Gorillas!!!

 

Take a moment. Evaluate where you are right now emotionally and spiritually and follow the directions given.

• Back off. I am busy and it is early/late/none of your business. I just want some gorilla pictures.
• Don't read anything, scroll down and enjoy some pix.
• Kelly, I'm here for the journey. Let's do this!
• Continue reading!
• I've read this whole thing through already and there were NOT ENOUGH GORILLA PICTURES TO SATISFY MY NEEDS AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE VIDEOS OF THEM SITTING AND EATING AND LIVING THEIR BEST LIFE.
• Let me know that and I can get you the real footage hook-up! Also, maybe you should start exploring some YouTube National Geographic channels or something? And definitely go get a snack.
• I never wanted any part of this, why do you keep texting me these links?
• Please also let me know and I will not bother you again. I'm sorry you felt obligated to click.

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We made it to Uganda!! We had a quick night in Entebbe before flying to the southwestern border of Uganda and a town called Kisoro. The town is 10 km from Rwanda and 15 km from Democratic Republic of the Congo.* We left the town to head for our lodge and drove for about two hours over dirt roads along mountain edges of lush greenery and farms and lakes and beauty.

Our lodge was in the Nkuringo village right on the edge of one of the entrances to the Bwindi Impenetrable** Forest where over 300 mountain gorillas live. There are only 800-900 mountain gorillas left in the world and they all live in the forests and mountain ranges between Rwanda, Uganda, and the Congo. We were able to go to see one gorilla family with a guide from the Nkuringo area. It was described as a "trek"*** and it truly was. 

We started walking for the day at 8:30am with great vistas and optimism! In looking now at the second picture, I think only Vincent, a porter that would help us with the trek, really knew what he was in for. 

If you'd like to start to track our route, feel free to zoom in on that last picture. We are on the top of a mountain and there are three mountain ridges in the distance. We would be walking to find the gorillas somewhere on the second ridge. Things went downhill fast.****

After about an hour, the woods were lovely, dark and deep:

 

With miles to go before where the gorillas sleep.*****

Once we got down the first mountain and past the tea fields, the impenetrable forest began and that's where things got a little hairy.****** The lovely path became a suggestion through brush and vines and general rainforestation.*******

It was at this point in the forest after 2.5 hours of trekking that things took a bit of a turn.******** AT, international adventurer and super star, could not walk it anymore. The brush we were walking in was incredibly deep and the ups and downs were dramatically steep. So they called in the African Helicopter.********* While she waited with the porters for the helicopter to arrive, myself and some of the other group went on ahead. There was about another hour through dense forest where at one point we went the wrong way and for about 30 minutes, the gorilla trackers were machete-ing through the impenetrable forest********** so that we had some kind of a path.

But then . . . . gorillas!!!!!

AT arrived on the helicopter just in time for some side eye:

How close were we? This close!! And even closer a few other times but I didn't want to be that person that turned my back on the celebrity to snap a super obvious selfie.***********

So then we just hung out with the silverback while he contentedly munched. He eats shoots and leaves, he protects his family when enemies get too close, and he poses for that perfect picture angle.************

We followed him and were able to see a few more members of the family, though not all. This particular troop had 11 members and we could see trees moving from their presence but they stayed hidden in the undergrowth. We did see a mom up in the tree having a snack and a baby hanging out on a tree branch!

After watching the gorillas for about an hour and a half, we left their feasting for our own lunch and the return trip. It was at this point that I got to see the African Helicopter for myself. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you:

That's right, folks. AT arrived in style via a Queen of Sheba-like stretcher carried by a team of about 10 guys that took turns carrying and navigating through the forest and down the mountain and over the river and through the tea and up the mountain.*************

It was everything you could want from a helicopter ride. Was I jealous? Obvs. It was about two hours back to where we started and absolutely an uphill battle.************** But those gorillas, man. So worth it. I could have stared for days.

The next day we. . . enjoyed not-trekking anywhere. It was sadly gorilla-free but I did see some chameleons (karma included)!

I also took a tour of the local Batwa Tribe, a pygmy community that lives in the area. They originally lived in the Bwindi forest but were relocated by the government from 1930-1990 to protect the wildlife in the forest.*************** Now they offer a tour to showcase their culture and community and to help preserve their way of life. 

Our guide spoke of the trees and plants that the Batwa use for food, building their houses, and treating diseases. He spoke Bantu while another guide translated and showed how their traditional homes looked and even showed me how to shoot a bow and arrow!

The absolute best part was the singing and dancing throughout. A group from the tribe met us on different parts of the tour to sing, dance, and play. The songs were call and response with super tight harmonies and you couldn't help but join in by the end. They looked like they were having so much fun- it was incredible!!****************

The last stop of the day was for one more vista of the beautiful countryside before we headed back for Kenya the next day. As I type we are mid-way on that journey and will be back in Nairobi by this evening. We head to the Great Rift Valley for a safari tomorrow!

Thank you, Uganda! What a delight!!
-KT

*Devoted readers will know that this kind of border proximity usually means we would drive over to it. But. . .  covid and visas and security maybe, so no bonus country points for us.

**Remember this descriptor for later

***"Trek" will be used more frequently in my vocabulary because I am always looking to avoid the dreaded "h" word and sometimes "walking outdoors" is just not enough. 

****Mostly literally but then after about two hours of trekking, I would say figuratively as well. 

*****Apologies to Bobby Frost. Well. . . now double apologies.

******Gorilla pun intended.

*******But don't worry because you know it's fine and you saw that gorilla picture at the top and if you've been reading these footnotes as the story progresses then you know we all made it!

********Turns out that is a real word and I might even be using it properly! Let me take this time to say that I was heartbroken to be on a plane during the Spelling Bee this year but #Zaila4eva!!!

*********You don't even know what you're in for.

**********If you, like me, were like, "but rainforest conservation???" Don't worry, it all grows back better than ever in two weeks like we were never there.

***********Because this celebrity was very intimidating. Other celebrities? Yeah. I'll do it.

************Gorillas share about 98% of DNA with humans and it's clear that trying to find your good lighting is included in that majority.

*************Don't worry. I have video footage of this as well. 

**************This time it was 100% figuratively and about 70% literally.

***************A whole mess of a topic that I can only begin to unpack.

****************Oh, for sure, I've got that video too!