Larry, slow down, don't hit the baboon. Entering the Murson Falls National Park

Monday morning we left for the safari. We included Larry, the new guy Ray, and myself. We started out on the long journey to the park. It took us much longer than we had expected. We hit a jam (traffic here is called “jam”) and needed to make a few stops. Then there was this 5 mile or so stretch of road being repaired. The Ugandan approach to this is to cover the whole road with speed bumps. These were particularly effective. It took forever to cover this stretch...

We were aiming to make it to a 2:30 boat ride to see birds, hippos, crocs, and the Murson Falls. We hit the gas station 90 minutes from the boat at 1:00 and had not had lunch. Larry drove us in to the park and there was a lengthy debate with the attendant about the balance TATS was carrying with the park. I was already pretty certain we would not make the boat ride that day (we would have to do it the following day) but this cinched it. Larry was not convinced and so, we chased down a 2:30 departure. Larry drove at breakneck speed through the park. Suddenly, we rounded the corner and there they were ...a family of baboons crossing the road. Oh look! Baboons! Ray and I cried. We were so excited to see wildlife! Larry did not blink, and just kept driving. Baboons! We cried again. This time less in delight and more to point them out to Larry. Did he not see them? Finally we called, Larry, slow down, you will hit the baboon...

He swerved, narrowly missing the poor creatures who must have been scared to death.

This continued through another family or two of apes and finally I said, Larry, please, just slow down. And so he did. To a creeping crawl. I thought his new pace was excessively slow, but also felt tension in the car was mounting so I left it alone.

The ride was beautiful and it gave me much time to reflect. I considered how I had been acting towards Larry, considering how I could have been more generous with my praise and softer in my critique. I considered his point of view, his strengths, his weaknesses. We clash. I needed him to plan ahead more and this is not his strength. I can see how we are a difficult pair of people to work with in this way and there are more days to make it work. I set myself to improve the situation and to apologize to Larry.

We finally made it to the boat launch by 3:15. (Everything in Uganda just takes longer...) and so we just went to the lodge to check in.

I spent the afternoon writing and enjoying the view. Just resting. I did it! I sat around a whole bunch and did nothing!! It was wonderful. I was very proud.

In the evening, the three of us ate dinner together with Anat and Noam, a brother and sister pair from Australia traveling together through Africa. It was a lovely meal. The conversation with Anat turned serious as we discussed world travel, the situation in Rwanda and NGOs. She said, once when she was traveling in South America, taking pictures of all the people, she began thinking, what am I doing here? Who am I that I am watching their lives as if they are an exhibit in a zoo! You earned it, her friends told her-worked hard to have the money to travel and explore...but she was not sure about that part of it.

I agree. It is so strange to be an observer of other peoples' lives. As if they are living and I find it some how for my entertainment and curiosity. I am not entirely sure what to do with it. I think Anat had a true point which has given voice something in me feeling perpetually unsettled here.