Tourists came to see the gorillas – Gorilla tours and safaris – Gorilla permits.
With an increasing number of visitors, the gorillas’ attire—or lack thereof—continued to be a delightful source of amusement. Some tourists allegedly felt they could brave the thick underbrush with only an umbrella, while one out of five showed there completely unprepared for the rain. Underneath their rain gear, few travelers wore sweaters or vests to stave against the cold.
Despite our cautions to tour brokers, guests failed to comprehend the cold and wetness of the Equator at ten thousand feet during the rainy sea-son, and there were no guidebooks to Rwanda’s high mountain areas back then. A group of ladies dressed in short skirts and matching shoes with two-inch heels made an appearance.
Despite the nettles and muck, a small group of courageous men and women continued their trek in sandals. Rain gear was mostly worn by individuals who favored brighter colors, such as orange and yellow, which seemed to entice the younger gorillas. This was also true of the wide range of visitors’ looks. According to Bill, the introduction of the white apes meant that the gorillas could now be entertained every day.
Tourists came to see the gorillas
Thank you! The term was constantly yelled out, and guests always got the gist of it. Unfortunately, we discovered the hard way that the bamboo zone had much larger concentrations of driving ants than Karisoke’s higher elevations. They would attack immediately if we stumbled across their bivouacs, which happened many times a week.
While smaller worker ants stayed in formation, soldier ants with enormous heads, measuring half an inch in length, would swarm over any foreign object, their sharp teeth prepared to sting. What’s worse is that they would frequently wait to bite until they had climbed up our legs or fallen into our shirts after we touched an infested branch.
As a consequence, the siafu strip came to be: quickly removing clothing to either brush off the ants or unhook them if they were biting, in order to prevent further harm to the body’s most delicate areas. Wearing fewer clothes might be advantageous at times.
Tourists came to see the gorillas
In order to form bonds with each other, tourists were not required to undress. The common experience of interacting with a group of wild mountain gorillas was enough. As the sun went down, guests sat around the fire with a mug of hot tea and shared tales about the gorillas. After making their way through the muck and across logs, several stated they felt like a gorilla when they reached the group. My thoughts would then go to other memories of their hike in the Virunga forest.
Aromas of greenery and freshly rained dirt. Odorous like the silverback’s fur. The flavor of uncultivated celery, the symphony of invisible beings. Hunting dexterity and the excitement of finding nests in the dark. Knowing the gorillas were in the area when you found warm feces was a sign. The pure delight of playing in muck and mire as a youngster. Climbing and sliding is physically demanding. Not even ants or nettles may hurt.
As Bill had never seen in East Africa, visitors to the Virungas were escorted in zebra-striped minibuses and guarded Land Rovers through the jungle and past animals. Gorilla tourism was a whole new kind of adventure, one that tested one’s physical, sensory, and emotional limits. Even though the phrase “ecotourism” didn’t come out until later in the decade, the appeal of trekking into the Virungas rainforest and interacting with native creatures in their natural habitat was apparent as early as 1979.
Even while Bill enjoyed visitors, he preferred it when they didn’t stay the night at Visoke’s headquarters. The mountains, with their noises and silences, were something he enjoyed being alone with. At 8,800 feet, you may feel your senses sharpen and your mind clear thanks to the combination of cool air and pure air. The mind would sometimes dwell on insurmountable obstacles, while the senses would be consumed by persistent knee pain. But Bill valued the luxury of leisure to contemplate without outside interruptions.
The consistent number of visitors was good news for the MGp. Both in and around the park, in the neighboring town of Ruhengeri, local job opportunities were expanding. Several local eateries and the ancient Hotel Muhavura were refurbished to accommodate travelers as they entered and left the town.
The park service’s fight against the MINAGRI cattle project, which was now on hold but not dead, received political backing and greater funds from an increasing number of international visitors. After spending the day with Group 11, several resident expatriate visitors became vocal champions for gorilla conservation in their subsequent positions as government advisers, technical assistants, and other similar positions. Among the many, they stood out.
those with special access.
However, there was a drawback to greater visiting as well. Bill had advocated for restrictions on the daily influx of visitors, claiming that a group of six would be ideal.
