Planet of the Apes (Gombe National Park)

Channeling Jane Goodall energy, two flights and a boat ride later I arrived at a little park on the banks of Lake Tanzanika. Gombe National Park is a little slice of ape heaven - this is in fact where Jane Goodall spent 30+ years studying chimpanzees, forming the theories that made her famous, and giving Disney a very loose inspiration for Tarzan. I highly recommend both her books about her experiences, My life with the chimpanzees and Through a Window, as they read like fiction stories, complete with love, war, trials and triumphs.

I spent two days tracking chimps, which is a more elegant way of saying sweating, swearing, crawling, and climbing up and down all over the park to find them. Frequently, we had to go off trail to follow the chimps, using vines to help ascend and descend the very steep slippery slopes. I can definitively say that Brendan Fraser in George of the Jungle did this far better than I. Having mastered Kilimanjaro style skiing, I now had the opportunity to master Gombe style skiing, which is sliding down the slope on my rear end. Days later I'm still finding twigs and leaves in my clothing and hair.

Chimps are absolutely fascinating to watch - the unfiltered and undisguised mannerisms and expressions are exactly what people do when they think no one is watching. I felt like the paparazzi - completely fangirling while they paid me exactly zero attention. They are very different than the poor lackluster creatures trapped in cages at the zoo or in the laboratories, just waiting to die to ease their boredom. In the wild they lead full vibrant lives, as nature intended - foraging for food, hunting for meat, grooming, socializing, playing.

One chimp, perhaps in a display of dominance, was descending from the trees. I was sitting in the way. He barely glanced at me and proceeded to step over me to continue on. It was definitely a highlight reel moment of my life.

However no chimp had as much star power as that little one, who absolutely worked it for the camera. What do I need to do to be that photogenic!?!

Now a bit about the park. Gombe is special. It wasn’t built for people - it was intended as an area to protect the rapidly declining chimpanzee population. Firstmost a conservation area, second a research facility, and only now for the occasional traveler. The park has few buildings on the beach - dorms, mess hall, a few offices. I stayed in a little tent barely 20m from the shores of the lake. The lake is large enough to feel the effects of the moon, so it is not still, with gentle waves hitting the rocks. At night you can see the lights of the fishing boats far over the horizon.

I was sternly warned to always lock up my tent and my belongings, as the baboons have learned to associate humans with easy food. They will break into tents and into your stuff, rummaging for food, taking whatever fascinates them. Good luck getting those items back.

A crew of baboons was always on the beach or a trail - grooming, foraging, playing or engaging in copulation. I'll spare you the videos of that last one.