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My Dream Gorilla Trek... and more!
Dreams
give hope and meaning. We cannot thrive without them. When you finally come
face-to-face with a long time dream, you never quite know how much it will
impact you.
On the 5th day of January, 2009, I really had no idea of what was in store for
me.
The
day you wake up for a gorilla trek, you can't imagine the anticipation of the
day to come. After all, you are about to follow in the footsteps of the famous
Dian Fossey.
There
was just something that drew me in when I saw Gorillas in the Mist. It was
immediate. I knew I wanted to see gorillas in their natural habitat. Now, it
took me some time to work my way up to this elusive primate. After first having
spent time in Borneo with the red-headed oranguatan.
Spending
$500 for just one-hour in the hope that you will see the elusive,
majestic and near extinct Mountain Gorilla is a bit of a gamble but one I was
more than ready to make. I would trek hour after hour for this experience. I began the day anticipating the
difficulty of the trek. The hot African sun would certainly make it more
challenging. I set off equipped with all of the necessities for a successful
trek.
I
had my knapsack filled with sun block, a safari hat, an extra long sleeve shirt,
leather gloves, plastic rain pants and a matching rain jacket, a mosquito head
net, mosquito repellent, and a packed lunch including a hard-boiled egg,
sandwich meat, a couple of slices of bread, a banana, an apple and a Cadbury
sweet. Of course I had the recommended water supply of several liters of water.
Most importantly, I had two cameras and plenty of memory cards. All one can
really hope for on a day like this is to come face-to-face with at least one
gorilla and walk away with at least one fabulous photo.
Hmm...
How was I going to get up the mountain with this ridiculous amount of gear?
I was fortunate that I got along so well with the only other guest at my lodge.
Karen, a travel writer from Cape Town, South Africa was just lovely. Our first
evening, after meeting only minutes before, we set off for a village
performance by local orphans. It was filled with local song and dance and
was quite entertaining. Of course we joined in and found ourselves laughing
silly as we bounced around, shaking about, almost convinced we were skilled at
what had taken these children years to perfect. I still cower remembering how
hard they stomped there bare feet on the gravel paved ground after jumping as
high in the air as they could.
The
experience had me reminiscing about my time in Kenya with Masai warriors
impressed by their skill of propelling themselves up into the air as though they
had just bounced atop a trampoline. We learned how this orphan group formed and
about their schooling. They explained how funds from locals and tourists allow
them to build schools, continue their education and to grow and flourish and
teaching traditions to be carried on for generations to come. It was good fun
and certainly nice sharing the experience with someone that I was already
considering a new friend.
After dinner we had a drink by the fire in anticipation for the morning to come.
We were both really excited and had expressed that we hoped to have a personal
encounter with the gorillas. Of course that would never happen but I remember
saying, “I really want one to touch me.”
One
should be careful of what they ask for...
There must have been 15 people at the briefing and we learned about the
Gorillas habitat, dietary needs, familial responsibilities as well as their
group hierarchy. As we watched the exciting video, you could only dream of
seeing these animals up that close and personal. It was surreal knowing what I
was about to embark on. I was trekking into the Ugandan jungle to meet with a
gorilla face-to-face. I felt as if I had waited a lifetime for this experience
that was just hours away.
Now we met in our groups that were pre-determined at the time of booking.
Fortunately, Karen and I had been booked for the same group. We would be
tracking Mubare, the "M" group. Mubare was the first habituated
group at Bwindi. I am referring to the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National
Forest located in southwestern Uganda. I was really there and about to embark on
the most exciting trek of my life. With gear and walking stick in tow, we drove
to our starting point up in the mountain. I'd like to emphasize "in the
mountain". It was straight out of a jungle movie. We were driving up steep
slopes of Ugandan forest and jungle. I was getting emotional just being on the
drive. You watch movies like Gorillas in the Mist but when you are living it
out, you can't imagine how breathtaking it actually is. I said to my guide that
I couldn’t believe I was actually there. We were encompassed by green canopies
covering every inch of the mountains. Just above the tip of every mountain top
was a clear blue sky with soft puffs of fluffy clouds that made the green leaves
in the trees even brighter and the moment even more memorable. It was simply a
gorgeous day.
When we arrived at our starting point I remember looking back at my guide Ronnie
with enthusiasm and a grin that must have resembled a child eating a piece of
candy for the first time. I was excited and nervous and couldn’t wait to get
started.
You
should know something about me… maps are spread around my apartment and
foreign objects adorn my walls from previous jaunts around the globe. My travels
have taken me to 55 countries thus far and my décor is the epitome of eclectic
tastes. I have magnificent wood carvings next to painted ostrich eggs near an
Aboriginal Didgeridoo beside a stuffed crocodile. My other room hosts a variety
of ethnic tools, weapons and penis gourd’s (Koteka’s, Horim’s or
Phallocrypt’s) hanging on my walls. Ok, so that is probably a whole separate
story on its own.
My
point may be that I treasure my journeys and travel motivates me. I’m a
culture seeker and I have a constantly revised to do and wish list. I want to
impress upon you that in recent years since my last
But
for this day, January 5, 2009, I was in Uganda and I was about to visit the home
of the African Mountain Gorilla. I was going to trace the historic footprints of
Dian Fossey. I had made it to the jungles of Uganda and Rwanda.
It was already a hot morning and our small group of 7 trekkers needed to
tredge up a steep hill without shade just to start the trek in the jungle.
We heard that our trekkers sent ahead were still searching for our gorilla
group, Mubare. Now it was just a matter of reaching them.
It was hard and my breathing was quite labored at times. I was journaling on the
hike into my voice recorder and it really captured the true essence of the
difficulty while I panted words of excitement into this tiny machine capturing
my memories that I share with you today.
Ironically,
as I was struggling, I would be passed by women with children by their sides and
heavy baskets of grass, water and supplies atop their heads. It was all a bit
embarrassing. A daily stroll for them was a feat for me. Never-the-less, I
continued to reach the top with the help of my porter. Yes, that was my way up
with the lug of my gear. I hired a
porter to carry my knapsack for me. A brilliant solution. Anyway, he held his
hand out for me and pulled me up whenever I thought I could not climb anymore.
So
once you reach the top of the un-shaded mountain, the trek through the bush
starts. We were in a single file line with the guide and guard armed with a gun
in the front and another guide and armed guard at the back. I think we all
secretly questioned whether the protection was to shield us from the wildlife or
from any other dangers that may be lurking around. Now, I don’t want to be
misleading or give a false sense of fear among us. I don’t think anyone ever
felt in danger or in harm’s way, but we have all heard the stories from our
friends and families and the constant questions like, “you are going where?
And why?” Sometimes these concerns pop into your mind but are easily weaned
out when you realize how peaceful your surroundings are and how safe you
actually feel.
It
honestly was not as dense as I expected. Although there were some areas you duck
through or hack through, it was not such a struggle. We stopped to listen to the
radio communication between our guides and the trekkers ahead searching for our
group. They had located Mubare. You could feel the excitement amongst us. It was
only a matter of time before we would reach them now. It seemed such a short
time had passed before we were told to stop and change gear. Only our cameras
were allowed. Everything else would stay behind with our porters. So we followed
one-another with me leading the pack behind our armed guard and guide.
I was the first up to the top and with the last pull from the guide… there he
was... It happened that fast. The silverback was only feet away from me. I just
stared and was in awe of him. He was enormous and I could not imagine the
strength that he must have.
I
actually think I let out a quick gasp before covering my mouth with my hand. The
tear welled up in my eyes as soon as I saw him. I don’t think I believed it
was happening. I was actually in the jungle next to a gorilla. It was an
emotional, amazing moment. Another dream fulfilled. I was blessed and so very
grateful.
I
promised Ronnie I would take the time to watch them first before taking any
photos. That only lasted a few seconds and a few vital seconds at that. I had
the perfect view with no barriers, trees, branches or thickets blocking my
view of this magnificent creature before me. I just gaped at him and just as he
took steps into the jungle, I went for the camera but by then it was too late.
But, nothing mattered right then. I had come face-to-face with a silverback in
the wild. All along, I kept saying I just want to see one and there he was.
Magnificent and huge!
The
whole family was there. It was simply amazing. There was so much activity going
on, you didn’t know where to look first. One thing was definite, the
silverback had a watchful eye and knew everything going on around him.
I
don’t know if it is really possible to describe my experience. I remember
feeling the tears but I don’t think I was emotional just because I was
standing there in front of a gorilla in the wild, but more so that I had managed
to survive the odds of so many personal conflicts, years of depression and
countless days of both physical and emotional pain. Nobody in my life could stop
me from dreaming anymore. There was nobody to beat me down and nobody to say I
couldn’t do it. I could do anything. After all, I was in a Ugandan jungle
fulfilling another dream. I had made it and I was proud.
Well,
the hour flew by. There was clicking all about and giggling and awe inspired
gasps and shhhh’s and look at that, look over there, look at the babies. There
was a family of 9 going about their business as if we were a mere annoyance,
which I’m sure we were.
The
family was amazing. Ruhondeza, the silverback named for one who likes to sleep,
was the group leader. He must have been around 5 ft tall and between to 425 -
500 pounds. And, make no mistake about it, when he got up to move, the family
moved with him. He had a protective eye and was just enormous. It was a great hour
that of course passed too quickly. Ruhondeza had us following his family further
into the
jungle. We had great views of the whole family. They did like to have greenery around
them as they were almost always eating. Kashongo, a new mother was so nurturing
to her un-named baby of 7 months. We were fortunate to see a newborn as well.
I’m not sure if the mom was Kashundwe or Bukunu or Wagaba or Kanyonyi but mom
was very attentive and nurturing. Mom would lick her own finger and then clean
baby’s nose. It was all rather endearing. Let me explain that babies are not
named until personalities are formed and until there is a sponsorship for the
gorilla or until the trekkers vote on a suitable name after observing them long
enough in the wild while habituating them.
Each
generation is easier to habituate as the parents will allow their youth to stray
a bit and explore their curiosity of us funny looking, hairless creatures with
hard, black appendages that go click, click, click.
The
infant was so wrinkled and pink. It was just incredibly humanlike and wailed as
a hungry newborn that needed burping or a diaper change. Mommy was so gentle and
loving. She just hovered over her baby protecting its fragile state. Even their
facial expressions were humanlike. You definitely could see pride and love in
their eyes.
If
we could have piled on top of one another, I believe we would have just to get
the perfect shot. So, what do I remember most was the first look at the
silverback. It was the most emotional moment but I don’t think it was the most
exciting moment.
As
I was shooting the silver back I felt someone on my back. With toppling over
one-another for the best angles I was not the least distracted by it. Not until
I felt the brushing of fur across my arm and face. I think I raised my left hand
over my shoulder as I felt a tickle. It was not the hair of a fellow
photographer, it was the course hair of a male black-back of about 6 or 7 years
that was passing through. But apparently my right ear was appealing enough for
him to stop and kiss or nibble as I was told by the others. Now of course I wish
I could actually remember it happening but it is just a memory spawned by
the stories that were told to me by my fellow trekkers. I do remember the shocking feeling as he
passed me and I felt his hair on my body just as he left poop on my right arm.
Yes, that is right; I was pooped on by a gorilla in the wild. Now I wonder if
that could be the title to my book. Certainly
a great caption, “Pooped on by a gorilla in the wild”.
You
don’t know quite how to react to that. It was cool to have him so close but I
actually remember the smell being really unappealing and I’m being nice with
these typed words. It was really gross! I think I tried wiping it off with a
leaf that probably was filled with much worse germs and bugs that would find a meal on
me. So, I left well enough alone as I didn’t want to miss any shots. I figured
I’ll get to it later. It happened rather quickly (at least from the time I
knew he was there) but I do remember wanting to touch him but we were told that
we were not allowed to make contact. So, I didn't but he sure did!. It
was difficult to follow these emphatic instructions because there he was
literally at the palm of my hand and I could only let him explore me. He was
slow moving and gentle. It was amazing.
Just
about the same time, Karen was nearby and she too had personal interaction. I
think she was in the way and like with my encounter, I don’t think she knew
what was happening as it happened when another male passed her. Actually, he
didn’t just pass but pushed or nudged Karen out of the way. I actually saw it
happening and captured it on film. So, there it was, we both had our personal
encounters with the gorillas. Could it possibly get better than that? You
wouldn’t think so, in which case I hope you keep reading.
Now,
people say I’m crazy and people say I’m brave. I don’t see that about
myself. I just do what I do best... Everything! Many express their desire to do the same or they say, “I wish I could
do what you do” and I usually reply with, “but you can”. To look at me,
you probably would not see a hip-hop girl, or exotic, adventure traveler. My
look does not fit the stereotype of a snake-lover or a person that will try just
about anything at least once just for the “photo”. I’m a plain-Jane
looking 43-year old that is determined to satisfy my lust to see and meet the
people and wildlife around the world. My real dream in life would be to
encourage any one person to do the same.
So,
we watched the group play, eat, climb trees, play fight, rest and just be at
home in the jungle. It was just another day for them and for us as observers, it
was a magnificent moment. I was learning Gorilla talk and my guide was teaching
me to do safe calls. It is similar to clearing your throat when you feel a frog
in it. It is a deep, two-syllable sound like hche hchemmmm. That is a tough one
to spell. Ask me to do it for you sometime. My guide would do it over and over
letting me repeat it back to him until he gave me a thumbs up. I love having it
on my voice recorder. Maybe one day I will figure out how to put the sounds on
my website. There was another high-pitched squeally sound that I never quite
mastered. The hche hchemmmm is a safety call. The gorilla will hear it from the
guide and reply with the same sound to signify that we are safe and it is like
an ok to approach. So, when the guide gave me the honor to speak with the
gorilla and I was answered back, I was just speechless. I actually communicated
with Ruhondeza. I was told I was very lucky to have been nibbled or kissed by a
gorilla and pooped on by a gorilla but now I had spoken with one. Can you
imagine?
When
450 pound Ruhondeza climbed a tree, it was magnificent. He had so slowly made
his way up the tree with such grace that the tree barely moved. Had I not seen
it, I would not have believed it. It really was a full hour of observation and
awe. Even our guides said we had a really special viewing (interaction) and they
do it nearly every day.
There
was one point where the guide and I were just in front of one of the females and
she was eating. She had the branches and shrubs over her and our view was
blocked. So, the guide made his way over (only a few feet) and pulled the branch
out of the way for me to get the shot. I did but then the gorilla gave a warning
call or a leave me alone and stood and grabbed the branch back to cover itself
up again. It made my heart jump a bit with fear as she was disturbed and not
happy about it. Really though, she was irritated but happy to go back to eating
her daily intake. Surprisingly, a female may eat 25-35 pounds of food a day and
more if she is feeding for two and a Silverback will consume up to 55 pounds a
day. Gorillas primarily eat vegetation including leaves, wild celery and bamboo
and they spend almost half of their waking day eating so they consume a lot of
forest daily.
We
stopped for lunch on our way back down the mountain and we all reminisced about
our individual experiences. It was such an amazing afternoon.
The
next trek was going to be to Dian Fossey’s Grave in the Rwenzori Mountain
Ranges in Rwanda.
I
needed to be up at 4am to drive 5 hours from Uganda to Rwanda to our starting
place. We literally just made it. Now, this was the most difficult of my treks
and the terrain was the most varied. We were crossing mud swamps and hiking up
steep mountains and ducking through dense jungle.
Although
this was not a gorilla trek, I jokingly requested for the guides to find Gorillas on the
way up. Knowing this wouldn’t happen, it seemed a wasted request. The thorny
thistles were terrible on this trek and again, I was very sensitive to them.
They burned so much and the burning sensations were longing lasting more than on
the other treks. So, I requested to stop so I could suit up. I was well prepared
with a plastic rain suit.
A
plastic rain suit is an item that you question packing. The cost was under $15
but the weight is heavy and it takes up a lot of space. But, I decided to pack
more for the treks than for my social calendar (although that was not lacking).
So, I redressed with elasticized plastic pants and long, oversized plastic
jacket, leather gloves, wide brimmed safari hat and camera. I’m sure I was
quite a site. My guide said he was impressed with my gear. The other trekkers
were sorry they did not have the same gear. I was rather pleased with myself
that my comfort outweighed my vanity!
So,
again asking for Gorillas along the way, the guide stops us for a water break.
These are really important so as not to dehydrate as we had heat and altitude
working against us. There was a lot of commotion up ahead and lots of radio
talk. We were stopped and said that Gorillas had been spotted up ahead by gun
guardsmen. If we were lucky, we would pass them.
It
went by so quickly so it is hard to remember the exact experience but there they
were. A Silverback and two blackbacks. The silverback was happy to eat and watch
us as if we were eating popcorn watching a movie. One of the blackbacks however
felt the need to impress us with his male dominance and gave a mock charge and
came towards us quickly standing upright and beating his chest with his large
teeth exposed that would make anyone quiver.
It
was fascinating. It turns out it was a wild group habituated for research only
and not for tourism. We were not allowed to photograph them and were were not
allowed to stay with them either. But we had a very rare close encounter with
them. The guides looked at me and said again to me, that I must be very lucky. I
told them of the experience that last trek of being kissed, nibbled and pooped
on.
Now
I had had an extra sighting and was ready to carry on. So, we get to this
magnificent viewpoint with two simple plank benches. We stopped to sit and enjoy
the beauty all around us. It was the perfect moment to revisit the fact that I
was now in Rwanda tracing the exact footsteps of Dian Fossey. This was historic.
I was sitting on the very bench she sat on once a month when she would make her
way down the mountain for supplies and food.
This
break was perfect for a nature call. My porter had a watchful eye and carefully
followed my every step deeper into the jungle with her eyes. As I tried to waver
to her that I was fine and she could go sit with the others, her fascination
over what I was doing won over her desire to rest with the others. So, feeling
extremely self-conscious, I decided to wait. I came out from beneath the bushes
and politely requested, from our English speaking guide, that he relay to my
porter the next time I choose to make a stop to relieve my bladder, she should
not stare me down. We laughed and continued.
We
found the relics and remains just like ruins left of the male huts or cabins and
the kitchen and the crews quarters and Dian’s own accommodation. The grave
just a bit further up the mountain and was under a magnificent tree. There was a
large land plot with small handcut wood signs with names of Gorillas that had
been buried next to Dian. There was Puck, Beets Me, ?, ? and Dian’s favorite
??. Of course I knew all of their names from studying and research that I had
done before my visit.
I read many works by Dian Fossey (habituated Gorillas in Rwanda), Jane Goodall
(habituated chimps in Gombe) and Birute Galdikas (habituated Orangutans in
Borneo). I had spent some amazing time with Orangutans in Borneo, Indonesia in
2006 and I would soon meet chimps at Ngamba Island in Uganda. I really wanted a
true primate experience this trip. I certainly got more than I had ever
expected.
This was all written so many years ago. In revisiting, I realize I never finished my story. So, the story of my Gorilla trek in Rwanda will be added here soon! (3/5/13)
So,
pick your dream destination, pick your career goal, imagine yourself doing the
unthinkable and Just Do It!