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I had no problem getting up at 6:30, since the chickens had been crowing continuously for a couple of hours. Breakfast was slow to arrive, not coming until 7, when I had wanted to leave. The Danish ladies, who were in their 40s, apparently, and traveling with an African man, had yet to receive any food. They received breakfast at 7:15, which was the latest we wanted to leave. They quickly ate part of the meals, and their African companion sent back an elaborate fruit plate that had arrived too late.
We loaded into their red pickup truck, with the sun rising bright orange through the thick mist. Baker was up as well, and set off separately in my vehicle, which still had to be push-started. The Danish lady drove slowly, as if afraid she would break the four-wheel drive truck on the bumpy road. I was getting frustrated with her granny-style driving, having some doubts about whether she would make it in time. We watched for Mgahinga signs, driving up into the hills past sorghum farms. Sorghum is fermented to make an alcoholic beverage. We passed a small campground outside the park gate, arriving at 8:05, a bit later than was comfortable, but still on time.
The headquarters were in a small metal hut inside the gate, but the officers hadn't arrived yet. Some campers were waiting to try to get on standby. They could claim any spots not taken at 8:30. Six people would be tracking gorillas today. Baker arrived in my vehicle, which he said was OK now. He just needed to drive it enough to recharge the battery. The Danish ladies paid for their permits when the office opened. I showed the man my permit. He seemed surprised to see it, and clearly was not expecting me, but the permit was valid. Apparently he had not communicated with the Kisoro office, though they are in radio contact, and he should have known. One of the standby people, a scruffy bearded man, had thought he was sure of a space until now, and became angry. He was with a group camping outside the gate, and I could hear them arguing with the official who had misinformed them.
The campers would have to wait another day, because everyone arrived, including the two Dutch ladies, their Ugandan associate, two German ladies, and myself. The metal hut was just a temporary office, and a permanent one was under construction nearby. A number of westerners were helping out with the project. Most of these were very scruffy looking, in sharp contrast to the meticulously-groomed Ugandans. It is unfortunate that Americans and Europeans who travel here to work or visit often give such a bad image, when Africans work so hard to keep a neat, well-dressed appearance.
A group of rangers stood in military-style formation to receive the day's assignments. One of them walked over to us, carrying a rifle. His name was Joseph, and he would be our guide. He said it was important for everyone to bring water, and to wear long pants and sturdy shoes. A few people didn't have water, because they had heard that yesterday's tracking session was short, taking only 45 minutes to reach the gorillas. But the gorillas are quite mobile, and we were told we could have a much longer walk. The people without water bought some at a canteen near the campground outside the gate, and Joseph offered to carry it in his pack.
The walk started gently uphill through "zone 2" forest. This was land which had been farmed before the park was created, and was being reclaimed. We would be climbing into mature "zone 1" forest to see the gorillas. Joseph said he was carrying the rifle in case we encountered any threatening buffalo, which can be very dangerous. We passed some people cutting wood, and were told they were not cutting illegally, but were rangers who wanted wood for a party.
We were in radio contact with two rangers who would be meeting us after locating the gorillas. Not everyone in our group was in great shape, and we stopped frequently for breaks. I found the walking quite easy, and followed closely behind the guide. I noticed water dripping from his pack. One of the water bottles inside had a hole, and his bird-watching book had become soaked. As we approached a pipeline, we were instructed by radio to head uphill into zone 1. Here, the climbing became more difficult, and the terrain more uneven. One lady fell into a hole once. I still found the tracking easy after the Rwenzoris, though it was more difficult than most on-trail hikes.
As we climbed, large volcanos loomed overhead in the clouds. After a couple of hours, we sighted the other two rangers, just inside zone 1. One had a rifle, and the other carried a large knife, called a panga, for cutting vegetation. They had seen the gorillas and had cut a rough path for us. We followed them to the spot where they had seen the gorillas, but they had moved on before we arrived.
This group had 9 gorillas, we were told, including two silverbacks, the older, dominant males. We followed where it appeared the gorillas had gone, cutting a path as we went. About three and a half hours after leaving headquarters, we saw movement in the trees ahead, and the rangers said to be prepared to take pictures if we got a chance, since there may not be another opportunity. They approached the gorillas, changing "mmm mmm" to let the gorillas know we were coming, and to reassure them. Before visitors are allowed to see a gorilla group, they are habituated to rangers who visit, and establish a pattern that the gorillas come to expect, and feel comfortable with.
![[gorillas]](../images/ugasafari/gorillas.gif)
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| Gorillas |
When the gorillas departed, we followed, assuming they would lead us to the rest of the group. There was a lot of crawling under trees, moving like a gorilla through the dense brush, complete with thorns and stinging nettles. Soon, we came upon two females with babies. The babies were climbing and swinging in trees. Here, beneath the canopy of the dense forest, my fast film was essential, and in fact, barely adequate for the active babies.
We still hadn't seen the silverbacks. We pushed on, as one of the females climbed high into a tree in search of ants. We heard a silverback making loud gorilla noises in the trees, and could see some movement ahead. As we came close, a silverback quickly ran through a partial clearing nearby. I probably got the only picture, being in front, but barely had time to point the camera, let alone focus. It was a big animal, and the rangers said it was the dominant one, 45 years old. The younger silverback was around 30. Gorillas normally live 50 to 60 years, and can reproduce at age 4. We followed the silverback, and came upon some more females, but didn't get a very clear view. We could barely see the silverback, sitting and eating. Only part of his back was visible between the branches.
We were now down to the border of zone 2, and our hour with the gorillas was over. This was the maximum time allowed for contact with the gorillas. We cut our way to a clearing and sat for a rest. I got out my snacks, and had a drink. Eating and drinking is not permitted in the presence of the gorillas. Other rules are that coughing and sneezing must be done while turned away from the gorillas, that sick people cannot track gorillas, and that any feces be buried. This is to protect the endangered gorillas' health, since they can contract human diseases.
We took a more direct path back down. The two rangers we met here split off and returned to their base camp, taking both rifles. Joseph would be unarmed if we met any buffalo on the way down. He pointed out some Pygmie huts outside the park boundary, near the other rangers' base. He said a large percentage of Rwandans are Pygmies, and that they live throughout the border regions. We came upon an old man climbing up to gather honey. When the park was created, some people were allowed to continue tending bees. We saw some pretty flame-like flowers.
We stopped for a few rests. Though I wasn't tired at all, most of the group seemed exhausted. The ranger said today's tracking was about average. Some groups can take much longer, returning after dark. People are warned when this is a possibility. People who withdraw because of an illness or because they feel unable to do the walk can get refunds if they cancel before starting, but not after the tracking starts. Some people must be sent back because they just don't have the strength for the strenuous walking. After tracking begins, refunds are possible only when the gorillas cannot be located within the allotted time, but this rarely happens.
Baker was waiting outside the gate when we returned. He suggested buying a Coke at the nearby canteen before departing. I did this, and bought a gorilla T-shirt, black with rather crude white printing on both sides, for 10,000 shillings as well. At 4 PM, we began the long, winding drive to Kabale. We passed some backpackers walking up the road to the park.
We retraced our route out of Kisoro. The views were better than on the way in, due to the clear late-afternoon light. Baker said it would take about four hours to get to Kabale, so I expected a late arrival. In fact, it would be dark by 8 PM, and it was not safe to be on the roads after dark, so we tried to make good time. Still, I asked Baker to stop for some photos, since the views were so beautiful. The hills around Kisoro are probably the most beautiful part of Uganda I have seen. Lake Bunyoni was especially pretty today.
We were starting to get low on diesel, and Baker said we had used more fuel than expected. He thought filling the two tanks once would be enough. He suggested that I might have to buy some fuel, but that was not part of my agreement with Jumbo. I hoped we would have enough to get to Kabale, since we certainly didn't want to run out of fuel as darkness fell, when we weren't even supposed to be driving then.
We descended into Kabale much earlier than I expected, arriving around 6:30. We drove to White Horse Inn on a hilltop overlooking the town, and I checked in. I would be paying $45 for tonight's stay, according to my agreement with Jumbo. This was a truly impressive hotel that looked like a country club, with striking architecture, pointed roofs, covered walkways, and stone and brick floors. Behind, overlooking the town, were spacious, well-manicured grounds with gardens and a tennis court.
My room was large and attractive, with a modern appearance, a high, pointed wood ceiling over the bed, and satellite TV. I think this was the most impressive hotel so far. As is common here, the construction is a bit off - some corners not quite square, some walls not quite vertical, and there are some signs of decay. But the hotel was spotlessly clean, and the overall impression was very elegant. A few details, such as the stiff towels, the lack of a shower, and the smelly water, would be out of place at comparable western hotels.
I went out and took some pictures around the hotel as the sun set red into the clouds. A man came out and told me I had a phone call in the lobby. It was Catherine from Jumbo Nature Safaris. She had been talking to Baker, and now she wanted to know if everything was going well for me. I told her everything was fine. I also gave her my flight information for Tanzania, so she could confirm it. Baker departed to get a cheaper room in town, and I went to my room to clean up from the gorilla tracking.
After dark, I went to the large, elegant dining room for dinner. They had a buffet including ginger chicken, tarragon lamb, spaghetti Napolitan, sweet potatoes, squash, matooke, and a few other things. I was seated with an upper-middle-aged couple who were here to work with some hospitals. After they departed, I refilled my plate, and then was served a crepe for dessert. The meal cost 8,500 shillings, and they wanted payment now. Afterward, I wandered into the lounge. It was a nice hotel, but somehow felt a bit stuffy.
I returned to my room and turned on the BBC news channel. It took me almost an hour to get all the burrs out of my wool socks and gorilla tracking clothes. There was a bit of news about the Zaire rebels taking over a border town, and an increase in refugees from the shelling in that area. They said the government was trying to suppress news of the rebels' success in the east, so that the rest of Zaire wouldn't think the government was losing control. I fell asleep watching TV, and slept very well in the comfortable room.
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| Previous: February 17 | Journal Contents | Next: February 19 |