Some interesting cultural observation while on safari

During my travels around East Africa guiding different guest, i have lately come to change how i look at some things that i would normally pass by as they are regarded normal here. For most of this year, i have been guiding groups on educational tours, mainly learning the different cultures in East Africa as well as the natural history. After a few trips, i started changing the way i look at things and looked at these through a tourist's eye. I also started making a collection of photos of the thing the found interesting, and here below i share them with in my first series post of ''East Africa through a tourist's eye''

In Uganda, my guests were amazed at how people here modify transport system. they never knew a bicycle can carry such a load.

loading it proberly

Village social life. it is common to see women gathered at a neighbours house, chatting the evening away. traditionally as a man, you are supposed to warn when approaching such gathering as it was often assumed the ladies are gossiping!

Here trucks are put to full use

Point and shoot driving as some of my guests called this kind of driving

Vegetables and fruits sold by the road side. You dont need to go to a mall

Mbarara Uganda: At bus stops, people often flock with food stuff to sell and other things to passengers. Here, the shop comes to you.

Mwanza, Tanzania:  Same as above

Forget about billboards!.. this guy is showing drivers to his fish stall on the road side near Masaka in Uganda. this is a common practice here. one will hold fish in hand when a vehicle approaches and point to his stall where one can buy fresh fish.

Here 2 men works on a ladies hair in an open air salon in Kampala. It is increasingly becoming popular in some places for ladies to have their hair done by men in salons.

I had to tell my guests, this is no child labour! it is a common practice for the family to go out and collect firewood or go to the farm.Interestingly, in some communities, boys or men do not carry thing on their heads.

Here a motorcycle taxi rider with a lady passenger and her two children. This has become the most effective and cheap mode of transport in many of our city. But what what shock my guests is a non-use of safety helmets.

When my guests saw this, they couldnt understand why we dont treat some animals well. The two boys riding an ox-cart, could not give a lift to their dog.

Here people work really hard to make a living as seen with these young men pushing a cart loaded with sugar cane. 

Daladala, Matatu or shared taxis, are common feature in our cities and a leading transport system. However, what got my guests attention is how they are driven, most of the time breaking traffic rules

Socializing at market places

In some comunities if Africa, women don't ride bicycles. But here in Mwanza, and a few other places, they do as a prefered mode of transport. This goes to show how diverse the culture is in E. Africa

School children looking out curiously as we entered the school

Killing two birds with one stone; One lady works on her colleagues hair

 while waiting for customers at their cloth stall near Mwanza

these men are no drunkards, they are fishermen from a village near Mwanza, Tanzania. Having spent a whole night fishing, they are catching some sleep in the day before they go out again tonight

It is normal for children here, especially girls to baby sit their siblings

Children form the whole village often socialize and this is where schooling take place for some

Young girls often send on small errands

Cycling in some places is the main and cheapest mode of transport

Carrying things on heads for long distances is normal

Children herding cattle. this is where their social life starts

Forget about the trucks; Here is a prefered mode of transporting goods

Ngorongoro: Living in harmony with wildlife

Trying out a traditional fishing boat

Doing the laundry at the same time drawing water for use at home as  seen here is common and seen as no problem at all.

sampling village life

An old Masai lady baby-sits her grand children. This is a common practice. 

A busy street with people and goats in Cyangugu, Rwanda. My guest could not understand how domestic animals roam the streets.

Maintaining the tradition: Samburu girls