We going where? Booked-Going in 2 months, I reply Where, what …..Gorilla Trekking, I try to just process what was going on in my own head….Is this True! they say we are impulsive but this is seriously over ambitious if anything!! The thought stuck in the back of my mind, distracted by the whatsapps, facebook notifications, posts, messages and before i know it, gorilla trekking so far from my list right now! I swear that since we have been rudely disrupted by technology from living a pretty private life, basic living chores, if you are not home, you are not home and nobody can reach you no matter how urgent! You come home and listen to the answering machine for those that really wanted to get their message across! Then the night was yours, why because you could! Watch T.V., spend quality time with your flat-mate, your friend, your pet, your child or even just yourself! (something for everyone!), talk, connect with those others in your life!
Not nowadays! Beware you don’t answer your cell, you can’t drive anywhere without your cell, protection, pass-time, business, messages, whatsapps, photos, that quick post on Facebook, oh, let me just quickly post something on Instagram and then its 3’o clock in the morning and have spoken to no-one! You are in your own bubble, your own world-isolation is upon us! The cell phone has taken over our entire lives, I mean I phoned an employer during the Covid pandemic based in Australia at night as per his request-red flag already,answered and putting his children to bed on video call! I mean-really? Talk about being in someones private space, I even felt embarrassed, hugely awkward and I wasn’t even on the continent, actually located on the other side of the world, once joined at the hip, but no more thanks to the good ole’ Gondwanaland! (Love their animals though, Kangaroo, Koala’s and much more! Can’t wait to visit that continent! Soon Mate, soon!)
So yes, now that I have gotten that off my chest….thanks for reading. I feel better now! Back to the important stuff in life, the adventures of life! Anyway, we trained, we did it and most of all we enjoyed it! We are here to tell the tale…..we trained, we we trained. strenuous level : High, you have to train, take it from us…
How we trained:……we got serious! 2 months to train: Whaaaaaaaa!!
Activity: Gorilla Trekking
Location: Bwindi Forests, Uganda
Height: 2700m
Duration: +-6.5hrs (Trekking)
Terrain: Sloped and Dense
That was the mission….. if we wanted to see the Gorilla’s in our lifetime, take it or leave it! Decide how important its is to you! It didn’t take much ….We “ARE” going we decided!
We need to walk hiking boots in, we don’t want blisters. But we need hiking boots..looking on-line for hiking boots, specials, good buys, scrolling and searching! Good Buy: FOUND, training program began,walking up and down slopes of the urban streets of the neighborhood, anything with an incline we took and gradually increasing the intensity and the pace daily and cutting out STARCH!
The time came You Tubes had all been watched (anything with the keyword “gorilla trekking”) had been scrutinized, we were packed, re hydrate (I always take this, when I go up Africa) a priority, been pretty useful in some of my adventures, people at some occasions would have been willing to pay anything for a little sachet of ‘REHYDRATE’ at the time! A must take with you on your travels. You loose Vitamins and minerals when travelling especially in Tropical foresty areas such as Bwindi Uganda. Walking under the canopy and so fixated on where you are walking and whats around you especially when you are tracking such huge animals, unpredictable circumstances could occur at anytime, walking on those dusty paths that wind snake-like into the forest “This is Bwindi Forest, in Uganda and I am Gorilla Trekking” how blessed am I?
Groups are accessed according to fitness levels., “You are all fit, you will be doing the intense walk he commanded, we stand with our walking sticks, our planned “old clothes” for the stinging nettles, branches and trees. You can’t be serious, I thought! Do we look that fit?” Well, lets take the bull by the horns, we trained hard and we were prepared for the most intense trekking we could ever imagine! Let’s do this thing!!..Our well-walked in hiking-boots, school socks, yes comfort is key! Baggy comfortable pants, well -worn torn long-sleeved top, I love that long-sleeved top, I must say light blue, perfectly stretched, cosy, and a brown and light blue “logo-ed” t-shirt over it and topped off with my cap to keep the forest rays out of my eyes and my hair together! This was one of the real feats that I had managed to accomplish since I broke my foot off completely and with two plates and 13 screws holding my bones and myself together…..I am not backing out now, I am prepared, Lets do this thing, I thought! I selected a porter who would help, carry my bag, and be my aid and he joined me! We all took the porter option $40 payment when we were brought back to camp safely after having seen the Mountain Gorillas.
Once entering the forest climbing over tree stumps, on red soiled paths through the forest lead by a Game Ranger in green camouflaged gear carrying a rifle and while turning my head to the back of the line, while watching where I was walking as the unevenness of the path was a must to scrutinize, I noticed right at the back of the line a young lady ranger, kitted out in the same green camouflaged gear and rifle. We walked watch out for forest elephants they were heard loudly behind the bushes, tearing and pulling at the forest vegetation. We could not see them but we heard them. And believe me in the 3rd hour of solid walking, our minds, being on high alert played games with us… I definitely did see the shadow, or grey body of what must have been a Bwindi forest elephant-or was it?
And we walked, hiking boots soiled, perspiration started dripping down our face, my porter friend, that must of thought that I was more than capable and that I would shout for help, when I really needed him. I had called him believe me disrupting his chats and laughs his friends in line. We stayed in line….we had one water break where we all took a seat huddled together, places to perch were either on a log, a patch of forest grass, a rock and surrounded by the two rangers on either side, we somehow felt safe, and trusted our rangers-they were the professionals in this….
