Being at the heart of the Great Lakes region, Uganda is blessed with so many wetlands, in all parts of the country. As a photographer I was hired to cover several of those beautiful locations in order to illustrate a global conference in South Africa. The trip was so hard (lot of dust, poteholes, well the satisfaction of off-road journeys) but the experience so interesting, meeting people going about their daily activities within and around the wetlands, such as fishing, farming and using the papyrus for making different items (mats, baskets, etc).
Here in Kampala, people are always complaining of floods when heavy rains are pouring on the capital city. But what they should remembers is that the several hills (initally they were 7, now they are much more) are naturally surrounded by water. At the beginning of the last century, people used to move from one hill to another one by boat. Such heavy rains are really scary, water level can easily reach the engine of a Land Cruiser and people, especially children, have ever disappeared, falling inside open manholes.
Now during our journey, my guide kept on talking about one very special plant, that grows only (???) in Uganda wetlands and that has the characteristic to be CARNIVORE. Burning with impatience to meet the beast, I was thinking about such huge plant that can swallow a full grown man (kind of the one featured in the Great Horror Picture Show).However when we reached the place where this plant grows, the guide advised me to walk slowly, we may step on it. And indeed, the beast is not that huge as you can witness on the above picture. As you can compare with the finger and the bic pen, the red carnivore plant is not really scary, yet when you observe well the picture (click on it to get the whole photo), you will notice that the plant is actually enjoying a free meal (follow the pen...).
These are other wild animals you may find by following the wetlands tracks...
