Zanzibar

I've reached beautiful Zanzibar, known as the spice island, with turquoise waters and white sandy beaches. While still in Tanzania, it feels as though I am miles away from the hustle and bustle of Africa. I'll be diving tomorrow along a reef wall near Tumbatu Island known to attract whale sharks and teems of fish. Should be fun.

So I'm coming up on the halfway point in my 77-day tour through Africa and figured this would be a great time and location to reflect back on my time here. Although I suppose anytime you find yourself chilling out on an exotic beach is a good time to do some reflecting.

I've been through Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, all beautiful and interesting countries with their own unique charms and highlights. I'll admit that I was rather ignorant in all aspects of Africa before I came, thinking the continent would be pretty similar from just south of the Sahara all the way to South Africa. How wrong I was. It is diverse in so many ways, from language and culture to geography and topography. Yes, there are similarities that run through them all, and Swahili is the predominant language (at least within the countries I've been to), but they are all so very different and present their own benefits and challenges. 

Africa is definitely not for the feint of heart. It is rugged and primitive in so many ways, and will kick your ass at every turn. And the minute you think you're getting the hang of it, it will sock you in your nose just to let you know who's boss. 

My tour has been tough on me, I'm not going to lie. And I've struggled. Giving up all the creature comforts we come to expect in life can be a rude awakening: flushing toilets, a decent bed, warm water... toilet paper. Things get real here, and they get real... real fast! You must learn to adapt and modify your expectations, or you will sink and drown. Africa will swallow you up. 

I continue to joke that I feel like I'm on an episode (or season) of Survivor. With each day posing a new challenge that needs to be overcome. Some days I just want to crawl up into a ball and disappear. But there is so much to see and do. So I crawl out of my sleeping bag, break down my tent, and climb up the steep ladder back onto the truck. 

It's 5 am and there's a game drive to do, or a village to visit, or a campsite to get to... Yes, somewhere out there in that big African continent is a destination... and it's calling my name. 

Serengeti

From Uganda, we make a quick trip through Rwanda, staying two nights in the capital, Kigali. The city is clean and modern. In fact all of Rwanda is beautiful, green and lush. Blooming. Perhaps that is what happens after war and devastation: you realize just how precious life is and the land that you occupy. A sense of pride has formed in Rwanda, you can feel it in the wind. 

We visit the Genocide Memorial and learn about the mayhem that took place from April 7, 1994 through July 15, 1994, where over 800,000 people were killed within that short timespan. 100 days of pure hell. When evil walked the Earth. Pure and base… trampling over skulls. Humanity obliterated. Let’s hope it never reappears. 

From Rwanda we move onto Tanzania and into the world famous Serengeti National Park. We’re once again on the prowl, searching for the elusive animals. But before we pull out our binoculars and begin our hunt, we spy the most beautiful sunrise out over the plains. Wow, what a way to start the morning. 

Over the next few hours we spot zebras, giraffes, Thompson gazelles, elephants, leopards, eland, topi, kongoni, impala, tons of species of birds, and of course the main attraction: the lions. We watch a male lion feed on a zebra as a pack of hyenas lays in wait. They sneak in from time to time and steal a chunk of meat then dart off, the rest of the pack hot on their trail. The Serengeti varies in terrain, from shrubs and trees to vast stretches of prairie land as far as the eye can see. Take a look at some of the spectacular animals:

The following day we hop into 4x4's and drive down into the Ngorongoro Crater, the world's largest extinct volcano. It is massive and loaded with animals. I feel as though I have landed in Jurassic Park. Everywhere we look we see animals: Hippos, flamingos, buffalo, hyena, ostriches, even jackals join the normal cast of characters. This is a special place. Very cold, but special. I freeze my butt off for two straight nights inside my tent, wearing five layers of clothes, my jacket, and my sleeping bag zipped up to my eyeballs. 

And the road to get to the Serengeti and Nngorongoro Crater was probably the worst road I've ever been on. Several days of sheer torture. Bouncing and clanking and stirring up my innards…

But once you drive out onto the Serengetti, or drop down into the Ngorongoro Crater, you forget all about the hardships you endured to get there. Because, well… just have a look for yourself:

Oh, and I almost forgot, back when we were trekking the gorillas, we took some time to visit a local pygmie village. The pygmies are rather short in stature and once lived in the mountains near the gorillas, sustaining themselves off the land. Now they live at the foot of the mountains and farm and raise cattle. One thing is for sure: they love to dance! And sing and drink banana wine and perhaps smoke a little ganja. They’re sweet people and very proud of their culture. They showed us how to make fire with a stick and even pulled us into their dance line. Such beautiful and kind people. Here have a look:

 

Africa is... Well, I'm running out of adjectives to describe this place. So get your ass over here and check it out!       

Gorilla Trekking

Okay, follow along: stretch out your arms and beat on your chest. Do some low guttural grunting while you're at it. Move your body back and forth and hop around on one leg and then the other. Come on, you know you want to. Better yet, cup your hands together and do your best Tarzan scream, "Ahhhhaaaaaahhhaaa!"

That was fun, wasn't it? Simulating our closest biological relative, the gorilla. We have a natural, innate, draw to this magnificent animal, the largest living primate, reaching heights of up to six feet and weighing in at between 300 and 500 lbs. But the other attraction is the fear, knowing these beautiful creatures can crush us with one hand. With the strength of 20 adult humans combined, and the ability to lift over 4,000 pounds, these guys are the real deal. And today I will hike into their habitat, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda, near the borders of Rwanda and The Congo. 

We get an early morning briefing, letting us know the do's and don'ts. Don't look the silverback in the eye. Check. Don't stray from the group. Check. Don't beat your chest and act like a gorilla. Hmmm... well, okay, I guess. Check, check, check.

Our group of seven is accompanied by a guide and two security personnel, one in the front and one in the back. I feel somewhat relieved when I spot their AK47's. They tell us it is more to scare off roaming elephants then to fend off the gorillas. 

Our hike starts off nice, hiking through the dense forest filled with birds and other small critters going about their day. We quickly begin our ascent. Up and up we go. I'm breathing hard now as we climb into the sky.

An hour passes and then two. Our trekker communicates with other trekkers further up in the bush. Suddenly we veer off trail and begin to cut a path through the jungle. Our guide chops away brush and vines with his machete as we pry our way through the thicket. The guide suddenly stops and pulls back a branch. I freeze, realizing I'm less than 5 feet from the silverback, the dominant male in a troop.

I break rule number 2 and look him directly in his eye. He's munching on some twigs and leaves and only gives me a passing glance. Apparently I pose no threat. I'm mesmerized by his size and grace. He's so chill. We move into a better position and discover the female gorilla and her two small children just off to the side. 

They look us over and go back to their leaves. One of the babies jumps around, then climbs up a tree. He's curious and playful. Then they move away, disappearing into the bush. Our guide begins whacking at branches and cutting a path. We're moving straight through the jungle. I question the logic of pursuing a silverback and his family deep into the jungle, but away we go anyway. Less than 50 feet from the previous spot, the family has stopped and is once again munching on branches and leaves. We get into position and continue to watch the herbivores at work. Oh what a thrill! And we are so freaking close. Check out some of my videos:

We spend an hour with these amazing animals, watching them live and be free in their natural habitat, all of us feeling blessed and thankful to have witnessed them so up close and personal. The hike out is tough, cutting through jungle and up a steep grade. When I finish the trek I pound my chest in unity with my closest relatives. 

Back at camp, we all take a collective sigh and relive our magical day… 

The day we hung with gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.