Chris_GA_Atl

Wayne: here are some pictures of the inside of the memorial to the Belgian soldiers:

(1) The chalk board:
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/74137476

(2) Spot where the soldiers were executed:
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/74137477

(3) Other shots inside the building:
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/74137478
http://www.pbase.com/cwillis/image/74137479

I'll leave them up there for a few days and then take them down.

Chris

maxwell

Wow - you weren't kidding when you said that the messages on the board convey their sentiments quite clearly even without an understanding of the language.

Thanks for posting these - after reading the Dallaire book it is very interesting to see these picts.

waynehazle

Wow.
I am speechless. Power in simplicity

annergizer

Hi Chris!

I was in uganda xmas week and trekked to see the Habinyanja group. I had NO idea that they are considered to be the hardest trek! I had asked for an easy one. Boy, had I known I would have been freaked out!! And MUCH more tired!

Chris_GA_Atl

Hey Annette! You know, it is often said that "expectation management" is the key to people's reactions to various situations, and your post reminded me of that. You did the hardest trek of any gorilla group in Uganda without knowing it, so it didn't bother you too much. I did a similar trek about two weeks later, but because I was expecting an easy hike to the Rushegura Group, the trek felt very hard to me. But as hard as it was, every one in our group, including people of all ages, made it without any real difficulty. And the viewing experience we had with that group made it well worth the effort!
Chris

sundowner

Wow, Chris. I'm glad this was topped because I missed it the first time around (I was in Africa, of course!).

Great, great trip report. I enjoyed reading about your experiences. The Ngamba Island forest walk must be amazing. It sounds like you met some very polite chimps (offering food to you and borrowing/returning shoelaces).

And your pictures - very, very nice. Love all the baby shots. (I think you had a little more light than we did.) I'm also surprised that the Rwanda/Uganda gorillas look so different. (I think the Rwanda gorillas are more handsome.)

And good on you for trading places with the other gentleman. You were really rewarded with your sightings.

Cindy

Chris_GA_Atl

Thanks, Cindy, and thanks for your comments on Pbase too (I've sent you a PM over there, so check your inbox).

The Ngamba chimps were certainly very polite and calm with us. We had heard stories of them sometimes being rowdy and playing rough -- it must depend on their mood on a particular day.

I think you had better light for your Hirwa pictures than we did -- but we still managed to get some pictures because the gorillas were so close. But I think we would have fared better that day with a 70-200/2.8 -- isn't that what you use?

We also agree that the Rwandan gorillas, especially the silverbacks, are more handsome than their counterparts in Bwindi. The Nkuringo silverback reminds me more of Homer Simpson!

I am still looking forward to seeing the rest of your pictures and hearing about your recent trip.

Chris

sundowner

Chris, the 70-200 f/2.8 is the only reason I got photos the first day. It was very, very dark in the bamboo. Many of the images I took were with an ISO of 1600. (I noticed you used 800.) My gorilla foot was 1/20th of a second at 2.8 with ISO 1600. Can't get much slower than that.

The next day, the gorillas were in a much better place, light-wise. But they were kind of boring compared to the first day because of the vegetation. Not many clear shots of the gorillas. (We also had some very uncooperative fellow trekkers.) We did see them mating the second day but the female's head was obscured by the vegetation.

I just realized you had the chimp pictures on your website. I'll have to look at them tomorrow!

Chris_GA_Atl

Cindy,
We have a great many ISO1600 pictures, especially of the Hirwa and Nkuringo Groups -- take a look at a few of them and you will see. And we got a lot of motion-blurred shots even using 1600. But the good thing about Canon DSLRs is that even the high-ISO modes can produce decent pictures if you don't have to crop too much.

For sure, though, the 70-200/2.8 is our next lens purchase. I rented one recently to take some pictures of the new baby panda at the Atlanta Zoo and I can definitely appreciate the value of a 2.8 lens now!

Chris

Eliza26

Hey Chris,
I just asked you a question on your old Tonga post, if you have a chance and could take a look, I'd really appreciate it!