The equator

On the way home from seeing the gorillas we drove back across Uganda and it was very scenic mountains bush and loads of Banana trees. We dropped in on the equator, the real North - South Divide

Saw this Crocodile somewhere near Lake Victoria. We also dropped in on Lake Victoria which is ENORMOUS it links Uganda with Tanzania and Kenya, fery boats go across it. It is very green as it is full of algae at the moment

I borrowed this russian rifle off of a security guard. Uganda was full of security guards weilding pump action shotguns AK47s, M16s and an assortment of rifles including this russian rifle circa
1942 still in very good nick

Cathy at Lake Victoria

Traditional accomadation the 1 bedroom detached bungalow

We saw the experiment where water is poured down a drainage pipe and North it goes anti clockwise, South it goes anti-clockwise and on the equator it goes straight down. It's just a line that goes diagonally across the main road but of course the is as a row of tacky good shops selling carved animals masks and other curious objects. they also do a very coffee and a very large muffin.

As you have to do on these occasions we managed to restrain our selves to only 4 items from the shops. Your always taken in by the; well that looks different ...... or that would look good on the...... or do you think .... would like that?

If you go down in the rain forest tonight.........

We made it out of the Kampala region to go to the mountains in the south and see the gorillas. The trip took us 3 days in total. It was fantastic to see some of Uganda. It is truly one of the most beautiful and diverse countries we've ever been to.

There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left and the Ugandan wildlife authority allows a small number of people to go and track the gorillas in the forests with the rangers everyday. Due to a small amount of wheeling and dealing, I suspect, on the part of our travel guides, we managed to get a private tour with 2 of the rangers. We stayed overnight in a tent on a wooden platform overlooking the park and the mountains. The scenery was just spectacular. Have never woken up to a better view....

Seeing the gorrillas in their own habitat was pretty exciting. And the forest was just beautiful.
Below is a female gorilla. Mother to the 3 year old youngster pictured above.

The experience was slightly marred for Catherine by the fact that she was charged and knocked flying by the gorilla below. He came running down the hill at full pelt and barged into her. He was allegedly only playing.

The Gorilla below weighing aroun half a ton, ran at her in the playful nudging sort of way Gorillas do to other Gorillas but when about half a tonne of endangered species decides to 'play' with you, you can't help but wonder which of you is the most endangered!!

This primate playtime came as quite a shock to Cathy, being half the size of your average male Gorilla. Cathy was battered, bruised and a bit shaken, the camera which she had around her neck was unscathed, allowing me to take a photo of the culprit below as he tried to make his escape

A description has been distibuted, the assailant was about 6 feet tall, heavy build and dark haired if you see him do not approach...

So Uncle Frank, above, was apparently pleased to see us. Not sure the feeling was mutual for Cath! Now nursing some bruises and a very stiff neck... Lucky nothing more serious.

Off to see gorillas...

We are almost at the end of our time in Uganda. The last few days have been spent preparing materials on drugs and alcohol and on speech and language assessment to leave with pastor Steve and the teachers respectively.

We've had a couple of trips into Kampala, which seems busier every time. On one occasion, Andy got knocked down by Mutata (small minibus). He rolled well and was not badly injuerd, apart from a very bruised elbow. We didn't encounter any bystander apathy. Just about everyone stopped to say sorry, one man came eagerly to ask "did you get his registration number?" When we said no, he said, "I did! I've written it down for you!" Several other people chased the driver, stopped him in his vehicle and brought him back to us, asking what we wanted done with him!!!

We did some training on working with drug and alcohol users for the church this week.

our last few days in uganda will be spent going to see gorillas in the Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest. We were told we needed some gloves for this expedition. Pastor Steve kindly agreed to have some bought for us. Much to our amusement, we now own 2 pairs of industrial strength leather workers gloves, that reach almost to the elbows!! There won't be many thorns that get through those!

Pizza under fire....!

The last few days in Uganda have been pretty quiet for us. Although not for Uganda. There have been a couple of days of political unrest, with rioting in the capital, Kampala. Apparently the king had been planning to visit part of his kingdom and the government objected and said he couldn't. And then the supporters of the king became somewhat irate and began rioting. So the government brought in the army, closed a couple of radio stations and arrested some journalists.

We are about 5k (I think) from Kampala. And some of the rioting had spread to centres beyond the capital. We could hear gunfire from here for a couple of days. Apparently, the rioters, or the police, or both, were shooting into the air. Quite a number of people have been shot and the shops in the village were unable to get supplies. Everything has calmed down again now and all is back to normal. Except for the families who have lost loved ones in some rather pointless violence.

The school here was shut on Friday. (I guess getting a day off feels the same when you're seven, whether it's for snow or polling or political unrest). Which left us with not a great deal to do. So Andy and I were drinking tea and playing cards with the sound of occasional gunfire in the background. Really slightly surreal.

On Friday evening, we had planned to go out for pizza. And then decided this was probably not a good idea, given that there were riots in Kampala. Then the couple we were going with turned up and announced that pizza was 'on after all'. Assuming they had local knowledge and had carefully assessed the situation, we went with them.

It became clear that our companions had perhaps not engaged in quite the sobre assessment we had assumed they had. Certainly no one else had thought it was a good idea to go to Kampala. It was almost completely deserted. They assured us that the gunfire we could hear on the way into the city was 'on the other side'. There was no one else in the pizza restaurant and the waiters, though very courteous were obviously in a hurry to get home. The man who served the ice creams was not there. He'd gone home because his brother had been arrested. It occurred to me that this was possibly one of the least sensible things we'd done, as we watched the armoured vehicle pass the restaurant.

The pizza was excellent. If you're ever in Kampala, I thoroughly recommend Mommamias....

Comments....

Hi Everyone!

Several people have told us that they've had problems leaving us comments. I have just discovered a blog setting that should sort that out. I've basically allowed anyone to make comments who wants to. wasn't aware that wasn't the case before, but still!

so comment away!

Incubators and Uganda

Hi Everyone!

We are now in sunny Uganda. We've been here just over a week. We are staying with Pastor Stephen and his family, in Lungujja, near Kampala. They have 7 children and 5 nieces and nephews who they look after since their parents died. We have really enjoyed being part of this busy, children full household. they are looking after us very well.

Uganda is a very green place. Feels much more like home than the other places we've been. I think because it is so green. It has rained a couple of times since we've been here. Ugandan rain makes British rain look like a mere amateur! 20 minutes, and the road outside the house is more like a river than a road.

We're doing all sorts of things here. Catherine has done some training in speech and language for the teachers, Andy has done some drugs work with some teenagers, as well as some training of one of the teachers in how to teach some science topics and some science teaching with kids.

We have also been building an incubator!!! The plan is to hatch their own chicks. Pastor Stephen told us when we arrived that one of his plans was to buy an incubator. he told us how much it would cost and we said we didn't see why it shouldn't be possible to build one for far less. So some internet research and a bit of basic science later, and we have an incubator. Getting the fertilised eggs is proving more tricky. The roosters we put with some hens were seriously hen pecked. By this morning, they were hiding in the rafters of the chicken house, trying to escape the hens!!!! Pastor Stephen is planning to buy a real... rooster this week.

hopefully some piccies

The internet here is slower than a slug with a limp, however I will try and get some piccies of various stuff above feeding kids in miezie

Kids just love trucks. our Luxurious mode of transport

Children look after kids and often act as mothers at an early age

cathy feeding worming pills to kids to make sure that their meagre meals aren't shared with other abdominal dinner time guests

More beans please could you resist her?