A walk in the jungle...

Hello, well it has been a while since the last update - the last few weeks have gone so quickly, hope all is well with you. A few people have asked us to explain a little about the work we are doing so will share some news about that. Pete is managing the base which involves overseeing the finances, security, training and recruitment of national staff. He has been quite busy the last few weeks covering for different people who have gone to work temporarily at other bases or on leave. I have now started my role properly now which is managing the logistics for different work areas (such as delivering medicines to health clinics, delivering construction materials, buying and arranging the delivery of fuel, ensuring the vehicles are being maintained, travel plans of teams moving around the region). I am also providing support on the communications side from this base - so far this has involved writing articles about different projects and obtaining photos.

Day to day things can be quite routine here, we live and work on the same base and quite a few national staff work here as well who mainly live in the local area. We do try and leave the base when we can; I quite often drive into the market to get supplies or on occasion go on a longer trip and we also go for walks in the jungle when we can. Fancy coming along? Ok lets go....!!

Yes admittedly that did sound a bit cheesy.

Outside the house - Pete and I stay in a little annex opposite

There are none photographed here but there are a few small houses along the way

Heading into the jungle, a stones throw from where we live

Although the jungle is really beautiful we haven`t really seen a lot of wildlife, only large hawk-like birds overhead, lizards and on one occasion, a noisy ominous rustling coming from the vegetation by the path. However, the other day Pete and I were walking along with our friend Isabelle and we could here loud unusual bird call, or possibly monkey! We waited for a few minutes and suddenly four or five beautiful birds flew quite low over the trees and landed quite near to us. After some research on the internet we worked out they were Ross`s Turacos which are bluish-purple in colour and found in the forests across central tropical Africa.

Do you think he would get on well with Ollie?

Termite mound! Every now and they swarm and shed their wings, piles of wings everywhere. Some people like to fry them for a tasty snack! Pete tried them and said they were quite nice. I was feeling a bit full but maybe another time! In this photo I am with Rachel who has now left.

Heading back to the ranch