Gorilla's
Trip Start
Jan 05, 2008
1
14
18
Trip End
Jun 06, 2008
Kiroso,
Uganda
Friday, April 11, 2008
We drove though the area of Kenya that was having issues only the month before. Things were quite at the time i was there but you could see the after effects of burned out buildings.
This trip was good but for the most part it was just a long trip to get to see the gorillas which was my main objective so it was good from me. This tour was a lot slower pace then what i had been on which was a nice change but also there was a lot of down time. But not much access to computers.
Well by this time i have been on to many tour trucks and sitting to much. My but was getting sour on the last truck and having only a few days off between trucks didn't give it much time to get better. So this three week trip, my but got worse and worse and it bugged me to no end. YA YA, funny isn't it.... the roads didn't do anything to help out with that either. I couldn't beleive how sore it was, and it didn't let up till sometime into the next tour, so for a good 4 or 5 weeks i had a pain in the back side.
I thought i had seen pot holes and bad roards earlier in the south but nothing compaired to these roads. I have never seen such bad roads. It was smother driving off the road and on the shoulder then it was actually on the road. At times we went from the left shoulder to the right one and back and forth. The payment, as there was some, had been worn away on either side so much so that there was only enough room on it for one vehical, but it was a two lane hiway so it was fun all the way...
I thought it was suppose to be hot closer to the equator??? I crossed the Equator on this trip, a couple of times, in Kenya and also in Uganda, and this had to be the coldest trip i have been on so far. I wasn't bad during the day but the nights sure cooled down a lot. I didn't think i was ever going to get my fleese clean again, as i had warn it almost everyday. Scrub brushes works wonders by the way....
The land was great to look at and the people were very welcoming. When we got into Uganda a lot of people would say hi and welcome us to the country, and it was quite nice. But as we got farter in the atmospher changed. I felt safe enough, but i would not be going anywhere by myself when we got to Kiroso, it was much different here, but then we were right near the boarders to both Rwanda, and Congo, and these people have been though so much in the past. This was the first time in all the time in Africa that i didn't want to stay a little longer, i was ready to leave right away. It was here though that was also the goal of the trip, to see the Gorillas. I was quite surprised though to find out, that only 2 of us on this trip out of 6 were doing the trek to the gorillas. I kinda thought that was the point of the trip. The others however were all going south so they had a long time to travel yet. They were doing the opposite of what i had just done. But the two of us had a great time and saw the amazing Gorillas up close and personal.
At one point we were standing there taking picutres of this one gorilla and she was just laying on her back and she wasn't that far away. The guilds had just told Oliver that he should watch his camera. He had squating and holding the camera out to the lenght of his arms and apparently the gorillas might view it as a toy. We weren't that close.. but then a minute or two later, she stood up... and then she did a back role towards us and right at our feet practically. I stood up and turned around at the same time our guids were helping me, i had my camera in front of me and I didin't want to loose them, not to mention that they were around my neck. Didn't think they would be that close but she didn't bother us, she was just courious. Then they started move and we followed behind a bit. They are much harder to see in the dense jungle but it was cool walking in their world. We followed them for a little while then they came to a clearing and we were able to get a great look at the big silverbacks. And then he let us know that he didn't want us following anymore. As a rule we are only alowed an hour with them and it was about that time and since they didn't want us around them anymore we headed on down the mountain. It was amazing. The silverbacks are so big and beautiful as are the rest of them.... it was a great day.
Back in Kenya, we stayed in Naivaisha a couple nights. We had more things to keep us busy here, and it was a great camp. We were right on by the water and the hipo's would come and grase on the shore, couse we only saw them the one night but it happened. There was a fence, electric, but again i don't think it was on as per norm it appears from other camps as well. But we had no issues. This was also a camp that the Vervet monkeys decided they were hungry or just misceivious and took around inside the truck. Yes, they got inside and made a great mess of things. Mainly food stuff, as our bags were out of their reach. It was kinda funny but we didn't have the clean up, we had been away and the driver got back first, he did a great job....
We also did a day of Biking, and we biked though Hell's Gate park, with a hike in the Gorge. All done we did like 30 kilometers on the bikes. Did mention that my but was sore... ya will triple that.... Ok, but i'm also getting in better shape, cause i made it through that 30k feelling fairly good and when i was in capetown and did only 7, the 7 killed me but that was months ago. YA double ya..
Since we haven't had much exersise, lets do it all at the same time.... Today lets go hiking for three hours into a creater lake. It was also great, there was only five of us on this one, and it was great day as well. We started by taking a boat across then hiked from there. We walked right through a bunch of Giraffs and other animals, then relaxed at the resort at the finish line. Then we had to walk back out, but not before hijacking the two boats at the dock for a quick men again women rowing. The girls kicked but of course... We had the oportunity to see a fish eagle swoop in and pick up a fish too. (should i mention that we through the fish for him, or does that ruin it....)
Pinapple, yummy, they grow the best, they were so sweet and juicy, we had so many of them.... yum yum.
Banana too except i don't eat them, but you sure saw the locals transporting them around, or selling them on the side of the highway, the rest of the group enjoyed them.
On our way back to Nariobi where my part of the tour finished, we went south in Kenya to see the Masi Mara. And i also had a chance to see the Mara River. (this was cool because my first tour truck was named Mara after the river.) And we also went in the Game park there and did my last game drive. Still saw many animals and it was still great. But all good things come to an end and i had to say buy to another great group of people.
Another side note, there was this tour leader for a company that i never used, but i met here in Petoria, South Africa while i was between tours. No the funny thing is, is that i then saw her and her truck in Dar Es Salam Tanzania, Zanzibar Tanzania, then Nairobi Kenya, and would you belive again in Kabale Uganda. She had never had that happen to her in all her travels either. It was so weird but really cool and it shows how small the world is. Or how small Africa is....
