Gorillas in tbe Mist

Another morning witnessing the sunrise over the African Plains, as I headed off on the Big Adventure, Gorilla Treking in Rwanda!

I had never visited Rwanda and I knew little about it. Diojene was to be my companion for the next 3 days and proved to be a mine of information!

Rwanda is known as the country of one thousand hills, with Kigali nestling in a valley. City appeared very clean, with organised traffic system, where Taxi Moto is main form of transport for locals. These Indian sourced motorbikes, are currently operated on either petrol or diesel, but a major government project is underway to replace them all with electric bikes! Driver provides his passenger with a helmet and off they go, weaving amidst the traffic!

I wanted to visit the Genocide Memorial in order to try and understand what happened in 1994, when over a million people were massacred in the space of 100 days.

Many of the volunteers in the Centre are survivors of the Genocide, some were only small children, orphaned at the time. Their only crime being that they were Tutsi’s.

A beautiful garden surrounds a modern buildings with lots of Roses, Water features and seating located strategically, giving an air of calm and serenity. Remains from unmarked and communal  graves throughout the country are slowly being repatriated to this location for dignified burial although are still unidentified. To date 250,000 remains have been repatriated here

A Wall of Names is currently being drawn up, but sadly many will never be identified after the brutal and cruel massacres that took place throughout the country, with the only crime being that the victims were Tutsis.

The story is told is a respectful and dignified way, setting the tone with the history of the country, through it being a kingdom, then a Belgian colonial power and it’s Independence in 1962.

After the Genocide, when the Tutsis were all but wiped out, a Government of National Unity was established by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). It purports to be a democratic country, but the President Paul Kageme has been in power since 2004 and was reelected again last September with a majority of 98.5%!

However, under his leadership the economic growth of the economy  is now ranked 15th in the world and 5th in Africa. This for a country that has no mineral assets, is 1500km from the Ocean and doesn’t have a highly skilled population.

The journey to the Virunga Mountsain Volocanoes where the Gorilla and Golden Monkeys treking happens, took about 4 hours through verdant countryside, all very busy and neat and clean.

We arrived at the Dian Fossey Center after three hours which offered lots of background on her work and the Gorilla conservation programme.

This was a fascinating place with a mine of information!

I took a quiz to find which Gorilla I most resembled! Such fun!

Eventually we arrived at the Lodge where I was to stay at the foot of tbe Mountain Volcano. A rustic location of comfortable bungalows where a fire was lighting for me that evening and a hot water bottle in the bed!!!

All the comforts of home!! All residents were trekers and like me, all were exited for the following days activities!

6.30 next morning  was cool and misty as we headed for our basecamp and briefing.

Each group consists of  8 pax or less accompanied by two guides, one to the front and other to the rear. The Groups are selected according to their fitness, age and request. Our Group were 4 youngish Californians, quite fit, a British couple similar in age and fitness to myself and a Canadian woman who because she was planning a knee replacement soon, was carried shoulder high on a settle bed by 6 locals!!! We were not impressed!!!!

We trekked through fields first, on narrow stony paths until we reached the edge of the Rain Firest, when we were briefed on the dangers of all forest animals, the terrain and our behaviour when we did encounter our Gorilla family.

I had walking poles and a porter , as did everyone. These were crucial to my succeeding in the trek. It was tough!!! Eric, my porter, pulled me up steep areas, guided me thru thick bush, guided me on hidden tracks full of tree roots and generally was fantastic!

We stopped a couple of times and many of the ecological aspects of the Forest were explained to us , which was quite fascinating. Tree orchids abounded where the branch of trees were used as hosts for beautiful flora.

After more than two hours treking through this humid terrain, we were cautioned to be quiet and to stop! The Gorilla family were nearby! We were issued with masks, so as not to infect the animals and we proceeded cautiously. Then I had my first glimpse of these magnificent creatures in their own habitat.

Wow! It was the most incredible privilege to spend an hour in this small area with a family of 30 Gorillas which included 2 Silverbacks, many Blackbacks ( 10 year old males) nursing mothers and babies as young as 2 months ( estimated) and other family members of varying ages and sizes. While we had been advised to keep our distance, the younger ones approached us up very close as they are curious!

Suddenly there was a downpour for about 10 minutes of monsoon level rain! Didn’t bother the animals and although we were soaked, it didn’t really bother us either!!!

They were climbing and swinging from.the trees, they were quiet and sitting against tree trunks, the young stayed in close proximity to the mothers, one of whom was nursing her baby.

To observe their behaviour was startling! The sense of familial habits so like our own, was astounding. We were allowed one hour, no more. I stopped taking pictures as it was becoming a distraction from just observing. After all, I will never get the chance again. A blackback ( about 15 feet tall) decided to run at us , which was a little chilling, but the Guide told us, he was just establishing his presence with us!!!!

All too soon, our time was up, not a moment past the hour!! We started the trek back, exhilarated after our unique encounter. The rain had made the trails very slippery and slimy and the return trek was much more difficult and took longer, but nobody minded.

When we exited the forest we were so tired,  muddy and sticky!! But what an adventure! It surpassed my best expectations and was one of the most wonderful experiences ever.

It was time to thank all the wonderful people who had helped and facilitated us to experience time with these fantastic creatures. It was time for me to appreciate how lucky i was to get there and to start thinking about my return to reality and my departure from Africa. So it’s Kwaherei until the next time!!