Day 12 (Gorilla Trek #2)

 7/12/22-  Welcome to Day 2.  In case you are wondering, I feel like I can safely fart today.  Sorry tribe.  Up early and heading to the park for the gorilla lottery.  Emanuel says the ride and trekk will be shorter today.

Lottery Park
Greetings

We actually hit the lottery because we got Patrick again today.  And the winner is.... The Umubano Group.
Umubano group is led by Charles the dominant Silverback. Umubano separated from Amahoro A without aggression. Shortly after the separation, the 2 groups would meet, interact, and feed together for one or two days and then go separate ways. Umubano group is composed of 14 individuals, including 6 Silverbacks, 2 Adult females, 3 Blackbacks, 2 Juveniles and 1 Infant.

Patrick says a 30 minute ride and a 30 minute hike to visit Sir Charles and his friends.  We will see.  We were again greeted by very friendly villagers.

Don't worry.  I already used a restroom

Let the trekk begin.  Meet some of our porters today.  It's a gift to hire them and it's our pleasure to have them join us.  Very, very inspirational and special having them with us.  

Sunshine got Innocent.  He was amazing.

The trekk was not quite as difficult as yesterday's.  But we still saw some amazing things along the way.  They all do their own harvesting (potatoes, potatoes, and potatoes).

Backbreaker.  No problem.

To keep the animals away from the potatoes, the villagers built a wall.  A handmade wall.


Kids... don't try this at home.  Or maybe you should, and stop complaining that the gardner forgot to bring in the trash cans today.  Really?  Everybody sing...

...It's just another brick in the wall

Every night a villager is selected to sleep in the hand made hotel to watch for crop predators.  
The One and Lonely

On our way, we taught our porters a song.  Everybody sing....

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight

a wingawat, wingawat, a wingawat..

Ladies and gentelmen, the Umubano's....

Any of you ladies need a mani and a pedi?

You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours

I'm Charles Mother Fuckers

This is one of my wives.  She's a poser.  Click away....

And my son... he's lazy... needs a job....

Dad.  We are in a recession.

I heard one of you has been having butt problems?  Follow me, I got the same thing.  There is a great bush you can use.
I know how you feel "Bad Rash Bill"

Not surprisingly,  the hour flew by.  Thank you Charles for hosting us.  Some quick selfies before we go...



Thank you again Charles.  Time for a picnic and the family recap of what we just saw...
Brad, that was a bad rash on gorilla Bill

Did anyone get Charles' email?  Fidel?

Time to head home...  Another amazing day in the jungle

No buffalo for rifleman today


But lot's of bamboo and jungle trees to cut for machete queen


More props to Patrick for leading the way.  We were in much tighter quarters, so the moving in and away from the Umubano's was not easy.  Everybody sing....

Rob and Patrick sitting in a tree....

And everybody dance....

In the jungle, the mighty jungle...

And one final goodbye to our Rwanda family.  Thanks for making Trekk#2 amazing!

Thank You!

After we got back, we had lunch and Rob arranged for an afternoon yoga and sound bath in the forest.  

Crystal sound bath bowls.  Bowls, bowls, bowls...

Gratitude. Mindfullness. Present. I'm slowly falling asleep in deep relaxation... A view up....

Shit, I forgot my CPAP machine

Not sure we could have planned a better day... Thanks Fame.  Thanks Rob.  Thanks Sir Charles.  And Happy Anniversary to the ones that continue to show us the way..

Happy 37 Beth and Rob

















































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