The Gorillas

Our final fling has been a trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (the name says it all) for gorilla tracking. Many of our guests have been and so we were well prepared for the long and bumpy journey (our driver was introduced to the word shoogle, the only way to describe it). We travelled down last Sunday – just under 11 hours – and returned to Kampala on Wednesday – 12 hours. (Kampala appears to have suffered the worst tropical storm in history just hours before we returned). 

The last three and a half hours is on dirt track part of which happens to be one on the main routes into the Congo and so is quite busy with heavy lorries.

 
On Monday morning we checked in at the UWA reception. There were 3 groups of visitors with a maximum of 8 people in each. 

Each group, with a guide, two armed guards and porters for those that wish, is assigned to a gorilla family. 

We had a two and a half hour trek in - up and down precipitous tracks – to find the gorilla family we had been assigned to – the Habinyanja family. 

We spent an hour with the gorillas which made it all worthwhile. It was a really amazing experience having eye-to-eye contact with such gentle giants, by the end we felt they were our new best friends. 

 

 

 

 

 

I (Rhona) was very appreciative of my porter, Jonathan, who carried my rucksack and gave me a hand with the steepest parts. Bobby still claims he only hired a porter to help the local economy, he certainly did not engage in the hand-holding bit! (not true – I didn’t fancy being stretchered out)

 
On Tuesday, I spent a morning at Bwindi Community Hospital, an amazing place (with a good website) which provides medical care and health promotion to the people living in this very remote area of Uganda.

There are two VSO volunteers working there and it is certainly VSO - the extreme version, with very primitive living conditions, no regular transport in or out, and no access to food except the African staples. On the other hand, it is a stunning location and a great hospital with good resources. 

On Tuesday morning Bobby had a guided rain forest walk to a local waterfall. In the afternoon we relaxed with a short local walk.

 
So now it is countdown to returning home, there is much to do and a very long tick list. Today we went to the village up the hill behind our house where we often walk with visitors, and distributed printed photos of various people who had kindly allowed us and in particular our son David, to take photos of them.

We had to ask around to track them down, but we found them all and they were really delighted to have them to keep.