Since I was little, I’d always imagined being on a African Safari. And, at 46, I finally did it! Seeing giraffes, elephants, and lions in their natural environment was a dream come true. I always thought I’d go to Kenya or Tanzania, but when Travis said ‘let’s go to Uganda so we can see the gorillas’ it was hard to pass up. Plus I’d get to see the Big 5 (elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinos), so win, win!
First up were the Gorillas. We decided to see the Gorillas in Uganda as it was a little less expensive and the hike is a bit more challenging than the one in Rwanda (well, the second part was more for Travis – lol.). I will admit: 2 days earlier in Rwanda some Gorillas decided to say hi to us on a hike. As we went around a corner there they were, and even a Silverback walked right past us! That was it. I knew that no matter how hard the hike was, I was going to see them!
For 2 days I stressed over if I could make the hike. I had heard it could be hard, muddy, slippery, and could be long (and jet lag had settled in nicely). So there we were on the day of the Gorilla trek. I was both excited and a bit nervous that I wouldn’t be able to make the hike. I had trained for months, but the rib i had broken years before still bothers me sometimes. To help make sure I could do it I hired a porter to help me by carrying my bag and helping me through the slippery parts so I didn’t kill myself along the way. I really debated doing this, as I wanted to do it myself (yes mom, I’m still like that!). In the end it was a great decision as i was able to focus on enjoying myself and not the logistics of the hike. I also rented gaiters – another seriously good decision as there was a ton of mud!
The hike began. Each of us were given walking sticks to help with the off camber and muddy conditions, it quickly became my best friend. I had butterflies in my stomach as we started the hike because I was so excited to see these amazing animals. As we entered the forest I was hoping it wouldn’t take long to see them but that wasn’t the case. We went through some tough spots: up hills, through mud, steep areas, and over rivers but it was all worth every step, every tough spot, every fall I had (yup you know I fell – lol.). And then there they were!!!! It was incredible! I was seeing an entire family of gorillas! It was hard to believe I was in the jungle in Uganda only feet away from mountain Gorillas. Everyone quickly got our cameras out and started taking pictures.
So I may have been a bit pushy as I wanted the best pictures possible. I may have even pushed Travis aside to get my shots – oops, sorry Travis! But being the nice guy he is he didn’t even say a word. He knew this was pure joy and excitement manifesting itself in a obnoxious way. We saw the silverback, a mom with a juvenile, and a few others. They seemed so calm and relaxed chilling in the forest. But then for a brief moment my heart stopped as the Silverback stood up on two feet and pounded his chest at us! OMG! I thought that was only in movies. I stepped back but our guide told us not to move. For a second I thought he might charge! But he just sat back down as calm as before. Maybe he was saying ‘I see you. Don’t come closer.’ Or maybe he was like ‘I hope you got that shot!’ I wish I had! But I got plenty of other great ones.
After a little while, I saw the two trackers moving up the trail so I asked if we could follow them. Travis and I joined the trackers and moved away from the rest of the group. They took us off trail; going through the brush to get even closer! It was completely worth it! I ended up sitting about 5 feet from the Silverback, taking pictures of him. I looked down the hill and saw the rest of the group below us — and realized how close I was to this amazing animal! My heart was pounding! If he got upset he could get to me in 2 seconds flat and then what would I do? But he didn’t seem to care at all. It was amazing!
As we hiked the long trail back, it started to rain. I couldn’t believe the amazing experience I had just had. It was a truly unique experience I will never forget. The hard hike only added to it; it really did take a lot of effort to get up there. My legs were bruised from a couple of slips, and there were some cuts on my arms from going through the brush, but they were worth it all!!!! It still seems surreal that I was there… I hope one day I can go back and see them again. If you ever have the chance to go, do it! Don’t be scared by the hike, you can do it.
Gorillas were just the start of this incredible trip. Stay tuned for more amazing animals I got to see in Uganda!
Happy Travels!