Bwindi Impenetratable Forest, Uganda - October 16th

24 hours on two bus, a road that has not been fixed in over 10 years, the back seat, a window that would not open, bad breaks, no food, the only foreigner in site, more dust than the dessert and I question whether the journey to see a few animals was worth the effort.

I spend the evening in Kisoro confidently walking and negotiating for my next form of transportation to the wild impenatratable forest of Bwindi..... I have spent enough time in Africa to recognize that my negotiating skills are now above par, not only do I need a ride, a driver, I also request a helmet....safety first afterall. I was confident that my journey of 37 kilometers, with a helmet would provide all the comforts imaginable.

What I did not beckon for was a road made out of rocks, holes, dirt and mudd... I may have obtained a driver, bike and helmet but I did not obtain a well cushioned bike, a driver that knew where he was going or a helmet that actually fit!

As I bumped my way up, around, down, left and right on the back of a bike for TWO hours, I was sure that my ass and legs would be in no condition to hike for an almost extinct animal called a gorilla! I was however prepared with mosquito repelent for clothes, mosquito repelent for skin, mosquito repelent bandana and energy mini drinks.....all to the thanks of my family who went to REI.

I admit that I was not totally disillusioned at this point, I was going to see the gorillas afterall....a great dream. My conscious was waivered only when the guide talked about the altitude, a hard climb, glove requirements, the thickness of a jungle, the necessity for climing boots, heavy rains in the rainforest, the charging of a monsterous gorilla possibility and the need for two armored guards (one in the front and one in the back). The last one was a wake-up call to say, you are only yards away from the Congo, in a jungle, searching for a wild animal, in a humanly dangerous environment where "humans" will kill you!

At that instant it also dawned on me that I, ALONE was the only tourist present.....I, ALONE was the only person GOING, that I, ALONE would be with two armed gunmen, one guide and who knows how many gorillas...that I, ALONE as a woman had to be crazy for considering such an adventure, I ALONE, had to weigh my options. Jungle, Gorilla, Hike, Danger vs. Return Two Hour Bike Ride

I chose that I, ALONE would survive the Jungle, Gorillas, Hike, Danger but that my ass would not survive a two hour ride back on the bike....so I went on the adventure gorilla tour.

As we began the journey, I noted that my campanions had no water, no food, no sweat rolling down their face from the humidity or heat. For them this was a walk in the park....for me, I was well aware that the I was heading a long way...straight down and that what goes down...must come back up. The thought of gorillas did not even enter my mind as I was so focused on one step after another.

Since it was only myself on the tour, my guide thought it better to make the journey easier and faster. Rather than walking around the somewhat molded path, we would decend the mountain, through the jungle to the gorillas. We would decend A MOUNTAIN and then climb back UP it. We would decend in chest high trees, grass, rain, jugle and mudd. We would decend in 75 to 90 degree slopes. We, or should I say "ME, myself and I" thought he was insane... but I went anyways.

I slipped and slided down a mountain filled with tall grass, mudd, rain, animals brickler trees for what appeared to be miles. I could not tell where we started and I had no idea when this journey would end but as I passed two men calmly walking, barefoot, carrying a large amount of wood on their head, I tried to control my hard breathing and astonishment.

As I rested on a ledge and took in my surrounding, I realized I was in a jungle as far as the eye could see and then a tree shook. A tree shook to the ground as a female gorilla picked it out of the dirt and licked the root. From one side of a tree to another, there were gorillas...I could see the side of a silverback, the playfulness of children in the trees, the strength of the mothers pulling up the trees and the size of one close by sleeping in the shade.

At first, the size of the animal alone makes you nervous and then one charged towards me, only a few feet away and I turned. I turned and the guide held me steady stating that she just wanted to pass and so she did. She passed 3 feet in front of me.

The stay with the gorillas is limited to only one hour and it is strictly adhered to for fear of decease is too great with these animals that embody all the characteristics of us humans.

As each minute passed, I relished in my surrounding with the gorillas just steps away. I noted that the male silverbacks were shy and hid behind a tree with the only thing visible being their massive faces and their hands the size of a soccerball. The woman lingered from side to side, playing with their young as they searched for more to eat. Beside me the smaller children played in the trees swaying back and forth in human childlike innocense.

They are beautiful, they are young and old, they are family, they are not much differnt than you and I and it saddens me to think that they are almost extinct.

The seconds turn into minutes and the minutes turn into an hour and I, ALONE must go. I, ALONE am happy to have visited these creatures without fences, bars or human involvement. I, ALONE made the Hike, beat the Jungle and oversaw through the Danger around! I, ALONE have to get my ass back up that hill!!!