Rwanda

Oooohhhh I am desperate to tell you about the Gorilla’s, but must wait – there is an order in which I arrived and things that have happened! Ahhhh – the Gorilla’s……. I AM SOOOOO IN LOVE and valued this rare opportunity!!

One thing you notice about any form of transport in Africa is the ludicrous speeds at which the travel and unreasonable risks they take. If they are even 5 min later than anticipated (which happens 95% of the time) they are completely ridiculed by their colleagues. Pride gone completely stupid.

We left Kampala right on 10pm. Ladies with children were still not seated and were being flung around the cabin. The company didn’t care but we helped with their bags – other Africans did not. Once again, the road was rough but we were making good time (probably because we hadn’t stopped even once for almost 6 hours). The bus was humid and reeked of body odour and dirty nappies. At around 3.30 am and without warning, we stopped in the middle of no man’s land. Ahead you could see a massive line of traffic. Everyone was conversing loudly in Swahili and we had no idea what was going on. About 40min later and after lining our 5 female white butts outside to pee in the rain and dark ,we found out that there was a large tanker ahead that was stuck in the mud and waiting to be winched out. We took the opportunity to sleep and almost 5 hours later we were on the road again.

Crossing the border in Africa (by bus) can be awkward if you don’t do your research. Depending on what border, it usually costs you $50 USD and the immigration will typically only accept American dollars and ONLY if the notes were printed after 2006!!! Unbelievable. Anyway, between 7 of us, most managed to get through, but we were one $20 note short (we had hundreds but not after 2006) and our friend was refused entry. After some lengthy ‘negotiating’ and the bus threatening to leave us, we all got through.

Something I also found a little disturbing was when we got to the other side (everyone was told to leave our bags on the bus) and found the bus company and immigration staff riffling through our belongings – they had each of our bags open. Other than Francis losing a few mars bars (which were a mother and children blatantly eating them in front of her in the bus – the mum said ‘what do you want me to do about it?’ and rudely turned away), we didn’t’ have any belongings stolen, but without our permission (again African style) they confiscated every plastic bag they could find – including one I had all my dirty washing in and another with my muddy shoes (and now more muddy clothes) in them. We have since learned that plastic bags are strictly banned in Rwanda.

We arrived in Kigali around lunch time, almost 6 hours after our scheduled arrival and we scrambled to the nearest food place, scoffed down some food and sculled cool drinks. We eventually made it to a place to stay, dumped our bags and made our way to Kigali Memorial Centre. I am embarrassed to say that I knew next to nothing about the horrific genocide that brutalised this tiny country just over 16 years ago. The memorial was shocking - the stories about the families and children had me sobbing. So reprehensible, savage and disgustingly unnecessary. It was a struggle to read on through heavy watered eyes and a feeling of suffocating in despair for these people. I honestly had no idea how brutal it really was.

The following day, we visited churches about 40 min out of town where thousands flocked during the genocide in search of sanctuary but they were followed and hacked to death. It was a very disturbing site – there were thousands of bones and sculls piled up against the walls and mounds of dirty clothing. There were sculls so tiny it was sick to see, some only half there and others with spears through them. The saddest rooms were behind the first church which has been left barely touched – it was where whole families hid. There were parts of human vertebra, locks of hair, baby’s shoes and smashed sculls left to rot. A room just adjacent to this was where children went to Sunday school and you can see a massive permanent bloody stain where their heads were bashed to death against the wall. I couldn’t breathe. We were there just 1 week after the anniversary of the genocide – purple and white ribbons still man the sites. Absolutely devastating.

That afternoon we spent some time deciding what to do next. Anna, the lady who initiated this trip, received the news that her husband had broken his leg, so she had to fly back to Nairobi a little sooner than anticipated to be with him. Others also had commitments back in Nairobi and also decided to fly. Basically 3 of us couldn’t justify the cost and decided to still take the bus and possibly hang around for a few more days.

Before leaving Nairobi I had heard of others and spoken to one volunteer who had trekked the Gorillas in Rwanda. I was completely gripped listening to the remarkable encounter she had with these marvellous primates.

Most of you reading this will know I wanted to do some rehabilitation work with the Orang-utans in Borneo before I come to Kenya. Unfortunately it was too expensive. Ever since seeing Gorillas in the Mist so many years ago, it has been a very distant dream to see these charming creatures in the wild and knowing how mistreated Orang-utans also are, working with them definitely appealed to me. I honestly thought it was completely out of the question to actually ‘see’ the Mountain Gorillas in person. Until very recently, it wasn’t something I seriously entertained.

In the afternoon of deciding what to do, I made a few enquiries into availability to do the Gorilla Trekking. No one else in our group was able to join me. Everyone then went to the main tourist office to enquire about travel. Sitting at the Gorilla permit desk was a lady by the name of Beth. As soon as we walked in the door and one of the others walked to the desk thinking it was for general enquiries, Beth hopefully asked, ‘oh hi, are you all doing the Gorillas?’ They said no, but mentioned that I was looking into it. Long story short, we got talking and I found out that she had a permit for the very next day. I also signed up and within 10 min we gelled remarkably well and had organised to travel by bus for the next 2 hours together to the town (Musanze) in which the park was nearest too and sorted some accommodation.

I arranged to meet the others in Gisenyi that same day after my trek. While out to dinner with Beth that night, we were discussing how to get to the park (you can hire a driver for $80USD but found it ridiculously expensive - they charge astronomical prices as they know how much each individual spends on a permit), so we planned to wing it and hoped for the best. Then we saw a group of white tourists, so Beth decided to approach them hoping they too were doing the Gorillas tomorrow and perhaps we could share a ride. There was only 1 lady in the group (Joanna) also doing it on our day and she already had a car (and she too freaked out about the cost) so we shared the price 3 ways. Perfect. Each of us hardly slept a wink. We met at 6.00 sharp the next morning bursting with anticipation.

We arrived at the park headquarters super early. This is where you are divided into groups. There are 7 different habituated groups they follow and a maximum of 8 people per group which means strictly no more than 56 permits are given out each day.

Holy crap, I still can’t’ believe I have seen them!!!

There are thought to be fewer than 350 Mountain Gorillas left in the world, although I believe the numbers are slowly increasing. Dian Fossey is an extraordinary woman who I believe almost independently saved the lives of all that currently remain.

The group she followed and worked with ever so closely (as seen in Gorilla’s in the Mist) was called the Susa Group. Thanks to Joanna, the 3 of us were the first to be locked into seeing this extremely popular group. It is undoubtedly the most difficult to get to and only the fittest are selected. The Susa Group is also the largest group with almost 40 members but the group has recently split into 2. There is only 1 member of the original Susa Group that Dian died trying to save and that was Poppy. She (yes she) is still alive but split with the other group so we didn’t see her.

The track was pretty rough and the mass of stinging nettles were unforgiving and pierced even through light clothing. In summer, the trek to find them can take up to 6 hours, but in the rainy season, they take to lower ground closer to the park perimeter so we reached them in less than 2! We ascended just over 300 metres in this time. It had rained heavily in the morning so we were extremely fortunate to find them playing and sunning themselves in open ground. There were 29 members in total including 3 massive Silverbacks.

Although extremely slippery, getting there wasn’t too bad. Getting out on the other hand was a bloody mission. They had massive machetes to slice through the thick shrub – looking into the dense forest; I would have thought there was no way of getting through. I was horribly wrong.

Anyone seen Gorilla’s in the Mist? No? YOU SHOULD! Yes? I was there! Really there!! We were so close, if we did not move out of there way on half a dozen occasions; they would have pushed right through us. The guides were obviously experienced enough not to panic, but there was once where a Silverback come from nowhere and split our group in 2. There were 3 guides and 2 trackers. The front guide calmly but quickly said ‘move, move, faster, faster’ then with the Gorilla’s barging right between us, he again softly said ‘stop, move back now, now, now!’ Yeah, we almost shit ourselves.

These animals are absolutely massive. The Silverbacks are more than 200kg and when they lock eye contact with you – your heart simply disappeared. The overwhelming feeling is still so surreal. There were babies messing with us jumping between branches above our heads and mature males play fighting in the open. The second ranked Silverback had a lovely time playing with himself sprawled out to an area that looked bigger than a family car – the arms on them are like trees! We heard one of the Silverbacks before we saw him and his chest pounding episode had me gasping. The tiny boys had a go too which was comical. I’m sure they clowned around just for our benefit.

We all made a conscious effort to pop the cameras down and simply enjoy the once in a lifetime experience. It really was awesome. I know it’s only new but my heart still skips a beat each time I relive the experience. I just wanted to jump in and give them a big Tarsh hug. When I arrived back to the car and I received my trekking certificate (corny but fabulous souvenir), I squealed with joy. To witness such extraordinary beings is sensory overload; nature at its absolute best and one hell of an experience I could never forget. Whoa, breathe girl…

Another remarkable sight was while visiting the town Gisenyi, a place very close to the border of DR Congo. I witnessed the glowing lava plume from Nyiragongo Volcano that destroyed half the bordering Congo city Goma in 2002. It was pretty damn amazing. This photo was taken right out front of our accommodation at 5.00am – I got up to go to the loo, glanced out the window and there it was – I almost wet myself. Strikingly beautiful. Earlier it was so cloudy we couldn’t see a thing. Today (18 April) was also my brothers birthday – happy birthday DJ, sorry I couldn’t’ call, I have no phone access in Rwanda. But I was thinking of you while sipping Primus Beer in a bikini on the shores of Lake Kivu. :-)

Most of my long bus journeys have been in the dark, so it was absolutely amazing to see a lot of Rwanda in the day and equally amazed to see how simply stunning the landscape is. Surprisingly different from Kenya. Absolutely everywhere there were people of all ages, sex and religion lining the roads carrying massive amounts of everything on their heads or even bigger loads struggling on bikes. We saw masses of worshipers chanting their religion beliefs, workers with food to restock their stalls and prisoners getting exercise. When there was traffic coming the other way, the driver basically sat on the horn and people were getting out of the way just in the nic of time. You quickly get used to the noise and avoiding eye contact with the road ahead, it can certainly get the adrenalin pumping. At one point we were just above a mass of clouds with a few mountains poking through. Again, nature at it’s very best. I simply love the tropical setting of this country, albeit small. I will be sad to leave.

My friends have now made their way back to Kenya and as I don’t start my next placement until early May; I have decided to continue slowly through Tanzania with Joanna, one of the ladies I saw the Gorillas with. After 2 great nights in Gisenyi, we made our way back to Kigali where we stocked up on travel supplies (snacks) then enjoyed a cocktail and beer at the famous hotel Rwanda (Hotel des Mille Collines). It is here that Jo filled me in on what the movie ‘Hotel Rwanda’ was about. I can’t believe I haven’t seen it and again knew so very little. Shocking to look around at this surprisingly beautiful spot knowing what took place here.

Early to bed as we are very early to rise. Off to Tanzania tomorrow. I am so pleased to have visited this astonishing country and if I wasn’t heading to somewhere I am sure is just as precious, I would be even gloomier to leave. Rwanda is so very beautiful in so many ways.

Get out of town – I still can’t believe I have seen the Mountain Gorillas! Ahhhh, simply awe-inspiring!!!!!!!! To have lived another dream…. Do I even need to say how very grateful I am for my amazing life? Nope, didn’t think so! Hehe :-)


Since completing this entry, I have been in Tanzania for almost a week and loving it. I have almost completed my next post, so will update soon. I will also upload a few photos - the connection is currently too slow.