Back to camp mid-afternoon. Watch dark rain clouds chase up the valley. Scamper up the hill to our tent as the rain starts to fall. Watch the valley disappear behind a veil of water.
Next morning, back to Bwindi Reserve. Alocated to groups to track the gorillas. Our group is a forty minute bus ride away. Rangers have already located them and are tracking them - keeping our guide advised. Ride through lush farmland. Cops growing abundantly. Distinctive, huge-horned cattle.
Park bus and hike up through banana plantation. Climg following the route of a stream, slipping and losing footing in the mud. Pass a solitary man in a makeshift hut, watching the crops at the forest boundary, newly marked by concrete posts (or at least the foundations for them). Find a route into the Impenetrable Forest (well not really, scrambling through undergrowth rather like the woods between Abbeydale and Beauchief golf courses as a kid).
Trackers not far off. 40 minutes hike uphill and through the forest to reach them. Four armed guards. Smiles and friendly greetings. "Are they to shoot the gorillas if they attack?" "Think gorillas are more important than you are." Don't let on the real reason.
The gorillas are just down hill from us. Dump our bags and scramble down.
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