What I'm up to

Well, the elections happened on thursady. No violence in Nkozi, though there are reports of intimidation and vote rigging in other districts. Of course, the EU has come out with a report saying that the election was free and fair, although they do aknowledge that it wasn't a level playing feild with Besigye being in jail and court during the campaigning, and Museveni using government resources for campaigning.

On Thursday I walked down to the equator with some friends (Alexis, Sister Charity, and Sister Harriet). Along the way we stopped at the Nkozi polling station for Sister Harriet to do her civic duty. The polling is all outdoors, so Alexis and I were exited to observe the whole process. We wanted pics, but weren't sure if that was allowed. Howvere, when we got to the equator there was a polling station right next to the equator markers, so I took this picture while pretending to photograph the equator.



Then we actually took some real tourist pics at the equator. Here I am, with one foot in each hemisphere (which is often how I feel these days)



So, on a more frivolous note, I got my hair braided. It took all day, from 7:30 am till 3pm. Alexis kept me company and took some pictures for me.

Here is what I looked like "before"



Here I am getting the braids.






And here is my new do!


Anyway, while getting the braids, the radio was anouncing the unofficial results which come from observers who count the ballots along with the electoral commision people. Those results said that Besigye and Museveni were both around 47 or 48 percent. But when the offical results came in yesterday, Musevini got aroung 60 percent of the vote. Something kind of fishy in that. And you've got to love that the EU people declared the election free and fair before the official vote tally was released. Cause it seems something might have happened between the polling stations and EC headquarters? (Something like a whole lot of pre-ticked museveni ballots got added in?) But right now all seems calm, despite the questions this raises.

Not much new here

Not much is going on here, so this is just a quick update so ya'll no that I'm safe and healthy! Actually, speaking of health, I'm getting my last rabies shot today. Hooray, no more missing work to go into Kampala! (err... wait... maybe thats not such a good thing after all?)

I was also in Kampala with a few friends to do some shopping on Saturday, and I bought some fake hair, so keep posted for pics of my new do. Not sure when I'm getting it done, maybe next weekend. Apparently getting braids is an all day committment, but hopefully I'll be able to arrange to have a couple people working on me at once so that it goes quicker.

Otherwise, life continues in Nkozi. The elctions are heating up; they will take place on Feb 23. But don't worry, I intend to spend the day at home with a book and some movies, staying out of trouble.

I'm also working on updating my resume and sending it to bunches of firms at home. So if anyone hears of any law-related jobs, or any other jobs that could use my skill, please let me know.

Only six weeks left at my job, then I'll be taking off to see the rest of East Africa!

Lake Mburo Part 2 - Charge of the Hippo

Just a couple of days after I went to Lake Mburo with Alexis, we had some visitors from the university of Groningen. There was a public holiday while they were here, so Max decided we should take them somewhere. So that is how it came to be that only four days after leaving Lake Mburo, I headed back there with Max, Eric, and Marieke.

We drove into the park, passing lots of Ankole cattle and crested cranes on our way.





Then we stopped for lunch at the restaurant by the lake, and once again a hippo came out to graze. The people at the restaurant later told that that particular hippo was known as Jennifer.



Jennifer was pretty calm at first, some kids were running around all excited and screaming but she took no notice of them. Nor did she take much notice of us taking pictures.

Jennifer was still there when we were finished lunch; in fact, it was between us and the restrooms. But she had been so calm, that it seemed it should be possible to walk around her. So Marieke set out. My back was to the whole thing, but this is what witnesses say happened next:

Marieke was circling around Jennifer and Jennifer looked at her. She looked back, smiling, trying to convey friendliness. But Jennifer was not impressed and began to charge. Marieke started running, faster than she had ever run before. At this point people in the restaurant noticed what was happening (a charging hippo is much quieter than you would think.) Max stood up yelling and waving his arms. Jennifer stopped and Marieke made it back to the safety of the restaurant. Jennifer went back to grazing and taking no notice of us. Marieke got quite a fright, but wasn’t injured.

Eventually Jennifer moved on, and we were able to get back to the car. We drove around for a bit on our way out of the park, seeing animals such as buffalo, antelope and more zebras.

Lake Mburo Part 1

One weekend Alexis and I decided to go to Lake Mburo to see the zebras. We got up early Saturday morning, loaded up our backpacks with food, water, and other essentials, and took off.

After about three hours on a matatu, we reached the turn off. There we had to bargain to get a decent price into the park. We ended up working out a deal for one boda boda to take both of us. Normally sharing bodas isn’t a problem, though you have to get pretty close to each other. This time we both had fair sized backpacks, so one pack went on the handlebars, while one person sat on the back wearing a backpack. Which, in my case, made me totally feel like I was going to fall off the back.

But we arrived at headquarters without falling off and found a banda to stay in.



Once we were settled in, we were able to walk down to the restaurant by the lake, with the accompaniment of an armed ranger. The restaurant has unremarkable and overpriced food, but the location is superb!





There were hippos swimming in the lake, and one came out to graze!





Then we went back to the campsite and spent the evening chilling out with the warthogs.









Some impalas came by the campsite as well



And monkeys!



I saw a lizard too!



And a cool butterfly.




At first light the next morning we set out on a game walk. Our guide was excellent, he found elands (too far away for a pic, but they are a very rare antelope) and soon we were in the valley, and could see zebras, topis, and warthogs.



More zebras



Topis



Impalas



Buffalo



Then we hung by the lake, packed up, and soon were once again balanced precariously on a boda on our way out of the park.

More internet problems...

Hi Darlings,

Some of you may be wondering why you haven't heard from me in a while. No, I haven't been eaten by a lion, warthog, or zebra, and no, I haven't caught rabies, maleria, or even elephantitis. Its just the stupid internet again. Hasn't been working in nearly a week, so I'm logging this from an internet cafe.

I have some great pics from my trips to Lake Mburo that I'll be posting as soon as the internet is back to normal (normal being painfully slow, but actually working, instead of just dead). And I'm going to Murchison Falls this weekend, so once the internet is back to normal the posts will be fast and furious!