Uganda 2006 - Mzungu in the Mist

I've always had a particular passion for primates. I had also been fortunate enough to view many different species of primate in the wild, a particular highlight was the time I visited Orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus) in Borneo. On this occasion I was interrupted by some uninvited lunch guest’s, a particularly unfriendly female and her four year old. I unwilling gave….well was chased off and could do nothing but watch as she tucked into my sandwiches and more importantly my only water! But then again, I had no intention of arguing with a 100Ib ape that could quite easily fight me to the death for the last few crumbs.

This passion for primates first began the day I saw the movie ’Gorillas in the Mist’. At the time I knew nothing of Dian Fossey or of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), when her and Digit had become famous, I was only a baby and therefore oblivious to the media that surrounded them. That film, that day, however, changed my life and from that point, as I watched this amazing woman and her story unfold in front of me, I knew that I wanted to be like her and make a difference. Time went on, but on the back of a paper I wrote when studying for my masters, my interest was ignited again and a whole new desirer lead to my first really trip to Africa.

I wanted to fore fill my dream and finally meet the mountain gorillas up close and personnel, like the majority of people who visit Africa, as a tourist. Before I choose my destination, I talked to friends who’d visited the area and been lucky enough to see these magnificent creatures in the wild. From this I chose to see them in Uganda and for several reasons. Firstly, it’s English speaking and the fact is I’m terrible at French! (so I discounted Rwanda immediately), further reports from friends described how wonderful Uganda was, safe, friendly and there were lots of other things to do while out there. So that was that, the decision was made and I booked my at the end of February 2006.

On my arrival in Entebbe I was meet by Fiona, a South African living and working in Uganda, we had worked together in Belize the year before when I was working with Howler monkeys. She had become my manager when I began guiding for Monkey Bay. She’d obtained our gorilla permits and organised not only my trip down to the gorillas, but also a few days on the reserve her son, who I'd also worked with in Belize, was working on and time on their boat in Murchison Falls National Park. The Madi Gras, was a beautiful, well equipped (including a loo!) which would see me floating down the Nile Delta in style….

I spent the first night in Entebbe and travelled the following day to the reserve, two hours from the bustling Hoima. We travelled overland on the dirt roads and caught up on all the news and gossip. As we dropped down into the reserve, which covers approximately 2086 hectors, it finally hit me that I was in Africa! The shear expanse is something that no movie or television programme could have ever prepare me for. Savannah as far as the eye could see, with game grazing happily, unperturbed by me not knowing in which direction to look first, to the left, the famous Ugandan Cob (Kobus kob Thomas) or to the right at bush buck or in front, at the troop of baboons! (Papio anubis) I was in Uganda and my wildest dreams had come true.

I was greeted by Craig, who proudly showed me round the lodge, overlooking Lake Albert, that he’d left Belize 9 months earlier to build. I was very proud of my friend for his achievement. As I woke that first morning to the view of Lake Albert, which separates Uganda from the Congo, (and on a clear day you can see!) from my bed and showered while being entertained by troops of baboons at the watering hole, my view from out of my bathroom window, I knew this was a special place. The reserve had a very relaxing atmosphere, which made you de-stress instantly on arrival. Of course sitting in the pool, sun blazing, beer in hand, in the full knowledge that back home everyone would be freezing, was fantastic. I went on several game drives with Craig, who could spot game and especially birds, a mile away…long before me. Somehow though, I always ended up in front of a troop of Baboons with a big grin on my face. It was soon time however to leave the reserve and for the three of us to travel south for are trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the mountain gorillas!

It was a two day journey overland, but worth every minute to see the changing habitats, from savannah to the cooler climate with lush green hills and mountains. On the way we passed Lake Edward, George and all the villages and there residents going about there daily lives, always ready to wave as I went by or stop and talk. All where as polite as I’d been told they would be, not once did I feel unsafe, harassed or felt threatened. The night before the trek I was soo nervous and excited I couldn’t believe that in a few hours I’d be see mountain gorillas in the flesh!

The morning of the trek began early, as we had to travel from Kisoro to the park by 8.00am. On arrival, we were informed the trackers had left at six and we were to follow after a short briefing, which included how to act around the gorillas. The UWA (Ugandan Wildlife Authority) guides where excellent and made us all feel at ease before our expedition. By 8.30 we were ready to go, there where four in are party, although a maximum of eight are allowed to visit the gorillas at any one time. I was used to trekking though jungle so when are guide, Jarot, informed us that it was going to be tough I thought nothing of it, granted I’d spent a few months behind a desk back in the UK, but hey, piece of cake….until we were told it could take nine hours to find the gorillas!!!

We were lucky and after three hours of climbing though thick jungle (hence the name Impenetrable) we were moments away from seeing the Nkuringo group, which consisted of 18 gorillas in total. My heart was pounding as I followed a tracker to there location. Before I knew it or had a chance to realize I had stumbled across a gorilla. I couldn’t believe it two gorillas and sat relatively close together, huddled under trees to keep dry from the rain, which had started about ten minutes earlier. The tracker gestured to follow him to a better viewing position and at a safe distance I sat and watched. No talking, no sudden movements, just me sitting in the rain, with the gorillas, my dream come true. We had an hour with the group and what the others did I couldn‘t tell you. I had come to see gorillas and I had no intention of being distracted. I watched as one began making a nest, breaking thick branches and placing them methodically on top of one another with ease. The other, a male, who almost had the infamous silverback, commonly known as a black back and what I can only describe as king Kong’s stunt double, lay on his stomach resting his head in his hands and occasionally yawning. You could almost sense the utter boredom that he was again being glared at more mzungu’s! In all I saw 11 gorillas, including the silverback, and a mother with an infant. All to soon the hour was up and we where told it was time to leave and descend back down the mountain, on are return we were all very exhausted but elated with are mountain gorilla experience. We each received certificates to say we’d successfully tracked and seen the Nkuringo group, it was an unexpected surprise and as we each went up to collect our certificates to a hearty round of applause, we all felt like we’d seen something special that day, something that very few others had. It was a great way to end the perfect day.

The following day we were once again travelling back across the equator away from the mountains and mist and onto Paraa in Murchison Falls National Park. This was my final destination, a boat trip down the Nile Delta on the Mardi Gras. Fiona informed me that this was a fantastic way to see wildlife and she was right! As we ambled down the river, with a gentle breeze on my face and shaded under the Mardi Gras canopy, I couldn’t believe the abundance of wildlife. I had never seen hippos (Hippopotamus amphibious), or African elephant (Loxodonta Africana) in the wild before and it was fantastic to see them in there natural habitat. The wealth of game and birds, including the crowned crane (Balearica pavonina) and shoebill (Balaeniceps rex) spotted early one morning by our able Captain Angelo, kept my interest high and my eyes glued for any movement. The wildlife continued as we followed the river and included rothchild’s giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis rothschild) and Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). On my final night in Uganda I couldn’t have envisioned a more fitting end to my journey. As I feel sleep I heard the sounds of African drums drifting over from a village on the south side of the river bank….it was the prefect end to a dream trip.

The next day I travelled to Entebbe airport, said goodbye and travelled home with a million new memories and experiences thanks to Fiona, Craig, Angelo and all the other people that briefly touched my life, knowingly or otherwise, while travelling round this amazing country. And of course to the stars of the trip, the wildlife and in particular the mountain gorillas, for being beyond any words or my imagination in making my dream come true..

I knew after that trip that I'd left my heart in Africa....I knew that I'd have to find a way to go back. People say that once Africa's touched your soul your never the same again...have to agree!

I've just spent my first year living in South Africa, I went there for a 6 week trip...and what can I say, I've just forgotten to leave....