Hello
We have finally arrived in the jungle hurray!
After a hideous 14 hr bus journey, in which the bus stopped about every 100 meters for the last 5 hrs, we finally arrived in Buhoma vllage, Bwindi. After we had got over the trauma of the bus (and vowing not to take the bs back!) we settled in to our tent! The tents are actually quite nice, very spacious, comfy bed, hot bucket shower (on request) and even the loo isn't too bad (as long as I don't go in after Simon - pretty standard) its a bucket with a seat that looks a bit like a toilet and provided teh aim is on target all is good!
We had a nice day relaxing on Sunday, which ivolved a nice walk up to the top of a hill to have a drink in a fancy lodge! Bwindi is lovely, a bit like a tropical lakedistrict but without the lakes. All the stories of cold and rain appear unfounded so far, it is very hot and sunny, but cool at night which is perfect.
We started 'work' on monday which involved going to visit the new site to which the gorilla camp will be, we veiwed it form a distance and decided to hike up there one morning this week when its less hot. We popped in to UWA (ugandan wildlife Authority) to meet some of the guys who work there as CTPH works in partnership with them. We also enquired about our gorilla trekking passes and will probably get to see the gorillas week afetr next, very exciting!!! if we don't see them in teh village before, they come down quite a lot aparently.
After failign to get teh internet to work yesterday. Today I have been doing computer stuff which is a bit boring and hard to do when there is so much exciting stuff to do out and about, so I spent the afternoon dropping off leaflets at the lodges and had another nice drink in a fancy lodge.
Loving Bwindi, I think it will be a nice place to be for 2 months and even picking up a bit or rochiga, the local language!
think thats it form me Helen xx
Hey All,
I have just arrived back from a day out in the community. Myself and Alex (a local Ugandan) have visited 2 communities within 30 mins from the lodge. We visited 12 households in each and sat down with the families and asked about nutrition and diseases in the community, investiating any sick people and advising the comunity on nutrition and hygeine. Has been good to see how people live here and looking forwards to going out tomorrow with Helen to continue the survey.
Last night we popped into the hospital next door and helped out the Scottish couple who are just starting to work in the in-patient deartment. Helped to diagnose virl encephalitis, malaria and a suspecte cerebral TB case, interesting diseases out here!
Life here is good, the tent is already starting to feel like home and we are in the centre of the community, not far from town, shops and the hospital. We wake in the morning to the sound of insects and open the doors of the tents and see only trees!
Should be a good 2 months, we will be continuing the nutrition assessment for a few weeks en will start training the local health workers to educate on mass. Will aslo be going out to work in the other community hospitl on Thursday and mybe treking across the forest to visit the communities on the other side of the park.
Looking forwards to relaxing this wekend and maybe trekking to the peak of the mountains here or down through the rivers. Have already een lots of monkeys and brds but keen for a sighting of the gorillas.
Will let you know more soon
Hope you are all well...........Simon xx
