It was another nasty morning so we decided to paint instead of do laundry. It must be birding season. Vincent is out again with his group of six and Alfred, reputed to be the #1 or #2 bird guide in Uganda, arrived with his clients, Philip from the University of Alabama and Peter from Holland. Connie stopped to talk with them – fellow birders dispel her introvert tendencies – and loaned them ponchos.
Amnon, who will have to get up to speed on birds, guided them through the forest and Alfred took care of our feathered friends. While we were reconditioning the Busingiro sign we talked with their driver. Gideon comes from Bwindi, home of Uganda’s mountain gorillas, and cold be the poster child for eco-tourism. He says the gorillas are his brothers. They are responsible for the good schools, the housing and the hospital in his area. Seventy percent of the villagers make their living directly from gorilla tourism and the other 30% from trickle down economy. He says that they will actually kill anyone who harms the gorillas and they know all of them by name. They even have a christening ceremony complete with a minister when a baby gorilla is born. That’s the kind of result we hope for – everyone benefits, especially the environment. Now to get the word out.
