We finally arrived to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and enjoyed a very comfortable evening at the Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. The morning was filled with much anticipation as our big day had finally arrived. Following breakfast it was a quick walk to the activity center, where our experience would begin…
Along with several other groups, we received a safety briefing at the center and soon met our ranger. Our smaller group of 8 was then driven to the starting point of our trek to meet porters. These women and men would be our steadfast companions for the journey. Literally pushing us up the steepest inclines and helping us not to slip on declines. Our numbers soon doubled and the 17 of us were on the way!
Many of us were worried about the difficulty of the climb. We were told that the Gorillas were not too far away today – lucky us. Ultimately, it was about a 90 – 120 minute trek we had ahead. The setting was beautiful: clear sky, a perfect temperature and absolutely lush, verdant scenery.
The pace was leisurely with ample opportunity to stop and rest along the way as necessary. Often it was more the views and landscape that took our breath away. Excitement was soon very high when we reached the small group of trackers that left in the early morning to find the Rushegura family. We were all reminded to be on our best behavior (to remain quiet, observe from a respectable distance, not to approach, etc.) and were informed that the Gorillas were just in the thicket ahead!
I still feel chills when I recall the first sighting of one of the adolescent gorillas feeding amongst the dense vegetation. As I surveyed the scene, I slowly discovered more of the Rusheguras. This is a large family and we saw at least 8 of the members. They behaved and interacted as though we were not even there. Several Rusheguras even brushed up against members of our group as they ambled by to feed and socialize.
The large Silverback was quite busy eating and surveying the scene – we all quickly moved out of the way as he would barrel through. The babies were absolutely adorable and seemed to be having a lot of fun. It was most entertaining to see them interact and to literally tumble over each other across the uneven ground!
Our hour with the Rusheguras flew by. The experience was entrancing and none of us were quite ready to say goodbye. We all left still in awe, so fortunate to have had such an interaction. I still smile just thinking about the experience. The trek back down was filled with conversation as we all reminisced on our meeting with these incredible creatures.
