The Elders TreeJuly 23rd: 10:00pm
After spending the morning hunched over my laptop retouching photographs for various team projects, I set out to try to capture some of our fellow residents at the Ugandan Wildlife Education Center. As I tromped up and down the dusty red roads that lead through the property, camera equipment in tow, I was met by multitudes of puddin pops, all matching in their bright red, yellow, purple or blue school uniforms singing songs and chattering happily. As I passed, they invariably would all turn their little faces up to stare at me. I would then smile and wave and they would all light up with big grins and throw their hands in the air to wave back at the mazunga lugging all the cameras. On my way to see the chimpanzees, I stopped to photograph the other various inhabitants found at UWEC. I was focusing on a particular warthog who had poked his head out of the den when a staff member came driving up with everything for their afternoon feeding. Upon hearing the approach of the truck, the warthog came trotting out of the den, followed by a train of several more, ending in a tiny infant caboose! I spent the rest of the afternoon watching and photographing the Chimpanzee juveniles swing through the trees and practice their nest building.
After dinner, Peace took a group of us on a nighttime walk through the center and back up the beach. We visited the Elders Tree, which is an enormous tree living in the center that they have estimated to be over 100 years old. The Elders tree is believed to be a goddess and is worshipped by the local people. It is really a magnificent and mysterious old tree.
July 24th: 11:30am
So we have 1 team member that has already come down with Malaria, and a second one who is feeling sick and is in question. As this all happened in the first few days, this does not bode well for the rest of the team! I've only been bitten a few times and have been staying on top of my Doxycycline, but apparently, most of the Malaria meds prescribed do not actually prevent Malaria, they just give you about 24 hours extra before you absolutely have to get to a doctor. Let's cross our fingers that I don't wind up with it!
On another note, I've finally resigned to being filthy. My feet are stained a reddish brown from the dirt here, but everyone's are. We're all filthy and smelly and sweaty together so it's really not that bad actually. :)
