Day 7- Chimps Galore!

I was still feeling the adrenaline from yesterday as I woke this morning. The baboons helped add a little comedy to the morning as they "relieved" themselves on the top of the tent. Baboons peeing is a funny sound to hear first thing I the morning!

Our hike today lead us first to an area just about an hour up the mountain. We knew we were getting close to chimps when we heard them screaming and pounding on the trees. "One of the females is cycling" our guide told us. That meant there was a male who was trying to get her attention. We had no way of preparing ourselves for what we were about to encounter... there were chimps everywhere! They were gathering at the base of a tree and on vines around it! We were just feet from them and there were more coming to join them, passing us on the very narrow trail. We sat with them for what seemed like the entire day... Watching every move soaking it all in. The infants decided it was play time and rolled around with each other. It was obvious they loved each other very much and spent a lot of time showing each other how much they cared for one another. In all, we saw 18 chimps! All descendants of the original To watch chimps in the wild is an unforgettable experience. I am truly blessed.

In the evening myself, Kim and another girl from our group had the opportunity to visit a nearby fishing village. The were very welcoming and greeted us with a traditional dance.

The poverty here was very overwhelming yet again. Most of the children looked sick with runny noses, one boy was holding his throat the entire time and his eyes were very red (he's in the green shirt in the photo above). Their homes were nothing more than huts made of clay with bamboo roofs. The children were all so very adorable. They followed us everywhere as we went throughout the village...giggling all the way. A few of them kept touching Kim's hair and looking closely at her blue eyes. One little girl, about 2 years old, was truly frightened when she saw me though, she began screaming and crying and trembling with fear! Our guide started laughing. "She has never seen white person." She must have thought I was a ghost! Poor girl!

As we left the village the children all gathered at the waters edge and waved goodbye to us.

We ended the evening with a beautiful sunset boat ride back to camp. Tomorrow we must leave this place... I'm sad already. 

I miss Rob and the kids tremendously... they are my home and its tough to be away. If only they could be here with me...