Ugandan Independence Day is a national holiday, but for us it is a
long travel day. Breakfast and then into the vehicles to catch the ferry
at 7:15. The road is all unpaved for nearly 10 hours – some muddy, some
dusty, and all bone rattling. In spite of that is is an interesting day
as we travel through farming communities (corn, sorghum, sweet
potatoes, and later large tea plantations). People are out and about on
the holiday and it is a delight to see happy children yelling and waving
as our vehicles pass. The adults are more reserved, and appear to have
the weight of the world on their shoulders. The villages we pass are
full of activity, although what the main livelihood is I can't tell.
Motorbikes and bicycles carry all manner of material – lumber for
building projects, sacks of charcoal to be sold for cooking fires, empty
yellow jerry cans for drinking water. One larger regional center is
busy with an Independence celebration with people walking the roads into
town for the festivities.
We pass one group at roadside who have killed
some wild animal for their feast. Another family at the roadside is
catching termites to eat as the emerge flying from a termite mound near
their house. Before the day's journey started, some were thinking it
might be better to fly to the next lodge, but I think we are glad for
the experience to see so much of the people and landscape of the
country. We arrive at our lodge road weary and quickly dress for local
singers and dancers before dinner. We are at the Primate Lodge - Google
Earth GPS coordinates N 0deg 26.32min, E 30deg 3.81min. Tomorrow is a
trek to look for chimpanzees in Kibale National Park.



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