Gorillas, Birds, and Breathtaking Scenery

This was gorilla weekend. We left Mbarara on Friday and drove about 4 hours to the gorilla trek lodge. 

Barbecued goat on a skewer

Had dinner with a delightful Dutch couple, then went to my room. Spectacular view

Wow

Next morning we drove to the briefing, got our packs on, and got going.  There were about 30-35 of us. We were split into groups of 8 and each group visited a different habituated group. On the way we saw volcanoes on the Rwanda/Congo/Uganda border:

Volcanoes, one in the clouds

After 3 hours of strenuous, muddy hiking (I mean Very Strenuous, Very Muddy. Thank you LL Bean and Gore-Tex) we got to the gorilla family. It was really pretty spectacular. Pictures below, which don’t do the experience justice. I must confess, despite my enjoyment of the activity, some ambivalence about the contact. We were charged three times by adult males—screaming, baring teeth, running toward us—when we inadvertently got in their space somehow. (Fortunately, it’s a show—they never actually attack. They are just showing displeasure.) It’s pretty clear that although we were tolerated, they really weren’t thrilled to have us there. On the other hand, a gorilla visit permit in off season (which we were) was $450 USD, and in-season $600 USD. That’s anywhere between 12,000 and 18,000 USD per day, which is a small fortune in Uganda. Hopefully that helps maintain the population and the habitat.

About 2 minutes after I took this picture, he charged me and the guide

Silverback. Old male. The gray on the back is real, not just light

Juvenile fooling around

Juvenile not fooling around

I regret to say that I had quite a bit of difficulty getting back, and had to hand off my pack to a guide and slowed my group down terribly. I didn’t realize I was that out of shape. Apparently walking on a treadmill at age 63 does not prepare one for such a venture. No permanent injury except my pride, which was grievously wounded. I really felt kinda bad about the whole thing.

We had travelled through what is called the Uganda Highlands. All the farming is done on terraces

In mountainous country, there are no taxis or buses. People and goods simply ride in the back of trucks.

We got to Lake Bunyoni, where we stayed the second night. An eccentric eco place, solar energy, solar hot water, room was a freestanding geodesic dome.  The view out the front from in bed was spectacular.  The lake itself has multiple islands and is quite spectacular.

Dugout canoe

Another wow

Finally, Bunyoni is known for birding and I was able to get some pictures

Cormorants

Crested eagle sitting on a phone pole

Black headed weaver

On the way back, we stopped for vegetables. There’s a group of shacks on the side of the road and if you stop, vendors run up to your car window with wicker platters of vegetables. I got a cauliflower and carrots. The cauliflower, I found when I got home, had the added attraction of a gecko. We got him out of the fridge and into the garden.

Well that’s it from Uganda for today.