Gorilla tracking in Uganda

View of Bwindi sitting from my balcony at Silverback Lodge.

I was going to experience a great adventure – but what to expect?  The gorillas’ home in Uganda is the Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest National Park, a 124 square mile UNESCO site which is the habitat of around 350 mountain gorillas, 50% of the worlds remaining population. We stayed at the Silverback Lodge in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi. The accommodation is in an excellent situation with wonderful views of the valley and surrounding forests.  

The sign signalling we had arrived at the Ranger Station.

Woken up very early at 5.00 am, before daylight, breakfast was at 5.30 am! Could I eat breakfast at this hour?  I remember thinking I hope this gorilla tracking is worth it and we get to see them.  Our guide, Robert, had told us we had a 90% chance of seeing the gorillas.  At 6.00 am we started out on the 11/2 hour drive to the ranger station from our accommodation.   On arrival our permits were checked and we were assigned to a gorilla tracking group according to the degree of difficulty chosen, easy (up to a two hour track), medium (between 2 and 4 hours), or difficult (4 hours plus).  We opted for easy.  The largest group size was 8.   We were then taken by a ranger for our briefing, the instructions were detailed and built the anticipation nicely.  Illnesses are a legitimate concern for the rangers as they can be transmitted from humans to the gorillas so anyone showing the symptoms of a cold had the chance to own up and forgo the experience getting a refund of their permit fee.  Show signs of symptoms later we were told and you will be escorted out of the park with no refund.  

"What is that black blog over there?"

A further short drive from the Ranger Centre, a matter of minutes, we were dropped off by the roadside at the park boundary where we were met by the waiting porters who will for $20 a day carry your bag and generally assist with negotiating the steep mountain terrain.  I figured as a bag could become very heavy at the end of a long day negotiating the steep ascents and descents of the mountain terrain I would hire a porter.  I shared the cost with another member of the group. We were told that paying for a porter is a way of supporting the community putting money back into the local economy encouraging the locals to support gorilla conservation and protection.

It was explained that some of the porters were ex-poachers or were from the families of former poachers and the money they earned from ‘portering’ provided a living for their families which stopped them poaching the gorillas.  My porter was a charming young woman called Evelain who easily negotiated the terrain while laden with two bags and could even offer to help me with my footing.  In single file, tourists, porters, rangers and guards set off downhill through the thicket.  We had been on our way for no more than a minute when a group member, Sue, who was walking at the front of our group could be heard excitingly asking one of the rangers “what is that black blob up in the trees, just over there?”  
 

There were gorillas seemingly everywhere.

Hiding in the bushes?

We continued walking for no more than 3 minutes down a very steep, and I mean very steep slope, and walked straight into a family of gorillas.  How amazing and so soon into our trek.  No-one in the group could believe our luck as we had been told to expect to walk for 1 to 11/2 hours through the difficult terrain before expecting to see the gorillas, if we saw them at all.  The group we had stumbled upon included 2 adult silverbacks, a young silverback, at least three female gorillas (I lost count), two babies, one only two years old a ranger informed me and 3 other young gorillas.  

Just what is that?!

Wonderful!  Fascinating and humbling, what a privilege, a truly unforgettable experience.  I had never imagined stumbling on the gorillas so quickly or being able to spend an hour in the company of so many of these gentle giants.  The undergrowth in the rainforest is dense and there are many thick creepers, but the rangers clear the way for you and helpfully move branches aside so you get a better view of the gorillas. 

We observed the gorillas for one hour and during that time, and in no particular order, my

Face to face with the young silverback.

experiences were:  One of the adult silverbacks walked in front of me no more than 2 feet away.  Two females passed me by one with a baby on her back, closely followed by a young one. Walking straight into the path of the young silverback who was lagging behind the others, he was walking up the mountain as I was heading down at the end of our hour; I was in awe, one of the rangers encouraged me to take the photo opposite. Watching the silverback lying in contemplation, his baby playing on his back and doing somersaults using the branch of a tree near at hand. Two young gorillas grooming the other adult silverback.  Two females and other young gorillas resting in the hollow of a tree whilst a couple of other gorillas played in the trees.

Children will be children!

  The making of memories just went on and on.  Two or three of the gorillas were still gorging themselves.  I found myself so close to one female who was standing at the base of a tree trunk reaching up into the tree pulling down nuts or was it a seed of some sort (?) to eat, that I could clearly hear her crunching as she ate.  And, comically there was so much farting and burping, especially from the silverbacks – must have been all that fibre!

If there is one moment that particularly stands out for me it was loosing my footing in the deep foliage on a steep incline and falling onto my bottom not 10 feet from where one of the silverbacks was feeding.  Rather nervously I looked up to find my fall had not gone unnoticed for the silverback had momentarily stopped eating and was looking directly at the distraction, me!  I even found time to photograph the moment.  

So, my fall did not go unnoticed!

Guidance given for safe distance to stand.

All too soon the hour was up and we left the gorillas as they moved off deeper into the forest.  But what an experience to treasure.  My tip - if you go do be sure not to take photos all of the time, take the time to truly appreciate the experience, watch and take it all in.  I laugh to myself now when I think of the ranger instruction given at our briefing that we were to stay eight feet away from the gorillas, you just can’t explain that to an animal in the wild can you, as I discovered?!  

Silverback deep in contemplation.

Ideas of what to do on a city break in Budapest.

The River Danube, The Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament building.

For for our short break in Budapest we chose to stay in Buda just a few minutes up Gellert Hill and a short stroll from the famous Gellert Spa.  Our accommodation was a 10 minute walk across Liberty Bridge crossing the Danube into Pest.  The Great Market Hall and numerous cafes and restaurants are found just over the bridge on the Pest side. A 15 minute walk along the Buda side of the Danube River brought us to the Chain Bridge and the short Funicular ride up to the Castle.  An ideal city to explore on foot Budapest is compact enough to walk to most of the main tourist spots if you are reasonably fit and mobile, Pest is flat whilst Buda is hilly. If mobility is a problem or you don’t want to walk there is an excellent tram and bus service connecting the various places to see and visit the city.

The districts of Buda, Pest and Obuda were unified to form Budapest in 1873.  Around 20% of the population of Hungary live in its capital city.  The city has endured a very troubled history. First following the defeat of the Austro – Hungarian Empire and the partitioning of Europe at the end of World War 1 (WW1).  Second as a result of the Nazi occupation towards the end of World War 2 (WW2).  And, third by communism and subjugation by the Soviet Union until 1991.  Much of Budapest was flattened by bombing during WW2 and neglected and left to run to ruin under communism. 

The destruction of Budapest during WW2.

Since Hungary gained its independence and the fall of communism Budapest has undergone massive restoration, as can be evidenced when visiting, this restoration work is still ongoing.  The city has been rejuvenated and is an interesting and lively place to spend some time with an abundance of restaurants, cafes and bars.  Architecturally many of its buildings are beautiful and splendid examples of Gothic, Renaissance and Art Nouveau which is typified by the cities many surviving coffee houses, the most well of which is the New York which we ran out of time to see on this trip although we did make it to the Gresham. 

Inside one of the art nouveau cafes.

The city must have been beautiful and something to see in the heyday of the Austro – Hungarian empire.  However, as a tourist you are always reminded of the cities turbulent and troubled history.  

Red Devil restaurant in the caves under Buda.

On the Buda side of the Danube stands the Castle and under the hills are a labyrinth of hydro thermal caves formed by the water springs that supply the cities many thermal spa baths. We visited the cave system under Castle Hill which it is said was where Dracula was taken when captured and held a prisoner for 10 years. The caves have been used as wine vaults, torture chambers and prisons.  They were used by the Nazis during WW2 and as a hideaway during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Take the Funicular from near the Chain Bridge up to the Castle and walk to Fisherman’s Bastion for a wonderfully panoramic views of the city particularly across the Danube to Pest, views of the Houses of Parliament and St Stephens Cathedral are stunning. Walking around the Castle Quarter with its cobbled streets and well preserved picture postcard architecture put me in mind of a movie toy town.  The area is very quiet and tranquil compared to its neighbour Pest. 

The Jewish Quarter is the up and coming area and is full of restaurants, bars and shops and is well worth a walk around.  The Dohany Synagogue is the biggest synagogue in Europe and the second biggest in the world.  The Synagogue has been completely and impressively refurbished possible due to a donation from the now deceased Hollywood actor Tony Curtis whose father was a Jewish immigrant from Hungary.  Around 600,000 Hungarian Jews and Roma died in the holocaust.  In the courtyard of the Synagogue is the Holocaust Memorial, a silver tree of life, beneath it thousands of victims are buried.  We had a drink in Gozsdu Court built in the nineteenth century and which is now full of shops, restaurants and bars. It was sobering to realise that in WW2 the Nazis forcibly kept the two entrances to the court closed so that the majority of the inhabitants died of starvation.

One of the many buildings yet to be restored.

The House of Terror on Andrassy ut is so called because it was the headquarters first of the Gestapo during WW2 and then the Hungarian security services during the communist era.  Many people were tortured or executed in the basement cells.  A harrowing place to visit and judging by the reactions of many of the Hungarians visiting at the same time as us the memory is still very much alive for them.  A place which symbolises brutal oppression.

Hints and Tips

Interior of St.Stephens Cathedral.

• Do go inside St. Stephen’s Cathedral (the largest church in Budapest), it is from outside the neoclassical basilica is stunning but inside is absolutely stunning and would be my highlight of the trip.

  

  View from Buda of the Chain Bridge and Cathedral.

 

•  
•  
•  
•  
• Visit the Great Market Hall which is still very much a locals’ food market and sells every possible Hungarian foodstuff, stalls selling paprika abound.  Although the first floor houses many souvenir stalls catering which cater for tourists don’t let that put you off.  On the first floor left hand corner are the food stalls selling local delicacies, the ideal spot for an authentic lunch, albeit at tourist prices. We ate at the langos stall experiencing a stuffed potato-yeast flatbread, the Hungarian pizza!

  

  Paprika for sale at a market stall.

Hungarian Pizza - the langos.

• Budapest is not a cheap city to visit, in most of the city expect to pay tourist prices when eating and drinking.  For a cheap value lunch buy something freshly baked from the bakery on the ground floor of the Great Market Hall.  I can recommend the plum pie. 

• If you plan to take a boat cruise along the Danube do so at night, very picturesque.  All of the major river landmarks along the river are lit up at night and the river has a different ambience.

  

  Hungarian Parliament although not taken at night still outstanding.

• To chill visit one of the cities thermal spring baths, not cheap but a one off.  Expect to pay around £25 (28 Euros / 31 USD) entrance plus payment and returnable deposit for flip-flops, bath cap, robe and towel if you don’t have your own.

The Gellert Spa Baths

• Do take advantage of the free Budapest walking tour which covers all of the main attractions and leaves twice a day, 10.30 am and 2.30 pm from Dek Ferenc ter, in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica.  You pay what you thing the tour was worth.

  

  St Stephen' Cathedral

• Do not be surprised or offended if your waiter stands beside you and waits for you to pay the bill informing him/her what you will pay.  This is the custom in Hungary when you tell the waiter what you will pay (including the tip), or how much change you expect to get.

• Wine served by the glass are smaller measures compared to the UK and elsewhere in Western Europe, do not be surprised.  The prices are not smaller however!

There is so much to do in Budapest dependent on your interests, length of your visit, weather and so on, it is a great choice for a city break.  

Have I missed anything that you would include for the first time visitor to Budapest? 

Book Cover

...Awe inspiring scenery, memorable experiences and personal challenges.

Scaling the Dragon's Back was written to raise awareness and continue fundraising for Dementia UK, Admiral Nurses.  Available as a ebook from Amazon.

Visiting Myanmar a country on the cusp of change

 

Picturesque Myanmar viewed from the Irrawaddy.

I wanted to visit Myanmar following the opening up of the country.  Like many travellers I wanted too see and experience the country and its culture before too much touristic development.  What I found was a country with a traumatic history and fascinating culture, a country on the cusp of change.  Following years of cruel military dictatorship there is an air of quiet optimism following the recent election victory of ‘The Lady’ as Aung San Suu Kyi is affectionately called.  When still in opposition as the pro democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, in 2010 gave her blessing to the return of tourism to Burma effectively ending the tourist boycott. The National League for Democracy (NLD) leader U Win Tin said: "We want people to come to Burma, not to help the junta, but to help the people by understanding the situation: political, economic, moral - everything." 

Myanmar is a large country, 676,578 km2 with a population of 55.2 million.  Due to the lack of investment by the military government the countries roads are very poor and its railways reliant on the infrastructure left from British colonial days.  This means internal air flights are the best and quickest way to travel the long distances between key cities and the main sites of cultural and historic interest.

My trip included visits to:

The famous Inle Lake one legged fishermen

Inle Lake

Staying at the town of Nyaung Shwe.  Inle Lake is unique and the way of life of the people living on the lake fascinating.  The locals make a living as fisherman, Inle Lake is home of the famous one legged fishermen, craftsmen, silversmiths and weavers (for example silk made from lotus flowers growing on the lake), or self sufficient farmers growing avocado’s, tomatoes, and flowers amongst other things.  The advocado’s I remember as particularly delicious.  Buildings, houses, schools, shops, are built on stilts above the water and constructed of teak wood and woven bamboo, very ornate.  The locals are incredibly friendly waving from passing boats and shouting hello.  Obviously they have not yet tired of tourist visitors. 

I couldn’t help but seeing a blot on the beautiful landscape.  The development of a luxury holiday resort currently being constructed on the banks of the lake.  Mistakenly, I thought it a quarry initially until informed otherwise by our guide.  The locals fear for the continuing ecology and uniqueness of the lake because for when the resort is completed and filled with tourists there will be more tourist visitors on the lake than there are local people living on the lake.  Those earning their living from the lake are very concerned although of course increasing income from tourists will be welcomed.  A sign of things to come?!  Pollution is already a problem the lake has halved in size in recent years.  I would like to revisit Inle Lake again and spend longer there, hopefully before it changes too much, to fully assimilate and appreciate the areas uniqueness. 

Myanmar's Angor Way.

A boat ride on the Lake to Indein village let’s you visit Myanmar’s Angor Wat, a smaller overgrown and unkept ‘ruined’ pagoda complex to that found in Cambodia.  Built in the 17 and 18 centuries there are around 1,000 stupas in various stated of disrepair and only recently discovered.   Many of the monuments are now being restored and can appear a bit garish.  I preferred wandering among the ruined unrestored stupas complete with overgrown shrubbery, this was by far my favourite area of the complex, authentic and atmospheric.

Kalaw

The market at Kalaw.

Well worth a visit for its market and walking in the hills.  I have never visited Nepal if I had I might not make the comparison but Kalaw put me in mind of what I imagine a Nepalese Himayalan hill town to look like.  Kalaw is appreciably cooler than other parts of Myanmar visited as it is situated in the mountains in the north of the country.  The town was where in colonial times the British encamped to escape the heat of Mandalay and Rangoon during the peak of the heat.  Colonial houses can still be seen in the hills surrounding the town.  The local market is certainly worth a look, I enjoyed watching the locals going about their daily shop. Kalaw is home to an excellent Nepalese restaurant, we ate lunch both days we were there, we had dhall curry, rice and a naan bread for 4,000 Kyat around £2 / $2.90.  We visited at the time of a moon festival a time of much local celebration, colourful processions and fireworks.

 

A view of the temples of Bagan.

Bagan 

Well what words could I possibly use to describe Bagan?  Awesome, spectacular, inspiring, mind blowing.  Only by seeing Bagan could you fully appreciate the sight of it and understand the superlatives that are used to describe it.  I will never forget the first morning of our visit climbing to the top of one temple and at the top being greeted by the view of temples for as far as the eye could see.  What a view! Surely it can only be a matter of time before Bagan is afforded UNESCO world heritage site status.  With over 2,000 temples covering an area of 26 square miles (42 km square), an area equal to the size of Manhattan, many visitors choose to hire motorcycles to tour the area and take in some of the more remote temples which are off the main tourist routes.  Bagan is a must see on any visit to Myanmar.

Yangon (formerly known as Rangoon)

Downtown Yangon.

Yangon is a very busy city, still the industrial and commercial centre of Myanmar if no longer the countries capital city. The downtown area is said to contain the largest number of colonial buildings in south east Asia, somewhat neglected, these buildings are a reminder of Burma’s history under British rule when part of the Empire.   It is probably thanks to the years of Burma’s isolation and the neglect of the military government that these buildings still exist at all.  Traffic is now such a problem in Yangon that motorbikes have been banned from the city’s roads.  Pavements where they exist at all are uneven and have a tendency to just disappear leaving gaping holes and open sewage drains.  You have been warned!  My advice, carry a torch as the city is poorly lit after dark, all part of the visitor experience.

Yangon is home to a number of attractions of interest amongst them, a 70 metre long reclining Buddha, at Chaukhtatgyi Paya, the Buddha’s crown contains hundreds of diamonds and other precious stones. Bogyoke market, better known as Scott’s market, is well worth a visit and an excellent place to buy souvenirs and longyi (the traditional long skirt worn by both men and women).  Afternoon tea at The Strand Hotel was a very civilised and thoroughly enjoyable escape from the heat and hustle and bussle of the city, an oasis of calm .  Opened in 1901 to provide luxury accommodation for traders The Strand may not quite rival Raffles in Singapore for colonial era splendour but it comes close and is well worth seeing.  The Hotel was restored in the 1990’s and it is said Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maughan and George Orwell have stayed at the hotel.

The Shwegagon Pagoda viewed as from my hotel bedroom window.

The jewel in Yangon’s crown has to be the Shwedagon Pagoda which is simply stunning and certainly well worth taking at least a few hours to look around.  The most important shrine in the country the Shwedagon Pagoda is the place which all Burmese Buddhists hope to visit at least once in their lifetime.  Even for none Buddists visiting the Pagoda is quite a moving and spiritual experience.  The one hundred metre high central stupa which is covered in gold leaf (and it is said 4,531 diamonds) is a marvellous sight and can be seen from all over the city.  It dominates the skyline, I could see the stupa from the bedroom window of my hotel. Myanmar’s principle Buddhist shrine, the Shwedagon complex is big and containing many smaller pagodas, shrines and places of worshing.  I found observing the Burmese people worshipping at their holy shrine very moving and affecting.  I could feel the tranquillity and ambience of the place.

On the road to Mandalay.

Mandalay    

On arriving in Mandalay I did not encounter the romantic city of my imagination, hardly surprising as the city is at present one big construction site.  Mandalay is the fastest growing city in south east Asia, its population currently stands at 2 million.  Despite the disruption and all of the building work Mandalay is still worth a visit to see:

The restored Royal Palace, a must for those of us who have read Amitav Ghosh’s novel The Glass Palace.  The palace was all but destroyed by Japanese bombers during World War Two, but it has been restored by the government and shows something of the opulent and privileged lifestyle of the royal family who ruled Burma in pre-colonial days.

Take the time to visit the Kuthodaw Pagoda which houses the biggest book in the world, comprised of 729 marble slabs on which are written the complete Buddist scriptures.

Shanty towns on the banks of the Irrawaddy.

Take a short boat ride across the Irrawaddy (Ayayarwaddy) river, allows you to experience something of life on the banks of the river for the people living in the shanty towns along its banks.  Across the river take the short circular walk through the village of Minyun observing local village life on route to what is left of what would have been the worlds biggest pagoda had King Bodawpaya not died before its completion.  Severly damaged by an earthquake in 1838, it is quite a pile of bricks! 

u

Buddhist monks crossing the U.Bien Bridge at sunset.

The U. Bien Bridge is only a short drive from Mandalay.  The bridge is a 1.3 km long footbridge of teak wood which stretches across the Irrawaddy river.  It is worth seeing, much photographed and very beautiful when seen at sunrise and sunset. However, be warned it is a tourist ‘hot’ spot.  On the day we visited it seemed like every tourist in Myanmar was there!  A very commercial tourist experience by Myanmar standards which came as a bit of a surprise and rather spoilt the experience.  Perhaps seeing the bridge at sunrise might have been a better option with fewer tourists and therefore better photo opportunities.  Of course that would necessitate a very early start to the day but it could be well worth it.

The gloriously unspoilt Ngapali Beach

Ngapali Beach 

Lying on the west coast of the Bay of Bengal and the warm Adaman Sea, Ngapali Beach is 4.4 miles of lovely unspoilt beach.  Not amongst the worlds most beautiful beaches, but very pretty, it is wonderfully tranquil and undeveloped, fringed as it is by palm and coconut trees. I found the beach clean and uncrowded, the water warm, clear and inviting.  Ngapali Beach proved the perfect place to relax and chill for a few days having spent two weeks touring the country.  A row of restaurants situated on the beach offer great food, freshly caught fish a speciality, at exceptionally keen prices.  A meal for two, we enjoyed 2 main courses, a side salad and two beers, for only 9,500 kyat (£4.50 / $6.53 approximately). 

I have to mention the Amata Hotel and Spa which was superb.  Aung San Sui Kyi had stayed at the hotel in October 2015 while on the election campaign trail.  The hotel is situated right on the beach, cocktails at the poolside bar at sunset was a highlight.  And it was wonderful to be able to enjoy a stroll along the beach before breakfast and a swim at sunset before cocktails and then head off along the beach again for something to eat.

I am still getting my head around my visit to Myanmar, it is such an interesting country and there was such a lot to absorb.  Myanmar, the poorest country in south east Asia, means living conditions for many are very basic at best. And yet the people a great many of whom have so little materially are spiritually enriched, warm, welcoming, friendly and generous. My visit was a very humbling experience.

As the country is on the cusp of change and developing quickly I would recommend visiting sooner rather than later before its uniqueness is lost in the development and commercialism.

If you would like to know more about Myanmar you can read:

•  Parenteau, John. Prisoner for Peace: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma's Struggle for Democracy. 
•  Stewart, Whitney. Aung San Suu Kyi: Fearless Voice of Burma.
•  Victor, Barbara. The Lady: Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Laureate and Burma's Prisoner.

• The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, a  historical novel set in Burma, Bengal, India, and Malaya, spanning a century covering the fall of the Konbaung Dynasty in Mandalay, through the Second World War to modern time.

 The Blog's author penned a travelogue of...

• 

  Add caption

  ...Awe inspiring scenery, memorable experiences and personal challenges. http://ow.ly/PnShi  
  
  Scaling the Dragon's Back was written to raise awareness and continue fundraising for Dementia UK, Admiral Nurses