saw
Stone Town, where visitors and locals stroll and
A popular brief excursion from Stone Town for sunbathers and snorkellers is Prison (Changuu) Island, where a wealthy owner sent unruly slaves for discipline.
the principal Zanzibar islands – Unguja, location
congregate each night to partake of tasty food and social interaction, was considered ideal for the sale and distribution of what was cruelly known as Black Ivory. Though declared illegal in 1833, it was some 40 years before Britain (whose Royal Navy between 1867 and 1877, finally closed down the slave market on Mkunazini Road and started building the Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ on its site, with the altar positioned exactly where the whipping post had stood. Today the cathedral complex houses a stark and sobering Slave Memorial and a museum which allows you to crawl uncomfortably into the small dank chambers where the market ‘commodities’ were held awaiting their fate. A popular brief excursion from Stone Town for sunbathers and snorkellers is Prison (Changuu) Island, where a wealthy owner sent unruly slaves for discipline. To the north of Unguja, some legend has it, are ‘voodoo villages’ where one can
of Stone Town, and the less-developed Pemba – become the
encounter on certain nights zombies taken there to work more
centre of prosperous trade routes, which had existed in some
than a century ago.
form since Greek merchants wrote of the exotic isles around
The three quarters of a million residents of this fertile,
60 AD and were almost certainly important in pre-Christian
low-lying, physically striking tropical realm that is now a part
times as a link between Africa and the Orient.
of the African nation of Tanzania, bear one of history’s most
There are shipping logs from the 13th century documenting
intriguing bloodlines. After millennia of interaction with Bantus
the visit of Chinese junks, and Indo-Chinese as well as Arabian
and Egyptians, Romans and Greeks, Persians and Arabians,
ports were at one end of shipping lanes which saw hides,
Indians and Chinese, Portugese and British, Catholicism and
cloth, carpets, ivory, ebony, shells, porcelain, gems and gold
Islam, animism and Hinduism, feudalism and socialism, piracy
pass in and out of Zanzibar. The most coveted cargoes, though,
and democracy, there is no shortage of legend in the Zanzibar
from the ‘land of the blacks’ – the name Zanzibar being derived
archipelago.
from the Arabic words: Zinj (black) and barr (land) – were slaves
One which can be relied upon for its veracity is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the Shortest War in History. >>
Photo: © Wikipedia, Mr.Chen Hualin
and spices.
Waterfront of Zanzibar City.
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 27
destination: zanzibar
>> On 25 August 1896 Hahmed bin Thuwaini, the sixth Sultan, died suddenly. His cousin Khalen, with a rabble of 50 or so armed supporters, climbed through a broken window of the palace and raised a blood-red flag. The British took a dim view of this coup in their protectorate and issued an ultimatum and deadline for it to be lowered. When an envoy told them to go ahead and do their worst the British unleashed a 37-minute bombardment which reduced the palace to rubble, took out the Harem, the lighthouse and the HHS Glasgow, and damaged the House of Wonders. As much a theatrical performance as a war it was eagerly observed by the ladies and gentleman of the city. One of the cannons used by Khalid’s supporters in their feeble response now sits outside the rebuilt House of Wonders, which has become an odd sort of museum, with President Karume’s old Austin and Zephyr cars, a 1912 open cage Waygood Otis electric lift, balustrades and cast iron pillars, open verandahs and, of course, vast carved doors as part of its inexpensive guided tours. Sometimes it seems as you make your way around the twisting paths of Stone Town that the famous doors are the only thing holding up many of the 1,700 or so buildings, 85 of which
Gizenga Street by the post office,
Above & below:
where visitors snap up paintings,
Stone Town is an active and functioning city with citizens,
collapsed between 1982 and 1992 from lack of maintenance.
hotels, restaurants,
As in Havana, decrepitude is a key to its fascination, and perhaps
bars, places of
always was.
worship, offices and
Burton and his friend Speke passed through Zanzibar during the great days of British exploration, as did David Livingstone and
woodcarvings, skin drums, books, antiques, spices, T-shirts, furnishings, ceramics, copper and brasswork, massage oils, embroidery, mats, coins, curios and lengths of the colourful kangas. At
richly diverse shopping
‘beauty parlours’ henna experts will
places.
‘tattoo’ limbs laid before them.
Henry Morton Stanley, the man credited with the immortal line
There are two distinct Zanzibar
“Doctor Livingstone I presume?”. Livingston House, his former
tourism experiences. For one, you
office, has been preserved and his medical chest can be found
base yourself in comfortable hotels within the perimeter of Stone
among the magnificent tumble of treasure from the colonial era in
Town and venture forth in and around to visit the cathedrals,
the Peace Memorial Museum on Creek Road.
mosques and temples, the Palace Museum, House of Wonders,
Like Venice, Stone Town is not a frozen museum but an active,
Arab Fort, Hamamni Persian Baths, John Kirk’s House, the Old
functioning city, with citizens, hotels, restaurants, bars, offices
Dispensary, busy Darajani Bazaar and Dala-Dala station, and the
and richly diverse shopping streets. Some fame is attached to
preserved waterside private dwellings; or just lay in the hammock on the balcony of your room and watch dhows sailing at sunset in the Indian Ocean. The alternate experience is to take advantage – as so many Europeans do – of the long stretches of beach along the eastern (and part of the western) coast, dotted with comfortable and relatively inexpensive resorts. There you are within reach of forests of red colobus monkeys and groves of fragrant spices. Down south at Kizimkazi dolphins frolic near the shore. Diving and island hopping is offered all around. At Zala (Zanzibar Land Animals) Park there are natural habitat homes for snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons, turtles, crabs, salamanders, small dik-dik gazelles and the peculiar hyrax, described as looking like a rabbit with no ears. Apparently the hyrax is the closest living species to the elephant. With a few millennia of evolution perhaps those spikes could come in handy after all.
28 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
feature
IN SEARCH OF THE PERFECT
PEARL by Kate Nivison.
U
ganda is often called ‘The
that Queen
Pearl of Africa’ because on
Cleopatra
a map, it seems to nestle
decided to trump
like a well-kept secret in the body of the
an expensive dinner that
(almost) oyster-shell shape of the continent.
Mark Antony had put on in her
But what is the reality behind these famous
honour and staged another where a
objects of desire? Did some shore-dwelling, hunter-gatherer
priceless pearl was crushed into a cup of wine – which she
of shellfish mutter crossly as his teeth crunched on something
then drank. Since nacre is only a form of Calcium Carbonate
hard in his seafood stew? Maybe he handed the offending object
(chalk or limestone) combined with a little conchiolin (the main
accusingly to his wife who took a fancy to its miniature moon-like
constituent of seashells) it would have dissolved quite easily in
appearance and attractive sheen.
any weak acid, and Cleopatra shouldn’t have suffered any ill-
Many more centuries later it was realised that these pretty
effects – although it doesn’t say much for the quality of ancient
things were actually produced by the shellfish themselves, by
Egyptian wine.
laboriously coating any irritant such as grit inside the shell with
Mediaeval knights wore pearls on their helmets to protect
a substance called nacre, normally reserved for shell-lining.
them in battle. Sultans and Indian rajahs hoarded them to
Appropriately, this secretion is also known as mother-of-pearl.
stud their thrones, and there is a fine example of one of these
Both oysters and mussels produce nacre, and there are many seas and rivers warm enough for them to thrive, but in the closed and secretive world of the oyster, nothing is that simple. The champion pearl producers are Pinctada oysters, from the Aviculidae family, but they aren’t good to eat. Ostreidae are the best eaters, but if you find a pearl in your oyster platter, it won’t be good quality. The salt-water Pinctada oyster is also known as Margaritifera (Greek for ‘pearl-bearing’) – hence the name Margaret, meaning Pearl. It is found mainly in the warm coastal waters of the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. The Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka, the Celebes islands (Indonesia) and the Arabian Gulf were all producers of fine pearls. Colours varied from gleaming white, through the highly prized, rose-tinted Indian Ocean type, to delicate shades of cream, yellow, lavender, green, grey, and even black. Darker shades, known in the trade as Tahiti pearls, also occur naturally in the Gulfs of Mexico and California, and the South Seas. Chinese records from 1000 BC mention freshwater pearls from mussels, and 500 years later, the Romans, Greeks, Egyptians and Middle Easterners had all developed a liking for oyster pearls. One Roman general paid for an entire military campaign by selling his mother’s pearl earrings – although what she thought about this is not recorded. One story claims 30 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
FUN FACT: How long does it take an oyster to form a pearl? It can take anywhere from a few months to many years to form a pearl, depending upon its size. And different mollusks produce pearls at different rates. For example, the Black-lipped Pearl Oyster forms one to seven sheets of nacre per day.
extravagant pieces of furniture in Istanbul’s Topkapi Museum. Shakespeare mentions them; Elizabeth I was often painted wearing her favourite pearl-drop earrings, and both Christopher Marlowe and John Milton refer to ‘orient pearl’. Wealthy traders soon developed systems for naming, grading, weighing and valuing which reflected the way the shellfish worked their secret magic. ‘Rounds’, formed in the softer parts of the oyster’s body, have the best shape and are the most valuable. Irregular pearls, known as baroques, form in the tougher muscle tissue. Matching up baroques is almost impossible. Although they make attractive ‘one-off’ jewellery, their value fluctuates according to fashion. Pearls that develop either attached to the shell or pressed against it, grow flat on one side. Whether drop-shaped or half-hemispherical, these are called blister pearls. As demand grew, even the smaller, inferior products of the freshwater mussel became popular, and some counties passed laws restricting pearl-wearing to the nobility. Harvesting mussels was much less dangerous than diving to depths of 40 metres at sea, and places as far apart as the Mississippi, Bavaria and China began exporting freshwater pearls. High prices provided a huge incentive to improve on nature by controlling the whole process, making pearl production reliable, safer and cheaper. The Chinese had been inserting grit and >>
feature
>> even wood, bone and metal splinters into freshwater mussels for
Good quality, hardwearing simulated pearls are a
hundreds of years to produce blister pearls. But it was Kokichi
comparatively recent development. The best come from the
Mikimoto, a Japanese noodle-maker’s son, who, in the 1890’s,
Spanish island of Majorca, where a family business still guards
turned the ‘culturing’ of oyster pearl ‘rounds’ into a fine art – if you
the recipe for the coating. There is no intention to deceive.
can call it art to prise open an oyster of tender years and poke
For a start, anything the size of children’s marbles has to be
something the size of pea, called a matrix, into its delicate parts.
artifical/ simulated, since there is a limit to what even the
On being snapped shut again and returned to its bed, the oyster
toughest oyster can cope with in terms of matrix size. Many
understandably goes into overdrive, producing its best nacre to
of the rich and famous, including Princess Diana, Princess
deal with the intruder.
Grace and Audrey Hepburn, have worn simulated pearls with
The best type of matrix was found to be smooth beads of
distinction and flair.
various sizes, made by grinding big, broken shells in a ball-mill.
However, with cultured pearls no longer costing a king’s
These could then be graded and inserted by trained experts.
ransom, even the not-so-rich can afford very attractive pearl
After that it was simply a matter of farming the right kind of
jewellery, bought on holiday in the Far East perhaps, or through
oyster by the million. But oysters can’t be hurried and need a
a website. The most popular cultured pearl buys are necklaces
minimum of three years to produce a good coating. As a rule of
of ‘rounds’, of uniform size rather than graded. Earrings
thumb, the thicker the nacre compared to the matrix, the better
featuring a pair of well-matched half-hemisphere ‘blister’ pearls
the pearl, although the value also depends on the quality of the
set in gold, often surrounded by tiny diamonds or ‘brilliants’,
nacre – its colour, lustre and lack of surface blemishes. Size
are very reasonably priced because it’s much simpler, and
and shape are also a consideration, and ultimately, the value of
therefore cheaper, for semi-skilled workers to super-glue a half-
a finished necklace depends a lot on how skilfully the strand is
hemisphere matrix onto the inside of the shell than for highly
graded and matched for colour.
paid experts to insert a round matrix correctly into an oyster’s
Remarkably, many inexpensive cultured pearls around today are
body. It’s also kinder to the oyster.
as good as some of the best natural or ‘wild’ ones ever found,
Websites provide a good selection from pictures, with a full
and there are only two ways of telling them apart. One is by estimating the age of the pearl, usually by dating the piece of jewellery containing it. If it’s from before 1892 and from an oyster, it has to be natural. The other is by X-ray to determine whether the matrix is very regular, and therefore probably manufactured. But even this isn’t completely foolproof because every pearl has to start from some kind of matrix, whether wild or cultured.
description and explanation of quality, colour, grading,
Below: Different colours can occur naturally. These pearls are cultured.
type of clasp and stringing techniques. Choose a supplier who has been in business for some time and answers all your questions. A reputable dealer will usually offer a restringing and cleaning service. Silk thread is best for stringing, and the better the pearls, the more likely they are to have tiny knots between. The delicate knotting process
have never been near an oyster, factory-made by giving glass or plastic beads a synthetic pearllike coating. Telling these from an oyster’s efforts, whether wild or
Photo: © Kate Nivison
adds to the cost, but it is worth
Then came simulated pearls that
it for several reasons. It ‘sets off’ the pearls, prevents friction, and in the case of a break, stops them rolling all over the floor at just the wrong moment. Getting a necklace wet is
cultured, is comparatively simple.
not a good idea, not because it
Just rubbing them against the teeth
damages the pearls – they were
is enough to detect the natural
formed under water, after all –
roughness of real pearl nacre from a
but because the silk string could
smooth synthetic coating (assuming
stretch. A generation ago you had
they are your own teeth, of course!).
to be a duchess to worry about
Real pearls should also give off a
such things, but now it’s good to
fine nacre powder when rubbed on
know that you could own a pearl
a dark cloth, but don’t try scratching
necklace that would have had
them with a penknife if you want to
Cleopatra or Catherine the Great
stay friends with your jeweller.
quite green with envy.
Pearls that develop either attached to the shell or pressed against it, grow flat on one side nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 31
feature
KEEPING TRACK OF TIME Asante discovers the fascinating history of time through the ages.
I
magine what would happen if all the clocks and watches in
A sundial must be designed for the particular latitude in which
the world were suddenly to stop. Trains could no longer run
it is to be used. Different lines or markings have to be shown for
in safety. Ships at sea would not know their exact position.
the different seasons. The earliest sundials generally divided the
Business people, who often live by their watches, would find their
daylight hours into 12 temporal periods, which meant that the
world turned upside down.
hours varied in length according to the season. As well as the
Many people take the luxury of modern timekeeping for granted,
larger, fixed types, there were portable sundials – so convenient!
but can you imagine what would happen if we were forced to
(Can you imagine carrying one of these around today?!) The best of
return to sundials, ‘eggtimers’ and other quaint devices of 1,000
them could be adjusted for different latitudes and for the seasons.
years ago?
Although clocks were coming into general use in some
Before clocks first made an appearance in the 13th century,
countries by the 14th century, sundials still remained popular
followed by watches some 300 years later, Egyptians kept time
and were made in astonishingly elaborate forms. Early clocks
using the shadow cast by the sun. One of the earliest forms
were expensive and not very reliable, so those who owned
of sundial – or, ‘shadow clock’ – was a vertical rod known as a
clocks usually kept sundials as well, in order to keep the clicks
gnomon, which gave a rough idea of the time of day by the shadow
reasonably on time. Some watches even had a portable sundial
it cast.
in the case.
Later, the Greeks told time in much the same way. A person
After sunset, simple water clocks took over the job of
would express the time by saying that their shadow was so many
timekeeping from the sundials. They were known as clepsydra
feet long, as measured by their own feet. (It was assumed that the
(which means ‘water stealer’). The simplest were bowl-like
length of a person’s feet corresponded to their height.)
vessels with a small hole at the bottom. They were filled with
But the sundial prevailed, and a public sundial was erected in
water at sunset, and as the water leaked away, the dropping
Rome in 290 BC. This became the accepted method of telling the
level of the water in the vessel was read against a scale cut into
time of day throughout Europe and the Near East.
the bowl to indicate the hour. >>
32 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
feature
>>
Ingeniously designed water clocks became popular as
the spring. A fusee remains one of the outstanding inventions
household timepieces in well-to-do Roman households in the
in clock-making and it is still used in high-grade clocks and in
second century. As centuries passed, water clocks became
marine chronometers.
quite complex. Many employed toothed wheels, floats and
The earliest spring-driven clock dates from 1525. Nearly 10
pulleys. Some special ones had bird figures that chirped the
inches across and five inches deep, it gives the age of the moon
hours (a forerunner to the cuckoo clock, perhaps?). Although
and the position of the sun in the zodiac while showing the time
some were very specialised, water clocks were sadly unreliable
according to both the 12-hour and the 24-hour systems.
and made the invention of accurate timekeeping imperative. Nobody really knows who made the first clock. Some
The introduction of spring-driven house, table and travelling clocks led to the invention of the watch. Clock-making and
say it was invented in a monastery. In mediaeval times, the
watchmaking was passed to locksmiths from blacksmiths
monasteries were the only place you could find men with the
because the smaller mechanisms required a more delicate touch.
necessary scientific knowledge. St. Paul’s Cathedral in London,
The man credited with making the first watch was a German
England, is thought to have had a clock in 1344, made of
locksmith named Peter Henlein in 1510.
iron and brass with an angel in front. There is, however, good evidence that the first clock was erected in a church in Milan, Italy, in 1335. It was a clock with no face nor hands. It simply struck the hours. A 14th-century clock from Wells Cathedral can be seen today in the Science Museum in London. When working, this clock gave the ages and
The shape of early watch was
Soon, watches also had a tiny knob above each of the hour figures to enable the owner to tell the time in the dark by feeling the position of the hour hand.
phases of the moon while two pairs
spherical – a hollow metal ball of brass gilt. Many watches of this type, called the Musk-Ball, may have carried perfumed musk in the case, which was pierced to emit the scent. Needless to say, during this time, watches were big and clumsy. But in 1675,
of figures on horseback charged each other on the hour, one
when Charles II set the style of the long
knight being unseated every time.
waistcoat, it became the fashion to
From then on, clocks have frequently been installed in church
wear watches in pockets. Until
towers to serve as public timekeepers. Bells were also tolled
then, watches were worn
from churches and monasteries at fixed times of day.
around the neck. >>
The first domestic clocks appeared on the continent in the late 14th or early 15th century – all of them virtually smaller versions of the public clocks. The heavy iron mechanism was open on three sides and the whole installation had to be bolted to a wall. The only difference was that these clocks had a hand – the hour hand. The quarter and half hours were marked on the dial and could, of course, be read off. Late in the 15th century, clocks driven by springs were made for the first time. The spring was of steel or brass, beaten out and coiled by hand. But the timekeeping of the new clock, was, if anything, worse than before: as the spring uncoiled, its driving power became less and less, and the clock slowed as the spring ran down. A most effective means of correcting this trouble was soon found in a device known as the fusee, a cone-shaped or tapering spiral track carrying a length of catgut, or a light chain, which equalised the drive of
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 33
feature
>> Watchmaking flourished in Nuremburg, Germany, and, almost simultaneously in Blois, France. Most of the early German watches had a bell which struck each hour, while others had an alarm mechanism; some watches had both. The dial showed the Roman numerals I to XII with the Arabic numerals 13 to 24 above or below. Soon, watches also had a tiny knob above each of the hour figures to enable the owner to tell the time in the dark by feeling the position of the hour hand. The knobs were a welcome feature in days when you had to strike a flint and light a candle to read the face of a watch at night. The hand was set simply by pushing it. The watch face was protected by a hinged metal lid, pierced to show the hour figures. There were no watch glasses before 1630, nor were minute hands used until 1675. These early watches were a great novelty and were very
the pendulum moving. The other mechanisms merely registered
expensive. They were intended for the court, the nobility and
the swings in the form of seconds, minutes and hours on the
wealthy traders, who were the only people who could afford them.
clock tail. And if the clock went fast or slow, a slight adjustment of
The cases, as a rule, were beautifully chiseled and engraved.
the pendulum, down or up, immediately corrected it.
Queen Elizabeth I of Britain was an enthusiastic collector of
In 1675, the ‘hairspring’ was invented. Until then, the balance
beautiful watches. One was so small that it formed part of a
wheel of the watch was simply part of the mechanism of wheels
bracelet, thereby anticipating the wristwatch by 300 years.
and pinions, with no true timekeeping properties of its own.
With the growth of watchmaking in England, guilds were
You simply adjusted the mechanism to run as nearly right as
formed to protect and control the industry, the first being the
possible and you were lucky if the watch was less than half-an-
London Clockmakers Company. From then on, watch-making as
hour out in a day.
well as clockmaking flourished, so that English clocks and watches soon became famous. From about 1575, all European watchmakers had been paying close attention to the appearance and shape of the watchcase. Watches, though then bad timekeepers, were becoming popular
The hairspring, however, could be made to oscillate (or beat) almost as regularly as a pendulum. Applying the spring to balance wheel, or ‘flywheel’, made an accurate means of measuring the seconds. In the 18th century, English watchmaking and clockmaking
as adornment. As a result, the next 100 years produced the
reached the height of its glory – yet by the end of the century,
most exquisite watches ever seen before or since. Both men and
supremacy of the technique went to France. The concentration
women wore them as jewellery. The cases were often made from
of the English masters on making chronometers had very
a gate, crystal and ivory, as well as gold and silver. They were
likely contributed to the passing of the age of the beautiful
shaped as stars, crosses, books, sea shells, poppies, pears,
handmade watch.
tulips, squares, pentagons, hexagons and octagons. Numerous watches of this era still exist. These include cases
In 1799, a Swiss, Frederic Japy, patented a number of machines for making watch parts by factory methods. By using
and dials with elaborate scenes in exquisite enamel work which
machines to turn out components Japy became the father of
remain undimmed by the passage of the centuries. Others are
modern large-scale watch production.
richly engraved or chased in fine floral or figured designs, often in gold. All are works of art. The years 1656 and 1675 were landmarks in accurate timekeeping. In 1656 a Dutch astronomer built a clock with
In many ways, this revolution in watchmaking was not a bad thing. For, ever since watches were invented, they had been far beyond the means of ordinary people. In the 18th century, the cheapest watch cost more than £ 100
a pendulum. It seems that the idea of the pendulum had first
in terms of today’s monetary value. Very rarely could a working
occurred to Leonardo da Vinci 150 years before, but it was
man own either a watch or a clock. But the 19th century changed
Galileo who gave the world the first scientific data on the subject.
all that, although another 75 years passed before you could buy
Sitting at Mass in the cathedral of Pisa, Galileo noticed the
the simplest watch for less than a week’s wages.
regular swing of a lamp hanging before the altar. He very soon
The Swiss, who had never contributed much to the development
discovered that a weight suspended by a cord swings quite
of the watch, now set out to find ways and means of making
regularly and that the longer or shorter the cord, the slower or
watches quickly and cheaply. So did the Americans, and intense
faster the swing. He discovered that a weighted string one metre
competition developed. Vast sums were spent on equipment
long gave a beat of one second.
and experiment. Many manufacturers went bankrupt. The main
The pendulum was built and designed as a simple mechanism which could be fitted to a clock. The clock’s weights or spring kept
34 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
difficulty was making precision machines capable of producing highly accurate parts which could be quickly assembled. >>
feature
>> In the end, it was the Americans who first produced watches
central point – the world should be divided in 24 standard
at prices which everyone could afford. But they were all pocket
meridians, each 15 degrees of longitude apart, which were to be
watches, since the wrist-watch was still unknown.
the centres of 24 time zones.
Foremost among the new American manufactures was
By 1883, this plan was accepted throughout most countries.
the Waterbury Watch Company, parent of the present Timex
Going eastward from the Greenwich meridian, 12 successive
Company. The famous Waterbury watch was produced in 1878,
zones were fixed one hour ahead of each other; going westward,
and was so ingeniously designed that at long last it was possible
12 zones were fixed one hour behind each other.
to make inexpensive watches by the thousands. Within 10 years, the company was turning out 500,000 watches a year.
Greenwich Mean Time thus became the basis of international timekeeping. Outside Britain it is known as Standard Time.
For the first time in history, even the poorest working man
An interesting situation arises when you step into an aircraft
could afford to own a watch. The Waterbury Watch cost only
and fly east or west. Going east you are flying into the following
a few dollars and some years later an even better model was
day, while going west takes you back to the previous day. But at
produced to sell at a dollar. This became known as ‘the watch
what particular point does today become tomorrow? The answer
that made the dollar famous’.
is, at any point in the Pacific Ocean along Meridian 180, where
Between 1914 and 1918, Waterbury produced the first really
the eastern and western zones meet. This is known as the Date
low-price wristwatch for the men on the war trenches. This was
lines. Ships going east add a day to their calendar, while those
a small pocket watch fitted with lugs to take a strap.
going west drop a day.
After the first world war, the wristwatch became all the
The Royal Greenwich Observatory was founded by Charles II
fashion, for it was so much more convenient to wear a watch on
in 1675 in an effort to find some means of establishing time at
your wrist than to carry it on a chain in your pocket.
sea with sufficient accuracy to enable mariners to calculate the
Hours, minutes, seconds – they all get us through the day. But what about time on a more grand scale? For thousands of years, time was measured by the movement
longitude. Britain was by then a great maritime nation whose ships and crews were too often lost. This was due to the fact that captains had no means of knowing their position at sea.
of the heavenly bodies. The year, with its regular procession of
It was easy enough to tell the latitude by observation of the
seasons and crops, was related to the seeming movement of
heavenly bodies, but no way was known of finding the longitude.
the sun around the earth. The month, similarly, was measured
Thirty-nine years later, the British government offered a public
by the revolution of the moon around the earth, and the day by
reward of £20,000 to the inventor of a clock or watch accurate
the rising sun.
at sea to less than three seconds a day. Despite numerous
Julius Caesar originated our present calendar in 45 BC, when
efforts, it was 47 years before the prize was won by John
he introduced leap years. Caesar, with other Roman astronomers,
Harrison with his Marine Chronometer, which he completed in
believed the solar year (the period in which the earth completes
1761 after 33 years of experiment.
one trip around the sun) to be 365 1/4 days. So the average year
It was taken to Jamaica in a sailing ship and lost only five
was regarded as 365 days, while the extra ¼ day was taken care
seconds on the long, slow journey. When the ship finally got back
of by adding that extra day to the calendar every fourth year.
to England, the chronometer was less than two minutes out after
Unfortunately, the solar year is slightly less than 365 1/4 days. This difference amounted to very little over a few years or even
five months at sea. Today, the Royal Observatory master clocks are, in a sense,
over 100 years. But it amounted to quite a lot over 1,500 years.
timekeepers to the world. The observations by which they are
By 1582 astronomers realised that the calendar, with its months
checked are made through a small telescope installation whose
of the year, was slowly falling behind the seasons. To put the
axis is parallel with the earth’s.
matter right, 10 days were dropped from the calendar by making
As the astronomer lines up the observation star in his sights,
October 5th October 15th. To avoid such error in the future, it was
a series of electrical contacts are registered on a tape which
decreed that the opening year of each century should not be a leap
simultaneously records the precise moment of time shown on
year except when the number of centuries was divisible by four. So,
one of the master clocks at each contact. The master clocks,
while 1600 was a leap year, 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not.
known as Quartz Crystal Clocks, are kept in underground
Because the earth is rotating, time varies according to the longitude of the place in which we live. For every one degree of longitude, there is a variation of four minutes. In the 19th century, travellers found the differing standards of time abroad to be extremely confusing, especially in the larger countries with trans-continental railways. The problem was put right by a man suggested by Sanford Fleming, a Scottish Canadian, in 1878. He proposed that – taking the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, as the
compartments in a regular temperature of 363oC (680oF). Through the advance of time, the world’s scientific minds have developed startingly accurate and convenient methods of timekeeping. These methods give our lives order and help us to organise and make plans for the future. What does the future hold for us, in regards to new and improved ways of understanding the science of time?
Only time will tell. nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 35
Books‘R’Us
A Kitchen Safari
Tastes of Africa
Beautifully illustrated, A Kitchen Safari is not only a cookbook but also a
Anthropologists tell us that it all began in Africa. And just as Africa has given to
practical souvenir; its fabulous scenic and wildlife photography brings to life
the world, so too it has taken from it – a pattern reflected in the way its people eat.
the food and safari experience.
In Tastes of Africa, the author takes the reader on a gastronomic safari, exploring the tastes and textures of indigenous African cuisine, as well as dishes that have
& Beyond (formerly CC Africa) is proud and delighted to present this cookbook,
been influenced or introduced by foreign settlers to the continent from Asia, Europe
which contains the heart, soul and very essence of our passion for taking care
and the Middle East. Simple in the choice of ingredients and easy to prepare, both
of our guests and for all things African, not the least being our way of cooking
traditional and fusion African cooking are nevertheless as intriguing in the subtle
- Pan-African cuisine.
blends of flavours, colours and tantalising aromas as the lands from which they come, where they have formed delicious and different staples for hundreds – and
Author: Yvonne Short Title: A Kitchen Safari Stories & Recipes from the African Wilderness Pages:198 ISBN: 978-1-77007-807-9
in some cases thousands – of years. In order for the home cook to organise his or her own African-themed lunch or dinner, the recipes in Tastes of Africa have been traditionally grouped, including starters, fish, meat, vegetarian, side dishes, desserts and breads, and are accompanied by authentically styled, full-colour photography.
Author: Justice Kamanga Title: Tastes of Africa Pages: 192 ISBN-13: 978-1-77007-802-4
For more information contact: Books ’R’ Us LTD. | P.O. Box 45048, 00100 G.P.O. Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (20) 4448923/4/5 | Fax: +254 (20) 4448818 or 4441021 Email: sales@camerapix.co.ke • www.camerapixpublishers.com
36 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
holidays
Have Yourself a
Very Merry
Christmas Merry and Christmas: both are very old English words, and they seem to fit together as naturally as snow and white. Certainly they’ll be resonating around the world this December as we gear up for another festive season. Yet, surprisingly enough, the phrase Merry Christmas was invented by an English writer less than 200 years ago, says Brian Johnston.
Sint Nikolaas or Sinterklaas was first heard of in America in 1773 and was confined to Dutch settler communities. Author Clement Moore decided to popularise the saint as a jolly old fellow in The Night before Christmas. Published in 1822, the hugely popular poem placed Santa Claus firmly in the modern imagination as a jolly old fellow with a red nose and a train of reindeer. It was Moore who invented the reindeer’s names, including Blitzen, Dancer and Prancer. The reindeer that went down in history, Rudolf, first appeared in a story by Robert May in a Christmas store catalogue. Another popular novel, The Keeping of Christmas at Bracebridge Hall by Washington Irving, also helped promote
I
t’s Charles Dickens that we have to thank for the term Merry
the idea of Santa Claus. Enter Thomas Nast, a cartoonist and illustrator. He has two
Christmas; he first used it in his novella A Christmas Carol
claims to fame: he created the donkey and elephant symbols
in 1843. The book was a runaway best-seller, and the happy
for American political parties, and he spread his own image
phrase has been part of our language ever since. Even more surprising, nearly all our current Christmas traditions
of Santa Claus in editions of Harper’s Weekly from the 1860s onwards. Abraham Lincoln himself asked Nast to draw Christmas
aren’t so traditional after all. Before the time of Charles Dickens
cartoons to bolster the spirit of Union soldiers. Nast drew Santa
nobody outside Holland had heard of Santa Claus. Nobody except
in a fur-lined red suit with a wide black leather belt. In 1885 he
the Germans had Christmas trees. There were no Christmas
also placed Santa’s workshop at the North Pole and invented the
crackers, Christmas cards, no tinsel, no reindeer and no Away in
notion of the ‘naughty and nice’ list that so worries children in the
a Manger. In 17th century Britain seasonal festivities were banned
run-up to Christmas. Only one more Santa feature was to come:
all together, and from 1790 to 1835 The Times of London never
a big white beard. It first appeared in an advertisement devised
mentioned Christmas once. The 25th of December reluctantly
for Coca-Cola in 1931 by Haddon Sundblom, whose drawing in
became a public holiday only in the late 19th century; in the US
every respect resembles the Santa Claus we now know and love.
state of Oklahoma it was finally declared a rest day only in 1907.
The Christmas tree was another minor European notion that
In short, most of the trappings of our modern Christmas
was to be transmitted worldwide by the British and Americans.
emerged in the 19th century – and nearly all of them in Britain
Christmas trees were a tradition in parts of western Germany
and America. Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was instrumental in
and popularised in Britain by Prince Albert, husband to Queen
suggesting the idea of Christmas as a family get-together with
Victoria. He had the first one erected at Windsor Castle in 1841.
gifts, carols and that old magic atmosphere. The imagination of
At that time, details of royal habits and fashions were widely
other writers followed, particularly when it came to Santa Claus.
reported in the press and greatly influenced middle class tastes.
Originally St. Nicholas was known only to Dutch children, who
Christmas trees were soon appearing in homes across the
left clogs by the fireplace in the hope they’d be filled with treats.
country – though unlike modern trees, they were generally small >>
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 37
holidays
the latter, but it first appeared in 1883 in a Lutheran children’s hymnbook. These Victorian songs retained a religious flavour. It wasn’t until the 20th century that Christmas songs such as Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman were popularised in America. Bing Crosby’s White Christmas still holds the record as the biggest-selling Christmas single of all time – and indeed, at 30 million copies as the second most popular single ever.
>> and stood on tabletops. In
Another Victorian invention (that still hasn’t, however,
subsequent decades decorative
made many inroads outside Britain and North America) was
items were also introduced from Germany, including beaded
the Christmas cracker. In 1840 a baker in London called Tom
garlands, gilded angels and glass balls.
Smith brought sugared almonds wrapped in a twist of paper back
German immigrants to Pennsylvania introduced the Christmas
with him from Paris; they proved a great success. Some years
tree to North America, perhaps as early as the 1740s. But it
later, Smith claimed the crackling of a Christmas fire gave him
was Prince Albert’s example once again that brought them to the
the idea of adding a cracking sound to the sweets – and also
attention of East Coast society and made them acceptable in the
changing their appearance to resemble the shape of a log. After
wider community. A Boston resident named Charles Follen was
a great deal of experimentation he found two strips of cardboard
probably the first to introduce a fully decorated Christmas tree
covered in saltpetre did the trick, and the cracker was born (they
in 1842. Boston was also the first city to have outdoor trees.
were initially known as Cossacks after the cracking of Cossack
This novelty was the result of the invention in 1882 of garlands
whips). By the 1880s Smith had set up his own company and
of electric lights to replace the more dangerous and unreliable
was producing more than 100 different cracker designs for
candle. By the turn of the century one in five American homes
every festive occasion, including birthdays, fair days and royal
had an illuminated Christmas tree, and 20 years later the custom
coronations.
was virtually universal. If Queen Victoria was responsible for the Christmas tree, she
Meanwhile the Christmas card was spreading like wildfire. In 1843 Sir Henry Cole, director of London’s Victoria and Albert
also oversaw an entire era that was to be named after her – and
Museum, found himself too busy to write letters to all his
which was to have such an impact on Christmas. There are a
acquaintances. He asked his friend, the painter John Horsley,
number of reasons why Christmas as we know it today emerged
to create a picture which he had reproduced on cards. The
in Victorian Britain. The industrial revolution there created a
message inside – A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
leisurely middle class that could not only take the day off but had
to you – was the second appearance of the Merry Christmas
money to spend on frivolities such as decorations and cards.
phrase just weeks after the publication of Dickens’ novel. The
Mass production also made many things cheaper, including gifts,
cards showed a family raising their glasses to toast the festive
postage on cards and even turkey, which had previously been an
season, and Horsley sold 1,000 of them at a shilling each.
expensive delicacy. The coming of the railways also meant that
Soon many other artists – some of them the leading painters
families could be easily reunited for the festive celebrations. It
of their day – were doing the same.
was Queen Victoria herself, as well as Dickens, who promoted
The popularity of the Christmas card was boosted by the
the idea of Christmas as a family occasion. A revival of Victorian
invention, at almost the same time, of public postage. The
and Dickensian nostalgia in the 1930s in both Britain and North
first stamps were created in Britain in 1840 and showed the
America further established many of the central symbols we now
head of Queen Victoria. They cost a penny, but the popularity
associate with Christmas.
of Christmas cards really surged in 1870 when the rate was
A Christmas Carol also placed the most obvious thing of all at
reduced to a halfpenny, made possible because mail was now
the top of people’s seasonal wish list: Christmas carols. True,
transported by railway. The first specifically seasonal stamp
many Christmas songs have an ancient lineage, but some of the
was issued in Canada, although it showed no more than a
best-loved songs of all were written during the Victorian age in
world map with the words Christmas 1898 written across it.
a fever of Dickens mania. O Come all ye Faithful was written in
It wasn’t until 1937 in Austria that the first real Christmas
the same year as the popular novel and was shortly followed by
stamps were produced. Today, many countries issue stamps
Once in Royal David’s City. Other Victorian hymns include O Little
specifically for Christmas; the United States of America prints
Town of Bethlehem, See Amid the Winter Snow and the much
a staggering four billion of them. Dickens would be delighted:
favoured Away in a Manger. Nobody knows who actually wrote
that’s a whole lot of very Merry Christmases.
38 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
health
Green Tea a Winter Tonic too An ancient Chinese proverb suggests that ‘it is better to be deprived of food or salt for three days, than to be starved of tea for a single day.’ Ever since its discovery, tea has been honoured for its medicinal benefits and has acquired new aspects to its character. Shaheen Perveen explains.
A
lmost all teas (white, green, red, black ) come from the
safeguards you from cancer and also improves your skin collagen
same shrub – Camellia sinensis. What sets them apart is
and elasticity.
the way they are processed and that makes a difference
to the colour and flavour of these traditional teas. Black tea is prepared by first withering fresh tea leaves,
Among the varieties, green tea has emerged as a veritable health phenomenon. Since ancient times, people in Asia (particularly China and Japan) have treasured green tea for
followed by rolling, fermenting (to enhance the flavour by oxidising
countless health-promoting benefits, to achieve clarity of mind, for
the bio-active polyphenols) and then drying them. It is completely
relaxation and recovery from stress, for social gathering or tea
fermented and has the most tannin of all teas. Black tea is
ceremonies, etc. The stimulating effects of tea were reckoned
believed to sharpen your mental focus and concentration.
as an understanding between humans and gods and an ideal
Red or Oolong tea follows much the same process, except that the time allowed for fermentation is shorter. Studies reveal that it
medium of strengthening the spiritual bond. Tea and incense were the two most cherished gifts among
helps protect the liver from severe illnesses including cirrhosis.
Buddhist monks and those in the privileged echelons of the
Green tea is lightly steamed or roasted and then dried. Since
society. The popularity of tea grew along with the spread of
green tea is not fermented, its active constituents (antioxidant nutrients) remain largely unaltered and it retains the original
Buddhist teachings which prohibited alcohol. In bygone days, consumption of tea was akin to self discipline and
colour of the tea leaves. This, the most studied tea is recognised
soon it developed as an art. The finest teas (obviously green tea!)
as a booster of your immunity, besides lowering cholesterol,
were offered to the gods and guests as it was a meaningful way
preventing arthritis and reducing high blood pressure.
through which worshippers could convey their feelings and wishes.
White teas are made of buds only that are harvested for only a
The gods certainly blessed China with the lowest incidence
few days each year. It is simply dried and withered. Certainly white
of prostate cancer in the world. Again, the incidence of
tea is the rarest of all teas. It is highest in antioxidants which
cardiovascular disease in China is about 80 per cent lower than >>
40 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
health
>> in developed countries. The credit goes to the high consumption
to block the production of urokinase – an enzyme needed
of green tea in China where it is drunk before or after meals to
by cancer cells. In fact EGCG is one of the most potent,
aid and improve digestion (traditionally, green tea is consumed
anti cancer compounds found. Catechins also increase the
after a meal to leave the mouth feeling fresh and clean).
white blood cell count which fights infection.
The Japanese have the highest smoking rates and yet the lowest lung cancer rates in the entire industrialised world. Tea hastens the discharge of nicotine from the body. The Japanese province of Uji and Shizuoka, where most green tea is harvested, accounts
The green tea catechins have thermogenic effects which are believed to
The Japanese province of Uji and Shizuoka, where most green tea is harvested, accounts for the lowest rates of cancer in the world.
control body weight by lowering the cholesterol levels. They have also been observed to neutralise enzymes essential for tumour growth. Green tea has been found to
for the lowest rates of
be very effective
cancer in the world.
in inhibiting
Green tea has
pathogenic bacteria
clearly emerged
that are responsible
as an elixir and is
for food poisoning,
accompanied by a
but increases levels
catalogue of health
of friendly bacteria
benefits. Research
(acidophilus). The
continues to be
catechins protect
promising as potential
against digestive and
benefits are revealed
respiratory infections.
each day. Green tea is
A number of
linked to lower risks of heart disease and cancer. The Journal
diseases are associated with free radical induced oxidative
of the American College of Nutrition looked into the effect of
damage like cancer, cardiovascular conditions, suppressed
green tea and the occurrence and severity of the common
immune function and accelerated aging. Green tea is now
cold. The study found that taking a green tea or extract
equally popular with the cosmetics industry where it is
reduced the number of sick days and the severity of cold
used in a variety of skin care preparations from deodorants
symptoms. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests
to shampoos. Green tea protects against cardiovascular
that older women who drank tea have stronger bones that
diseases by a variety of actions like reduction in platelet
are better preserved over time.
aggregation, lowering cholesterol and decreasing blood
Green tea contains an exceptional high value of polyphenols
pressure. Studies in China have revealed that green tea
which exists as a series of chemicals called catechins. These
extract may also be an effective treatment for genital warts –
are the antioxidants in green tea which appear to be at least
one of the fastest growing sexually transmitted diseases.
100 times more powerful than vitamin C! Green tea contains
Green tea is drunk hot and without sugar or milk. If you
10 times more carotene than a carrot, 4 times more vitamin
are not comfortable with it, just add a little honey. To reap
C than concentration of lemon. Green tea is one of the few
the most antioxidants from green tea, let it steep for at least
natural sources of fluoride which protects against tooth decay
three minutes. In Japan it is a welcome drink and the cups
by blocking the attachment of bacteria to the teeth. It also
called yunomi have no handles; the green tea etiquette expects
prevents cavities in the teeth and may also help inhibit the
you to hold the cup with one hand and place the other at the
bacteria that cause halitosis.
bottom of the cup.
The secret of green tea lies in the fact that it is rich in
Green tea comes in the form of leaves, bags, bulk powder,
catechins which make up around 30 per cent of the dry
capsules, liquid and tablets. Key ingredients of green tea are
weight of green tea leaves. Of the four major catechins,
isolated and presented in the form of a capsule, tablet or
epigallocatechin gallate or EGCG is the most significant
liquid. These extracts help those who are keen about the health
and the most potent antioxidant. This powerful anti-oxidant
benefits of green tea but are daunted by the prospect of drinking
helps to deactivate cell-damaging free radicals. It is believed
5 to 10 cups of tea each day!
Green tea has clearly emerged as an elixir and is accompanied by a catalogue of health benefits. nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 41
technology
one of the most thorough websites on King Ludwig II of Bavaria and his fairytale castles actually comes from Australia?). The bad news is that finding it can sometimes be like looking for a needle in a haystack. An Internet novice can sometimes spend frustrating hours at the computer terminal blundering around in an attempt to get where they want. The first secret of efficient searching is to keep your mind focused. It’s very easy in this treasure trove of marvelous information to
Travels in Cyberspace
get distracted and sidetracked.
Get a grip on that mouse and prepare to start pounding the keyboard as Brian
ploughing through more websites
Johnston goes on a tour of internet travel websites.
than there are Parisians, some of
I
You start looking for wind towers in Dubai and by the time you know it you’re investigating the lifecycle of the marmot in the Swiss Alps – easy to do, but not very time efficient. Secondly, when you use a search engine to find websites, be as specific as possible. Hunt for ‘Paris’ and you’ll spend the next two weeks
which will be technical papers on
’ve never really understood the expression ‘the world is your
the city’s sewer system written in Greek. Search for ‘Paris
oyster’ – I mean, an oyster never travels very far and isn’t even
museums’ and you reduce the number substantially. Search for
a very interesting creature. On the other hand, ‘the world is
Centre Pompidou and there you have it – a manageable few links
your computer’ starts to make a whole lot of sense. Log on to the
for your delectation.
Internet and you can find out about even the most remote parts
Another important tool for efficient searching is to remember
of the planet within minutes. Want to know how to get married
the ‘useful links’ that most websites provide. Basically, this means
at the Elvis theme chapel in Las Vegas? Want to know what time
that someone else has done the hard work for you and uncovered
the Changing of the Guard is at Buckingham Palace? Like to check
other websites on the same or related topics in which you might
out the cost of a ticket to the Louvre Museum in Paris, or a room
be interested. Just about every website has a link page these
at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore? You can do all that, and then
days, and some websites consist of almost nothing else, often
some, with the click of a few buttons from the comfort of your
with a short blurb attached to tell you what to expect before you
own home.
go there. In the travel area, www.excite.com has links detailing
Consider the Internet as a hybrid combination of library, tourist
every country around the world, from Yemen to Bhutan and
information office and travel agency. Take any destination in the
Kyrgyzstan. There are also numerous other links to topics such
world and you can find out about its history, sights, food, costs
as food and drink, cruises and travel literature. A similar site is
and transportation, then if you want you can go right ahead and
www.expedia.msn.com, which additionally has three-day weather
book flights, hotels, a box at the opera, a cinema ticket, or even
forecasts for places all around the world in simple graphics. You
get a pizza to be delivered to your hotel room after you arrive.
can also book flights, hotels, cars, cruises and entire package
Now think how long it would take you to find the same information
holidays online. Another good travel link site is http://dir.yahoo.
if you went to a public library or a travel agency. A whole lot
com/Recreation/Travel, which can direct you to any of 76,000
longer, that’s for sure – and minus the pizza.
web pages, with categories that even include civilian space travel.
The only problem with the Internet is that, unlike a library, it
For accommodation, www.travelweb.com provides a huge
isn’t selective in what it stores. The collection of information out
catalogue of hotels, motels, resorts and inns that was originally
there is stunningly good and also hopelessly bad, and there’s
designed to facilitate reservations by travel agents. Major chains
plenty of it – tens of millions of pages. The good news is that
such as ANA, Best Western, Crowne Plaza, Forte, Hilton and Holiday
there’s no subject on this planet that someone hasn’t thoughtfully
Inn are all signed up. You can find out which hotels are present in the
supplied a web page for, and you might find the information you
city of your choice and even discover whether they offer amenities
want in a most unexpected place. (Who would have thought
such as tennis courts, babysitting or modem lines. A further 75,000 >>
42 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
technology
>> lodgings worldwide can be found at www.hotelstravel.com. You
miniguides) has a truly excellent website where you can cobble
can also find out about hotels by going directly to the companies’
together your own miniguides to dozens of cities by clicking on
own websites (usually easily
the information that most interests
found with a search such as
you: accommodation, restaurants,
‘Sheraton’ or ‘Oberoi’) or to a
sightseeing, sights and activities,
city’s official website, which
shopping and more. After a couple
usually directs you to a section
of seconds the computer comes
on accommodation.
up with a city guide tailored to
Wa n t m o r e p r a c t i c a l
your needs. There are also some
information about your
quirky, well-written essays for each
proposed trip? If you’re trying
destination which make delightful
to work out what time it is
browsing. Frommers is just as
in Anchorage or Timbuktu,
good (www.frommers.com/
look no fur ther than www.
destinations), with very extensive
timeanddate.com, where you
information on all the best sights in
can generate clocks that
major cities and other tourist spots
compare the time in your
around the world. The website
hometown with anywhere
of Rough Guides is superlative
else in the world. Go to www.
(http://travel.roughguides.com),
xe.com or www.travlang.com/
with almost as much information
money and you can convert any
as in their real guidebooks; the
currency to any other, and also
only drawback is the amount of
get exchange rates quoted in
clicking you have to do to get from
real time. At www. embassyworld.com you can find out where embassies and consulates are worldwide. And w w w. l i b . u t e x a s . edu/maps/index.
There’s also a nifty medicine translator just in case you want to know what aspirin is called in German, Swahili or Hindi. www.tripprep.com is another good health site.
one piece of information to another. Surprisingly, Lonely Planet’s website is unexciting (www. lonelyplanet.com); the folks there seem to think that if they give too much away, no one will actually buy
html, run by the University of Texas, has an excellent collection of maps – some 700
their guidebooks. Still, their website is worth visiting for its good
just on the United States of America and plenty more from all around
selection of related links to other sites that will actually tell you
the world, plus detailed city, natural park and historic maps too. They
more about what you want to know.
also have an up-to-date section detailing places of current interest in the news. All the maps can be downloaded and printed out. www.cdc.gov/travel/ is a very snappily laid out website bringing
Just about every country on the planet has a tourism office with an official website, and these are also good places to go for information. All 1,421 of the world’s official national and
you all the information you need to know about health while
regional tourism offices – everything from Andorra Tourism
overseas, including immunisations, risks and diseases around
to the Icelandic Tourism Board – are listed at www.towd.com.
the world, and current health warnings. There are special areas
Occasionally information only consists of an address and contact
for women, families, business and other travellers. There’s also
number, but if there’s a website, the link is given, and off you go.
a nifty medicine translator just in case you want to know what
If all this information is too dry, keep an eye out for the holiday
aspirin is called in German, Swahili or Hindi. www.tripprep.com is
snaps and diaries to be found on personal websites. These are
another good health site. For up to the minute travel advisories,
usually intended for friends and family but can be amusing reads.
including current travel warnings, information about crime and
One very fine example is www.photo.net/samantha/travels-with-
safety and even road conditions, check out the website of your
samantha.html, which won a Best of the Web Award back in 1994
own government’s foreign affairs department. If that doesn’t help,
and is still as good today. It recounts the travels of Philip Greenspun
try the United States Department of State (www.travel.state.
(Samantha is his Macintosh PowerBook) through North America
gov) and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (www.
and is accompanied by outstanding photography. Follow the Alaska
smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Index), which have the
Marine Highway, learn about salmon processing, get caught in
most comprehensive sites in English.
a flood, spend a week with 20 bears and meet struggling single
Now that you’re well armed with the practicalities, it’s time to move on to tourist information. Fodor (www.fodors.com/
mothers in the remote Yukon – all at the click of your computer. Travel has never been so enjoyable – or so easy.
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 43
AIR UGANDA FLIGHT SCHEDULE FLIGHT NUMBER U7 202 U7 206 U7 202 U7 206 U7 204 U7 204
DEPARTURE TIME 6:30 Hrs 14:30 Hrs 8:30 Hrs 12:20 Hrs 16:45 Hrs 18:45 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 203 U7 207 U7 203 U7 207 U7 205 U7 205
DEPARTURE TIME 08:15 Hrs 16:15 Hrs 10:15 Hrs 13:55 Hrs 18:20 Hrs 20:30 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 120 U7 120 U7 120 U7 120
DEPARTURE TIME 10:15 Hrs 14:45 Hrs 12:15 Hrs 15:15 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 119 U7 119 U7 119 U7 119 U7 119
DEPARTURE TIME 12:00 Hrs 12:15 Hrs 16:45 Hrs 13:55 Hrs 17:00 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 340 U7 340 U7 340
DEPARTURE TIME 14:30 Hrs 14:30 Hrs 09:00 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 341 U7 341 U7 341
DEPARTURE TIME 17:30 Hrs 17:30 Hrs 11:55 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 320 U7 320 U7 320 U7 320
DEPARTURE TIME 08:00 Hrs 14:30 Hrs 11:30 Hrs 15:30 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 321 U7 321 U7 321 U7 321
DEPARTURE TIME 10:15 Hrs 16:50 Hrs 13:55 Hrs 17:50 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 340 U7 340 U7 340
DEPARTURE TIME 14:30 Hrs 14:30 Hrs 09:00 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 341 U7 341 U7 341
DEPARTURE TIME 16:30 Hrs 16:30 Hrs 13:00 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 350 U7 350 U7 352 U7 352
DEPARTURE TIME 12:30 Hrs 12:00 Hrs 16:15 Hrs 16:00 Hrs
FLIGHT NUMBER U7 351 U7 351 U7 353 U7 353
DEPARTURE TIME 12:45 Hrs 12:15 Hrs 16:30 Hrs 16:15 Hrs
ENTEBBE – NAIROBI ARRIVAL TIME 07:40 Hrs 15:35 Hrs 9:40 Hrs 13:25 Hrs 17:50 Hrs 19:55 Hrs NAIROBI – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 09:25 Hrs 17:20 Hrs 11:25 Hrs 15:00 Hrs 19:25 Hrs 21:40 Hrs ENTEBBE – JUBA ARRIVAL TIME 11:15 Hrs 15:45 Hrs 13:15 Hrs 16:15 Hrs JUBA – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 13:00 Hrs 13:15 Hrs 17:45 Hrs 14:55 Hrs 18:00 Hrs ENTEBBE – ZANZIBAR ARRIVAL TIME 17:00 Hrs 17:00 Hrs 11:25 Hrs ZANZIBAR – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 19:00 Hrs 19:00 Hrs 14:30 Hrs ENTEBBE – DAR ES SALAAM ARRIVAL TIME 09:45 Hrs 16:15 Hrs 13:15 Hrs 17:15 Hrs DAR ES SALAAM – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 12:00 Hrs 18:35 Hrs 15:40 Hrs 19:35 Hrs ENTEBBE – MOMBASA ARRIVAL TIME 16:00 Hrs 16:00 Hrs 10:30 Hrs MOMBASA – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 19:00 Hrs 19:00 Hrs 14:30 Hrs ENTEBBE – KIGALI ARRIVAL TIME 12:15 Hrs 11:45 Hrs 16:00 Hrs 15:45 Hrs KIGALI – ENTEBBE ARRIVAL TIME 14:30 Hrs 14:00 Hrs 18:15 Hrs 18:00 Hrs
FREQUENCY Mon,Tue ,Wed ,Thur, & Fri Mon,Tue ,Wed ,Thur, & Fri Sat Sun Sat Mon,Tue,Wed. Thur, Fri&Sun FREQUENCY Mon,Tue ,Wed ,Thur & Fri Mon,Tue ,Wed ,Thur & Fri Sat Sun Sat Mon,Tue,Wed. Thur, Fri&Sun FREQUENCY Mon,Tue ,Wed & Thur Fri Sat Sun FREQUENCY Mon Tue,Wed&Thur Fri Sat Sun FREQUENCY Tue (Eff 14/12/2010) Thur Sun FREQUENCY Tue (Eff 14/12/2010) Thur Sun FREQUENCY Mon,Tue&Thur Wed Fri Sun FREQUENCY Mon, Tue&Thur Wed Fri Sun FREQUENCY Tue (Eff 14/12/2010) Thur Sun FREQUENCY Tue (Eff 14/12/2010) Thur Sun FREQUENCY Mon Tue, Wed & Thur Fri Sun FREQUENCY Mon Tue, Wed & Thur Fri Sun
For any information contact your preferred Travel Agent or our Sales & Reservation Office on +256 (0) 412 165 555 in KAMPALA.
asante news
SECOND CRJ-200 AIRCRAFT RECEIVED
YOUR FEEDBACK I am a frequent flier on different routes across the African continent, using different airlines for the past three years by the nature of my job. I fly with Air Uganda two times a month at a minimum from Nairobi to Entebbe (return). I wish to commend the pilots of Air Uganda on their piloting skills – more specifically on landing. In addition I am grateful to Air Uganda for the
Air Uganda Chairman, Mr. Mahmood Manji, expressed delight in welcoming the airline’s latest Bombardier CRJ-200 to the growing jet fleet. He stated: “This modern 50-seater jet will enable Air Uganda to add more flights and expand its network. The Entebbe Hub now offers 88 flights per week – more than any other airline!” Mr. Manji also commented: “The new jet will provide Air Uganda’s customers with a greater
service of allowing its clients to make bookings by phone and pick up the tickets at the airport. I commend you for time management, unlike some other airlines in the region. Finally, I am commending the good service of particularly three ladies, namely Christine, Carol
choice of flights, combined with the excellent service, punctuality record and value for money
and Beatrice at the Nairobi office for their good
that Air Uganda has become well known for, in East Africa. Air Uganda is now well poised
customer care.
to take advantage of the East African Open Skies Agreement, when it comes into force.”
Bravo Air Uganda. Bravo Air Uganda Office in Nairobi.
THIRD FLIGHT ON NAIROBI – ENTEBBE ROUTE Air Uganda has introduced a third daily flight from Nairobi to Entebbe. The Airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Hugh Fraser, commented: “The introduction of the third flight highlights the Airline’s commitment to more choice for our customers, especially those who prefer to travel in the afternoon when the roads and airports are less crowded.” The new afternoon flight departs Entebbe at 14.30 hrs and arrives in Nairobi at 15.35
Godfrey. _______________________________________________ I wish to convey my thanks to one of your staff in Nairobi – Ms. Carol Dyer. On July 26th I flew out to Nairobi with the late evening Air Uganda flight. I was to board a connecting Kenya Airways (KQ)
hrs. It leaves Nairobi at 16.15 hrs and arrives in Entebbe at 17.20 hrs. Passengers can
flight to Johannesburg. With a delayed flight from
now enjoy a more convenient schedule that offers a greater choice of airline connections in
Entebbe, I was unable to board the KQ airline,
Nairobi. Air Uganda will now offer 38 flights a week between Entebbe and Nairobi.
despite having arrived when the plane was still
Mr. Fraser confirmed that, “Air Uganda is well positioned to serve the travelling needs of
on the tarmac. Though distraught, I finally had
the East African community by offering a superior quality service that is reliable, punctual
to deal with a night’s stay in Nairobi, reaching
and affordable.” He emphasized that, “Although the airline is increasing flights and routes,
Johannesburg the following day. It was Ms. Dyer
our on-time performance was still 89 per cent in August 2010, which is well above most of
who handled all this for me.
our local competitors.”
I came back with KQ, again having to come through to Entebbe with the late evening flight
SECOND SUNDAY ENTEBBE – NAIROBI FLIGHT INTRODUCED Air Uganda has introduced a second Sunday flight to and from Nairobi. The lunchtime flight departs Entebbe at 12:20 hrs and arrives in Nairobi at 13:25 hrs. It leaves Nairobi at13:55 hrs and arrives in Entebbe at 15.00 hrs. The new, convenient schedule offers passengers more airline connections in Nairobi.
BUY YOUR AIR UGANDA TICKET WITH ZAP With Zap you can now purchase your Air Uganda ticket with no hassle. Simply register for Zap at any Zap authorised agents countrywide. Go to your phone menu, select Zain. Select Zap, select money, select nickname, enter nickname AIRUGANDA, enter amount in shillings, enter password, enter reference e.g George S, KGL. And wait for confirmation and successful transaction.
46 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
and behold, my luggage had not been transferred to the Air Uganda flight, despite a number of reminders to do so, as I disembarked, and at the transfer desk. Ms. Dyer amicably explained how this could be solved and actually PROMISED to have the luggage passed on that very night, with KQ. After I landed at Entebbe, she actually called my home line, to confirm that the luggage had been placed on the KQ flight that evening. I got it that same day. Now, I do not think I may ever meet this lady again. I just wanted to say THANK YOU to her. Talk of customer service!
Chris K.
asante news
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 47
HEALTHY TRAVELLING
These gentle exercises, which you can carry out easily during your flight, will help blood circulation and reduce any tiredness or stiffness that may result from sitting in one place for several hours. Check with your doctor first if you have any health conditions which might be adversely affected by exercise. Foot pumps: Start with both heels on the floor and point feet upward as high as you can. Then put both feet flat on the floor. Then lift heels high, keeping the balls of your feet
Other Tips for a Comfortable Flight
Knee lifts: Lift leg with knees bent while contracting your thigh muscles. Alternate legs. Repeat 20 to 30
•
For your own comfort try and travel light.
•
Wear loose clothing and elasticated stockings made of natural fibre.
•
Increase your normal intake of water and only if need be, drink alcohol but in moderation.
•
Use moisturising cream to keep your skin from drying out.
•
Take off shoes in the plane to prevent your feet from swelling up or wear shoes that will cope with expanding ankles.
•
Avoid heavy meals during the flight.
•
Short walks once every two hours are excellent for circulation.
•
Try to touch your toes when waiting in the aisle to stretch your hamstrings.
•
On arrival at your destination, have a hot shower or a relaxing bath.
•
On arrival a quick jog, brisk walk, or a vigorous scrub will help stimulate your circulation.
times for each leg.
on the floor. Continue cycle in 30-second intervals.
Knee to chest: Bend forward slightly. Clasp hands around the left knee and hug it to your chest. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Keeping hands around knee, slowly let it down. Alternate legs. Repeat 10 times.
Shoulder stretch: Reach right hand over left shoulder. Place left hand behind right elbow and gently press elbow toward shoulder. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Overhead stretch: Raise both hands straight up over your head. With one hand, grasp the wrist of the opposite hand and gently pull to one side. Hold stretch for 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Arm curl: Start with arms held at a 90-degree angle: elbows down, hands out in front. Raise hands up to chest and back down, alternating hands. Do this exercise in 30-second intervals. 48 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
Forward flex: With both feet on the floor and stomach held in, slowly bend forward and walk your hands down the front of your legs towards your ankles. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and slowly sit back up.
Shoulder roll: Hunch shoulders forward, then upward, then backward, then downward, using a gentle, circular motion.
Ankle circles: Lift feet off the floor, draw a circle with the toes, simultaneously moving one foot clockwise and the other foot counterclockwise. Reverse circles. Do each direction for 15 seconds. Repeat if desired.
Neck roll: With shoulders relaxed, drop ear to shoulder and gently roll neck forward and to the other side, holding each position about five seconds. Repeat five times.
ROUTE MAP
Juba
Entebbe
Mombasa
Zanzibar Dar es salaam
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 49
AIR UGANDA CONTACTS AND OFFICES
Kampala Sales Office: Tel: +256 (0) 412 165 555 +256 (0) 312 165 555 Email: info@air-uganda.com Fax: +256 (0) 414 258 267 Jubilee Insurance Centre, 1st Floor, Podium Level, Plot 14 Parliment Avenue, Kampala, Uganda. P. O. Box 36591, Kampala, Uganda.
Dar es Salaam Sales Office: Tel: +255 (0) 783 111 992 +255 (0) 222 133 322 Email: reservation@air-uganda.com Haidery Plaza, 1st Floor, Mkwepu Street, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. P.O. Box 22636, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Nairobi Sales Office: Tel: +254 (0) 20 313 933 Email: infoke@air-uganda.com 5th Floor, Jubilee Insurance Building, Wabera Street, Nairobi, Kenya.
Mombasa Sales Office: Tel: +254 (0) 20 313 933 +254 (0) 734 605 203 Email: vwamakau@air-uganda.com 1st Floor, TSS Towers, Nkrumah Road, Mombasa Kenya.
Zanzibar Sales Office: Tel: +255 (0) 242 233 506/7 +255 (0) 713 666 602 Email: info@air-uganda.com Office no 23, Mlandege Street, Muzammil center Building P.O. Box 22636, Zanzibar, Tanzania.
50 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
Juba Sales Office: Tel: +256 (0) 477 153 912 Email: info@air-uganda.com Hai Suk Street, (Opp. the Mosque) Juba, Sudan. Kigali Sales Office: Tel: +250 (0) 252 577 926 +250 (0) 252 577 928 +250 (0) 788 380 926 +250 (0) 722 926 926 Email: info@air-uganda.com Office No. 26 UTC (Union Trade Centre) Building, Town Centre. Kigali, Rwanda. Head Office: Tel: +256 (0) 414 258 262/4 +256 (0) 417 717 401 Fax: +256 414 500 932 Email: info@air-uganda.com Meridiana Africa Airlines (U) Ltd Plot 11/13, Lower Kololo Terrace P.O.Box 36591, Kampala, Uganda. Entebbe International Airport (Ticketing Office): Tel: +256 (0) 414 321 485 +256 (0) 41771722 Email: reservations@air-uganda.com Email: info@air-uganda.com 2nd Floor, Passenger Terminal Building, Entebbe, Uganda. PLEASE NOTE : After working hours on Weekdays (17:45 hrs - 21:00 hrs), Saturday (14:00 hrs - 21:00 hrs) and Sunday (07:30 hrs - 21:00 hrs) Please call our Entebbe ticketing office on Tel: +256 (0) 414 321 485 +256 (0) 417 717 222 for assistance.
TIPS FOR THE TRAVELLER IN UGANDA
Land Uganda is a compact country, with an area of 236,580 square kilometres – roughly the size of Great Britain. Climate Although situated on the equator, Uganda’s relatively high altitude tempers the heat, and humidity is generally low. Throughout the year sunshine averages about 6 to 10 hours a day. There are two rainy seasons: the main long rains, which start late in February and end in April, and the short rains, which start in October and run until about the middle of December. The region around Lake Victoria, however, receives rain at almost any time of the year. Topography It is located on the equator, within the eastern plateau region of the African continent and between the eastern and western ridges of the Great Rift Valley. Near the borders several mountain masses stand out strikingly from the plateaux. Economy Uganda is blessed with fertile soils that support a wide variety of food and export crops, both annual and perennial. Agriculture is the dominant sector of Uganda’s economy. The major traditional export crops are coffee, cotton, tea, horticulture, tobacco and sugar cane, while groundnuts, maize, beans, sorghum and millet have emerged in recent years as cash crops for the peasant farmers. Language English is the official language and is also the medium of instruction in Uganda’s education system, from primary school up to university level. Swahili is also spoken. There are some 30 indigenous languages spoken in the rural areas. The most common of these are Luganda and Luo. Electric supply All installations are of British standard and appliances should be fitted with the square, three-pin plugs of British specifications. The voltage is 240 volts, 50 Hz for domestic use. The voltage fluctuates continually, however, and proper surge protectors are advisable for any expensive equipment. Time Uganda is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Time remains constant throughout the year. People The people are warm, friendly, and full of humour. They are anxious to make friends with visitors and are continually asking guests whether they are comfortable and enjoying themselves. A large number of people speak English. Excursions Uganda is beginning to develop an excellent tourist infrastructure, with first-rate roads and communication facilities. Uganda’s national game, forest and recreational parks are indeed some of the spectacular showpieces Africa has to offer. They do have regulations regarding off-theroad driving, game watching, and so on, which are clearly stated at the entrance gates of parks or on leaflets supplied by the tourist offices. Mountaineering safaris to the Ruwenzori Mountains in the western Rift Valley are now becoming a favourite Ugandan expedition. Similar safaris can also be organised to climb Mount Elgon in the east, sharing the border with Kenya. Hotels There are international-standard hotels in Entebbe, Kampala and Jinja, as well as in many of the smaller towns. Camping, rustic bush camps and guest houses are also available. The Kampala Sheraton, the Serena Kampala, the Grand Imperial, and the Nile Hotel, all in the national’s capital are by the best. There are many other less expensive, but quite nice hotels in the city. Outside Kampala, most towns also have a variety of moderately priced and budget hotels. Banking hours There is a wide range of banks in Uganda, particularly in Kampala. Their hours are generally from 0830 to 1400 on weekdays, and Saturdays from 0830 to 1200. Forex bureaux keep longer hours – 0900 to 1700 on weekdays and 0900 to 1300 on Saturdays. ATMs are available in the larger cities. Communications Telephone, Telex, fax and airmail services connect Kampala to all parts of the world. Services are available at the General Post Office and its many branches, as well as in the main hotels. International direct dialling is available and now there are a number of Internet cafes. Medical services Uganda has good health services, with some good government and private hospitals and clinics in the major cities. Air rescue services are available.
Currency Uganda Shilling (UGX). Notes are in denominations of UGX 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000. Coins are in denominations of UGX 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. You can change money at banks and hotels. Although the forex bureaux usually have better exchange rates. Credit cards International credit cards are accepted in major hotels and shops. Working hours Shops and businesses are generally open from 0830 to 1730 on weekdays, with a lunch break between 1300 and 1400. Some businesses are open on Saturday, at least until midday. Small, local shops or kiosks on the side of many roads are generally open much later, until about 2130 and on weekends and holidays as well; they stock basic food and household items. Public Holidays 2010 1 January 26 January 8 March 2 April 5 April 1 May 3 June 9 June 11 September 9 October 17 November 25 December 26 December
New Year’s Day Liberation Day International Women’s Day Good Friday Easter Monday Labour Day Martyrs’ Day National Heroes’ Day Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) Independence Day Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice) Christmas Day Boxing Day
Note:The two Muslim holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximate. Customs Besides personal effects, a visitor may import duty-free spirits (including liquors) or wine up to one litre, perfume and toilet water up to half a litre and 270 grammes of tobacco or 200 cigarettes. Other imported items, not exceeding US$100 may be brought in duty free and without an import licence, provided they are not prohibited or restricted goods, are for personal use, and are not for resale. Note: A special permit is required to export game trophies. Health requirements Visitors from areas infected with yellow fever and cholera required certificates on inoculation. All visitors are advised to take an antimalarial prophylactic beginning two weeks before their arrival and continuing for six weeks after their departure. A gamma globulin injection provides some protection against possible infection by hepatitis and is well worth taking. Visa and immigration requirements Visa applications may be obtained at Uganda diplomatic missions. Two photographs are required for visas, which are usually issued within 24 hours. Visas are also available at the country’s entry points. Check with the Uganda diplomatic mission in your country if visa is required as some countries are exempted. Taxi services Taxis are immediately available at Entebbe International Airport. They can also be found outside most hotels in Kampala and at most of the country’s major centres. All don’t have meters, so make sure the fare is negotiated in advance. Car rental Several firms operate car hire services in Kampala. Vehicles may be hired with or without driver. For trips outside the city it is possible to hire insured cars appropriate for the trip (a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a drivertranslator is recommended). Entebbe International Airport The main point of entry is Entebbe International Airport, about a 30-minute drive south of the capital, Kampala. Although modest, the modern airport does provide automated passenger facilities, currency exchange, postal services, banking facilities, telephoned, duty-free shops, gift shops and a restaurant and bar. Security The same rules apply for Kampala as for almost any city anywhere.Be careful and take the usual precautions to safeguard yourself and your belongings. Do not leave valuables in your car. Walking at night in all major centres is reasonably safe.
nov – jan 2011 | air uganda | 51
CROSSWORD PUZZLE & SUDOKU Crossword Clues across 1. Opt for employment. Needlework eg. (9) 8. Formal declaration to replace word with building material. (13) 11. Small-minded naval officer? (5) 12. Homage disturbed, hospital out, Greek letter. (5) 13. The look that induces tears. (5) 16. Citrus disturbed in rural setting. (6) 17. Extreme tic can produce vomiting. (6) 18. Car or dog? – they get out and about. (5) 19. As ties get tangled, it’s time for a snooze. (6) 20. Out on a limb I believe – but finds drink. (6) 21. Edible seed – it’s a sign of life. (5) 24. Far removed from 12, but often quoted together. (5) 26. Utter front after endless game – it’s the whole range. (5) 27. Posse trapped in ironing creates favourable impression. (13) 28. Environment without fog, he manages resources. (9)
Clues down 2. Woman shouts to be disagreeable. (5) 3. Hag cut badly and is nabbed. (6)
5. Film hero rails at movie’s boring opening initially. (5)
Answers down 2. annoy 3. Caught 4. Wicker 5. Rambo 6. British empire 7. Entertainment 9. Sportsman 10. Oak chest 13. Scrap 14. Anvil 15. Eerie 22. Unison 23. Scream 25. Aspic 26. Gusts
4. Berwick errs to hold fl exible willow twig. (6)
6. The sun has set on this once-powerful aggregation. (7, 6)
9. He plays the game. (9) 10. O the sack turns into a coffer. (3, 5)
Answers across 1. Fancywork 8. pronouncement 11. petty 12. Omega 13. stare 16. rustic 17. emetic 18. rover 19. siesta 20. Imbibe 21. pulse 24. alpha 26. Gamut 27. prepossessing 28. economist
7. Retain tent men to provide amusement (13)
13. Fight for a morsel. (5)
Sudoku
14. Used by a forger. (5) 15. Eastern lake is spooky! (5)
Place a number from
22. United around the south – it’s togetherness! (6)
1 to 9 in every empty
23. Hesitation back in scam produces loud, shrill noise. (6)
cell so that each row,
25. Savoury jelly with snake in charge. (5)
each column and each
26. Gussets, south-east excepted – it’s a wind-up! (5)
3x3 box contains all the numbers from 1 to 9. No number can appear twice in a row, column or 3x3 box. Do not guess – you can work it out by a process of elimination.
52 | air uganda | nov – jan 2011
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n o v – j a n
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the inflight magazine of air uganda part of the asante issue number 004 nov–jan 2011
your complimentary copy