GI Uganda is located in a rambling house on a sizeable piece of land, which like all muzungu places is fenced, gated, and guarded by gun touting security forces. Now I know where all the AK47s went. The downstairs houses the JGI offices and those of the CSWCT (Chimp Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust) as well as the communal kitchen. Upstairs has a large family room, Debbie’s large suite, our room (Hornbill Hall), another double room and the coffin (Emma’s tiny space.
Current residents include Debbie, the alpha female, Emma from Melbourne and Laura from NY, who lords it over all because she once worked in the Washington D.C. headquarters. Stephanie rents her own place on the premises.
We share the house with four dogs, two cats, and Tinker, Stephanie’s adorable Black Lab puppy. Two of the dogs are house dogs, and two help with the guarding. Both house dogs, Chipper, the old German shepard and Levi, a yellow Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, are afraid of thunder and keep trying to wiggle under the mosquito netting into our bed when it storms – almost nightly.
The orange cat, Dewa, has adopted me and is currently sleeping at my feet on the bed. The gray one, Pups, is a more active, independent sort.
Yesterday we slipped into a new month, shrouded in clouds and rain. Debbie is back from her European Primatologist Conference and is the self-appointed JGI cultural attaché. She took Emma, Connie and me into Kampala to the Kasubi Tombs, resting places of the Kabakas (kings) of the Buganda people, whose remains lie within giant bark cloth and thatch bandas. The Buganda believe royalty doesn’t die, they just disappear into the forest. (Like old soldiers?)
After lunch (which I promptly upchucked – still have this stomach thing –) we went to the museum. It’s pretty run down but there is some good ethno-history if you are in the mood. I wasn’t - feeling pretty crappy. Ben met us there (where did he come from?) and rode back with us. I immediately when to our room and slept.
I started a regime of heavy duty antibiotics today. Got to get rid of this and start feeling better. We head back out on Sunday. I don’t think it’s malaria, could be giardia (but from where? Maybe swallowing part of the Nile.)