the Humanist view

Shopping at Lira Market

Among my favorite things to do is human-to-human contact as I shop. I love the conversations. Albeit language barriers, we, Lira Market vendors and I, understand each other.

My favorite fresh food vendor at Lira Market is she who is in the featured photo of this post. With her permission, I took it as she explained to me how to cook those huge mushrooms.

My trips to the market are not as frequent as I would love them to be. Work gets in the way, but whenever I get the chance to do so, I go to the market myself.

And when I do, my favorite vendors say to me: “you are lost,” “welcome back,” as one would say to a friend and or relative. I feel at home and loved in this my work city current.

Walks Along Obote Avenue

I love walking along Obote Avenue, soaking in the camaraderie. I love the human contact. Rare will we bypass each other without making eye contact and exchanging acknowledgement – a smile, greeting, etc.

I am an obvious outlier walking Obote Avenue. You can tell from my hairstyle, lighter skin complexion, and of fuller body size. It makes for interesting interactions, including non-verbal communication.

I often wonder, as I walk along Obote Avenue, how it would have been like if our late President Dr. Apollo Milton Obote were still alive, living right here in Lira City, dignified and acknowledged.

I wonder if he had lived out his life as a former president right here in Lira City, revered … you catch my drift.

Churches and Mosques

Yes, as I walk along Obote Avenue, Lira City’s heritage of churches and mosques is glaringly prominent. Whereas, I have not actually entered in, I love to observe from the outside and learn the histories of the magnificent buildings.

This a photo I took of Idd Amin Mosque in Lira City. A mosque which the former president of Uganda, late Amin initiated in 1973. Construction begun in 1975, but stalled in 1979, after he was overthrown.

Decades later and with funding support from Turkey, this landmark of Islamic faith in Lira was completed. It is reported to sit on 10-acres of land and has the capacity to hold 5,000 worshippers.

On my to do list

Visiting President Obote’s House, which by the way, is walking distance from Obote Avenue, is a must do for me. Then Lango Cultural Centre. Then Ngetta Rock. Then the war memorial.

Truth be told, before I shared my two-bits here in this post, I Googled “what is the best thing to do in Lira City.”

Among the search results, a post by WordCampLira2024, “10 Places to visit in Lira City” suggested these as the top 10 places to visit while in Lira City:

1. Obote Avenue
2. President Milton Obote’s House
3. Traditional Schools on Boroboro Hill
4. Ngetta Rock
5. Lira University
6. Lira Market
7. The War Memorial
8. Lango Cultural Centre
9. Churches and Mosques
10. Nightlife and Pubs

The remaining three on the list, Traditional Schools on Boroboro Hill, Lira University, and Nightlife & Pubs are on my waiting list.