Hey All,
So, we have been here a week now and starting to settle into a routine. Up at 8am woken by the sounds of insects and birds. Wander through a forest path to the dining hut and wait for our eggs on taost. This gives the water just enough time to heat up for a shower (water heated in a pan over a fire). Then a shower in the tent, in scalding water and then ready for a days work.
I head off out into the community (there are about 7 villages within walking distance), Helen sometimes comes with or is working in the camp or visiting the local lodges. After a few hours walking around the villages, stopping at houses and asking mothers about illness in their children or problems with water or food shortages, I head back for a short lunch, write up a brief report then more of the same int he afternoon.
Back for 6pm when its just getting dark, dusty and hot from walking. Another shower and some good dinner then relax with a beer and some of the locals come around for a chat and a bit of a laugh.
Off to bed and watch a bit of TV on the laptop, currently Avatar and Downton Abbey to remind us of home. Gotto go but more to follow...
Internet access not great here, so may have to write in bits and pieces......
So thats our daily Mon-Friday routine, on the weekend we took a bit of a walk around town, about 20 shanty looking shops on either side of a dirt road, selling anything from Barberry bags (thats not a spelling mistake) to bottles of soda and tins of jam. Every other shop is to top up airtime for phones. We walked down to the river and sat watching the world go by, then went for a walk out over the surrounding hills with some friends and one of the local doctors.
It's a nice, simple way of life here, you can see where everybodys water and food come from, speak to anyone openly about their problems and laugh happily with anyone in the street. Small town life where everyone knows everyone.
This coming week we will be continuing our survey as well as hopefully going off to see the gorillas. Helen is looking to help bring in some funds for the programmes here as well as looking at refurbing the camp we live in. She's hard at work and I'm waiting for a meeting with the hospital administrator so I get to do the update, hopefully she will be back online soon
Will keep in touch, all our love
Simon and Helen
Hello I'm back! Been on the computer most of the day so will do the next update! Have been having fun joing in the local ladies sewing and seeing the ladies above (dancing in the photo) learning to become mechanics and ride bikes!! hope to see teh gorillas soon. lots of love xxx
