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Postcards form a Backpacker

In 2005 an Englishman by the name of Mark Inns followed in the footsteps of explorers of old and embarked on an adventure that would see him circumnavigate the globe through the wilds of Africa round to the Rio Carnival in South America. Read about his adventures in the online diary and discover some of the journeys highlights.

Day 11

Gorilla Trek

Posted in Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo

It’s been a lot of traveling building up to this day, the Gorilla Trek. The last seven days has been about reaching the Democratic Republic of Congo (formally Zaire) to visit the Gorillas. After another long drive we arrived at a Hotel in Uganda near the boarder with the D.R Congo. It was an early start getting up at 5:30 to drive across the most poorly guarded boarder crossing I have visited so far. There is still fighting going on in the Congo so at some points we had five armed guards to escort us.

The trek was going to be a long one as the family of Gorillas we were going to visit were had moved from where they were the day before that was about 4 hours walk away. We first crossed farmland for about an hour then entered the Congo. Four and a half hours later we reached to stop where the Gorillas were. Our guide chopped a clearing though the dense vegetation on the side of the mountain we had just hacked our way through.

The Gorillas were amazing to see and were not even phased by our presence. The family we met had a huge Silverback, 2 females, 2 infants and 2 younger males. We sat with the family for an hour and got they came right up to us and one of the infants grabbed my leg on the way past. Not the seven meters distance we were supposed to keep. We watched the infants fighting and swinging around and the adults eating the bamboo. After this amazing experience it was time for the trek back another four and a half hours back to the pick up point. By the end I was absolutely exhausted covered in mud and soaked for the rain in the last two hours of the trek. The long day hard journey through the Congo was worth it though as were the blisters I had when I got back.

Comments

I can’t wait to see the photos. Hope your blisters are healing. Looking forward to the next installment, it sounds an amazing journey.

— Avril & Howard on Tuesday October 18, 2005

Hi Mark, I’m so jelous. Sounds like ur having a ball. Can’t wait to c the photo’s.

— Hannah Lauren & Abby on Saturday October 22, 2005

Photo’s are on the way! It’s not so easy to do in Africa, the intrenet connections are very very slow. When I find a quick connection I will post some pictures and video.

— Mark Inns on Sunday October 23, 2005

Sounds amazing, lookin forward to seeing the pics. Have a brill adventure, j9x

— Janine on Wednesday October 26, 2005

Bet your blisters weren't half as big and bad ang ugly as mine . . .

— Rach on Saturday February 25, 2006

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Congo Country Profile

  • Population: 62.6 million
  • Capital: Kinshasa
  • Area: 2.34 million sq km
  • Official language: French
  • Currency: Congolese Franc

Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name – to MOBUTU Sese Seko – as well as that of the country – to Zaire.