I said goodbye to Bwindi on Friday morning and headed to Lake Bunyoni for a weekend break. The road took us through sections of the park, which were fantastic. The lake was very beautiful, despite the rain. Angela and I shared a tent the first night. It was on a raised platform with a roof, so we didn't get wet, but it sure was cold!
We met 5 medical students (this seems to be an ongoing trend) and helped them celebrate their Independence Day. The next day, we boarded canoes and headed out onto the lake. At one island, we landed and partook in the nature walk around the parimeter. I didn't partake in the rope-swing-thingy into the water though, I forgot my swimsuit (shucks!). After lunch (which took 2 1/2 hours), we paddled to Punishment Island. Legend has it that unmarried, pregnant women were taken here and abandoned as their 'punishment.' They either died to starvation, drown trying to swim to shore, or were rescued by a man who couldn't afford to pay a bride price. We considered leaving someone there, but decided against it after some serious discussion. The next island we came to had an older man, a hut and not much else. We stopped only briefly to have a picture, oogle at the gigantic grasshoppers (about 12 cm in length), and look at the flowers.
Somehow our navigator missed a turn and we ended up paddling several km out into the lake. Before sundown, we came across a man with his wife and 2 kids paddling in the other direction. We asked for directions only to be told we were really far from the hotel. He had someone call the manager from on land to tell them where we were. It was after dark by the time we paddled back to the inlet. Thankfully the hotel lights directed us once we made the correct turn. What an adventure!
The next day, we took it easy and drifted out on the lake reading our books and singing 'repeat after me songs.' Thank-goodness Ang used to be a camp counselor. We took the Uganda Post bus to Mbarara; Angela continued on to Kampala to meet her sister.
The last few days have been restless: we don't know really when Dr. Siefert will be able to come get us, if at all. Hopefully tomorrow we will be either 'picked' or we will take public transportation to Queen Elizabeth National Park. I'm excited to start our last project!
I have posted pictures of Bwindi on my Flickr website, please take a peak!
Also, dear readers, after 2 months away from home, I'm feeling a bit homesick...please feel free to leave me some comments.
As I write this in the FAOC office, I heard a thump. When I looked up, I saw a bat had flown into the window and landed on an old copy of National Geographic. I'm all alone here and pretty scared of bats...if I don't write for a while, chalk it up to a rabies bite from this vicious vampire bat who continues to watch me (and listen) from across the room. Seriously though, I'm vaccinated and I likely won't have internet in the park, so once again, my apologizes for the sparse postings.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Canada Day in Uganda
CTPH has been a wonderful experience so far. Our days are spent in the Gorilla lab analyzing fecal samples for parasites. The work is very interesting! I even identified a new type of parasite egg (confirmed by my colleagues of course). Once the samples are prepared, there is lots of down time because we have only one microscope. Between my turn to scan the slides, I have been planning my trip to Germany and reading the most fascinating book: Tales of a Female Nomad. I’m starting to get excited and inspired.
Our evenings have been busy. Supper is usually street food. Typically, we order chips (French fries) then walk to the open market where we purchase banana cookies/cakes, a tomato, bananas, corn on the cob, or avacados. Then we cross and buy muchomo (meet on a stick). I’ve developed quite a liking for the goat meat cooked on coal cooking pots. We were half-joking, half-serious about finding a local butcher in Saskatoon and buying an Mbuzi at the auction mart. Once our meals are purchased, we go back and eat at the chip place where the children quiz us on the local language and laugh at our accents. I am thriving in the small-town attitude of the place where everyone is starting to recognize us and all seem willing to help us learn the language.
I made a friend with Immaculate, a local school teacher. I lent her my copy of Anne of Green Gables (a testament to how much I like her). One evening, we ‘picked’ Immaculate and bought ingredients at the market for dinner. She taught us how to cook cabbage and Irish (potatoes) in the local way. Her neighbour kindly shared his bean stew so we had a complete meal. Later in the evening, he was not-so-subtlety hitting on me: I forgot my ‘wedding’ ring. We danced the Eclipso, which is a local children dance involving shoulder shrugs and simple steps, for the first time in the shelter of the yard. It was so fun to delve into the local culture. I feel so fortunate to have met her and even luckier she is an English teacher. Yesterday, we went to her school and danced for her students. We first attempted the Eclipso. I’m the only one who seems to do it reasonably well, but we all enjoy laughing at the experience. The children were thrilled when we taught them the chicken dance. That’s right, the best we could do was the chicken dance. They did a local dance for us involving drums, stomping, jumping and beautiful lyrics in a language I don’t understand. I continue to be so fortunate to have these experiences.
We celebrated Canada day with our usual supper, some dancing in the streets for the Boda drivers (apparently everyone heard about our Eclipso performance). At our hotel, another Canadian, Der, Missy, the American we are working with, and 2 English Medical students all drank a beer with us and visited. There were no fireworks, but it was very fun.
My time here is almost finished, but I have been very content here and I will be sad to leave. I have not seen the gorillas, my sore throat made my decision for me (you shouldn’t treck if you are sick), but I will be doing a walk in the park this afternoon. I’m excited to experience my first rainforest in all its gory. I should be able to see the Congo and Rwanda from the trail, places I never imagined I would ever see first hand. For now, viewing the Congo from Uganda is close enough!
Our evenings have been busy. Supper is usually street food. Typically, we order chips (French fries) then walk to the open market where we purchase banana cookies/cakes, a tomato, bananas, corn on the cob, or avacados. Then we cross and buy muchomo (meet on a stick). I’ve developed quite a liking for the goat meat cooked on coal cooking pots. We were half-joking, half-serious about finding a local butcher in Saskatoon and buying an Mbuzi at the auction mart. Once our meals are purchased, we go back and eat at the chip place where the children quiz us on the local language and laugh at our accents. I am thriving in the small-town attitude of the place where everyone is starting to recognize us and all seem willing to help us learn the language.
I made a friend with Immaculate, a local school teacher. I lent her my copy of Anne of Green Gables (a testament to how much I like her). One evening, we ‘picked’ Immaculate and bought ingredients at the market for dinner. She taught us how to cook cabbage and Irish (potatoes) in the local way. Her neighbour kindly shared his bean stew so we had a complete meal. Later in the evening, he was not-so-subtlety hitting on me: I forgot my ‘wedding’ ring. We danced the Eclipso, which is a local children dance involving shoulder shrugs and simple steps, for the first time in the shelter of the yard. It was so fun to delve into the local culture. I feel so fortunate to have met her and even luckier she is an English teacher. Yesterday, we went to her school and danced for her students. We first attempted the Eclipso. I’m the only one who seems to do it reasonably well, but we all enjoy laughing at the experience. The children were thrilled when we taught them the chicken dance. That’s right, the best we could do was the chicken dance. They did a local dance for us involving drums, stomping, jumping and beautiful lyrics in a language I don’t understand. I continue to be so fortunate to have these experiences.
We celebrated Canada day with our usual supper, some dancing in the streets for the Boda drivers (apparently everyone heard about our Eclipso performance). At our hotel, another Canadian, Der, Missy, the American we are working with, and 2 English Medical students all drank a beer with us and visited. There were no fireworks, but it was very fun.
My time here is almost finished, but I have been very content here and I will be sad to leave. I have not seen the gorillas, my sore throat made my decision for me (you shouldn’t treck if you are sick), but I will be doing a walk in the park this afternoon. I’m excited to experience my first rainforest in all its gory. I should be able to see the Congo and Rwanda from the trail, places I never imagined I would ever see first hand. For now, viewing the Congo from Uganda is close enough!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Inside Bwindi Impenetrable
The bus ride from
I’m in
We rode a pickup truck from the end of the bus line to the park. A kind lady made sure we found the right place. We stayed in a hut inside the park; it was fantastic, but too pricey to remain there for 2 weeks. Yesterday, we found a lodge to stay at which even has a shower! The key to cold showers is warm thoughts: Jamie’s African philosophy.
Last night, we were looking for supper and met Immaculate, a teacher at a nearby primary school. She took us around the village in search of a 4 course meal for under 1000 Ushillings ($0.70). We had muchomo (meat on a stick), chips with raw cabbage, corn on the cob and mangoes for dessert. She even found us a place to sit and enjoy our food by lantern light. This was probably the most random meal I have ever eaten, but so good! Her sister, Penelope is the headmaster at the primary school. She invited us to come play football with the children when we have time. Game on!
We will be working on health monitoring of the gorillas including fecal floatation for parasites and PCR for other infectious disease organisms. A 3rd year Vet student from Cornell, Missy, is here for a longer stay. We will be helping her in the lab as well as community education sessions. From the material I have read, I really agree with the direction of this organization which focuses as much on the community as the gorillas. The director, Dr. Gladys Kamela-Zikusooka, the founder and CEO of CTPH sounds like an amazing woman with incredible vision.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Jinja!
Our time with Dr. William was very informative, even though the Brucellosis testing was not ready to begin. I unfortunately missed the first call because I was back at the hostel unpacking and he needed to complete his surgery before dark. The second call was a heifer that needed a caesarian. After an exam, the heifer was layed on her side and 2 farm hands held her legs with ropes. Dr. William impressively shaved her flank with his scalpel, injected some lidocaine anesthetic, and went about cutting. I helped hold the calf’s leg, which was very slippery inside the uterus. I couldn’t get a grip, so my gloves were cast aside and he was able to make the incision. With the help of Maria and another farm hand, we pulled the calf out. Dr. William closed the first layer, then I had a go. Despite my lack of recent practice, I was able to suture the simple continuous will little difficulty. Viv had a go then Maria and I closed the skin. The calf was alive when we left, but it didn’t look too promising.
The next call was to help with a ring vaccination to control a Foot and Mouth Outbreak in the area. The affected farm had been quarantined, but the surrounding herds need to be vaccinated to control the spread of the disease. We arrived at the first ranch and were warmly welcomed by the owner, Charles. He is a fairly important person in the Uganda military, I gathered he was in charge of internal security for the region. After cold sodas, we headed to the corral area. The cattle were moved in small groups into a ‘crush’ which was an alley wide enough for them to stand diagonally. They were vaccinated in the neck before being released and the next groups run in. The cattle were Friesian Holstein crossed with the local Ankole breeds, which maximizes the milk production without sacrificing hardiness. From what I could see, the hybrid vigor was working well. The last group was pure Ankole. Their horns reached up to 1metre, diameter must have been 15cm. They can only be described as impressive. Move over Texas, the Ugandan Longhorns are definitely bigger! We did 2 other farms before heading back to Mbarara dog-tired, but satisfied.
On Friday, we took a bus to Kampala. I was sad to say goodbye to Mbarara since we won’t be going back until right before we are leaving. The ride was good and I enjoyed some excellent Mchomo on the bus (meat on a stick). The gritty texture adds to the experience, you can’t often tell if it is dirt or salt (maybe a bit of both?). In Kampala, we went to the Mzungo Mall, Garden City. I had an iced coffee and chocolate ice cream, I can’t remember having tasted something so good (except African Tea with chocolate, I guess). I was a little overwhelmed by the western-style bright lights, flashy signs and so many white people in one place. I went back to the craft village near the mall to lighten my wallet. I exhibited some self-control and left the giraffe statues there.
Back at the mall, we divided and conquered the movie theatre. I decided on Indian Jones: it was just the right amount of cheese for my taste. In the theatre, I could almost forget I was in Africa. Angela (who will be with us for a few weeks now), brought me back to reality when her doxycycline (antimalaria drug) alarm went off.
In the morning, we took a Matatu (minibus) transport of Jinja. I wanted to go for some equine therapy along the banks of the Nile, but it wasn’t meant to be as they company was fully booked. The rest of the group went whitewater rafting. I decided not to, I can do that at home and I would rather save that $100 to do something else. I walked down to the Source of the Nile: where the Nile River leaves Lake Victory and starts its journey across Africa. I joined some American tourists and took a boat out onto the river. It was so amazing to see. I caught a ride with the tour company to the rapids. A British gal, on her gap year, kindly took me to the rapids. Bujagali Rapids are really impressive! After seeing them from dry land, I was quite pleased with my decision to forgo a more up-close encounter. I spent a few hours sitting at watching the water go by. It was all very peaceful (between the school groups, of course). At the tour company base, I walked down to see the Nile upclose once again. On the way, they have showers set up so you can look out over the river while washing. Too bad I didn’t stay there! The BBQ was great and my rafter friend were very excited and tired about the whole experience. I decided to spend the night in Jinja to save on travel time, they opted to stay up at the rapids. On the truck back, I sat with a group of American law students who are volunteering in Kampala. It was so refreshing to talk to some new and different people! I slept like an angel in the hostel. I ate breakfast with my new lawyer friends (always good to have some of those on your side) then headed off to see Jinja. It is the nicest city I have been in here: reasonably clean, nice people, and tree-lined streets. I found another Kanga to replace the one that was lost/stolen (these are rectangular cloths with Swahili proverbs). I stood in the street listening to Diamond Rio’s “One More Day.” The locals were very curious. Sorry, no pictures this time, I’m in an internet café listening to the Backstreet Boys without my camera cable.
The plan is to go to Kampala tonight, stay at the Red Chilli then catch the bus across the country to Bwindi National Park. We are volunteering with Conservation Through Public Health there. This is the website: http://www.ctph.org/
I might have very limited internet access there, so please don’t fret if it takes a while for a new post.
The next call was to help with a ring vaccination to control a Foot and Mouth Outbreak in the area. The affected farm had been quarantined, but the surrounding herds need to be vaccinated to control the spread of the disease. We arrived at the first ranch and were warmly welcomed by the owner, Charles. He is a fairly important person in the Uganda military, I gathered he was in charge of internal security for the region. After cold sodas, we headed to the corral area. The cattle were moved in small groups into a ‘crush’ which was an alley wide enough for them to stand diagonally. They were vaccinated in the neck before being released and the next groups run in. The cattle were Friesian Holstein crossed with the local Ankole breeds, which maximizes the milk production without sacrificing hardiness. From what I could see, the hybrid vigor was working well. The last group was pure Ankole. Their horns reached up to 1metre, diameter must have been 15cm. They can only be described as impressive. Move over Texas, the Ugandan Longhorns are definitely bigger! We did 2 other farms before heading back to Mbarara dog-tired, but satisfied.
On Friday, we took a bus to Kampala. I was sad to say goodbye to Mbarara since we won’t be going back until right before we are leaving. The ride was good and I enjoyed some excellent Mchomo on the bus (meat on a stick). The gritty texture adds to the experience, you can’t often tell if it is dirt or salt (maybe a bit of both?). In Kampala, we went to the Mzungo Mall, Garden City. I had an iced coffee and chocolate ice cream, I can’t remember having tasted something so good (except African Tea with chocolate, I guess). I was a little overwhelmed by the western-style bright lights, flashy signs and so many white people in one place. I went back to the craft village near the mall to lighten my wallet. I exhibited some self-control and left the giraffe statues there.
Back at the mall, we divided and conquered the movie theatre. I decided on Indian Jones: it was just the right amount of cheese for my taste. In the theatre, I could almost forget I was in Africa. Angela (who will be with us for a few weeks now), brought me back to reality when her doxycycline (antimalaria drug) alarm went off.
In the morning, we took a Matatu (minibus) transport of Jinja. I wanted to go for some equine therapy along the banks of the Nile, but it wasn’t meant to be as they company was fully booked. The rest of the group went whitewater rafting. I decided not to, I can do that at home and I would rather save that $100 to do something else. I walked down to the Source of the Nile: where the Nile River leaves Lake Victory and starts its journey across Africa. I joined some American tourists and took a boat out onto the river. It was so amazing to see. I caught a ride with the tour company to the rapids. A British gal, on her gap year, kindly took me to the rapids. Bujagali Rapids are really impressive! After seeing them from dry land, I was quite pleased with my decision to forgo a more up-close encounter. I spent a few hours sitting at watching the water go by. It was all very peaceful (between the school groups, of course). At the tour company base, I walked down to see the Nile upclose once again. On the way, they have showers set up so you can look out over the river while washing. Too bad I didn’t stay there! The BBQ was great and my rafter friend were very excited and tired about the whole experience. I decided to spend the night in Jinja to save on travel time, they opted to stay up at the rapids. On the truck back, I sat with a group of American law students who are volunteering in Kampala. It was so refreshing to talk to some new and different people! I slept like an angel in the hostel. I ate breakfast with my new lawyer friends (always good to have some of those on your side) then headed off to see Jinja. It is the nicest city I have been in here: reasonably clean, nice people, and tree-lined streets. I found another Kanga to replace the one that was lost/stolen (these are rectangular cloths with Swahili proverbs). I stood in the street listening to Diamond Rio’s “One More Day.” The locals were very curious. Sorry, no pictures this time, I’m in an internet café listening to the Backstreet Boys without my camera cable.
The plan is to go to Kampala tonight, stay at the Red Chilli then catch the bus across the country to Bwindi National Park. We are volunteering with Conservation Through Public Health there. This is the website: http://www.ctph.org/
I might have very limited internet access there, so please don’t fret if it takes a while for a new post.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
June 14th: Partay Uganda Style
Our understanding was that Leanne and Judy would be arriving today and needed their rooms back at Aqua View. So we packed and moved: Maria and I to Full Stop, which is down the road from FAOC, Viv to the FAOC office where she lived last summer. One room wasn’t clean so we just dropped everything off and went back to the office. Carol (a FAOC employee) invited us to her mother’s home for a party. Her English isn’t that good and my Ranyakory is terrible, so I wasn’t exactly sure what was happening. Leanne and Judy hadn’t yet messaged us to say what time they would be arriving, so we were stuck with what to do. Viv finally called and found out they were in
Before the program could commence, the sound system and speakers had to ｂｅ ｕｎｌｏａｄｅｄ （ｉｔ arrive via bicycle）. The music started and Carol’s mother and family danced in procession. Different groups of people took turns dancing up and presenting her with gifts. I saw a few plates, a clock, 2 wash bins, and an encocoa (chicken) wrapped in matoke leaves. I was a little chocked I didn’t know about the gift giving because I would definitely have bought a few hens. When our turn came, I led the way and busted a move. Rebecca handed over an envelope with some money and we all shook our hostess’s hands and what our mama’s gave us. The audience was especially thrilled when Rebecca and I did a do-see-do type turn. The minister gave a speech followed by Francis who said some words on our behalf. He said we were sadly going to depart, and the minister’s clan insisted we stay to see them dance. The women strapped on shakers to their legs, the minister even hiked up his robe (don’t worry, he was wearing pants). They did a great dance to the beat of handdrums and the shakers.
Regarding the children: There were so many, and they were all very well-behaved. A few girls performed a dance for us. They had fashioned skirts out of matoke leaves and sashayed in what I would describe as belly-type dancing. After the second song, people handed them coins, so I ｇave a 500, hopefully they will share. The kids were very excited to shake our hands and have their pictures taken. I think they get a real thrill out of mzungus.
Supper was at Francis’s brother’s restaurant. We sat on the balcony which provided a beautiful scene of stars, the moon, and Mbarara below. Our food took a rather long time, which suited me fine. I still haven’t gotten used to how long it takes to get food here. I often sit down for a meal not feeling the least bit hungry, but by the time my food arrives, my belly button is rubbing my backbone. It was nice to sit and look at the stars (malaria be damned)! I have been keeping busy to really avoid thinking too much. I was able to settle down and focus on what is happening. It is hard, but in perspective, nothing compared to what I see around me. I just wish it wasn’t happening. Time to wake up, Princess, the fairytale is over.
June 13th Another Day, Another Pig Pen
The road to the grandmother’s farm was torturous, but we made it! I was a little nauseous and hadn’t slept so I passed on the millet even though I risked offending my host. I think she understood my gestures and I figured it was better to politely decline rather than puke under her matoke trees. Despite picking up new supplies (2 hammers, 2kg of nails, a panga, and a spike), we didn’t actually help that much. They holes were dug when we arrive and I just finished one off before the poles were added. I mostly handed the one guy nails. I guess if there is a man present, he is given the hammer and is the only one allowed to actually pound nails. I figured with 3 hammers, we could have multiple people hammering and cutting, but it didn’t seem to work because everyone stopped and waited. After a few failed attempts at hammering (I was pretty weak), I sort of decided I should give up. These grandmothers were amazing with the pangas again and it was almost embarrassing how pitiful my chopping attempts were. The language barrier was huge today since Carol came rather than Hilda, who speaks much better English. There was a lot of nodding and gesturing. I caught on to “Mzungu move”…and “give me a nail.”
The woman who the pen was for had a pig. She was so cute and wanted a picture with it, us, and the new pen. They actually tie their animals by the leg here. The pig had a piece of rope around one leg, which the women cut off with a panga. I was sort of scared when they went after the pig with such a big weapon, but it worked out okay. I managed to eat some lunch of beans, matoke, and sweet potatoｅｓ．
We got to play veterinarian twice today since the Veterinarians Without Borders vets are away for a short ho
liday. The first goat we examined was a 1-day postpartum nanny goat which had prolapsed 2 weeks before delivery. We diagnosed her with having ridiculously large twins that may have caused premature straining. Luckily, the goat seems to be fine now with no evidence of inflammation or abnormal discharge. She had plenty of milk and her kids looked very strong. I was shocked when she said they were only delivered yesterday.
Our second patient was a 2-month post-partum nanny goat that had 3 swellings on her udder. Our exam failed to reveal no pain or heat. Her milk was great. We took pictures to show Dr. Leanne and Dr. Judy when they arrive. I suspect neoplasia or a granuloma, but really I have no idea. Overall, I don’t think we did too much, but I hope that us looking at the goats reassured the women to some extent.
I was so dirty after today, I thought my tan was actually starting to develop. Turns out it was a thick layer of red dust. I did laundry when I got home and I really have come to appreciate washing machines. Kudos to women the world over who wash clothes by hand, this is no easy task.
We had supper at the Lord’s Bar (that is actually the name): muchomo (meat on a stick) and a Tusker beer. It is brewed in
June 12th: One Trying Day...
The scheduled activity was to head to the field and build a goat pen. We ‘picked’ Innocent (FAOC’s hired hand) and left him to cut grass for the craft hutch roof at a farm along the way. After a millet beverage that was so bitter it would put hair on my chest if I could have drank any more, we got started. First, we dug holes for the posts with pangas (machetes) and a spike. The posts were added to the holes and stabilized with rocks and soil. Next the floor was placed followed by the frame for the roof. Finally, the side poles were added and the gate, roof and ramp were to be completed at a later time. It turns out I am ok with a panga, but I don’t hold a candle to the grandmothers that were out helping. They would cut a piece in less than 1/2 the time it took me and with fewer strokes. The pen was actually intended for a pig, and after it was finished, I think it looked quite impressive. We were served lunch of beans, matoke and poeshow (mashed-potato like dish).
Back at the grass field to ‘pick’ Innocent, we found him along with several bunches of Ebinyansi (grass). It quickly became evident that the bunches were not going to fit inside our little Suzuki SUV. Onto the roof they went with 2 ropes holding them down. The passenger doors were tied shut because it was the post stable place to tie, so we had to all crawl into the front. The back was loaded with a Matoke (banana) bunch, sugar cane, and our tools. There must have been 50 kids gathered around watching us. The whole scene was very African! There were strands of grass draped on the windshield to complete the picture. The only things missing were an Mbuzi (goat), and some Encocoa (hens). The car definitely got more than the usual stares as people must have been wondering what the Mzungus (white people) were doing with so much grass.
On the ‘highway’ a matoke truck (small semi) stopped in front of us. We stopped in time, but then he backed up, right into us! He drove off as we got out to survey the damage. The bumper was loose and needed fixing, but it was still driveable. We ‘chased’ after at a brisk 30 Km/H in our grass-ladened vehicle. Miraculously, we caught up with him. When he pulled over, he denied hitting us then finally agreed to fix the car. After following him through Mbarara, he stopped at a mechanic on the side of the road. He tied the bumper on with wire and a bolt and superglued a rubber piece that came off.
I rushed home to eat and shower before an anticipated phone call. The news was devastating. I checked, but the Worst Case Scenario Travel Guide that he gave me does not contain a chapter on what to do if your boyfriend breaks up with you a month before the trip. I’m trying my best to understand and to be thankful he didn’t do this after.
I've recently posted a few more pictures, enjoy!
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