How to Prepare for Mountain Gorilla Treks
If you’re here, maybe you’re considering a gorilla trek. Is it something you want to do? Probably, yes! But to prepare for gorilla treks, you’ll want to know your options. And once a destination is determined, many questions pop up. How should I dress? What do I need to take with me? Is it safe? I’ll tell you here, but first let’s provide a little context about our target species. An Introduction to Gorillas The short story is that there are two species of gorilla: eastern and western. That’s pretty simple, right? Populations of the lowland subspecies of western gorillas are more significant, but the Cross River subspecies numbers are…
Westminster Abbey, Walks, and Whodunits: Last of London
Our last of six days in London was meant to pack in the most important stops that we had yet to see. That even includes Westminster Abbey, notable because it was one of the first items added to our itinerary. But the day required much more than just going to church. We still had quite a few sights left to see! So far, we’d visited several museums, had afternoon tea, enjoyed a tour with a yeoman warder at the Tower of London, birded through a couple Royal Parks, and briefly saw Buckingham Palace. We’d spent a day out and about, visiting Stonehenge and Bath. We had gone to a musical…
A tour of Bath and Stonehenge on The English Bus
We only had a single day for exploring outside London. The English Bus offers small group day tours that made it easy to visit several places in a single day, but without the crowds of a big bus. We visited Bath, the Cotswolds, and Stonehenge on our break from the city. The Roman Baths and Stonehenge were highlights of the day.
The Ultimate Mountain Gorilla Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 8 of the Uganda Highlights tour was a special day on the tour. This was the day for a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park! On this particular day, our birding tour group became split into three parts. And although four of us had expressed interest in a trek, mine was the only permit reserved in the Ruhija sector. The Ruhija sector was a two-hour drive from our lodging, so my day started dark and early to get to the orientation by 8am! Our drive took us out of the Buhoma sector of the park, along bumpy rural roads until we re-entered the park in the Ruhija…
A London Food Tour: Flavors of the East End
We spent our Saturday in London on the East End Food Tour with Eating Europe. About 8 generous samples of local savory and sweet dishes were provided as we walked through the East End of London.
An Observation of the Rare African Drop Bear, Lion Variant
Ah, the drop bear. Often thought of as an Australian myth, or an amusing joke used to scare tourists at the very least. As legend has it, they are koala-like in appearance, but with fearsome sharp teeth. They will ambush the unsuspecting who come within spitting distance of their arboreal perch. Drop bears are even referenced by Sir Terry Pratchett as one of the unusual creatures of Fourecks (an island eerily similar to Australia). The drop bear certainly seems to have Australian roots if cryptozoology were to tell the tale. But I have seen them. And I’m here to tell you the truth: drop bears are African, through and through.…
