The Big Magilah: Part I☺ (8/5)

Up before the crack of dawn for our first of two days tracking Gorillas. Alex drove us to the Volcano National Park’s office, where we and 62 other guests were treated to some local dancing to wake us up and wish us good luck in our treks.

We were placed in a group of 8, couples from four countries, with our fearless leader Vincent; fearless no doubt because his tracker carried a rifle. He provided some background on the sixteen members of the Hirwa group we were scheduled to visit; and briefed us on Gorilla etiquette, such as don’t stick your finger in a gorilla’s orifice, no flashing (photography, that is), and no Silverback light bulb jokes. Following a bone-crushing jeep drive to the starting point for our hike, we walked through a number of farms, where we were greeted by scores of young, smiling children, before reaching the 78 mile (length, not hytheJ) stone fence that demarcates the Park and protects local produce from water buffalo.

During our 40-minute ascent, we braved stinging nettle, clinging (to our boots) vines, and slippery moss-covered rocks, and passed through a bamboo forest that could have fed a thousand pandas. Finally, we met up with two trackers who informed us that we had reached our destination, although the nearby howls told us all we needed to know. The trackers macheted their way through the bamboo and vines, tramping down vegetation as we tried to maintain our balance and follow close behind. Within minutes we saw a young gorilla munching branches in the shade nearby. Before you could say, Dian Fossey, we were a mere 3 meters away from Miyotongo, a 200kg Silverback (for those unfamiliar with the metric system, that’s four Emmas, but not quite as cute and a lot hairier; or one pre-Jenny Craig or two post-Dancing With the Stars Kirsty Allys, and MUCH cuter, too). He led the pack down the hill, stopping every few minutes for a bamboo and leaf happy meal.

For the next 65 minutes, we were never more than 5 meters from at least one of the sixteen members of the Hirwa troop as they munched, groomed, and played their way through the jungle. Vincent and the Trackers made a variety of Gorilla sounds, from “Greetings, Friend” to “Frollick Now, M-F’er” to urge our long-lost evolutionary cousins (distant thirds for Anne, inbred firsts for Rick) into sunlit, photo-friendly openings in the brush and to discourage attacks. The award for most adorable ape was shared by 6-month old twins, who clung to and fed from their Big Momma. She groomed them as she simultaneously was groomed by the twins’ sister. The young males put on a show for us as they wrestled, growled, and thumped their chests. The other baby apes worked on their vine-climbing abilities, clearly needing more practice as they kept falling back on their heads. It was perhaps the quickest 65 minutes and 299 photos of my life. What an amazing experience!

After a brief stop at a turn of the (20^th) century lumber yard and lunch back at the lodge, Alex picked us up for another excursion, to a scenic overlook of the twin lakes and the triplet volcanoes as the sun was setting, where we were greeted by four new friends from the lakeside village down below.