Equator Experience in Uganda
Equator Experience in Uganda is a stopover trip as travelers head to western Uganda at the Equator line landmarks so that they can engage in some tours of the place. The Equator is an imaginary line which divides the earth into two halves which are the northern and southern hemisphere.
The Equator is marked zero degrees latitude. At Kayabwe the equator landmark has the north and south poles showing where the equator crosses as well as the division of the earth’s hemispheres.
The equator is one of the well-known landmarks of Uganda. Locations, where the equator landmark can be seen, include Kayabwe, Mpigi district and Kasese.
The equator also crosses Kasese near Queen Elizabeth national park. this makes it convenient for tourists who are visiting Queen Elizabeth national park to make stopovers and engage in the different activities at the equator.
The time for the sun to set and rise at the equator is the fastest on earth since it takes a short time to shift from day time to night time which means that the sunrise and sunset are faster compared to other locations that are not crossed by the equator.
The equator site has a lot of potentials to attract more visitors who usually stay for a shorter time at this site. The equator is said to experience the equinox twice a year which is in the month of March and also in September. An equinox is an astronomical event when the sun is overhead the equator.
The equinox phenomenon explains why the day and night time periods are the same length. The nature of climate experienced at the equator is tropical climate with warm temperatures throughout the year making it hard to differentiate between seasons.
Activities around the equator
The equator is a stopover location for many tourists visiting the western region of Uganda and there are different activities that take place at the equator which include visiting the craft stalls to see and admire local arts and crafts, photography, interacting with the local community among others.
The craft stalls are managed by the local community which consists of the Baganda people who use local materials such as papyrus for weaving the baskets in certain patterns, local beads for making jewelry such as bangles, necklaces and bracelets.
Other souvenirs sold in the craft shops at the equator include African print clothes, paintings, sculptures among others. A number of restaurants are also constructed around Kayabwe where the equator crosses and they serve food for tourists visiting the equator.
Some of the destinations with stopovers at the equator include Bwindi impenetrable national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Lake Mburo national park.
Another activity which tourists engage in while at the equator is photography especially at the site which marks the spot where the equator passes.
Tourists visiting the equator also experience the water experiments which can be carried out on either sides of the equator and some water experiments directly on the equator itself. These experiments show the movement and drainage of water which differs in each of the hemispheres.
The water experiment is known as a demonstration of the carioles effect which explains how the movement changes direction when in motion to the left or right when moving on a rotating body. In the northern hemisphere, a clockwise rotation is observed and in the southern hemisphere, an anti-clockwise direction is observed.
It is also said that a person is about 3% lighter while at the equator line.
How to get to the equator
Kayabwe is about 72 km from Kampala the Capital city of Uganda and is therefore convenient for tourists headed in the western region of Uganda using the Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara highway.
Public transport means such as buses are also available from Kampala to the western part of the country where the equator can be seen.
Visit Uganda and experience the beauty of the pearl of Africa at the equator.
