Day 88: Gombe NP – Kigoma

Just wow, Cath would say. What a day! A great birthday for Brigitte.

7:00 a.m. breakfast, 7:30 a.m. on the boat. The chimpanzees are near the coast today, the trail isn't far, and our small group is alone. We quickly meet the first two chimps, who graze their way around and then, almost as if it is planned, lead us to the group.

And we're lucky enough to witness chimpanzees hunting. A systematic group effort with lots of shouting. Eventually, two or three colobus monkeys are killed and are torn apart, cracked, split, and eaten. What a spectacle. And we're right in the middle of it. Like a part of the forest. No more ten-meter rule. The animals move so quickly and everywhere at once that you often can't get out of the way in time. And so the chimpanzees whizz and dawdle past, sometimes less than three meters away. Fantastic.

The animals are great to watch and very likeable, probably because they exhibit many "human" behavior patterns. But this has nothing to do with the sweet, friendly little monkeys from the TV series "Daktari" or Czimek's documentaries on German television from our youth.

After more than an hour and a half, we head back. Right through the bush. Lianas and climbing plants live up to their name, as do masses of burdock. Another experience. This is probably how Jane Goodall traveled for long stretches of her hikes...

At camp, a quick shower, then an (early) lunch, packing up, and taking the boat back to Kigoma. We are overwhelmed by the experiences of these two days.

And we are very happy with how the Kigoma Eco Cultural Tourism team accompanied and looked after us. We've heard of other travelers who organized everything themselves and saved some money – but we felt incredibly comfortable, had no stress or hassle, and think it was definitely worth it. Thanks to Elisabeth and her amazing team.

The rest of the day consists of repacking, looking through pictures, uploading data, writing in the diary, and cooking dinner. And it's over in a flash. By the way: We're glad Becky made it through the night without us, and we're looking forward to "our" bed again.