Uganda
Kirundo

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    • Day 10

      Bwindi

      July 31, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

      Een super mooie rit richting het Karungi camp in Bwindi. We reden door prachtig heuvelland met heel veel boerderijen & roofvogels. Dit is een kleine tussenstop om de lange weg richting Ishasha te doorbreken.
      Bij aankomst rond 18u kregen we meteen een dansoptreden voorgeschoteld. Ze lieten alle traditionele dansen can de communities rondom zien. Dat was leuk! Wij waren heel hard aan het lachen & genieten, maar achter ons was het muisstil en zaten ze met een zuur gezicht te kijken 😱
      Nadien hebben we nog wat mau mau (= uno) met Ken gespeeld (zoals elke avond). Emely ging een foto trekken, waardoor Ken per ongeluk zijn kaarten toonde aan Wannes door hem vast te pakken... Wannes liet het gewoon gebeuren en keek graag mee 😜 daar hebben we heel hard mee gelachen!
      De volgende ochtend zijn we met een gids vogels gaan spotten rond het moeras vlakbij de camping. We hebben hier heel veel vogels gespot, waaronder de koekoek, woonland kingfisher, weavers, common kingfisher, vuurvinken, buizerd, flycatchers, fisco's enzovoort... Onze gids was echt goed en wist heel veel. Blijkbaar geloven mannen in deze community dat als ze een waterkever vangen, drogen en verkruimelen en nadien in de urine van een vrouw strooien, dat deze vrouw dan smoorverliefd wordt... Ook zijn deze kevers verantwoordelijk voor borstvergrotingen. Als je ze even laat bijten, worden je borsten blijkbaar groter...
      Er groeit hier ook een plant genaamd de faitolacka, die wordt onder andere gebruikt om abortus te plegen.
      Verder was de omgeving echt rustgevend en hebben we de tour afgesloten met een grot waar 300 jaar geleden de eerste bewoners van Bwindi zijn aangekomen.
      Nu rijden we door richting Ishasha 😀
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    • Day 10

      Proudly present: Die Kahungye-Familie

      January 27, 2020 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

      Ich sage nur: Wecker 04.45 Uhr Ortszeit!! Rekord!!
      Frühstück 05.30, Abfahrt 06.00, Ankunft keine Ahnung, Abmarsch zu den Gorillas 08.30 Uhr!

      Zwischenzeitlich war ich drei mal auf Toilette, Ursache unbekannt, Aufregung oder was falsches gegessen oder der Schock von vorgestern noch?? Egal, vorweg gesagt, beim Gorilla Tracking hab ich nicht eine Sekunde daran gedacht oder Nöte gehabt!! 👍😂 Ich hab allerdings auch nichts mehr im Magen, weil ich seit zwei Tagen nichts mehr gegessen habe.

      Es ist nicht „ohne“, diese Suche nach den „gentle giants“, auch wenn mitten in der Nacht schon zwei Ranger losmarschieren, die nach den Nestern der Gorillas suchen und dann die Orte per Funk durchgeben.

      Wir sind eine Gruppe von acht „zahlenden Gästen“, dazu kommen noch drei Ranger/Guides (zwei mit Gewehren und der Chief von denen) und wer will, bekommt noch einen Porter (Träger für den Rucksack mit Getränken etc.), den ich gerne in Anspruch nehme. Der Spaß kostet 15 Dollar (plus Tip), davon lebt ein Porter hier wohl ganz gut und das Geld ist somit gut angelegt!

      Nach etwa 80 Minuten haben wir die erste Sichtung, juchhu!! Aber es waren anstrengende, rutschige, steile 80 Minuten und halt Dschungel...wer Handschuhe anhat mit denen man sich mal an Gestrüpp oder so festhalten kann ist klar im Vorteil!! Ich bin dann hier auch schon zweimal „durch“ mit Schleudergang, von dem Vielschwitzer josh will ich jetzt garnicht sprechen.

      Aber zurück zu den Gorillas ... eine Stunde Zeit haben wir und die wird natürlich voll ausgenutzt. Es sei verziehen, dass ich hier nur Handybilder hochlade...

      Ich will hier garnicht mit „beeindruckendwundervollSpracheverschlagendtollumwerfend....“ anfangen, es war einfach ein einmaliges Erlebnis, das ich niemals vergessen werde...!

      Aber eins muss ich doch noch erwähnen😂. In der Gorillafamilie war so ein „Halbstarker“, der ist immer wieder ausgetickt.
      In diesem Rahmen ist der dauernd wie ein Brummkreisel quer durch unsere (Menschen-)Gruppe und es kam wie es kommen musste: ich gehe zu Fall! Der Ranger immer nur so: „one step back, one step back!“ Was soll ich sagen? One step back hat nicht mehr geklappt, es hat rumms gemacht und so lag ich da!
      Was ein tolles Erlebnis, ich möchte es nicht missen!!! 😁

      Irgendwann kam dann der Zeitpunkt: Last pictures... und wir müssen uns auf den Rückweg machen. Die Gorillas waren damit wohl nicht ganz einverstanden und haben uns noch eine Weile begleitet. Und mein kleiner Halbstarker hat nichts besseres zu tun als sich an joshs Weste zu hängen, nach dem Motto: du bleibst hier oder lass zumindest die Weste hier!! Herrlich!!

      Wir sind ja dann nachmittags zurück im Hotel, trinken ein leckeres Nile Beer , Frank (Elstner 😂) setzt sich zu uns und läßt sich auch auf ein Bier einladen und so nach und nach kommt die ganze Filmcrew zu uns 😆. Alles sehr nette angenehme Menschen, es war ein kurzweiliger Nachmittag.

      Und das schönste (naja, fast schönste) kommt zum Schluss: ausschlafen!!! Morgen!!! Frühstück 09.00 Uhr!! So läßt es sich doch leben!!
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    • Day 6

      Bei den Berggorillas im Bwindi NP

      January 10, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Zu beschreiben, wie es ist einen der letzten 1000 Berggorillas 🦍 aus unmittelbarer Nähe zu erleben, ist nicht einfach. Die wohl am ehesten zutreffenden Worte sind Demut, Faszination und Respekt.

      Bereits 05:15 Uhr klingelte unser Wecker ⏰ und wir fuhren nach dem Frühstück zu einer Einweisung am Eingang zum Nationalpark 🌳🌿🏞️🌴. Gegen 08:45 begannen wir schließlich in einer kleinen Gruppe von sechs Personen und drei Rangern die Wanderung zu den Berggorillas. Die Tiere wurden über mehrere Jahre an die Begegnung mit Menschen gewöhnt. Wichtigster Faktor bei Kontakt ist Ruhe zu bewahren 🤫🙏, also insbesondere leise zu reden und keine Hektik oder Angst auszustrahlen.

      Nach bereits etwa 45 Minuten Wanderung begegneten wir der 10 Tiere umfassenden Gruppe, die sich tief im Unterholz des Regenwaldes aufhielt. Mehr als 60 Minuten durften wir in zeitweise weniger als zwei Meter Entfernung zu den Tieren verbringen.

      Gorilla Trekking ist ein zweischneidiges Schwert. Zum einen wünscht man sich, dass diese Tiere ungestört in ihrem natürlichen Umfeld 🌳🦍🌿 leben können. Bekommt diese Spezies allerdings nicht die nötige Beachtung einer größeren Öffentlichkeit und werden die hier lebenden Menschen durch sanften Tourismus nicht finanziell unterstützt 💸 wird der hohe Bevölkerungsdruck den Lebensraum der Berggorillas weiter verkleinern. Die weitere Rodung des Regenwaldes und damit verbundene Erschließung von Plantagen 🥑🍅🍌🍍🌽 zur Sicherstellung der Versorgung der Menschen wären früher oder später das Ende der Berggorillas.

      Auch wird durch die finanzielle Unterstützung des Nationalparks dafür gesorgt, dass Ranger die in der Vergangenheit stattgefundene Wilderrei unterbinden. Es bleibt zu hoffen, dass die einheimische Bevölkerung zunehmend ein Bewusstsein zum Schutz des Regenwaldes entwickelt und im Einklang mit diesem sensiblen Ökosystem leben kann.

      Wir sind sehr dankbar 🙏 für die heutige Begegnung mit den Berggorillas. Es war für uns ein sehr prägender Moment, der uns noch lange in Erinnerung bleiben. 😊
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    • Day 25

      GORILLAS!!

      November 3, 2023 in Uganda ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

      Today was the day that was a large reason for why I did my 1 month tour of East Africa and even my 3 month hiatus in the African continent. We would be walking deep into the jungle of Bwindi National Park to get up close and personal with the Mountain Gorillas. This was a full day activity, and so we woke up early and headed from the hostel at about 7 am. The apparent 1 hour drive suddenly became 2, either because of rain or just general incompetence from the hostel. After some time travelling along incredibly bumpy and slow roads, when we arrived, excitement hit, and we were briefed on the Gorillas and what to expect. Myself and the Kiwis once again stuck together as we wanted to do a longer hike, joined by a German couple to ensure we made up numbers. The rainforest was beautiful, and we paid 700 USD for this experience, so we thought to get bang for ya buck, we may as well do the long hike. It did not disappoint. Although slightly sketchy in certain places due to the mud, the walk was amazing, about an hour and a half of walking through thick vegetation, vines, and the aforementioned mud, we slugged our way through the forest. Although we enjoyed the walk, when we heard the rangers calling the guide, we could not contain our excitement. We were close to the Gorillas. As we got closer again, we eventually had to leave the path we had been following for the past hour and a half and began cutting and stomping our way through thick forest. Finally, I saw through a break in the trees, a big black furry blur, and I got goosebumps instantly. It was my first sighting, and I couldn't quite make out what it was what I was looking at exactly, but it got me incredibly excited. We put on our masks and got as close as we could. As we share 98.8% of our DNA with gorillas and the number of visitors they get it is important we do our best to not transmit diseases. At first, we stayed probably 10m away, still very close, but we were about to get a lot closer. Even from this distance, the detail with which you could see their face, fur, enourmas arms and back, it was impossible to describe and breathtaking to say the least. Watching as the family move around, mothers carrying babies on their back, young males and females frolicking in the leaves, all following the dominant silver back. They move when he moves. The size of him compared to the rest and the noises he was capable of making made him stand out significantly. We were there very briefly before we didn't need to ask who the dominant male was. Even when they aren't screaming, the little growns and growls they let out are enough to give you shivers. As the dominant male moved south, we quickly lost our position right next to the group and had to reposition. The position we found ourselves in next was far more exciting anyway. As we moved, we were shocked with how calm and confident the rangers were when getting close to the Gorillas, even cutting and smacking leaves away just a few feet from them. The gorillas have obviously gone through rigorous habituation to ensure they do not get aggressive around humans, but these guys were different. Rangers spend all day and most nights with them so they know each other very well. Each gorillas has a name, a family, a habitat range, and a complex social network, all of which these rangers track and monitor on a daily basis. We, on the other hand, were outsiders. This made them slightly less comfortable around us, and it was shown later. Gorillas generally live in peace, and because we had travelled the furthest, we were rewarded with one of the largest families within the national park, 11 gorillas, and 5 silverbacks. Although there was a larger group that day, they both technically belonged to the same family, but due to the whole family numbering 32, they tend to splinter off for days or even weeks at a time. Because it is all one big family, when they reunite, it is not aggressive, and instead a welcome reunion. In the national park, this is the only time we would see this type of interaction between groups. Generally, when two different Gorillas groups come face to face, it is aggressive and can be incredibly dangerous. Thus, tourists aren't allowed to visit gorilla groups if they are in too close of a proximity to one another. 2 to 3 rangers track each group of gorillas at all times and are armed with AK-47s to protect the gorillas from poachers. This meant for our operation, there were 3 rangers that located the Gorillas in the morning, the lead guide, and 2 escorts. The escorts were located at the beginning and the end of the group to protect us from aggressive animals while we trekked. So 6 people for a group of 6 tourists. Quite the operation indeed.

      When we found ourselves in our new position on the fringe of the group moving along the hill, we saw first hand the social dynamics at play within the group. A younger silverback had made a small play at the dominant male of the group. This is mostly to test the dominant males strength and power within the group, as well as test to see which other silverbacks may join in his aggressive show of force or defend the dominant male. I was incredibly lucky to have filmed the whole interaction based purely on luck. The young male appears from the bushes and runs directly at the dominant male, screaming and pushing the dominant male back. As the dominant male turns and replies with his own roar of intimidation, the noise that was created and the fear it invoked was terrifying. It was frightening to see and hear them move in such an aggressive manner. The most interesting factor in all this was another younger and smaller silverback joining forces against the dominant male, which you can also see in this video. Although it was only a minor show of force, the ramifications for such an event can be enourmas to the group. For now, the old male remains dominant but can be overthrown by smaller males if he does not have the support of other silverbacks in the family. This was cool to see in person. Obviously, this show of force had the 2 younger gorillas rild up because it wasn't long until they got aggressive again. This time towards us. Nick, Vic, and I had been looking toward a relaxed and calm silverback that had parked up at the rear of the pack as a mother and baby came along side us. Whether it was someone pointing, the proximity to the mother, or something else, one of the younger silverbacks felt we were out of place and ran at us in a similar way he ran at the dominant male. Screaming, pulling leaves and bushes, showing teeth, and making as much commotion as possible. Obviously, our response was to shit ourselves. We had not been looking in that direction, so to hear this ordeal without seeing him caused us to jump back a metre or so. The guide, calm and compose, told us to not move and positioned himself slightly to distract the gorilla and allow him to calm down. He remained standing, protecting his family for a while before Vic and I crouched down to show that we were not a threat. I will never forget the display of teeth. Huge, disgusting, powerful, and dangerous. It was terrifying as it was wild. This was just about the last of the action we had with the gorillas, although it was far more than we expected. We stood watching them for another 10 minutes, but by this time, the dominant male and most of the other gorillas had moved on. We had been very lucky with what we saw. The weather caused there to be just enough rain to slow them down but not stop them all together. After an hour, though, our time is up, and we have to head back to the shuttle. The weather had turned, and so a lot of the return hike was done in the rain, with the already muddy path turning to slime basically. It was incredibly slippery, and I did not have the gear to maintain traction. I only had runners when hiking shoes would have been much more appropriate. As such, I took the biggest fall of the day, eating shit and falling straight into a pile of mud. This only made me want to get back to the hotel even more. Without the excitement of meeting the gorillas and being wet, muddy, and sweaty, the walk back was far worse. After another hour and a half or so, we had made it to the starting location and could finally relax. We were so eager for a chill bus ride and maybe a nap when we were quickly reminded of the shocking conditions of the road. Being thrown around the van for an hour and a half was like torture. We were all so tired and just wanted a sleep but the violent shaking, making it impossible. The days end seemed to go on forever. Eventually, though, we arrived back at the hotel and could have a brief nap. Of course, by the time we were back, I could no longer sleep, but we still rested before the hostel invited us to a gorilla celebration. Once again, this was organised by the sleazy Shiba, but everyone was keen to go, so we obliged. It was a strange night, although fun, Shiba, we decided, was just an alcoholic and this probably described his shitty behaviour. He constantly tried to make people dance even when it was clear they didn't want to. We had a few drinks here before we decided to leave after a big day. One of the highlights of my entire trip quite easily. I hope I can return one day and see the beautiful creatures again. I will never forget the Kahungye Gorilla family.
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    • Day 25

      Day 25: Monkey island

      February 26, 2019 in Uganda ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      This was the big day we have been waiting for the past days, the highlight of this trip: Walking through the jungle to see the gorillas 🦍 🇺🇬

      I will let the pictures speak for themselves...it was a great experience and I highly recommend you do it yourself 🦍🦍🦍

      You will also find a picture of me and the group as well as of me and Anne. Have I told you about Anne? She is a role model: 77 years old lady from the US, more fit than the rest of the group (always the first when hiking through the woods), traveling alone (her husband stayed at home) and an absolutely sweet character (never complains) - when I’m 77 i would love to be exactly like her 🙏💛
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    • Day 9

      Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

      June 17, 2017 in Uganda ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Today we went trekking for gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, it was an early start having to get up at 4:45am to have breakfast and get on the transfer bus. It was about a two hour drive before we got to the starting point where we met our guide for the day.

      They provided us with a briefing and explained that there were five families in the national park, they only take a maximum of eight people to each family, each day and those people are limited to one hour with the family. They then allocated us a guide and two armed guards with AK-49 assault rifles that carried 39 rounds in the magazine. The armed guards were there to protect us from potentially aggressive animals as there are other animals living there as well, they stated that they would fire warning shots first and that shooting an animal was the last resort. In the briefing they told us that we were tracking the M family, which is one of the largest families with approximately twenty gorillas.

      What happens is professional trackers start two hours earlier, return to where the family was last seen and begin tracking the family of gorillas from there as the generally will only move approximately 1km overnight. The trackers then communicate the location of the gorillas to the guide who lead us to them. We had received the same family as the other half of our group saw yesterday so I knew we would be trekking for at least two hours.

      After the briefing we all got back into the bus and drove for another forty minutes on a dirt road and then we all piled into the back of a ute with our guide and armed guards where they drove us for another five minutes to where we would enter the national park. The first forty-five minutes of the trek was all up hill on a relatively cleared path, we continued to trek for another hour were we walked up and down hills before we reached a really dense part where we had to pretty much make our own path down to where we could see the trackers. Once down with the trackers we were briefed again on how to behave and what to do if a gorilla approaches you (crouch down and turn away) and given an opportunity to drink some water before trekking further to see them.

      We all assumed that we would have to walk about ten minutes before seeing a gorilla but they were literally five to ten meters away from where we were sitting. The first one I saw was the silver back and he was barely five meters away from me. I sat down and just watched him, I couldn't take my eyes off of him he was incredible. I then looked up to see several babies playing just above us and then the mother twenty meters away the the tree top plus a couple other family members in nearby bushes, everywhere I looked I could see gorillas surrounding me. It was just breath taking that we were able to see such an amazing creature in its natural habitat, I just sat there and appreciated how beautiful they were and how lucky I was right in that moment.

      The trek was about two and a half hours each way, it wasn't as difficult as I was expecting from talking to the other group so that was good. Don't get me wrong it was still challenging but I think once you see the gorillas it makes it all worth while. I would rank this as one of the best experiences of my life and would recommend it to everyone.
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    • Day 3

      Gorilla tracking

      February 2, 2018 in Uganda ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

      This was one of the toughest hikes I've ever done. Walking in the rain forest up and down some pretty steep hills, crossing streams on logs and rocks (sometimes), ankle deep in mud, slippery roots and vines in the trail.
      But in the end, it was worth it. Visiting a mountain gorilla family in their natural habitat is beyond words. I am blessed to have been in the prsence of such amazing, beautiful and peaceful creatures.
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