Gorillas of Uganda

Saturday 9th April 2016 – We woke up in Uganda…land of the mountain gorillas! We were keen to get to Bwindi Backpackers Lodge which lies on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park…where we would arrange to track gorillas. The previous night Alex, the manager of our motel had said he could arrange a taxi for us to go deep into the forest…it would be a two hour journey on very rough terrain. No public transport passes this route as it is too dangerous so a private taxi was the only way to access this area…we understood now why the name ‘impenetrable’ was used to name the park. We agreed a price with the taxi driver even though it seemed pretty expensive and climbed in his taxi. We were surprised when Alex got in too…there seemed no need for him to travel with us, I felt a little uneasy. Aaron and I nearly always insist on being the only passengers in a private taxi for safety reasons but Alex had been so very helpful so we didn’t make a fuss. Before we left town Aaron needed to go to the ATM to top up our dwindling funds. While he got cash out Alex and our driver also got out and as I watched them they appeared to be talking aggressively with another man…their faces changing from friendliness to something else that I really didn’t like the look of. My instincts were on high alert yet again in darkest Africa…I would keep an eye on the situation just in case there was danger here. After filling up with petrol the four of us turned down a bumpy track only for the driver to stop and pick up the man who I had seen them talking to earlier…that was enough for me…heart thumping I shouted, ‘Stop! Aaron we’re getting out now!’ I opened the door and sternly insisted on our bags from the boot. The driver animatedly apologised but it fell on deaf ears, the third man disappeared stealthily into a crowd and Alex looked as though he had been caught red handed for something I dread to think about! We picked up our bags and marched back into town where I explained to Aaron what I had witnessed and felt. After regaining our composure we found another driver of our choice this time, his name was Gerald, he seemed sincere and gentle plus his quote was much less than our first taxi…we journeyed towards the gorillas…the part of our journey we had most looked forward too. As we drove we passed beautiful big horned cattle owned by villagers…all around us the Gorilla highlands defined by towering dormant volcanoes…the views were breathtaking as we went up and up past ethereal lakes, steep valleys and high ridges of Africa’s oldest, most mysterious rainforest. Arriving at our backpackers we were greeted by George who arranged our gorilla tracking for the Monday. We then refreshed ourselves with African tea while overlooking the forest…only the sound of nature ringing in our ears.

Sunday 10th April 2016 – After a peaceful sleep we enjoyed a lovely breakfast overlooking the view of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. It was our 6 year anniversary of when we first met and we had the day free to relax and unwind…quite a rare treat on our African travels. Later, the director of our backpackers met with us to brief us on our Gorilla tracking the next day. He arranged our transport to the park gate and informed us we would be tracking the Nkuringo group of gorillas…there were 12 gorillas in this group with two silver backs and two babies…we couldn’t wait. Mountain gorillas evolved with the rise of the volcanoes half a million years ago, adapting to the terrain by becoming larger than lowland gorillas with thicker fur. They are herbivores who sometimes eat ants and termites. Only 880 mountain gorillas exist in the world but the number is increasing thankfully. They can only be visited in two national parks…and we were at one if them…Bwindi.

Monday 11 April 2016 – The day had finally arrived…the day we might see the wild mountain gorillas of Uganda…I was bursting with excitement at the thought of coming face to face with such intelligent and magnificent mammals. Breakfast was 6.30 sharp…afterwards we headed off in our taxi with Anne Marie from Finland who we had met the previous evening…a nurse doing some of her training in Uganda…a truly rewarding thing to do. We arrived at the forest gates around 7.30, by 8.00am we were being briefed by our guide, Wilbur. It takes 2 years to habituate gorillas so that they are familiar with people…we were to track the Nkuringo group who had been habituated since 2004. In the past gorilla numbers declined due to their habitat ebbing away, deforestation as well as poaching…it would surely be a crime against nature if these glorious creatures left our world forever…it was good to know that every penny we paid was going towards their conservation. Wilbur informed us that the trackers had gone on ahead to locate the gorillas…they may be found quickly or it could take all day…we would see. Walking sticks in hands we headed off at an alarmingly fast speed, descending and dropping down into the deep forest…my knees were playing up again at the hard impact but I gritted my teeth…there were gorillas to see. After an hour of hard, rough walking Wilbur had radio confirmation that the gorillas had been found! Literally 10 minutes later and after much hacking through the bush with a machete, (no paths at this point) there we saw him…Rafiki…the top male silver back foraging in the forest. I sank to my knees in admiration, he was but a metre away from us…stunningly beautiful…a powerful presence emanating from his every pore. He looked right into my eyes…gentle, peaceful, golden eyes…accepting our company without hesitation…tears of joy fell down my cheeks to see such a magical sight…gorillas…wild, free and as they should be. For an hour we watched with awe as a second silver back emerged from the foliage…climbed the steep banks and led us to females and babies partially hidden by the dense forest, eating…grooming…accepting us in their wilderness of a homeland. Humans and gorillas together…different heart beats but so similar in so many ways. I will never forget how alive I felt in their presence and how close I felt to them…like a distant cousin meeting for the first time and recognising a true connection within. So soon the hour passed…saturated with emotion we left them and began the strenuous climb back up through the forest…no easy feat. At the top our driver awaited us and we headed back to camp…full of the joys of gorillas. In the afternoon Aaron went chameleon tracking while I lovingly looked through pictures and videos of Rafiki and his family. That evening we were entertained by some children from the local village who sang and danced for us culminating in us all being picked by individual children to join in, sing and dance…what a wonderful ending to a truly memorable day.