How to survive the Tse Tse flies

Eight non ugandans in a van, one ugandan driver and one ugandan friend along for the ride. Heading up to Murchison Falls to see the water. No AC = windows open.

Sudden intense hot pain on my eyelid. So I slap myself. Miss. An invader has entered the van. Dylan, Rebekah and I are crowded in the back seat. Big shoulders and big hips = decreased mobility. Evil fly.

Karen and Stephanie in the second row join the battle. Five against one. Noy, Gilad, and Rebeca (a different one) slam windows shut.

Finally a kill.

Now apparently Tse Tse flies are resilient. We discovered this as a firm smack does not kill them, you then must squash them with a shoe. Otherwise they rise from the dead and bite again.

So windows open we continue along... till i notice something odd. We are being followed. Swarmed. The flies are coming. Slam! Slam! Slam! Slam!Slam!Slam! six windows slid shut with finality.

Our driver, Meddy, stops the van, turns around and tells us that tse tse flies are attracted to the color white, red, and blue. (no i am not making this up) and that they like to chase the moving van. Yes, our van is white. Yes, all eight of us have on some article of red, white, or blue clothing.

His window and his friend's window are still rolled down. Now we know why. THEY ARE PERFECTLY SAFE!!!!

We continue driving, windows up, each one slowly melting. The swarm seems to be gone. Windows tentatively opened. Ahhh, sigh of relief. Cool air quickly envelopes our sweat covered bodies. We slow down for a rougher patch of road. SWARM!

Slam! Slam!Slam!Slam!Slam!Slam! Even Meddy and his friend roll their windows up. From this point on we work as a well oiled team; watching, slapping, slamming windows. We start keeping score. Flies: 1 Us:5.

Arriving at the falls we wait in the van. Melting from the heat. Hating these evil biting flies. Swarming, crawling, waiting to bite. Meddy turns around and asks why we aren't getting out. "The flies" is the simple reply from Noy. Once you stop moving they dont bite he says. Right. Maybe they dont bite him. We are color what?? oh, yeah, WHITE. They like color what?? Yep, white. No fair.

Two minutes pass. The heat is cooking us, boiling us really in all the humidity. We devise a plan: Open the one door, dash out like crazies, and run to the trees. Ready, set, DASH!

We make it to the trees, leaving Meddy to close the door since he seems to be safest.

Slap, swat, brush, the flies don't realize they aren't supposed to bite once we stop moving. Maybe Meddy forgot to tell them.

Park ranger comes along ready to lead the hike. "Don't mind the flies" he assures us. "In the 1930's they sprayed and the ones carrying the diseases all died".... How does he know? We are skeptical.

The hike to the falls made it all worth it though. Absolutely breathtaking.

How to survive Tse Tse flies: KILL THEM with a shoe or similarly firm object.
Don't ride in a white van. Don't wear red, white, or blue. And trust that if you get bitten, you won't die of sleeping sickness because in the 1930's "they" sprayed and the diseased ones all died.