Right, going back in time now, but well worth the effort, is a few little collected stories about our time in Kenya and Uganda.
These 2 countries we visited on the first leg of our big African tour, before Tanzania and the Serengeti.
We started off in Nairobi, an armada of 6 Afican Travel Company trucks heading off into the wilderness from their near-fortress of a hotel.
Security is the biggest industry in Nairobi (well, I wouldnt have a clue to be honest, but it looks like it)'. Nairobi is known locally, and perhaps with a bit of tongue in cheek, as Nairobbery. But we got around no problem. In fact I hits the streets on the first morning by myself armed with my big, obvious camera backpack, and all went well. got hassled a bit by fake charity workers and fake asylem seekers wanting cash, but I've been to Thailand so knew how to tell them to get fucked.
2 of the trucks headed west towards Uganda, one of them spending a few days in the Masai Mara first, and ours heading direct.
3 days of hard driving it was. Good time to spend meeting the 15 other travellers on board plus the cook Martin, the driver Steve (not Dave but with a stamina almost as solid), and the guide Susan. All 3 of them locals.
The first night out was in Kisumu on Lake Victoria, an eye opening intro to the sometimes uncomfortble camping. A designated shit-hole in the East African campign circuit, Kisumu was wet, had a shit house bar that was literally behind bars (cue security guard), and a pack of wild dogs that were filled with rabies (again, I am probably making that up).
Up at 4am to drive over the Kenyan/Ugandan border into Kampala the capital. Not much to report here, except we passed over the source of the Nile on the way in.
This was where Idi Amin threw his citizens' bodies into the river for them to float downstream. nice fella Idi.
Up early again the next day and abother long drive to Lake Bunyoni where we based ourselves for 3 nights.
It was from this beautiful, high, cool mountain lake that small teams trekked off to go find the Mountain Gorillas.
I tell you what fatman, this was some of the best $1200 we have ever spent.
Nik and I got lucky, we trekked for 45 minutes and ran into a family of 12 gorillas, including 2 of the intensely large Silverbacks.
We could only spend an hour with the gorillas, and this is the only human contact they have each day. but, WHAT AN EXPERIENCE.
A young blackback called Obia got extra friendly and decided he wanted to punch me, not goopd from a 200kg beast! I had the big lens honed in on him, and the patch of black through the viewfinder just got bigger and bigger! I shat my pants, went into 'play dead wuss' mode, while the guide jumped in front to subvert the danger. Got out of that one, I thought he would have killed me (apparently not says the guide).
Some other facts:
baby gorillas die in the cold of the mountains if their paremnts aren;t careful
gorilla poo is large!
gorillas farts are long!
Our giude had to carry an AK47 (maybe some overkill on the choice of rifle), in case we came across lone male gorillas who are a bit phsycho
Gorillas live to 50 years
Sigourney Weaver was right to make a movie - damn it was awesome! we got to within 2 meters of one who looked remarkably like Homer Simpson.
Following our successful trek, I bought a t-short to prove it, and then we drove all the way back to Kenya where the game drives started.
I have a great story about the Masai Mara for ya, but you'll haveta wait.
