Uganda Part 2 - Gorillas

I am going to try to write this while uploading pictures for the Jipe Moyo 3 post.  While sitting at the bar/reception of Lk Mbuto National Park.  I have never been much of a multi-tasker.

The day started early.  I got up at 6:15 to prepare my stuff but I really needed the time to prepare mentally.  I had to have another hard talk to myself about not being afraid or wimpy.  I was worried about the climb, not about the gorillas.  I had seen the mountain outlined in the sky when we arrived the night before and it was HIGH!

But I convinced myself I could do it and got up.  Packed my bag with camera, bug spray and water.  No binoculars for this day.  Then a quick breakfast and we assembled at the Tracking info area.  I was totally confused about what was happening.  Francis is a bit of a mother hen but he isn’t one for saying what is happening or what is going to happen.  But he gave someone my pass and got me registered.  Then did that again at the assembly point.

Then we had an introduction by Sunday, who seemed to be the head person, at least for that day.  Try to stay 7 meters from the gorillas.  If you have to sneeze or cough, cover your mouth and turn your head to avoid infecting them.  Do not eat or drink near them.  History of the park and the conservation efforts. 

Sunday in front of the guide to show how far back
to stay from the gorillas.  

Then we were divided into groups.  I gave a quick thanks to my spirit guide (now that I am a practitioner of Animism) that I was put into the group with the 85 year old lady.  I am pretty sure Francis bullied someone into that.   Then we got an introduction on our gorilla family. I can’t remember what ours was called but I have a picture.  Our family had 17 members, including a silverback and a second male plus lots of females and juveniles. Plus one 6 month old baby, as yet unnamed. 

Our group was assigned to the Habinyanjo Group.

The Family mug shots

Then we all piled into our respective tour vehicles.  I was a bit confused, I thought there was a park truck to take us, but no, each ‘tour group’ went in there own vehicle.  So I was alone with Francis, Robert and Moses, our ranger who caught a ride with us.  Moses explained his rifle was not to shoot any animals.  But we may encounter forest elephants who are aggressive and the ranger shoots into the air to scare them away.  Alas, not elephant sightings.  BTW, the park is one of the few in Uganda that has both gorillas and chimps but we did not see any chimps.  They are shy, we were informed.

Then we drove for about 35-40 minutes to get to our starting point.  That drive makes me understand why Uganda is called the ‘pearl of Africa’.  It is beautiful and lush.  And so green.  I haven’t seen green like that since Ireland.  Lots of people going about their farming business.

And then we were there.  There being the side of the road where a bunch of men were standing.  Our guide, as it happens, was Sunday.  He explained that the men were porters.  It was $15 to hire a porter who would carry our bag and push/pull us along.  I didn’t really think I needed help with my bag but I have read that hiring local porters is a good way to spread some money through the community so I hired one.  His name was Gad.  My advice to anyone, fit or not, is to hire a porter.  As it turned out, the bag would have been a huge burden even though it wasn’t too heavy.

Getting ready to enter the jungle

Some last minute instuctions

Gad, my porter

Then we entered the forest.  Trackers head out before the groups to find where the gorillas are that day.  Almost immediately, we started to descend.  We were lucky.  It had rained hard the night before but it was clear this morning.  And quite cold.  But the forest floor was still a bit muddy and slippery in places.  And the ground was very loamy (decaying vegetation) so it was spongey and covered with fresh wet leaves.

As soon as we hit a hill, my porter took my hand.  It sounds silly, I felt like I was on a date.  But between my walking stick and Gad, I was stabilized.  It was really (REALLY) steep.  Then we reached the bottom and started up the other side.  The hand holding was the pull part of the porter’s duties.  On the uphill, I learned about the push part.  All of a sudden, hands were on my waist from behind.  Now I wasn’t just on a date, I was on a handsy date.  Whoever was back there wasn’t really pushing, just as Gad wasn’t really pulling.  But it was stabilizing so it helped.  STEEP!

Gad also made sure my pant legs were tucked into my socks.  Her would bend right down and tuck me in.  (he got a big tip for the extra service).  There are biting ants in the forest.  The gorillas like to eat them but they sting. I can attest personally.

There were six in our group plus many porters and two rangers and Sunday and maybe more guides. I was at the middle of the pack.  I kept up.  I was proud of myself.  Then more up and down until Gad told me we were only a few minutes away.  Then Sunday said the porters would take our bags and walking sticks and leave us there. No more push/pull, no more stabalization of any form except for my own core muscles – so you know I was in trouble.

They don’t call Bwindi the Impenetable Forest for nothing.  Our view was a few meters ahead. But then we came over a bit of a rise and there she was, a female just sitting in a nest, eating some bark off a branch.  She was amazing.  Then we saw further down some adolescents playing.  My view of the female was excellent but it was impossible to maneuver.  Where I stood was where I looked from.  I couldn’t move left or right for the other people.  I was on a ledge created by my own boot heels so there was no going up or down.

Eating a stick

Acting all casual for the visitors

Hey you, I see you looking at me

The babies arrive

peek-a-boo

Then the female got up and wandered a short distance away.  So we (and the little gorillas – I am calling them babies from now on) followed.  We ended up looking down on a bit of a stream.  We watched the babies play and try to climb very little saplings.  At one point, all four were on one narrow trunk and the whole thing collapsed on them.  It was adorable as they all tumbled down together. 

A growl from nearby.  The silverback had arrived by had not shown himself yet.  We waited.  The guides said he would pass us below but in his own sweet time.   Then he appeared.  He didn’t pay us any attention. We were about 10 feet above him.  It was so hard to take pictures. First, I was unstable in my heel perch.  And they kept moving.  And there was always branches or leaves in front of them, which my camera insisted on focusing on.  I have very few clear, unblurry photos but I will post what I have.

Blurry

Babies playing

My first view of the silverback
blurry through the leaves

I'm ignoring you up there.

The silverback walked by us and then kept going.  So we scrambled to follow.  It was really hard to get through without a stick.  I don’t know what the incline was but it was really steep (have I mentioned that before) and we were going up and sideways at some weird angle based on the direction of the gorillas path.  I was using whatever I could reach to stay upright, roots, tree trunks and branches.  I put my hand in some gorilla poop at one point.  It smells just like human poop, you will be pleased to know.  Everything got wiped onto my pants. (I was so filthy and smelly when I got back, I may have to burn all of my clothes)

We kept trying to keep up.  Sunday and crew were trying to keep us upright but they had other things to do than push/pull us.  One woman tumbled down a hill but she stopped quickly with a soft loamy landing about 5 feet down.   STEEP and SLIPPERY!  And POOP!

Eventually the silverback sat down on a log, he looked just like a guy watching a ball game (a very big guy).  But he had his back to us.  So more scrambling to get around in front.  Meanwhile the babies just kept playing and climbing and moving so were hard to photograph.  I don’t know where the female went but the another one showed.  She was the mother of the newest baby who was riding on her stomach, then on her back.  I was behind someone and couldn’t get around so no baby picture.  But I saw them.

chasing the silverback

Uphill

Just sitting on a log

We circled him to get around to his front

And all I got was this blurry shot

He finally left his log 

And walked away without a glance at us

This is the second male

Goodbye

We got in front of the silverback and then the second male appeared.  The guides said he is a trouble maker.  Which he is.  It was time for us to go and he followed us.  He came within a couple feet of me.  Stop moving.  You know I followed that instruction.

Then we were away.  The porters reappeared like silent ghosts.  We got our sticks and push/pullers back.  The guides asked if we wanted to stop for lunch.  We had been provided with bagged lunches.  I looked at my fecal coated hands and said no.  I washed as best I could with my water but there was no way I was going to touch food that was going in my mouth.

We retraced our steps, back up and down and up and down.  STEEP! And then we were out of the forest.  The drivers and village kids and who knows who else, were waiting for us and clapped.  I was soaked through with sweat.  It was like a sauna in that forest, plus a full body multi-hour work out.  (I woke up the next morning with sore muscles in my legs and arms.)

A couple of shots of the forest as we
were leaving

To show how impenetrable it is

Out!

filthy, sweaty, hot and very happy

these kids got my sandwich

my filty filty, poop covered boots (blurry)

I was very proud of myself for keeping up.  Francis told me that sometimes people just give up and have to be guided out without seeing the gorillas.  That would be awful. 

Then we drove back to the camp and had ‘graduation’.  We each received a certificate of Gorilla Tracking.  It is quite fancy and has my name on it in case you don’t believe I did it.   And that was that.  At dinner later that day, all of the different groups compared notes.  Some had so much further to go to get to their families.  I was lucky I was in the ‘old lady’ group.  I think if I had had to go three hours in to see my gorillas, I would have died.

graduation 

By the way,  I learned that my $350 pass was a discounted price for rainy season. It is normally $600.  Good deal, especially since we had such excellent weather that morning.  All told, totally worth the money and physical effort.

Here are a couple more shots as we came down the mountain in the car.

This goat is in focus and as clear as day,
unlike the gorillas.  Does that seem fair?
I blame the goat (I guess that is where
the term scapegoat comes from - haha)