All good travel tour companies send out introductory material to help
their clients prepare for the trip - mentally as well as physically.
These are some excerpts from the material that I received that appear to
be important.
The (parenthesis) are mine to summarize:
(WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T DRINK THE WATER)
"If you are on your own after our safari, please follow the guidelines the CDC has prepared for travel in developing countries. BOIL IT, COOK IT, PEEL IT, OR FORGET IT!
We
provide plenty of good drinking water. Sometimes hotel or lodge rooms
will be supplied with a pitcher of water, which you will be told is safe
to drink. Please check with us before using it. Never, never, never drink the tap water anywhere!"
(WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T RUN)
"Sometimes the gorillas charge. Follow the guides example- crouch down slowly, DO NOT look at the gorillas directly in the eyes, wait for the animals to pass. DO NOT attempt to run away. Running away will increase the risk."
(WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SCREAM)
"Visitors should be as quiet as possible, and whisper. If bitten by Safari ants or struck by stinging nettle, do not scream.
REASON:
To minimize behavioral disturbance and avoid frightening and avoid
frightening gorillas. Newly habituated gorillas may be afraid to come
anywhere near noisy tourists, and if gorillas are already present, they
may leave."
(IT IS NOT POLITE TO POINT)
"Body language is important, and visitors should not raise hands or arms, or point, nor stare at them."
(PRE-MUDDIED CLOTHING RECOMMENDED)
"Whichever
family group you visit, you may have to walk a long distance in steep,
muddy conditions, possibly with rain overhead, before you encounter any
gorillas. Put on your sturdiest shoes. Ideally, wear thick trousers ad
long sleeved top as to protect against vicious stinging nettles. It’s
often cold when you set out, so start out with a sweatshirt or jersey
[which also help protect against nettles]. Whatever clothes you wear to
go tracking are likely to get very dirty you slip and slither in the
mud, so if you have pre-muddied clothes you might as well wear them.
When you are grabbing for handholds in thorny vegetation, a pair of old
gardening gloves are helpful."
No comments:
Post a Comment