I've returned from Ngamba Island! In one piece, even!
What a wonderful, crazy two days. I wish I could have spent more time, but part of me is glad to be close to my computer and the toilet again.
It was nice especially, because the accommodations were far closer to my memories of Kenya. A little more rustic, and a little less Western. Well, a lot less Western.
It was my first time meeting most of the staff too, and I was so surprised by how friendly and warm and welcoming they all were. Even the assistant directors and other high-ups were so unassuming. It struck me as funny, because it became a standard "welcome, getting-to-know-you" question whether I was going to stay in Uganda forever. Imagine someone greeting a tourist in the US, asking them where they're from, and immediately following with "Are you going to stay in America forever".
::chuckles:: Anyway, I enjoyed sort of getting to know them all.
Because Liz was with me, I also got to meet the chimps sort of unofficially, because I didn't have to be on the viewing platform and I got to just sit exactly next to the electric fence and spend time with some of the friendlier chimps - Asega, Okech, Ikuru and Pasa.
Okech would make this funny "Pbbbbt" sound with his mouth repeatedly, meaning he wanted attention. What made it priceless, however, was that he would intersperse passing actual gas between the mouth noises.
Ikuru is one of the dominant females but is probably one of the more "disturbed" chimps, or rather, she's more traumatized than others. You can sort of see it in her face, and she has this slightly haunted look. But being so close to the chimps, literally within 2 or 3 feet, was just incredible.
I've spent so much of my time researching chimps, and logging into my brain their various behaviors, and miscellaneous factoids, but to actually be close to them, interacting, smelling them (Ikuru stinks, btw), seeing their liquid, amber, expressive eyes.
Well, it was sort of hard not to be a n00b.
Leave to Asega, upset to not be getting more attention and giving me my own little welcome, to run off, fetch a rock, and then charge at me, hurtling it in my general direction.
I was surprised, and certainly not expecting it, so it shouldn't be surprisING that it hit me square in the left shoulder. Ow!!
I was quicker in round two, and after that I knew what to look for. Sort of like in Mike Tyson's Punch Out when you're fighting that bald guy who's huge and does a little dance right before he does his huge punch.
So, the second rock missed me. But what an introduction, huh?
Apparently, Asega learned this behavior from Mawa, who is the alpha male of the juvenile group. Asega's rocks are the size of a prune. Mawa, however, throws rocks the size of oranges and mangos. So, I was glad to be welcomed by Asega and not Mawa.
In fact, when Mawa got up and started coming over towards us, it was time to get up and leave.
There are several things I'll be in charge of at the island (see my informational post) so Liz and I walked through most of it.
Being on the island was really incredibly peaceful and beautiful, and wild too! The chimps are quite vocal and you can hear them calling through the forest even from camp. Jungle-icious!
Hmm.. I'm feeling super tired, and not feeling the *energy* of this post.
I'm just gonna comment on a few things that I thought were funny:
I'll admit I'm feeling a little lonely and cranky tonight. I'm tired, and I'm on puppy duty again, and I just wish that more people would email and validate my existence. I'm pathetic.
Ah well.
I'll write more tomorrow after I've had some sleep.
What a wonderful, crazy two days. I wish I could have spent more time, but part of me is glad to be close to my computer and the toilet again.
It was nice especially, because the accommodations were far closer to my memories of Kenya. A little more rustic, and a little less Western. Well, a lot less Western.
It was my first time meeting most of the staff too, and I was so surprised by how friendly and warm and welcoming they all were. Even the assistant directors and other high-ups were so unassuming. It struck me as funny, because it became a standard "welcome, getting-to-know-you" question whether I was going to stay in Uganda forever. Imagine someone greeting a tourist in the US, asking them where they're from, and immediately following with "Are you going to stay in America forever".
::chuckles:: Anyway, I enjoyed sort of getting to know them all.
Because Liz was with me, I also got to meet the chimps sort of unofficially, because I didn't have to be on the viewing platform and I got to just sit exactly next to the electric fence and spend time with some of the friendlier chimps - Asega, Okech, Ikuru and Pasa.
Okech would make this funny "Pbbbbt" sound with his mouth repeatedly, meaning he wanted attention. What made it priceless, however, was that he would intersperse passing actual gas between the mouth noises.
Ikuru is one of the dominant females but is probably one of the more "disturbed" chimps, or rather, she's more traumatized than others. You can sort of see it in her face, and she has this slightly haunted look. But being so close to the chimps, literally within 2 or 3 feet, was just incredible.
I've spent so much of my time researching chimps, and logging into my brain their various behaviors, and miscellaneous factoids, but to actually be close to them, interacting, smelling them (Ikuru stinks, btw), seeing their liquid, amber, expressive eyes.
Well, it was sort of hard not to be a n00b.
Leave to Asega, upset to not be getting more attention and giving me my own little welcome, to run off, fetch a rock, and then charge at me, hurtling it in my general direction.
I was surprised, and certainly not expecting it, so it shouldn't be surprisING that it hit me square in the left shoulder. Ow!!
I was quicker in round two, and after that I knew what to look for. Sort of like in Mike Tyson's Punch Out when you're fighting that bald guy who's huge and does a little dance right before he does his huge punch.
So, the second rock missed me. But what an introduction, huh?
Apparently, Asega learned this behavior from Mawa, who is the alpha male of the juvenile group. Asega's rocks are the size of a prune. Mawa, however, throws rocks the size of oranges and mangos. So, I was glad to be welcomed by Asega and not Mawa.
In fact, when Mawa got up and started coming over towards us, it was time to get up and leave.
There are several things I'll be in charge of at the island (see my informational post) so Liz and I walked through most of it.
Being on the island was really incredibly peaceful and beautiful, and wild too! The chimps are quite vocal and you can hear them calling through the forest even from camp. Jungle-icious!
Hmm.. I'm feeling super tired, and not feeling the *energy* of this post.
I'm just gonna comment on a few things that I thought were funny:
- Ugandans love 80s-90s power ballads. I swear, if I heard one more Whitney Houston song or Celine Dion power love-capade, I was going to barf.
- I woke up with a start in the night last night on the island, thinking that I was hearing a tornado. Remember that movie, Twister and how they used, like, animal sound effects, to imitate the fierceness of the storm? Well, I thought that's what I was hearing. When I realized it was chimps. The males pounded the cages so hard and loudly that I wondered how strongly they were constructed.
- I'm an expert bead maker. Send me trashy magazines and I'll turn them into a necklace for you. A necklace that doesn't look like trashed trashy magazines. Promise.
- I'm officially filthy. I mucked out my first chimpanzee cages this morning, in Birkenstocks and jeans (everyone else wears jumpsuits and big rubber boots). My feet are two different colors. And I'm just fine with that :P
- Is there any way of having respect for a company with the name "Rota-Loo"?
I'll admit I'm feeling a little lonely and cranky tonight. I'm tired, and I'm on puppy duty again, and I just wish that more people would email and validate my existence. I'm pathetic.
Ah well.
I'll write more tomorrow after I've had some sleep.
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