A weekend with the Chimps!

Last weekend, we took off to go and see our 98% genetically similar friends, the chimps! Our weekend started with a scenic tour of the traffic and streets in our private taxi.

A typical scene in the city, with piles of people and cars in all directions. (a good photo by Glenna)

Little shops are all along the roads selling what they can. And the kids are EVERYWHERE! Of course, we are convinced that the price is nearly double given that we are Mzungu!

This one for example, obviously has bananas of every kind.

A neatly kept little house on the main road. In Uganda, image is very important, even if the houses are small.

For the ladies, image is especially important, and they often head out to their errands all dressed up. Glenna's all black attire probably doesn't cut it.

Yet another small homestead on the road to Entebbe.

Transport and traffic... we have noticed over the last 2 weeks, that Boda Boda's (motorcycles) and road bikes are used to carry anything and everything. Seeing these photos, we're not surprised that "mass casualty" occurs at least once per week!

Here is a Boda Boda carrying a dresser. I wonder what will happen if he forgets that the back of the bike is a little bigger than the front.

This looks like a good way to prime cyclists for competition. I think these Ugandans would do well in a duathlon. Unfortunately, he is likely a courier service!

What the heck is that on the back of the boda boda and why is it placed so as to hit the most number of passer-byes?

If you buy an important piece of furniture such as a fridge, you wouldn't want anything to happen to it... sure looks well secured in the event of an RTA (road traffic accident!)

If you are in a hurry, jump on a boda boda. You are sure to get to the trauma bay fast!

After our scenic tour, that is the drive from Kampala to Entebbe, we arrived at the Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre. We boarded a boat tender for 12 and headed-out on our 45 minute ride across Lake Victoria to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Reserve.

Here's the African tourists - darn we look geeky!

Sean, looking so lovingly at Glenna!

Glenna playing hard to get!
Doesn't she look so human-like!

Kickin' back and enjoying a abdominal buffet.

"Hey, pass over here!" He actually caught the fruit tossed at him!

No, not a chimp, but a white guy bargaining for a Coke - Sean had to promise to return the bottle as the deposit is more than the cost of the soda!

Us and our fellow Islanders for the day!

Following our return trip, we stayed a few hours at the Entebbe Wildlife Centre.

Again, two great looking geeks.

Even in Africa, Glenna is appalled at the idea of "going slow". That said, she is an advocate of helmet-wearing.

What a cutie! Glenna just wanted to "eat" this little one. In fact, he stood only 20cm in height (this is a telephoto picture). Look at the details in his hands and how he's using them - just like us!

This monkey found a way to the dining room and was "rewarded" with chips - he even dipped it in Ketchup.

Look at the King of Jungle! So majestic, so magnificent, so ...

... lazy! That was a yawn, not a growl!

Safari Sean! "Dr. Sean, Dr. Sean, where go you?" (said in the voice of short-stuff from Indiana Jones). Isn't he cute?

We had a difficult time capturing anything except butt-shots of the animals. This is the best we could do for the Rhino!







Peek-a-boo, I.C.U.! hee hee.

One of the local workers separating herbs from grass.

A group of kids of all races touring through the park. We couldn't figure-out if it was a Missionary group, orphanage, or some other group. Sean got in trouble for taking a picture of the blonde's bum! He says he was trying to capture the kids' photo ... SURE.

And, "Photo of the week". Sean captured this shot of a young girl working in the fields while children of the same age attended school on the other side of the fence.






And that's the photo-journey for this week. We thought that the photos tell more than our words.

Next up, weekend with Dr. Chamberlain in Mokono.

Glenna (and Sean).