Summary

Jill and Chris, two Canadians from Artistic Voyages, share their experiences living on the Equator in Uganda, Africa, detailing the surprisingly comfortable climate, consistent daylight patterns, and their efforts to educate locals on sustainable gardening practices.

Abstract

Jill and Chris have spent nearly a year in Uganda, a country they discovered is situated on the Equator. Despite preconceptions, they've found the climate to be pleasant due to the high altitude and low humidity, with temperatures consistently in the high 20s to low 30s Celsius. The Equator's unique position provides a constant solar path, eliminating traditional seasons and allowing them to tell time by shadow positions. They appreciate the consistent weather patterns but also miss the seasonal changes they experienced in Canada. The strong equatorial sun poses challenges for gardening, but they are working to teach locals about the benefits of shade and sustainable gardening, contrary to colonial-era practices. The couple enjoys the benefits of the strong sun when managed properly and considers their time on the Equator to be a valuable part of their nomadic journey.

Opinions

The authors find Uganda's climate, despite being on the Equator, to be comfortable and preferable to other tropical locations they've visited.
They believe that the consistent daylight patterns at the Equator make it easier to tell time without modern devices.
Jill and Chris express a longing for the seasonal changes they were accustomed to in Canada, indicating a fondness for the cyclical nature of seasons.
They see the strong equatorial sunlight as both a challenge and an opportunity for sustainable gardening practices.
The couple is critical of the gardening techniques introduced by colonizers and is actively trying to reverse these practices by educating locals on the benefits of shade and sustainable agriculture.
They consider themselves fortunate to experience life on the Equator and view their time in Uganda as a highlight of their travels.

TRAVEL | UGANDA | AFRICA | EQUATOR

What Life Is Like at the Equator

We have lived in Uganda for almost a year now.

We didn’t plan to come to the Equator, and we didn’t even know that Uganda was on the Equator, until we found ourselves in the country. If I were to conjure up countries that lie on the Equator, I would always think of Ecuador, for obvious reasons. But until arriving in Africa, I hadn’t even considered the countries on this continent that also lie along this invisible line.

Not only have we been in Uganda for a combined total of 10 months now, but we have also been just outside of Kikorongo for 7 of those months.

Kikoronogo is literally right on the Equator.

Of course, many think that being on the Equator would be stifling hot, but that really isn’t the case. Uganda lies a good deal up above sea level (we are now at 900m or approx. 2700 feet), which keeps the air crisp and cooler than if we were lower down. The humidity is quite low also, so we aren’t dripping in sweat like we were in Costa Rica or other parts of the tropics. It maintains a pretty steady temperature in the high 20’s to low 30’s, (82–89F) and the nights are reasonably cool. In reality, this has been the best, most comfortable climate that we have found in any of our travels so far.

Maybe that is why this is the country that we have been in the longest since leaving Canada over 4 years ago.

Because we are at the Equator, the sun traces the EXACT same path across the sky EVERY DAY! There is no deviation at all. So, you can imagine that there are no seasons, except the wet season, or dry season.

Every single day, they know exactly where the sun will come up, and where it will set.

This means that we are getting really good at telling the time based on where the shadows are on the ground. For example, there is a particular tree that has a certain shadow at 4:00, and we certainly know when it is close to noon because we barely have a shadow at all. In fact, we don’t even have to look at our clocks throughout the day to know what time it is.

We can see it on the ground.

Our shadows at noon on the Equator. Photo Credit: Author

We know how the light changes when it is starting to get dark around 6:00 pm, and we know that it is definitely dark just after 7:00.

Every day is exactly the same.

I will admit, though, that I do miss the seasons. There is a sort of re-birth that comes with each season that we experienced while living in the north. Spring is a time of regeneration, and fall sends us indoors and into hibernation mode.

These days we have to seek out the times and places to hibernate and determine for ourselves what we need. The weather doesn’t decide it for us.

For gardening, it is a dream. There is no shady side of the house, there is only the shade that is brought by trees. But once you find a good shady spot for a plant that likes shade, you can bet that it will be shady every day. Unless, of course, the tree is cut down.

The sun is extremely strong here though, so you really have to watch how things are exposed to it, including ourselves. The locals claim that they have “too much sunshine”, which is why they find it hard to grow anything as the sun burns all of their crops.

But we are also trying to educate them that a little bit of shade is okay, and the plants will still grow just fine, and even better, in that sort of situation. Trying to undo almost 100 years of learning how to garden the wrong way from the colonizers, seems like an impossible task, but we persevere and keep trying.

We also tell them that they are lucky to have so much sunshine, and many parts of the world don’t.

Like all of the experiences that we have had on this journey, we have enjoyed the experience of living on the Equator. The sun is very strong, but when you learn how to harness that energy, and not get scorched in the process, it can be very beneficial.

Thanks for joining us at the Equator in Uganda!

xo Jill

Hi there, we are 2 Canadians, Jill and Chris from Artistic Voyages. We have been nomadic since 2017 living in numerous different countries, and experiencing the life and diversity of our planet on the ground and firsthand. We have now been on the African continent for over 2 years!

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