We did not have much hope for obtaining a gorilla permit in Uganda as everybody we spoke to said that you have to book months in advance. This did not hinder our spirits and on arrival in Kampala we popped into the Uganda wildlife service with a smile and plenty of cash and walked out with two permits for three days time!!
Since we had a few days to spare I convinced Dave to accompany me on a white water rafting trip down the Nile. It was amazing! There were several grade five rapids and about 20 rapids all up. Our guide was a bit of a loose cannon which added to the excitement. We only fell out once which was probably a highlight (falling out not the lack there of) and made it successfully down all of the grade fives. It is pretty amazing being flushed down a river at speed to be welcomed by a 2 metre wall of water!!! Managed to get a good dose of sunburn also. We finished the day with complimentary beer and a 2 hour bus ride home. Of course we ran out of beers shortly after commencing the trip so we had to stop and resupply. We were all a little drunk by the end! The night finished with dinner and tequila shots if I remember correctly.The next day we missed our bus (we were feeling a little bit under the weather) s
o we had to catch an overnight bus again. This one was 10 times worse, it was a truly local bus. The snoozer in front of us managed to break his glass window in two so we had cold wind blowing in our faces all night. Not even the temazepam could save me that night.
o we had to catch an overnight bus again. This one was 10 times worse, it was a truly local bus. The snoozer in front of us managed to break his glass window in two so we had cold wind blowing in our faces all night. Not even the temazepam could save me that night. It was all forgotten when we arrived in Kisoro for our trek the following day. We had a s
pare afternoon so we decided to explore Dave's fascination with the Pygmies. These small people had been displaced from there jungle home to settle in a small village out of town. It was pretty amazing. They are legally allowed to smoke weed so it was a fun atmosphere. They did a welcoming dance for us and then we got up and cut the rug with them for a while. They seemed to love it as much as we did. Afterward we went and drank some of the local brew. It is a banana beer. the beer takes about 5 days to make and 5 minutes to drink (the locals love it, as did I). We sat in a small clay walled room and passed around multiple 2 litre bowls having a drink as we went. Great times!!
pare afternoon so we decided to explore Dave's fascination with the Pygmies. These small people had been displaced from there jungle home to settle in a small village out of town. It was pretty amazing. They are legally allowed to smoke weed so it was a fun atmosphere. They did a welcoming dance for us and then we got up and cut the rug with them for a while. They seemed to love it as much as we did. Afterward we went and drank some of the local brew. It is a banana beer. the beer takes about 5 days to make and 5 minutes to drink (the locals love it, as did I). We sat in a small clay walled room and passed around multiple 2 litre bowls having a drink as we went. Great times!!We woke early the next day to see what we came to see, my hairy relatives. We drove out to the camp for a quick brief and then off into the jungle. we only had to walk 1-2hrs before we saw them. our first glimpse was a baby climbing a tree on the opposite hill. the feeling was indescribable, but it was about to get better. we then trekked for what seem forever (maybe it had something to do with the unfit guy in front setting the pace which was suitable for my granny!) and then we started to hear some very deep roaring. a few steps later and we we
re 5 yards away from a sliverback!! I had not experienced anything like it. He was so big! He was just sitting there, not phased by us, eating the equivalent of the Woolworth's fresh food department!!We walked a little further to find one of the smallest gorillas of the group playing in a tree while its mother watched. The baby climbed down into its mothers arms and then they both walked off. So cute! They both went and joined another sliverback for some more greens. Yes that is right there are two silverbacks in this group, it is not all that common but apparently they seem to get along. The silverback go up, gave a call to his group and moved on. All of them followed except for one of the smaller ones who lagged behind. The baby then walked right over towards me on it way to catch up, it was so cool!!
The trek finished watching two of the younger ones mock fight in a flimsy tree. It was funny to watch. One would chase the other up the tree until they were both on a small branch, then 'snap' they would both be falling to the ground only to immediately climb straight back up and fall again.
The trek out was a pretty hard climb, deserving of a beer (funnily enough!). The next morning we crossed over into Rwanda (current location) which seems a very cool country. We will spend a few days here have a look at the genocide museums before flying
to Kilimanjaro to go for a wee walk.
to Kilimanjaro to go for a wee walk.I almost forgot. the metal detector on the bus. The bus the night after our Nairobi to Uganda one was hijacked!! It was a different company who didn't have metal detectors. Apparently two passengers smuggled on AK-47s to hijack the bus a few hours into the trip. No one was killed but it would have been an interesting ride!! You are probably thinking how the hell could someone smuggle on an assault rifle but let me tell you I could have smuggled on a anti- tank gun on to the second 'local' bus that we caught. Good times. Don't worry mum :)
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