Gorillas

An amazing experience.  Trekked through potato and permethrin (chemical used on mozzie nets) fields (flowers like white daisies) and over the boundary wall into the national park. 

Then it got muddier and muddier and more like rain forest all the time. 

Trekked through bamboo forest to a clearing. 

We were led by a man with a machete who cleared the way.  Eventually came to a clearing and saw the trackers with their rifles there and could hear rustling in the branches behind us.  Then, as if on queue, the gorillas marched into the clearing and sat down for their photo call.  We were there for an hour photographing them and managed to get to within two yards of them.  It was amazing.  We saw the Bwenge group. 
There was one silverback

5 females

Twins who were about 2 years old

and one baby about 1 year old. 

We had a great guide called Francois who has worked in the national park for 31 years.  He showed us how they peel the bark off the trees to get water from the stems and told us all about the trees and flowers that the gorrillas ate.