Gorillas in the Mist

Thursday, December 19, 2019
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Western Region, Uganda
Awoke to the final clearing of cups and trash prior to landing in Kigali, Rwanda.  Not bad – I think I bagged about four hours of shut eye on the six and a half hour flight.  Now clutch time: 1) My East African visa never got processed although they did charge my credit card a hundred bucks.  When I inquired online, they responded by saying to just get it upon arrival and tell them you already paid.  Well, I printed out that email and… it worked!  No issue, passport stamped!  2) With an unscheduled 24 hour delay, I was worried about my checked bag – everything I need from the gorilla trek (not to mention Kilimanjaro) is in there… and it made it!  There is was, circling on the baggage belt.  3) After only a few e-mail exchanges in broken English, I was concerned my 2:00am pick up might not work out – but Phenie, my driver, was there!  He didn't arrive right away, which got me slightly worried, but then, he stepped forward from the back of the crowd with a nice big sign with “Dan Dobson” printed on it.  Phew – all according to (the revised) plan!
          Shortly after, we hit the road to Uganda.   Strange to see people still randomly walking down the road or just standing there in the median in the middle of the night – even when we got out of town and into the country-side.  The road gently wound up and down and around the low lying hills, then the fog set in – thick and heavy in some parts.  I wanted to sleep but also wanted to keep Phenie awake – I know how hard it is to drive late at night and in bad conditions.  He yawned a couple times and had the window all the way down even though it was quite chilly – tell take signs of a tired driver.  So chat him up I did. 
          Several times on the drive we saw a caravan of bicycles with large sacks piled on the back, peddling along the road.  Strange at 3:00 in the morning.  Phenie said the bags probably contained charcoal (which most locals use for heating and cooking).  They travel at night to avoid a transportation tax – less enforcement in the middle of the night I guess.  How peculiar. 
          Around 4:00am we hit the border.  Passport control, then immigration stops on the Rwanda side, no hurry, lots of waiting.   Hit the toilet and was amused by the wad of electrical wiring hanging in the corner with water dripping down from the ceiling – not the best setup I’ve seen.  Next, through the “no man’s land” – a pot-hole ridden dirt road for about one kilometer.  I guess neither country wants to pay for paving this stretch.  Still, there were a lot of buildings along this part and many people walking around asking if you want to change currency “for the best rate” (of course).  Next, fill out another form and then through Uganda passport control and customs.  Overall, it took about an hour to get through.  Hard to describe the surreal scene – so many people on foot crossing.  Phenie said many will catch the first bus from the boarder to make it to Kampala (about 7 hours away) in time to shop today.  Once on the Uganda side, I got the enjoyment of speed bumps, rumble strips and larger rumble bumps, every couple of kilometers.  “Ugandan traffic police” Phenie calls them.  Forget about sleeping on this stretch of highway!  Driving through Kabale, he pointed out bright lights shining over large funnel shaped tin structures – grasshopper traps!  Attracted by the light, they fly up and fall in, but then can’t get out.  Locals collect them for food – a good source of protein. 
          We finally hit the Bwindi National Park turn off and then another 25 km up a windy dirt road to the lodge, arriving at 7:00am.  I had a quick coffee and omelet, changed (ah, that felt good – been wearing those clothes for over 48 hours straight!), and went right back out to meet the group for the gorilla trekking.   I got assigned to a group consisting of two Belgian teachers currently living in the Congo; two Germans, Christian and Monique, from Munich; Liz, a Canadian living in Liberia (been there four years and thinks she’ll stay – it’s her home now, she says); and Josephine, an American living in Mexico City.  We headed into the forest a few hours behind the trackers who are looking for a family of thirteen gorillas.  An hour into our hike, the trackers radioed that they found the nest from the night before and were on the trail.  We had been following a rough path until now and hiking up and down very steep hills (at an elevation of about 7,000 feet!).  But now it was time to turn into the bush to head toward the family of gorillas.  The lead guide hacked the foliage with a machete and we were escorted by a ranger in front and behind with rifles slung over their shoulders.  The guns were not necessarily for the gorillas, but for the elephants in the forest that can be very aggressive and territorial.  Drenched in sweat from the high humidity and steep climbs, we were quickly covered in mud from the moist soil and constant slipping, stumbling and falling up and down the hillsides.  After another exhausting hour (I think this was one of the toughest hikes I’ve ever done) we were radioed that the clan was found and was close by.  Soon, on a steep slope (black diamond if it were covered in snow) we heard the runt and saw trees shake.  Excitement grew as we had the first sighting of a young male in the branches above.   Soon after, another one was spotted contently munching leases on the forest floor.  The jungle is so dense it was hard to see at first but the guide cut down the vegetation so we had a clear view.  The gorillas didn’t seem to care.  They briefly lookup at us and continued their lunch.  A female, then the alpha silverback, came into view from over a tree.  Together now, eating, then the young one climbs up in the branches.  So cute.  It comes up and starts nursing away.  The mother has enough and stops.  The baby cries.  The father pats in on the head as if to say, “Enough, time to nap,” and the whole family sleeps.  Unforgettable.  We saw a few more of the apes as we made our way down hill (with great difficulty) but it was better than going back up and over the hills.  At the bottom of the slope, hacking through the valley floor, the guide hit a wasps’ nest sending us in full retreat for about 100 meters.  Then, taking a wide berth around the area, we found a rough, overgrown path but it was heaven compared to bush-whacking! 
           A few moments later, we heard a grunt in the bushes.  “Elephant,” the ranger said.  The guide told us to move quickly now and I knew he was serious when the ranger pulled the riffle of his shoulder and put his hand on the grip.  We clearly saw the large footprint leading into the broken branches of the freshly plowed path.  A few meters later, and saw fresh dung in the middle of our path.  Yes, he was close!  Along the way, we heard chimps in the trees, more sounds of elephants, and lot of exotic sounding bird calls.  Sounds like the jungle in here – well, I guess it is!  Another hour and we hit the main road.  Tired and dripping with sweat, I still had a huge grin on my face.  What an amazing experience.  On the way to the lodge, we saw a black and white Columbus monkey jump tree to tree as if welcoming us back.  I showered an immediately passed out.  I had to rise from the dead to make dinner at 7:00pm.  I ate with Phenie, then chatted with an older Swiss couple.  They only hiked for half an hour to see their gorilla family!  Maybe the guides pick the trek based on the clients.  Ours was a young group and I was by far the oldest!  It was worth it, though – the hacking through the jungle was half the experience.  I enjoyed a couple (well, three) big Ugandan beers by the fire and then retired for the night.
Other Entries

Comments

2025-02-08

Comment code: Ask author if the code is blank