louiseinlimbo

Having experienced the water-drumming, and seen a hint of the other music (the saucepan lid in use as a drum), I made another visit to the village, this time having arranged with the same staff member to spend the night there.  So he organised the building of a hut for me – above, with him posing by the entrance! I said that I wanted as authentic an experience as possible, so did not bring my own food, bedding or anything else from outside – apart from my insect repellent. Initially I just sat with the colleague, asking him questions about the village and the Ba’aka way of life – an interesting conversation.  He told me a little of his early life, revealing, for example, that elephant tastes like beef … but he also noted how pleased he was that the area is now protected (meaning that hunting of elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees is now illegal), and how the work of the WWF is helping to preserve their traditional way of life.  I learnt that many of the Ba’aka wear amulet...

One evening guest at the Lodge mentioned in passing the ‘water-drumming’ of the Ba’aka women.  Following up, I discovered that this is traditionally what the women do to inform the men that they are bathing in that part of the river, and that the men should therefore stay away. I spoke to one of the Ba’aka staff at the Lodge, and he was more than happy to arrange for me to go and see a ‘performance’ of this that the women would put on for me in his village (Mossapoula). On the appointed day I got to the village and found him, but was a little surprised to find women waiting for me with rafia decorations around their waist – and a man near them banging a saucepan with a drumbeat.  I asked why they were there, as I’d asked to see women water-drumming, not dancing in a village clearing.  He pointed to a seated man and said he would be drumming on the water container in front of him.  No …  So I tried again, and when I said the word ‘river’ he finally understood. So...

A public holiday meant a day off from my voluntary work, so after a morning lazing around reading a book, I decided to go for a long walk in the afternoon.  Other than going round and round the lodge’s forest trails, the only other walking routes are down the 3km access road and from there turning right towards the village of Mossapoula, or left towards the village of Babongo.  I hadn’t been left before, so set off in that direction, along the dirt road between the forest (with plenty of evidence of frequent road crossings by elephants) and eventually down to a small wooden bridge across the Babongo stream, surrounded by a big area of bamboo. A little over two hours from the lodge, I arrived in the village.  Of course it is difficult (no, it is impossible) to walk unobserved in such a place.  Any stranger would be noticed, but a white one really stands out.  & several of the lodge’s employees live in this village, three of whom came out to greet me.  Th...

Today we have a public holiday – Barthélemy Boganda Day - honouring the nation's first prime minister on the anniversary of his death.  So, a good reason to share a little bit of the history of this crazy country.  Oubangui-Chari was a French colony, established in 1903 by their merging two of their colonies, with borders close to those of the present-day Central African Republic.  Although rather than developing the colony themselves, the French leased most of it in concessions to companies who wished to exploit its resources. In November 1946, Barthélemy Boganda was elected as the first national leader. His strong anti-colonial views led to him becoming disillusioned with the French political system and leaving the priesthood in 1949, and forming his own political party, the Social Evolution Movement of Black Africa.  Hugely popular, he became the president of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa (which also included Chad, Gabon, and the French Congo) in 1...

Finishing lunch on Saturday under a cloudy sky, but with rain not appearing to be imminent, seemed to be a good opportunity to go out for the long walk along the Lodge access road and on along the main road to the nearest village, Mossapoula – perhaps even beyond the village to see if there were still any elephants around near the road. The access road is some 3km, and another 2km beyond that to the village, but it was a nice walk, with hundreds of pretty orange day-flying moths around as well as a number of beautiful locusts – in addition to the usual troops of monkeys in the trees and the accompanying sounds of African Grey Parrots and the heavy wing-beats of White-thighed Hornbills flying overhead.   & on the ground the giant millipedes, which I can never resist picking up as I love the feel of all those little feet on my hands.   Thankfully I’m not yet so used to all this as to take it for granted! On this day though, as I walked through the first part of the villa...

Whilst I’ve been a birdwatcher for many years, and also have quite a passion for reptiles, I’ve never really paid much attention to the smaller stuff – the insects and arachnids that many of those birds and reptiles eat.   But here at Sangha Lodge I’m learning how interesting this ‘small stuff’ can be.   Not because anyone has directed my attention towards it, but because interesting and/or beautiful insects and spiders are all around me. On the spider front, it started with the spiny-backed orb weaver, seemingly guarding a nest, just above the passenger seat in the Lodge’s car.  Not large, not hairy, and not looking as though it were going to run at me.  So I admired it, from a fairly close distance, without feeling my hair standing on end.  Then I saw a much bigger member of the same family - large enough to be scary, but it wasn't moving, nor could it get onto my body, as it was sitting in the middle of its web, in a plant next to the path.  Again I admi...

I’ll see if this is borne out if/when I ever return to live in London, but I was reflecting this morning on the benefits for me of travelling.  Not just the obvious ones – seeing new places, cultures and wildlife, and learning more about the world – but also learning to appreciate things at home that I would otherwise take for granted. I can get by here in the Central African Republic rainforest without radio and television, without yoghurt and fruit juice, without hot water and internet access on demand – because there are alternative pleasures to savour.  Setting out on a walk around the forest in the knowledge that I’m likely to see monkeys, tropical birds and colourful butterflies, watching the sun set over the river, swimming in the river – or even kayaking on the river which I tried for the first time this week (me on the left, being shown how to get into a kayak!). & on the other travels I’ve enjoyed since I set out on this nomadic phase last year, I’ve got by with ...