Sadly, our expedition to photograph Lowland Gorillas and Bonobos is over and we are back in London. A real adventure. Highlights?
:) The Western Lowland Gorilla treks at Mondika in the Republic of Congo. The terrain was flat and hence the trekking was not as tough as Uganda or Rwanda (mountain gorillas). The jungle was pretty thick with wonderful trees. This made photography very tough though as it was almost dark. Our ISOs were set at a minimum of 800 (as per the shot below) but usually up to 5,000-6,400. We trekked with our 600mm and 500mm lenses and were rewarded with some really nice images. Toughest shooting conditions ever though!
:) One of our "transfers" was by a pirogue paddled by a couple of guys who navigated through a landscape that has not changed for thousands of years. We really felt like explorers, not seeing anyone else for hour on hour. Magic! Adam's serious face below is his attempt to look like an explorer!
:) In Brazzaville we were amazed by a cafe called La Mandarine. It had the very best croissants we have eaten for years and a chef who cooks up these amazing gateaux in the middle of Africa. A little bit of Paris!
:) Meals in DRC were fantastic. Jean, the chef made very fine meals for us. Wonderful! All the food in the camps in the Republic of Congo had to be walked in on the backs of porters; hence meals there were basic but pretty good. This guy walked in to camp through the forest for three hours with a tray of eggs without breaking one!
:) The Bonobos were wonderful. As in previous trips we were able to spend hours photographing these great apes. A couple of mornings produced some wonderful opportunities and fun memories which will stay with us for many years.
Finally ... how many photos did we take? 19,380 ... that really shows just how much was on offer in these amazing countries. We will get a trip report and slideshow up as soon as we can.
Planning a very special trip for Christmas. More later ;-)
Julie and Adam
Back in London - 13 August 2011
