You know an adventure is epic when you return super sore, super sunburned, super scratched and super bruised. Our time at Gombe Stream was beyond amazing. BEYOND. AMAZING. A real memory for the scrapbook, and a genuine survival story that makes me feel confident I could take Bear Grylls any day of the week. Trekking up the mountain for five straight hours (and OF COURSE trekking back down another five—um, epic), climbing boulders, traversing streams, picking hundreds of hungry, noshing fire ants off your skin before finally glimpsing mama and daughter in the wild (GAH—SOO epic)—such an incredibly small price to pay to experience something so rare as to actually see chimpanzees in the wild. Even more humbling considering that I feel the roots of who I am are firmly planted in Gombe soil. That being said, I would not trade our adventure for ANYTHING. Regardless of the fact our guides got us temporarily lost (and by lost, I mean LOST—we had to claw our way through the bush, crawl under the bush, climb over the bush, and cut our way through the bush to try and find a path, and by path I mean a corridor naturally created by chimpanzee travel—READ: EPIC); regardless of the fact that we scaled actual boulders without any climbing gear (one was nearly 20 ft tall and DRIPPING WET from spring water —EPIC!!; another one I slipped off of and am sporting a proud shiner on my wrist—it was more epic yesterday but the swelling has gone down); regardless of the fact that we hiked so hard and so fast and climbed elevation so quickly I thought I was going to die in the forest (seriously, the veins on my arms looked like Schwarzenegger AND my backpack straps broke so I fashioned myself a duct tape and nylon cord sling and was pretty much carrying my stuff around my neck—EPIC Mygyvering skills); regardless of the fact that I had totally bloody blisters from my shoes (FYI: paddock boots are GREAT for working in refugee camps, not so great for chimpanzee trekking—epic pain, epic blisters); and regardless of the fact that along with my large collection of tattoos I now have an equally large collection of brush scratches and scrapes (I LOVE me some epic battle scars), I am exhausted and incredibly happy. This adventure was totally NOT for the faint of heart. And, it was the MOST physically demanding thing I have ever challenged myself to do... But I wouldnt trade the experience for anything. I am feeling so so grateful and like such a lucky girl.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:59:40 +0000
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