Uganda (Bwindi)
Fifth stop in Uganda was Bwindi in the South of Uganda. We stayed at two locations; Buhoma and the less popular Nkuringo area of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Buhoma region has three groups of gorilla and Nkuringo one. There are many other groups but these are the ones which have been introduced to humans and therefore approachable.
We spent three days in total, although the actual time with gorillas is strictly limited to one hour to try and avoid infection from us. The first day was an relatively easy trek into the mountain and we reach the gorillas in less than one hour. Alas, they were on the move so it was a case of chase and photograph and it was incredibly tough and the terrain was think vegetation which made access even more difficult. The second day we had a much harder climb into the mountains and we were well over two hours before we reached the gorillas. When we found them they were feeding in a open area and this was my best opportunity to capture some images although the light was so hard by the time we got there that it was tough photography with the dark fur on green leaves causing over exposed highlights On the third day we had an even longer climb and the terrain was both up and down and we even crossed rivers, taking our shoes off and paddling in the cool water. When we reached them it was think vegetation on a steep incline and the gorillas kept high in the trees. So all in all a wonderful experience and three different settings for my photography.
