I’ve been wondering if there’s a Swahili word for “plumber’s crack”.  Fortuitously, I know the words for “caterpillar”, “so-and-so”, and the equivalent of our “number 1” and “number 2”.  But I don’t know “plumber’s crack”.  Which is too bad because my pants have been getting soaked with rain, clinging to my legs, and then, with the help of my fanny pack, pulling themselves uncomfortably low so that when I lean over to crawl through the muck and grime and brambles and vines, I show my brand new assistant a class A plumber’s crack.  I would at least like to explain to him that I know I’m doing it.

So, I’ve had a couple days out and about in the forest and it’s all been quite dandy.  It turns out I remember all the baboons’ names (except for the slew of little ones) and that they have forgotten mine.  Many of them look at me like I have absolutely no business being there and act all surprised when I keep following them.  Makes me feel like a bit of a creep.  Males have been nonchalantly showing their teeth whenever I’m around too.  They’re not exactly threatening me, per se, but they ARE trying to impress upon me that they could totally f*** me up if I get out of line.  I’d hoped for a warmer welcome.

I’m following females again this time and I have a spry young man to help me keep track of them.  Today, my old nemesis WTW put on her soccer mom walking shoes and dragged us down a ravine, across a river, through miles of vines, to her favorite sap tree.  Hamimu, decked out in a soccer jersey and fun striped pants, kept with her the whole way, and then I struggled on up to him fifteen minutes later, my shins bruised, twigs in my hair, plumber’s crack ablaze, birthing myself onto the path at his feet, after extricating myself from a particularly dense thicket.  I’m sure he was impressed.

I also followed an old friend, Wildflower, who, in her youth, has become a bit of flirt.  And the males have finally started flirting back.  After a particularly amorous bout with Asayuti (who has been following her fervently for the last 2 days) there was some post-copulation cuddle time, which, apparently, is grooming.  Sort of cute.  The couple was also followed a couple other suitors who were waiting for their chance to work up to some cuddling, but Asayuti kept them at bay.

Asayuti and Wildflower "cuddling"

The day finished with soaking clothes and peculiar pattern on my pants that suggested I had somehow reverse-peed myself.  Obviously, a picture was merited.