"Risk... Risk is our business. That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her!"
Captain James T Kirk 'Return to Tomorrow'
Over the last few months, the wife and I have been quietly working away at planning/booking our last hurrah in Africa: a trip to Uganda to see the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to half of the world's remaining gorillas. I'd rather see the gorillas in Uganda than Rwanda, I hear Uganda is beautiful and I'm not in the mood at this stage for Rwandan genocide related depression..
It's been a frustrating exercise organising this Ugandan expedition from Tanzania, for example the Ugandan tour company can't electronically process credit cards, nor can Tanzanian banks seem to send money easily to a Ugandan bank account. An exercise in patience. But we're getting there.
One last hiccup.
I knew the North of Uganda was a bit unsafe, what with roaming bands of child soldiers, the Lord's Resistance Army and what not, but I had assumed the South of Uganda was safer. And I still think it is...but...as you can see in the attached map, Bwindi Forest-in the Southwest of Uganda-is a little bit close to the Democratic Republic of Congo (ie hell on earth ie the last place in Africa you ever want to go.)
The NZ Foreign Affairs (MFAT) website mentions 'extreme risk' in going to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park due to 'banditry and cross-border attacks by rebel groups'. Hm.
This spooked us a bit but MFAT has always been a bit gun shy in their travel warnings. I think they take into account whether or not they have close by embassies in making their assessment. I'm pretty sure they said Israel was 'extreme risk' too when I went there in '05. They currently say Tanzania and Zanzibar has 'some risk' to our security...so I mean gotta take 'warnings' with a grain of salt.
I found a report of Hutu rebels ie the ones that took part in the Rwandan genocide killing a group of tourists in Bwindi in '99.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/289196.stm
gulp.
We got in touch with our Ugandan Tour Company to express our concerns and their response was that they had never had any security issues in the Forest and that wildlife rangers work hand in hand with the Uganda’s Peoples Defense Force(UPDF)to ensure both up to date information and security. Yay for the stalwart soldiers of the UPDF...hmm.
Then again, we had a kiwi mate and volunteer just do the Bwindi Forest gorilla safari and he said it went fine. Our Volunteer Handler in Arusha did raise his eyebrows a little though when we asked today if our insurance covered our mission into the Ugandan forest...he's going to get back to us. Sigh, don't want a drama. Seems sometimes it's easier not to talk to my handler about some things...
What can I say about all this? Some of you readers are probably shaking your heads in bemusement or disgust...but hey, we're adults. We know the risks. We consulted. We calculated the risks versus the benefits. And we live with the consequences. Plus I've seen enough movies to know how to cope with a machine gun firefight in a jungle. (Kidding. But not really.)
Just make sure my comic collection goes to a good home if this all goes pear shaped...
'If you want the ultimate rush, you gotta be willing to pay the ultimate price'
Bodhi in the documentary 'Point Break'
Dude you might need to check out 'predators' for up to date best practice on jungle firefighting.
ReplyDeleteJamie
'Predators' was cool, saw it in Arusha a few months ago. The trick is to cover yourself in mud so the infrared vision of the Hutu militias can't see you..
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