Gorillas in the Mist!! (Pics Added!!!!)

Saturday, August 18, 2012

I will start by saying that today might just be one of the (if not THE) most amazing days of my life.

We got up at 4:30, had breakfast and made packed lunches to take with us on our trek. We then drove 2 hours to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. A pee break, briefing about gorilla trekking etiquette and our rangers piled into our van with us (11 people in an 8 person van) and we were off to drive to our starting point. We met our porters, (Gad, (not God, he told us) our group leader, strongly advised us to get a couple and thank goodness for that!), got our walking sticks, and we figure we got started on our trek by about 9 o’clock.

We initially started our walk through tea plantations and it was mostly downhill. We then headed in to the forest where it quickly changed to uphill and muddy. We were in a rainforest, after all, but thank goodness it hasn’t rained in a few days or it would have been a proper mud bath in there. The rangers had small sickle-type things, along with large rifles, and they cut through the forest to make a path for us to walk. The new path was steep and slippery and narrow.

African giant ferns have very sharp thorns all up their stems. I quickly learned this as I grabbed one for support going up one of our first slippery slopes. This was pre-gardening gloves. We all joked about those who brought them but learned by the end of our trek how vital they were. Most of the time you had your walking stick in one hand and your other hand was grasping at anything that looked solid and stable. No one had any time to think about snakes or bugs or any other creepy crawlies as we were moving way to quickly.

After about two hours, I developed massive cramps. We were climbing, straight uphill it seemed for ages and I started to panic that I was about to burst. I haven’t been sick all trip, but I have developed a cramp/toilet issue in the last week. Needless to say, it was urgent and so January, my porter (the poor guy carried my bag the entire way and helped me when the climb was too steep or too slippery. He did his job so well that he kept trying to hold my hand, even when I didn’t need help!), had to find a spot that was flat enough and then dig a pit toilet for me. He could barely get out of the way fast enough before I was there. He told me to let him know when I was done so he could cover it up, but I figured no person could be paid enough to have to cover another’s toilet so I did it myself. Then we were back on the trail for the gorillas. Every now and again we would hear the trackers, (who were ahead, tracking the gorillas for us), hooting to the porters and guides. We knew we were on the right track.

Finally, we started seeing fresh gorilla poo on our trail and the guides showed us where they had seen them the day before. They told us to get our cameras because that was all we could bring. The gorillas were just up the next hill.

I can’t even begin to describe how I felt getting my camera out and getting ready. I was exhausted, absolutely drenched with sweat but filled with nervous excitement as I thought about seeing the gorillas up close. Today is Day 50… I have been working towards this day for the past month and a half.

The gorillas were right there in front of us. We figured they were about 10ft in front of us. There was a silverback, a mother and baby of a year old, and another female gorilla. There was rustling in trees around us and before we knew it there were 8 in front of us, sleeping, grooming each other, playing. I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time, and I can’t even count the number of times I said, “Wow!” and shook my head. The painful, grueling trek seemed like such a thing of the past when we were sitting in front of the gorilla family. A couple of times the silverback raised his eyes to watch us and I froze on the spot. There were stories about other groups and their close encounters with the silverbacks.

I don’t think an hour has ever passed so quickly, but soon enough it was time for lunch and so we had to leave the gorillas. Our porters used ferns to make us seats and we sat and ate our much-earned sandwiches and mentally prepared for our hike back. Our hike back didn’t seem to take as long as there. The unbelievably steep climb up was absolutely treacherous going down. Many did it on their bums, I had January in front of me making footholds and clearing the way. It was not an easy climb, for anyone. Even the porters and guides were huffing and puffing, though they did it in wellies, (rain boots), which didn’t seem to have much tread. When we got out of the rainforest, it was cooler and misty and threatening rain. We were drenched in sweat.

I don’t think I have ever done anything quite so grueling. Every single bit of my body hurts. I am mentally and physically exhausted but I can’t wait to go through my pictures and I know I will dream of the gorillas tonight.

I Think It’s Just Me! ( More Pics Added!)

Friday, August 17, 2012

As previously mentioned, Stef and I are sharing a tent. We are pretty like-minded about certain things, so we usually have a good laugh. Last night was no exception. We headed to our tent for an early night and then proceeded to chat for a good bit. At one point, the conversation stopped being serious and went something like this:

Stef: Did you just fart?
Mel: Nope.
Stef: (after careful consideration and some prolonged sniffing, in a panicked voice) Oh my god! I think it’s just me.

I am not sure if it reads as funny as it was, but even while sitting here typing, the two of us are practically wetting ourselves laughing. Maybe you had to be here. I think it was even funnier due to the fact that she had just returned from what she called “a mini-whore’s bath” where she wet-wiped her feet and armpits, claiming they were the issue. The smell eventually went away so perhaps it was one of the neighbouring tents.

I haven’t really felt clean much of this trip. Cold showers just don’t get through the layers of sunscreen, bug spray and dirt. Sometimes I marvel at my tan only to mope a little when the wet wipes remove it and make me pale again. Needless to say, no deodorant, perfume or any other scented mask seems to make any of us smell good. I can’t wait to have a good hot shower where I can scrub away the layers of dirt and actually get the soap out of my hair.

We made an extensive list of all the snacks we wanted to buy at the “supermarket” before heading to Lake Bunyoni where we would be for the next four days. I believe it included: chips, chocolate, candy, cookies, wine and poppers (drink boxes, to all you non-Aussies). I am sure our mouths hung open and the look of disappointment on our faces was apparent when we pulled up to the “Royal Supermarket” in Kabale. It smelled a little funky when we entered and they didn’t have much of anything on our list, not to mention the prices were outrageous. A couple of bags of stale chips, a bag of maltesers and the cheapest (I’m guessing they will be flavourless) cookies and we headed out.

Pics of our campsite at Lake Bunyoni:

My sunglasses broke yesterday and I wasn’t able to fix them. I was a little desperate and was hopeful I would find a pair in the “supermarket”. The only pair there were authentic Ray Bans which Muna hinted cost a fortune so I left without. When I asked Muna (the shopkeeper) if there was somewhere else in town that sold sunnies, he said no, those were the only pair. I went next door to the café to use the toilet and to get a drink and asked the server if he knew of a place. He told me he would have to take me there.

So, dragging Stef along we headed off the main street. Dodging the motorbikes and bicycles to cross the street was a challenge in itself. We had to work hard to keep up to the café guy but followed closely, right in to a CD/movie shop. There on the counter were two turn racks with about 10 pairs total of sunglasses. Not much to choose from but I finally narrowed it down to a pair of glitzy (Gu)cci (The GU had rubbed off on the side) and a pair of DG. They were the smallest, least flashy of the lot. I settled on the DG and forked over my cash. At this point, I would probably have paid a ridiculous amount considering I can’t imagine being without sunnies, and because we were in some little shop amongst all the locals depending on our new friend, the café worker, to bring us back to our tour bus. Turns out they were a staggering 8000 USh which translates to $3.29 CAD at today’s rates. Not too shabby! I’m sure going to look fine for those gorillas tomorrow!

The drive from Kabale to Lake Bunyoni was great. I am amazed at the red dust that comes up from their dirt roads. The trees and everything along the side of the roads have a layer of red dust on them. Their lungs must be full of the stuff.  Once lunch was finished, (pasta salad with tuna and fresh pineapple for dessert), Wilson and Steve headed out with Tusker, our truck, because there are problems with the truck. Hopefully everything will get sorted!

I think the Ugandans have a hard life. The mountain roads were lined with people working. There were tons of people making gravel from rocks, by hand. Children can be seen everywhere carrying water to their homes, in the fields tending crops, herding animals and just working hard. Life in Africa is hard, but the people are lovely. Our drives are long and tiring but I love watching the people and seeing what daily life looks like. Often times people wave, particularly children. It’s great to hear the screams and see them come running to get closer to the road so they can wave at us passing by. Women seem indifferent, and I am sure they see many overland trucks passing by. It’s not like we are the first. Some children call out to us and men seem to be angry; some have made rude gestures as we pass by. Sometimes all it takes is a smile and they eventually wave to us. Every now and again I manage to sneak a photo.

I must get my stuff ready for the gorilla trek tomorrow. We are heading out early and could be trekking for as long as 9 hours to find the gorillas. I am up for a good trek but am hoping our family is a little closer. This is what I have been working towards!

WWT: Look out gorillas, here I come!

They’re Attracted to Black. I’ll be the Bait! (Pics added!)

Thursday, August 16, 2012

The day started off great with a nice little lie in and a later breakfast at 6:30am. We stopped for lunch at a school/church and then crossed the equator! We headed to Queen Elizabeth National Park and went on the first game drive this tour. Unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of animals to be seen. We did manage three of the Big Five though, Buffalo, Rhino and Lion. The lion we saw at the very end was enjoying the last of a nice juicy kill. We couldn’t tell what he was eating but it was nice and bloody and looked pretty fresh. He was growling with delight as he finished up. In the afternoon we had a sunset cruise on the river and saw lots more.

We saw Lake George and Lake Edward and took pictures at the Crater Lake. This area is all part of the Great Rift Valley, which is cool. The scenery and landscape is great!

There may not have been many animals to see, but there were certainly a lot of bugs. We were introduced to the tsetse fly in the truck, which freaked everyone out. They are big and hurt when they bite. As if that isn’t bad enough, they transmit the parasite that causes sleeping sickness. I joked that it might be the answer to my sleep issues! Wilson told us they love the colour black and followed up by saying, “No worries, I’ll be the bait!” Too funny!

Jackson had a delish dinner ready for us of Butter Chicken with rice. (Yesterday it was grilled steak with mashed potatoes).  It was so tasty. We were late getting back so it was nice that it was all ready for us to eat. I had a good talk with Jackson after dinner and he told me about his family. He has four kids, 17, 16, 7 and 6. I imagine it must be hard on them as he is on the road the whole time with us. He mentioned that sometimes it’s months between contracts though so he is happy when he is working. When he is home, he splits his time between his farm in a village 100km away and the town near Nairobi where his wife and kids live. His wife runs a small village restaurant stand and he grows crops on the farm in the village. I was impressed and intrigued by his story.

WWT: Off to the bar to charge my batteries!

Meet the Oruzogo Family

We are on the truck, leaving Kampala, heading to Queen Victoria National Park, Simba Campsite. The past two days have been long, long days full of driving. Last night was at least a bit relaxing as we had an early dinner and then had time to sit at the bar and unwind before heading to bed.

My trip is coming to an end and so I have been thinking about what’s next. There are many places I want to see in the world, and talking to others has given me new places to add to the list to research and look into. Sri Lanka, Iceland, South America, riding the Trans-Siberian Rail, Goa… the list is endless.

I came to the realization the other day, on one of our many long, long drives, that I am very happy with the way things have turned out the past year. From decisions to choices, I know without a doubt that I did well and that things are just as they should be, were meant to be and how I want them to be. I feel very at peace and at ease with myself; there are no questions or hesitations or doubts any more. I have always known that I am blessed and very fortunate with regards to my family, my friends and my life in general. I think sometimes I just need to sit and realize and accept and celebrate. I forget sometimes and get caught up in things.

We are heading to the gorillas on the 18^th. I could always imagine seeing lions, and elephants and rhinos and hippos but for some reason, the idea of sitting quietly amongst the gorillas still seems dreamlike to me. Wilson reminded us that we are lucky; there is a 98% chance we will see them. Jackson quickly pointed out that we should hope we aren’t part of that unlucky 2%. 😛 That would be awful.

I thought I should mention that Jackson is a great cook. The other day we had fried tilapia, which is a typical Kenyan dish and he made this onion sauce to accompany it that was just divine. Yesterday we had a pasta dish with a veggie and meat sauce. It was also quite tasty. He has a habit of whipping up salads at lunchtime which is a nice addition to our sandwiches.

In a couple of days we will pitch our tents and not have to take them down for 3 nights! I can’t wait. Stef and I are tenting together and it’s been great. I think we probably annoy the others in the group as when it’s lights out, we seem to find the funniest things to talk about and then the laughter gets louder and usually a little out of control. No one has said anything yet, so fingers crossed they are all heavy sleepers. We have started putting our tents further and further away from the others so we don’t disturb them.

I have laundry that needs to be done and it will be nice to actually take my backpack off the truck and unpack some stuff. I think I can start unloading and getting rid of things. This trip has been hard on my clothes and belongings.  Remember, I only brought three pairs of trousers on this trip… that’s a lot of wear! I think they might be able to walk home on their own they are so well-used. There have been at least four casualties on this trip, the most recent being my phone. Everything is still operational, some held together with surgical tape; so much for not spending on stuff and instead borrowing. I am going to have to do some replacing when I get home!

Last night I dreamed my tooth fell out, my back bottom molars on the left side. It was huge, more like two molars together than just one. Anyway, it didn’t fall out of my mouth and I didn’t swallow it or anything. It was just in my mouth and I could use my tongue to put it back in to place but it wouldn’t stay. I kept showing people because they didn’t believe me. Now is a time I would love to have Google so I could check out what this means, if anything. I’ll ask around because maybe someone else knows.

Ants in My Pants (Pics Added!)

Sunday, August 12, 2012

It’s the first night of the first day of my second tour. We are heading to Uganda, though currently we are still in Kenya. We started early this morning, and only just arrived at our campsite around 8pm. It’s been a long first day!

I tried not to have any preconceived ideas of what things would be like, but I think after travelling for 40 days it’s hard not to. I feel like an old pro, but things are already different. I suppose it’s like classrooms and teachers; every one has their own style and their own way of doing things. Tour guides are much the same.

This tour is different already in that there are three guides, whereas before we just had two. We have a Chief Experience Officer (Wilson), a cook (Jackson) and a driver (Stevie). The truck is very different inside. There aren’t any tables, like in Pumba and the storage is very different. It seems a lot easier to pack, though I thought Pumba was well set up too. The truck, Tusker, seems to be roomier inside.

Stef from the other tour is also on this tour as well, so it’s been really nice having a familiar face. Once again, it’s a very different group, though it’s still early days (the first in fact) so perhaps it’s too soon to judge. We are 5 Canadians, 1 American, 1 Norwegian, 7 Australians, 3 New Zealanders and 6 people we have yet to meet. I wasn’t really looking forward to lunch, because for the past 40 days it’s mostly consisted of white bread cold cut sandwiches, which I don’t enjoy. The wholewheat buns and the fresh fruit and veg that were laid out for us pleasantly surprised us. We will see how Jackson compares to Vernon as a cook. Vernon was great! Jackson just told me that he trained in Nairobi to be a chef, so that’s definitely promising.

We went on a game drive today through Lake Nakuru National Park. It’s a bird watcher’s paradise; there were so many great birds to look at. We also saw rhinos, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, impala and lions eating a kill, though we didn’t see the kill and couldn’t really identify what it was, other than dead.

It’s been a really long day and tomorrow is an early morning. Dinner is supposed to be ready by about 9:30 but I am thinking we will be eating closer to 10.  We have been warned about the bugs, particularly the mosquitoes and the safari ants. They bite and bite and apparently it’s excruciating. My pants are tucked in to my socks and I am moving quickly!! Someone already complained they were in their tent. Yikes!!

Wilson was telling us that this is a very difficult trip. I am a little nervous, though I know it’s a little late for that. Oh well, it’s supposed to be a cold night tonight!  That makes me happy. I have a feeling this portion of the trip is going to fly by!

WWT: No ants in my pants… yet!