Guests!
 

Photo: right to left: Josee (guest) at the stove, Philemon (boat master) studying the English Kiswahili dictionary, Fons (guest) visibly well past his first enjoyment of spiritual beverages

Just before our departure I ran into another atrial fibrillation. Normally I would wait it out, but now I was too impatient with guests on a schedule. I was told the big Kampala national Mulago Hospital had good cardiologists. Friday afternoon. Hundreds of waiter in the intake department. Seeing me, I got priority. The intake docter never heared of atrial fibriallation, I told him to listen my heart and helped him filling his form. Big smile. But up, all  cardiologists were reported off for the weekend. I could come back Monday. So at least some patients reporting here in the next 60 hours would die, I concluded. On to Nairobi International Hospital. One of Mulago's cardiologist turned out to be there, and had heard of atrial fibrillation. She was from Eastern Russian, Almaty I think. The drug known to successfully end my fibrillation turned out to be not on the governent's list (factory refused to pay the bribe?), the docter tried another drug, to no avail. After 4 days my heart turned to normal. That could have been 2 or 3 had I simply stayed on board and relaxed.

Map: Our trip. Days of arrival numbered (open in a separate window). Day 10 to 16 are reported in the  

The standard winds are such that while sailing on the lake you should stay within 50 km from the lake shores to profit from the daily pattern of thermal winds (more about this).

Photo: Wema Island (map above, day 2)

Photo: Good Food (Josee!)

We spot Ngamba Island (map point 3) and arrive, but it is late. we moor at 400 m Northeast for afternoon wind lull, to spend the night, but I should have read Thucydides with more attention: a ship of our site should report, else you create fears. We could well be pirates, a real possibility. Of course we only learned this on arrival at the island the next day: we had created such a panic that the island's security staff had even proposed to start firing some shots. Our new rule: on any approach, you should fear your target and realize they will fear you, and first establish trust.

Photo's: Ngamba Island (map above day 3 and 4)

Ngamba Island is a chimpanzee orphanage of half a square km. One tries to keep 33 chimp orphans (many now adults) together as a group, but some cause problems or are harassed by the others and hence have to be kept apart. All are on chemical contraceptives. One baby slipped through, though, now trying all aggression in his small body on quite large team mates, knowing he is the only one with parents backing. The island is far too small to feed the group, so they are fed by the rangers. Every evening they come back "home" in a high building which hammocks at the ceiling, as they are used to sleep high in trees. They enter through a steel bar tunnel. Summarizing: it is a chimp-safari park, differing from the Western ones in two respects: 1. its gets its chimps free, after they are taken by government officers from illegal traders etc. 2. It does not make a profit.
But there is also good news: one day in the evening some chimps showed up with a paddle and wood pieces clearly originating from a canoe. At the rear of the group a chimp was carrying a radio. Its owners had fled the island swimming. On another day two fishermen, hiding on the South side island beach for tax officers, got ambushed. Guards in the small human sector at the North side got alarmed by noise and sailed around the island. They tried to divert the chimps, who held the two badly beaten men hostage, with fruits. Unfortunately the two chimps holding the respective men by their wrists simply ate fruit with one hand, holding their hostages with the other. In the end, the hostage takers seem to have rendered their hostages without bloodshed.

Photo: Goodbye (dhow moored at Entebbe Airport)