Jared and Dianne

We caught a mini-van from Ruhengeri to the Ugandan border. We were swapping some money when a man came up and introduced himself as Joseph. He asked if we wanted to do any tours whilst we were in the area but we told him we were going to do it all independently. Then he started with the usual small talk: "where are you from?". "Australia". The conversation veered from the expected path. Joseph proceeded to tell us that he had been there just recently, to visit his friend: Jamie Dury. This caught me by surprise and I laughed out loud (Jamie Dury is a B grade T.V. celebrity in Australia but still a household name). He offered us a cheap ride into town then gave us some time to fulfill our border crossing administration duties.

He swung the car around to pick us up from the office doors and fishtailed his sedan along the mud ridden road all the way to Kisoro. Throughout the drive he filled us in on Jamie Dury's private life and offered us his contact details. We almost took them just so we could warn the man.

Apparently the hotel we had considered was no longer operating so Joseph suggested another one or if we wanted to save some money we could stay in his house. I looked back at Di and she shrugged. He took us to the bank and then back to his place where we were introduced to his wife Susan and son Duncan.

His residence was a mansion for a native African. It had two bedrooms, a lounge room, a random room and a garage/kitchen. There was no ceiling but the roof was made from corrugated iron and the house was furnished. We hung around for a little while before wandering into town for something to do. Walking in the opposite direction was a cow with metre long horns. How it could support them I didn't know.

Kisoro is a tiny little place with very little to see so we just had lunch, bought Duncan a lollipop and read up on Mgahinga in the park's office. We chose a few walks which looked good and worked out the prices. Three or more days in Uganda was the same price as the daily rate in Rwanda. I saw Joseph on the street and asked him if he liked beer, he told me that he and Susan always drink it at night. Di and I decided to pick some up to say thank you. Joseph drove off to take care of some business and Di and I walked back to the house.

Susan had already started cooking dinner and was making enough for us as well. We sat on the garage floor and chatted with her while she prepared the food. Not much later Joseph walked through the door with a bucket full of beers, he'd beaten us to it. It was a really nice feeling to be welcomed so warmly into a new country and a great cultural experience. We shared dinner together but it wasn't all peaceful as Duncan was misbehaving. No wonder though as Susan had given some of her beer to a young girl that was visiting and in turn Duncan had been drinking it. Considering he was only two it was a bit concerning.

We contracted Joseph to ferry us to and from the park as a sort of repayment, plus it was a good price. We left early in the morning and it took about 20 minutes. Whilst we bounced along Joseph told us about his trip to Australia, how Jamie had paid for everything and also bought him the car. They had met when Jamie came to tour the area and before he left he started up his own orphanage.

We had planned to begin a walk at 1pm on the advice of the ranger in town so we were in no rush. We pitched the tent in a campsite near the gates and in good time made our way to the headquarters. We were told pretty quickly that we had not allowed enough time for the place we wanted to reach and that we should consider a different walk. Instead we rushed to get ready and left as soon as we could. Our destination was the Sabinyo Gorge.

Due to time restrictions we were briefed on the go. We started out in what was described as something like stage 1 forest. Which was basically land that had been claimed in a re-gazetting of park boundaries. It was unspectacular but the forest was developing. The ground was covered in buffalo shit but we did not see any culprits. The stage two growth boundary was obvious, even without the signs. The flora was well developed and dense. The area began with a looming bamboo forest which offered a peaceful surrounding and shade from the sun.

The path began to deteriorate until it was little more than a continuous mud bog so we were grateful for the gore-tex shoes. We passed some unfamiliar droppings and I asked what they were. "Gorillas, one week old", I was dubious, they looked awfully fresh but he was the expert not me. We continued to climb towards Mt Sabinyo and turned off near the base. The path to the gorge was overgrown from above and below, so the going was slow. Apparently no one does this climb in the wet season due to the slippery route.

After tackling a few crude but effective ladders and avoiding as many thistles and nettles as possible we reached the river. For the final few kilometres of ascent we walked up the river itself rather than following a path. The rocks were mossy and grippy holds were at a premium but we were never allowed to forget it as our over zealous guide reminded us multiple times every minute. On the way to the top we passed a few nice pools and some little waterfalls. When we dared take our eyes off our feet we could see ferns, nettles with a 1m diametre and other rain forest plants running to the horizon. Looking up the hill the gorge ran into a steep cliff face and far above that were the three peaks Mount Sabinyo.

There were many turn around points that the guide suggested but we constantly refused. The one we finally took could not be ignored. We reached the cliff that we had been watching from the bottom. Now that we were there we could see that it was actually a waterfall which marked the start of the gorge. We ate some chapatti at the base of it, savouring the serenity. It was a truly peaceful place and if it wasn't for the dark clouds developing I could have lounged around and soaked it up for hours.

We made it out of the gorge just before the rain set in. That didn't spare me from two hours of torrential down pour without a waterproof jacket. When we finally got back I was soaked to the core, as was my bag. We changed into some dry clothes and the lodge manager lit an open fire which we hung our clothes in front of in the hope that they would dry. It was a really cosy night and I hated to think what it would have been like without the lodge and fire.

We planned to track golden monkeys on the second day but when we arrived at the office they relayed bad news. Over the past 5 days trackers had been sent out in increasingly bigger numbers but had failed to locate the primates each time. We made a quick change of plans. An assault on the smallest of the three volcanoes in the park, Mount Mgahinga. The name translates to a small pile of stones but from where I stood the 3474 metre high cone looked like a whole lot more than a mound of rocks. Because of our late start or just to prove a point our ranger took off like a rocket and wore Di out in no time. It was frustrating because we still had all day, there was no need to go so fast. We were pushing on but I was already resigned to the likelyhood of not reaching the peak when a call came over the radio, they had located the monkeys. It didn't take much time to decide to turn back.

When we entered the bamboo forest we turned off the track and started bush bashing. After fifteen minutes of fending off branches we found the trackers and in turn the monkeys. They were sitting in the lofty branches of the bamboo eating the shoots. It was hard to get a clear view of them but occasionally we got quite close. Their appearance was not so spectacular but the way they bounded around on the bamboo as it flexed and sprung under their weight was really impressive. They moved so much that we were running to keep up with them. We were allowed only one hour in their company and it flew by. It took about an hour and a half to walk back to base. We had a late lunch and did very little for the remainder of the afternoon.

There was another couple staying in the camp and they had summited Mt Sabinyo whilst we were at the monkeys. On the way they had seen gorillas, without paying the $500 fee! I tried to be happy for them but I couldn't help but be a little jealous. If our original plans had of been allowed, we would have seen the gorillas.

Di was exhausted and didn't want to walk the next day and I didn't want to walk while she sat around the lodge so we called Joseph and asked him to pick us up a day early. He asked if we wanted to stay at his house again so we did. Susan was surprised as she had expected us the next day. We offered to take them out to dinner but Joseph was out until late so she cooked again. When Joseph came home he had even more beers than last time. At least he let us pay for these ones. At dinner time Susan apologised for the food saying that if she had of known we were coming she would have cooked something else. Despite her protests the food was a very nice traditional meal. Matoke, beans and potatoes.

Our phone was flat when we went to bed so Joseph set his alarm for 5am, bus hour.