Day 10. Mon 30th September
Gombe Streams NP
Today we visit the Gombe Streams National Park, the longest running primate
research project in the world, started by Jane Goodall in 1960 and now
taken over by Charlotte Uhlenbroek. The park can only be accessed from
the lake - to keep out poachers and other undesirables there is no access
from the land - and a boat has been booked to pick us up at 06:00 an take
us down the lake to the park. This will be one of the highlights of the
trip, and we are up at 05:00 to grab a quick breakfast before the boat
arrives. Unfortunately the hotel staff conform to typical African standards
of time keeping, and at 5:45 no breakfast is yet in evidence. Finally a
pot of tea and some bread and jam appear, and we quickly slap some sandwiches
together, grab the box of cold drinks prepared by Ken and, with the German
guy in tow, head down to the shore and pile into the boat that has, to
our relief, arrived in good time. It is a two hour trip to Gombe Streams,
and an early arrival is recommended, as the chimps visit feeding stations
around dawn and it is a good opportunity to find them.
Ken is obviously very disappointed not be able to come with us as planned.
He waves us off and, as we chug away, we are unaware of Mama Kassim, the
plump hotel proprietrix, running down the beach with our packed lunch,
which was completed just a little later than breakfast.
We watch the dawn rise over the hills, and, a couple of hours later, are
welcomed at the Gombe Park entrance by a solitary baboon.
On arrival we unload the boat and put the drinks and the remains of our
jam sandwiches in a hut on the shore. It is strictly prohibited to take
any foodstuffs into the forest as the chimps will attack if they smell
food. Still no one notices that we have forgotten the lunch - presumably
everyone thinks someone else has it.
We pay our entrance fee, complete the paperwork and are split into
two groups. Groups must be less than 6 people and must be accompanied by
a guide, which makes sense, as they are experts at finding the chimps,
and can even mimic their call. Like all wildlife guides they are also armed
with rifles. We are split into two groups and I set off with Nathan, Amanda,
Chris and two guides. To my relief the day is slightly overcast, and the
rainforest canopy also provides some shade, so the heat is not too intense.
Nevertheless it is a stiff climb, and the guides set a spanking pace.
As part of the research project several food stations have been set
up. These are hides where researchers occasionally place bananas. As a
result the chimps associate these places with free food and often visit
them first thing in the morning. However, despite out efforts we are too
late and there are no chimps at the feeding station, so we set off into
the forest. We walk for about two and a half hours with no sightings, although
we can hear the hoots of the chimps in the distance. The guides confer
and change direction often. The going is tough, and we are all hot, sweaty
and tired. At one point I hear a cry behind me and turn to see Amanda sliding
down the slope headfirst. I manage to grab her arm and she is returned
to the upright position shaken but not hurt. Then, all of a sudden, we
round a corner and there is a chimp, later identified as Goblin (all the
chimps have names), sitting in a tree without a care in the world, not
10 yards from us.
He climbs down from his tree and we follow him up the path
Soon afterwards he is joined by other members of his group, including Frodo,
the old male mentioned in Jane Goodall's books, several youngsters and some
females, one with a baby clinging to her back. There are strict rules regarding
viewing the chimps, we must maintain a certain distance, and are not supposed
to observe any one group for more than an hour. The chimps seem sublimely
indifferent to our presence, and set off along the path, with us panting
in the rear. It turns out that the other half of our group had already
sighted the other half of Goblin's group, as they also appear out of the
trees. The chimps settle down for a midmorning rest - right in the middle
of the path - and the youngsters play tag around a tree. Despite being
so close they are difficult to photograph through the trees and Nathan
nearly cripples himself trying to get a good angle.
Despite the agitation of one of the guides we watch the chimps for a good
deal longer than our allotted hour, our excuse being that they are in the
path so we can't go on. Eventually they get up and disappear into the trees
and we continue on our way. Then we hear them once more coming up behind
us, and to our amazment and delight, one of the adults saunters up the
path behind us, as ever quite oblivious to our presence. In their own forest
the chimps have absolute right of way, and the guides quickly chivvy us
off the path as the chimp moseys on by, near enough to reach out and touch.
Although we know that these animals can be dangerous, there seems no reason
to be fearful, and it is a final magical moment. Jane Goodall lived here
for two years before she even saw a chimp, and, although they are now accustomed
to the presence of their human observers, there are still no guarantees,
and many people visit the park and see no chimps at all. We set off down
the mountain to the beach knowing that we have been extemely lucky to have
had such a wonderful day.
When we emerge from the trees by the side of Lake Tanganyika we quickly
realise that we are a fair distance away from the park entrance and our
boat. We must be in the boat and under way by 16:00 to get back in time
for tea, but as it is only about 14:30 we have plenty of time, and we set
off. Out of the trees the heat is scorching and we are all exhausted after
our experience. The water looks irrisistable, and this is probably one
of the least likely places to pick up bilharzia, there being no vegetation
and few people. Nevertheless, mindful that there may also be larger creatures
than water snails, we resist the temptation, all except Herman The German
(as he is now known - apparently he has not endeared himself to his half
of the group, having been somewhat pushy), who announces that he is going
snorkelling. We are really too tired to care. We trudge back across the
pebbles, observed by a troupe of baboons, a local fisherman, and a family
doing their laundry in the stream.
When we finally stagger back to the park entrance all we want to do is
get stuck into the cold drinks box. No one is surprised to find a pack
lunch waiting - somehow we are still unaware that it had been forgotten.
We discover later that Ken has hired another boat at his own expense and
sent the lunch after us. It arrived shortly after we had set off into the
forest. However, all his efforts were in vain, as, when we open the packets
of sandwiches and chicken legs, they are all crawling with ants. We salvage
what we can and supplement it with Fruesli bars that Nathan and Amanada
have had the foresight to bring.
Then we realise that Herman The German is no longer with us. It seems
that when he announced that he was going snorkelling he meant there and
then, and he is now a mile and a half down the beach taking a dip all by
himself. We debate what to do, and eventually persuade the boat driver
to set off, and to put in to shore when (and if) we find him. Luckily we
do find him, and he climbs aboard apparently quite unconcerned, so I surprise
him by delivering a lecture on having consideration for the rest of the
group and the dangers of swimming alone - in German! I think the rest of
the gang are quite impressed too!
Most of us fall asleep on the return trip.
On our return to the hotel, Ken is delighted, and extremely envious, of
our success. The good news is that he has finally managed to sort out the
train tickets, although it has taken him all day.
The evening meal is not prolonged as everyone wants to get to bed early,
and poor Nathan and Amanda, who are probably the most exhausted of us all,
get left at the table with a pile of banknotes that don't quite cover the
bill for dinner.
It occurs to me that I have drunk 3 litres of water today, and haven't
had a pee since breakfast.