Day 6: Gardening with The Great Generation in Jinja, Uganda

So it was a bleary eyed bunch that gathered for breakfast at 8am, Sally had gone off to photograph flowers and study the birds whilst Erin discovered a glorious restaurant. We all had a fabulous breakfast that took an hour longer than expected so yet again we kept our coach driver waiting.... are we becoming very African in our habits I wonder??


Our next adventure was to be driven to a rain forest where we were taken on a 3 hour hike, considering the lack of sleep everyone showed amazing stamina as Peter the resident Biologist at the field study centre set a fierce pace.

Vicky, Nikima and Chloe took the lead behind Peter and kept up a running commentary about obstacles and topography so the forest rang with the sound of muddy patch’ ‘ going up’ going down’ ‘log in the way’ sadly but not surprisingly we didn’t see leopards or monkeys. We did however see some amazing trees called strangler figs which grow around enormous trees and over a hundred years strangle them to death. We saw all stages on the succession which were fantastic (guess who’s writing this entry), the group were all very tolerant of my need to ask questions and slow the pace.


We came out of the forest around 2.30pm and they looked for a place for lunch which took slightly longer than hoped for and involved a slightly alarming stop in a lay by where sellers tried to thrust chicken legs on sticks through the coach windows. We sensibly decided not to stop here and drove into Jinja and went to the pizza place that the group had enjoyed on Thursday, conversation was lively and Saskia and Shaunie impressed Sally and Erin with their plans for their extended essays.


We are now all back at our permanent accommodation, thrilled with clean sheets and warm water (did I mention that there was no water at the camp site this morning?). Jodie was delighted that the towels she brought from home had been laundered for her free whilst she was away. We have just had another meal, the late lunch meant that we ended up having two meals in 3 hours and all now need a long spell of digesting. Everyone is thinking of an early night and the work we have to do tomorrow for the shadow idol club. So for now Good bye!