A very busy day 🙁 last Saturday. We had to do the shopping for the rest of the period. Our food supplies were deminishing so fresh vegetables and fruits were necessary. We went to the central market for fruit and vegetables. Furthermore we went to the supermarket for cookies, biscuits and other things. It was very fatiguant to run from place to place. But it was fun to do.
Unfortunately we had to say good bye at Paul and Lisette. we dropped them at the railway station in Ngaoundere.
Afterwards we ate something at the restaurant on a cosy square. And yes of course I could phone to my parents!! I even spoke to an aunt of my. So funny.
The day after we took some rest. We really needed that.
Then it was time for taking grass samples. And that was very easy. In the noon we mostly used the computer to put all observations in the program. Still time is definitely not flying, and I still don’t know why. I’m feeling quite well…….for now…..health situations can change dramatically in a short time!
Days later we commenced with walking the transects. I’ve also seen some new animals, in spite of the one I already saw; horse antilopes! These are so beautiful, and there were five of them in a group, consisting of 3 youngs and their father and mother. Great to see, amazing.
I don’t know but it’s still that boring feeling 🙁 I hope it will change. For some action, I went with the others for burning the observation fields. That was such a fun, it change my boring feeling. Fires expanded rapidly in these dry conditions…well it did. I had also time to rest in the observation tree, during the fires. This week also Erik and Janneke arrived in Benoué. we discussed our research project with them. The reason for that is, it’s very hot to work continuesly. And there are some problems with the research. This has some consequences for the research, but everything will be solved. Walking 6 days is a lot. So probably 3 days walking, 1 day rest and then again walking 3 days. the midweek will be used for the grass sampling. I hope it will start to rain, that makes working a lot easier. Let’s hope so.
A better start of the week you cannot imagine (NOT), we have slept in the former pig stable. The reason: the boukarous are occupied by tourists for 6 nights! That meant we had to sleep in the pig stable, joining Roeland and Paul, which make the total students at 6.And it was definitely not a part; too hot, too dusty, no ordinary douche and toilet. The douche is a separate room with a hose connected directtly to a tap 🙁 also almost everytime people pass by…..they can see you. The toilet is also such a nice thing. there is a hole in the ground, around the hole some stones are layed down, on top of those a tyre of a car 🙁 :(. you can sit on it 😉 I really don’t advise it.
During day and night the temeperature remained the same at 37 degrees. Far too hot to sleep well. I was glad the 6 night were finished. Slowly and horrible, but finished.
The reamaining days af this field period we stayed in the boukarous agaian. Such a relief. So lots of changes. Also I felt some rain drops. Is this the start of the rainbing season?
Since thursday I’ve a new activity; searching for recah of the telephone network. The method is climbing in the water towert. The first days were’nt a succes because the weather was cloudy. even days later without succes.
But what was a succes indeed: I saw animals from my ‘badly wanted list’! Amazing to see an elephant just 25 metres in front of me. He didn’t smell us (wind blowed the oppsite direction) so there was no danger. I watched him for about 10 minutes. Later that transect we found fresh poop of buffalos in the gallery forest. when leaving the gallery forest I saw the buffalos 🙂 yet far away, that was ashame, but much safer. again it was a wonderful week.