This blog post tracks Viviane's adventures in Uganda.
I arrived in Entebbe, Uganda after a 20-something hr flight. My flight went from Toronto -Amsterdam - Uganda and I spent the distance shifting in my seat trying to revive parts of me that had fallen asleep due to loss of circulation. Because I had no one sitting next to me from Amsterdam to Uganda I lorded it up by hogging 2 tray tables --one for this netbook I am typing on and one for the various dodgy-yet-edible KLM meals, the best of which was ice cream. The flight had a whole host of missionaries that went by the label "The Chosen" and there may have been some intermittent singing on their part...umm yeah, was I ever glad when the plane landed. I got to the Jane Goodall Institute at around 11pm and everyone was asleep already, but the dogs alerted the security guard to let us in the fence enclosure. The Jane Goodall office is a large house, the upstairs of which has a big den and rooms for people to sleep. My room is rather large and contains a bed with a mosquito net, which is a good thing because there are bars on the windows rather than glass panes. Because of the open windows I hear many bug/cricket/frog noises.
Yesterday I was up at the crack of dawn (thank you local roosters)--showered and ready by 8am AND wondering where everyone one was. Eventually people trickled in and I met the very welcoming workshop coordinator, Aidan. I also got to met all the other volunteer teachers. Everyone is really nice and come from very different teaching backgrounds.
In the evening I went with the other teachers for my first walk outside of the enclosure. We walked by the zoo at the end of the road and I saw vervet monkeys (lots of babies with their mothers) and a Marbou stork. We are at the end of the town of Entebbe, right by Lake Victoria and this place has a small town feeling --there are paved and dirt roads, lots of vegetation and dragonflies. We had dinner in a fancy resort where Bill Clinton stayed at in his visit in Uganda. The buffet was good --local stews and a dessert table. On this first day I have already enjoyed 2 meals that have Ugali in them (oh yummy *eye-roll*). Ugali or Posha as it called in Uganda is this cornmeal + water that is made into a mash-potatoey paste that tastes like a combo of glue and over-boiled potato. It is a major staple food source here --high in carbs, low in flavor. Locals here love it and I guess in a way I do too because I reminds me so much of when I came here 2 year ago with Dave on our 4 month African honeymoon adventure. During dinner --as I was guilty on my way to the dessert table-- the power went out in the town. The group of us had a interesting time trying to find our way back to the Jane Goodall hotel in the pitch black. We did get to see fireflies along the way back. I didn't sleep all that well that night, around 3am I heard something foraging in my room and I was up until 6:30am --still having trouble adjusting to the time changes and night time visitors (one of which was a bat that Carla describes having an encounter with).
Today we went to an elementary school and saw children from kindergarten to grade 6. Classes average from 40-60 with only 1 teacher. When I asked the kids walk to school an hour each way. At the school they were preparing for a music competition --this competition has school within a district competing for best choir song, instrumental music piece and traditional dance. The best schools within the distrcit then go to the national competitions where it is a great honor to win. We got to watch some of the traditional dance they were practicing (heavy on the rapid hip swaying) and the choir sang a few song for us. I also got to go into the science class and speak with a few students about what they were working on and wanted to be when they grow up --I met several future engineers and future teachers.
Yesterday I was up at the crack of dawn (thank you local roosters)--showered and ready by 8am AND wondering where everyone one was. Eventually people trickled in and I met the very welcoming workshop coordinator, Aidan. I also got to met all the other volunteer teachers. Everyone is really nice and come from very different teaching backgrounds.
In the evening I went with the other teachers for my first walk outside of the enclosure. We walked by the zoo at the end of the road and I saw vervet monkeys (lots of babies with their mothers) and a Marbou stork. We are at the end of the town of Entebbe, right by Lake Victoria and this place has a small town feeling --there are paved and dirt roads, lots of vegetation and dragonflies. We had dinner in a fancy resort where Bill Clinton stayed at in his visit in Uganda. The buffet was good --local stews and a dessert table. On this first day I have already enjoyed 2 meals that have Ugali in them (oh yummy *eye-roll*). Ugali or Posha as it called in Uganda is this cornmeal + water that is made into a mash-potatoey paste that tastes like a combo of glue and over-boiled potato. It is a major staple food source here --high in carbs, low in flavor. Locals here love it and I guess in a way I do too because I reminds me so much of when I came here 2 year ago with Dave on our 4 month African honeymoon adventure. During dinner --as I was guilty on my way to the dessert table-- the power went out in the town. The group of us had a interesting time trying to find our way back to the Jane Goodall hotel in the pitch black. We did get to see fireflies along the way back. I didn't sleep all that well that night, around 3am I heard something foraging in my room and I was up until 6:30am --still having trouble adjusting to the time changes and night time visitors (one of which was a bat that Carla describes having an encounter with).
Today we went to an elementary school and saw children from kindergarten to grade 6. Classes average from 40-60 with only 1 teacher. When I asked the kids walk to school an hour each way. At the school they were preparing for a music competition --this competition has school within a district competing for best choir song, instrumental music piece and traditional dance. The best schools within the distrcit then go to the national competitions where it is a great honor to win. We got to watch some of the traditional dance they were practicing (heavy on the rapid hip swaying) and the choir sang a few song for us. I also got to go into the science class and speak with a few students about what they were working on and wanted to be when they grow up --I met several future engineers and future teachers.
In the afternoon I went with Carla to the Botanical Gardens. After dodging the ever-eager guide, we got to wander around and see lots of local plants and trees. The botanical garden was more like a park with labelled trees (ie: a sign saying that this is the cinnamon tree), then an organized manicured garden. There was an area that had lots of tall trees covered in vines, the perfect setting for Tarzan. There we saw some Colobus monkeys --monkeys that have a white fluffy tail (yay fluffy tail!). And when we came by a forested stream we saw a Genet. A Genet an elegant and sleek wild cat, spotted like a leopard but that is about the size of a domestic cat. It is an excellent tree climber. Normally it's noctural and I have never seen one before, so I was super excited. It was drinking in the stream I got to get pretty close to take a picture, which I've attached.
Tommorrow we are off to Kampala to buy supplies for the workshop. More to come soon!
Tommorrow we are off to Kampala to buy supplies for the workshop. More to come soon!
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