Gorillas and sticks
Trip Start
Apr 07, 2010
1
17
18
Trip End
Jun 10, 2010
Ruhengeri, RW.10, Rwanda
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
My disc (L5 for those who want specifics) had almost completely prolapsed at this stage (I only found out exactly how bad it was when I had my scan a month later back in the UK and was fast-tracked for surgery, the disc whipped out within 4 weeks of my return- left a very cool scar, I'll show you if you ask nicely!). All I knew was the pain wasextraordinary, I had spent a week lying on a mattress at the front of the bus, travelling through Kenya and Uganda, onto Rwanda whilst tolerating a level of pain that I didn't know was possible, buying an amazing array of painkillers at over the counter, prescription free pharmacies, which I would not have been able to procure at home quite as easily, and focussing on getting to and up a mountain, which was the main reason I had chosen Africa as my travel destination.
The six of us who had continued the trip from Nairobi were now a gang, and I have to say if it wasn't forr them and the support of our tour leader, Pesh, I couldn't have done it- they put up my tent for me, carried my bags for me- brought me my meals and were fantastic. Massages from Lana, meals from the rebeccas, medical assessments from georgia and nice non-reassuring one-liners from Phil to check my sense of humour was intact.
One day I turned over in bed and felt and heard a spinal crunch. Lying on my side, convinced I had literally just split my spine, I decided to try to slowly crawl/drag myself out of my tent and summon help. I turned slowly onto my side and waited for the now familiar pain to surge, but nothing came. I sat up, no pain, I stood up, I could stand straight for the first time in days, no pain, or pain so reduced that it didn't register on my pain barometer. All I knew was that my pain had gone, it took several minutes for me to realise that my foot was numb and I could no longer go up on tip toe on my left foot and had limited control, strength and mobility, but I was so happy I limped out of my tent and I found Georgia with the Rebeccas and Lana in the tent next door.
Georgia, who was now practically my personal physician gave me a bit of an assessment, ignoring my euphoria and suddenly looked concerned and told me I had sustained serious nerve damage and the lack of pain was not a good sign. I however decided she, with all her medical training was wrong, I wasn't in pain, could stand up (though later discovered could no longer put on shoes and socks without help) and I was convinced that a little miracle had occurred and I would get to see the gorillas- hoorah!
We arrived at the huge dorm room we were staying in for the 3 days of our gorilla stop- a trek date couldn't be guarenteed so day 1 passed quietly, day 2 the same, day 3 we were off.
The ruse was that we would say I had twisted my ankle, I would wear more make up than I ever had before to give a healthy appearance and I would take 2 sticks to drag myself up the mountain, if anything went wrong I would be half way up the mountain and they couldn't throw me off the trek then- ha!
I got put in a group where the gorillas were nearest (it only took about 40 minutes to walk to them), easy peasy for everyone else, but doing it with one good leg was not easy, especially the bit where we arrived at a dry stone wall (usually I love them!) and was told to climb over it; I launched myself at it and Phil and Georgia kindly pushed me over the top...
We were told how to behave before we left for the mountain, not to get too close as gorillas are suseptible to our germs, not to run if a gorilla displayed aggression (chance would be a fine thing!) and that we would only be allowed to stay for an hour once we found the gorilla family. Ours was the smallest gorilla group but with the oldest silverback on the mountain- he was a year younger than me at 38!
As we approached the gorilla group we were told to put our sticks down, slightly panic stricken I explained I couldn't walk without my sticks, 'we will be your sticks' came the reply and 2 of the young guards stepped forward (fortunately not the armed ones!) and they each grabbed one of my arms and helped/dragged me up the last bit- thanks god for the guides, this was jungle and my dead, rubbish foot kept getting caught in vines that I couldn't lift it out of- the guards were brilliant, hacking away at stuff for me, lifting my foot when it get caught, think they knew I had more than a twisted ankle and shouldn't have been there but they let me come along anyway- hooray!
We met the gorilla's, I felt like crying I wont say anymore think my face and the pictures say it all....of all my travel experiences in all of the places I have visited, it is my favourite memory, it was serene and marvellous, one magical hour.
On the way back down the local village spread out their gorilla themed wears on tables, I bought 2 small carved gorills for my christmas tree- it is an internationally decorated marvel- I am looking at it now and the memories of each of the adornments come flooding back- the 2 wooden gorillas now have ribbons fashioned around them and they are dangling quite nicely next to a south american angel, a chinese teapot and a father Christmas wearing the new Zealand rugby kit- perfect!
