"Gulu, by ek it's grim up north." a Gulu Travel Page by muguruki

These poor buggers have had it hard up here in Gulu. The war in the north of Uganda is officially on going, Joseph Kony (formerly of this parish) has yet to sign a peace deal with the Museveni government. In fact Kony and 3 other members of the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) wont appear at peace talks in person until The ICC drops the charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against them.

There may not be any “tourist attractions” in Gulu but if anywhere in Uganda needs the benefit of your hard-earned lucre its Northern Uganda.

Things are quite different in the North of Uganda there is a completely different feel to the country once you are north of Lake Kyoga. There is a lot less Luganda spoken here than in other parts of the country, and as a white bloke when I walk down a rural road in Uganda you are quite often followed down the road by a gaggle of kids shouting out “muzungu, muzungu”. In the north you will soon get used to hearing kids shouting “Munu munu” or more bizarrely “munu bye!" You will be unlucky to find someone who doesn’t speak English but if you do getting by in Kiswahili would be a great help.

Who needs bellows when you’ve got an old pushbike wheel to fire up your furnace.

This young chappie was heating up metal gate hinges and hammering them into shape by the side of the road in Gulu town with his ingenious bike wheel powered bellows.

Walking around Gulu you do come across reminders of its grim past there are signs for things like “Gulu landmine survivors group”.