I seem to have gotten a few messages encouraging me to carry on - I thought it was a little inappropriate now I'm not in Australia, but OK, why not? I'll try to log my movements anyway, hope they're not too boring!
January to early February saw another hectic work period in Uganda, including fieldwork in the extreme west of the country along the eastern shores of Lake Albert, near the Uganda - Congo boundary. Exciting geology and the group I was working with and advising finally managed to get down to the basics and sort out the stratigraphic mess that the regional geology has gotten itself into..... This was my third working visit and we seemed to make great progress - not least thanks to Martin Pickford - an old Ugandan hand who worked on the regional geology and fossils for a total of 26 field months from 1986 to 1992..... He was amazed by the changes in the area - villages which have mushroomed in size, producing urban sprawl along the lake shores - all a result of refugees fleeing from the neighbouring Congo, settling down in Uganda and not willing to return home.... Incredible poverty, overfishing of the lake (don't blame the lack of fish on climate change!!!!) and overgrazing of the land..... All very depressing, especially in view of the incredible beauty of the Alert Rift Vally and its natural surrundings.
We had to cut the trip short as I received sad news about my brother Bill's death - although much older than me and not very well, it was still a shock - I who grew up the youngest in the family am now the only one left of parents and brothers...... A few days home and then a quick trip to England to attend burial of his ashes and a family reunion - a pleasant although sad occasion in bitterly cold but clear mid-February northern England.....
Then just a few days later we were off on our next adventure - a 3 week "multicultural" tour of Vietnam, Angkor Wat and then a final few days' relaxation on a Thai beach..... more about that tomorrow.......
