With so much to do in so little time, I really have to pat Austin on the back for taking the lead in planning such a stellar three weeks in Africa. This is a fascinating continent, and I can say that after having only scratched the surface.
Our stop over in Rwanda, though quick, was simply remarkable. We have found that yet again we had underestimated a country before we’d stepped foot in it. I think because of the very recent, very violent history of Rwanda, we honestly did not expect to come here and see such beautiful countryside and feel so safe and so comfortable. The Rwandan people are super friendly. Adults and children alike wave with big smiles as we drive past. It’s very welcoming. The cities and villages are clean and the countryside we’ve driven through is stunning. We were told by our driver that at the beginning of every month everyone sets out from work or their homes to tidy the streets, and that even the ministers and government officials participate. From what we have seen, Rwanda is much more developed than its neighbour, Uganda. It’s really a shame that all too often Rwanda is only associated with the horrific events that unfolded in 1994. Here are a few pictures of the Rwandan people and countryside…
The Absolute Africa truck had massive, large, open windows that were perfect for viewing and picture taking while driving…
A traditional house made of mud…
Smiling woman and children…
More hills…
Another amazing view from the giant truck windows…
A look at the truck… what a sweet ride!
More smiles and waves. They often yell "Mzungu!” which is the word they use to describe foreigners. Interestingly, it can be translated to “the aimless wanderers” and began being used when contact was first made with Europeans.
Beautiful views! The hills seem to go on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on…..
Our first glimpse of the volcanoes…
A little girl carrying her little sister…
Our time in Rwanda began on the 9th of February when we left our confortable surroundings at the Red Chilli in Kampala, Uganda to fly to Kigali, Rwanda. We were looking forward to Rwanda for a few reasons. The first was that we had booked this portion of our adventure with Absolute Africa and were meeting up with a truck load of other like-minded travellers and really looked forward to their company. The second reason both Austin and I looked forward to Rwanda was because we I really wanted to learn more about the atrocities of the 1994 genocide, something that’s etched in the world’s consciousness as one of the most savage genocides in history. We wanted to learn first hand about what really went on and we wanted to see for ourselves just how the country was coping in the aftermath. As it happens, Austin did a school project on Rwanda in grade 5, so he was curious to see the place. The final reason both Austin and I could hardly contain our excitement for Rwanda was because we had planned to trek through the Rwandan jungle to get up close and personal with mountain gorillas.
Our first stop after the airport was to the Kigali Genocide Memorial where we met our Absolute Africa truck and quickly became acquainted with the crew. As we expected, it was a truck full of fantastic people, all very welcoming and who came equipped with great travel stories of their own. Together as a group we’ve visited every corner of the globe.
The Kigali Genocide Memorial (KGM) was opened in 2004, which marked the ten year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. The KGM houses what is essentially a museum set up for the purpose of telling the stories of those who suffered through, or who were brutally murdered during the genocide of ‘94. The museum does a fantastic job of laying out a timeline and revealing information and facts that help to uncover what lead up to the horrifying events of Spring 1994. However, though both Austin and I now better understand what happened before and during the genocide, I don’t think either of us can comprehend such tragedy, nor can we imagine the mindset of the aggressors. As two people who have lived privileged, nonviolent lives, it is virtually impossible for us to put ourselves in the shoes of the Rwandan people.
Prior to our visit to the KGM, we had only a basic idea of what was behind the events of 1994. We definitely didn’t know that the key issues were seeded in Rwanda’s colonization. It was in 1916 that the Belgians came to Rwanda and began to segregate the people based on their physiological make up. Though Rwandans had been living side by side happily, the Belgians noticed that there were very distinct features that distinguished them, and began to attach labels to people based on their physiology, or what the Belgians perceived as being entirely different genetic make ups. The labels they were given were Hutu, the majority who were originally migrating tribespeople that make up 80% of the population. Next were the Tutsi, approximately 15% of the population and who originated from the north. Finally, there were the Twa Pygmies the native people of Rwanda that only took up approximately 1% of the population.
Though initially these labels had no impact on the daily lives of the people, as colonization continued the Belgians saw to it that the labels Rwandans had been assigned became more relevant. Rwandans were even issued ID cards with their newly assigned ethnic group clearly outlined. Politically, the colonizers began used these new labels to separate the groups even further by giving the Tutsis more power and privilege in exchange for their support and cooperation. It was later when the colonizers switched sides and began seeking and excepting the support and cooperation of the majority Hutus, and leaving the minority Tutsi powerless, that the group divisions and tensions began to run deeper.
The downward spiral that concluded with genocide was propelled forward in 1962 when Rwanda gained it’s independence. In independence rather than becoming united as one nation, Rwandans’ tribal divisions became even more profound. As with other genocides around the world, the mindset for genocide in Rwanda was manifested and perpetuated in a relentless propaganda campaign lead by a power-hungry military leader. Feelings of hatred between tribes became more and more intensified and the genocide had been so well planned out that there was a game plan put in place, which included a list of names and addresses for the Tutsi people that were to be targeted. In 1994 tensions ran high throughout Rwanda. Hutu were resentful towards Tutsi who had staged a massacre of the Hutu people in 1992, and Tutsi as the minority, were frustrated at the inequality they experienced and were desperate to gain a voice in their country. When the plane carrying the Rwandan President was shot down at Kigali’s airport, killing the President, the stage was set for the long plan massacre of the Tutsi people. The wheels were put in motion, road blocks were set up, and a 3 month long mass executions began, starting with the list of names and addresses already compiled.
Though we’ve only been here a few days, the snapshot we’ve had of the people and their way of life shows no indication of suffering, violence, or resentment. It really is astonishing how far the country has come in just over a decade. The current government seems to have done a good job of encouraging people to unify and erase tribal associations. Though we are not naive and realize that there must be some repercussions and underlying issues for a country who experienced such carnage, we can still say that we’ve seen a country and people who seem determine to move forward in a more peaceful and progressive way. Those who were targeted during the genocide may not forgive or forget, but they seem willing to move forward for the sake of peace, security, and an attempt at happiness.
Austin standing beneath the Rwandan flag in one of the memorial’s gardens. Surrounding the memorial are mass graves holding the remains of more than two hundred thousand genocide victims…
One of the walls listing names of those who perished…
After touring around the memorial, we hit the road and headed toward Ruhengeri, the town that would be our base camp for our trek to the mountain gorilla. We arrived to find very comfortable accommodations at a nice hostel / pastoral house called something like Fatima’s Guesthouse. We got to spend the evening with our fellow travellers and became familiar with the meal time routine, which included a rotating schedule, with one group assigned to cooking and preparation, while another was assigned to dishes and clean up, and a third group enjoyed an evening off. We had not officially been assigned a group as we were only with them for 3 days, and just helped where needed setting up chairs, washing and drying dishes. The drying of dishes was a particularly interesting task which entailed air drying by flailing dishes in the air, hoping to get them drier, quicker. Cloths are not used for sanitary purposes, and therefore a group of 8-10 ‘flailers’ was quite the comedic sight.
Because Austin and I had planned so last minute, we were told that we weren’t going to be able to track gorillas with the rest of the crew, and instead, could only get permits for the next day. Our tour leader advised us to get up bright and early with the rest of the group on the off chance the park warden would be able or willing to squeeze us in. We woke up and rendezvoused with the crew for breakfast at 5:30am before transferring to the park. All of the gorilla tracking is done on the mountains of Volcanoes National Park. All the volcanoes/mountains are inactive. This is also the jungle area where Dian Fossey conducted her research with gorillas, and is the setting for her book, “Gorillas in the Mist”, which was also made into a movie in 1988. Dian Fossey was eventually murdered by poachers who felt threatened by the success of her movement to protect gorillas from poaching. When visiting Ruhengeri you have the option of taking a guided hike to Dian Fossey’s grave on the mountainside. She is buried next to her favourite gorilla, a silverback name Digit, who’s fate was also to be macheted to death by poachers.
We found out from our pre-departure information pack to expect accompaniment of armed guards. This is largely for protection from guerrilla fighters who are known to roam the area. It was in 1999, that nine tourists and their guide were kidnapped and murdered by guerrilla fighters. Though this happened on the Ugandan side of the park border, the abduction was executed by Rwandan Hutu rebels - Interahamwe – who are based in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and had fled Rwanda after they took part in the 1994 genocide of more than 500,000 Tutsis. As a result of the kidnapping and murder of the tourists trekking gorillas in Uganda, new measures have been put in place to help provide a sense of security to tourists making the trek.
As it turned out, for Austin and I the sacrifice of waking before the sun paid off and we were able to trek with the rest of the Absolute Africa crew. The entire crew was divided into three separate trekking groups and set out in different directions to track different gorilla families. We were assigned the Umubano Group and alongside Rich from New York, Dan and Tessa from the UK, Barry from Ireland, Bromwyn from New Zealand, our guide Augustine and two armed guards, we set out to see some gorillas! We could not contain our excitement! We piled in the back of a safari truck to start towards the park entrance and had to travel along some pretty outrageous roads. Once out of the truck we hiked through farm fields for about 30 minutes before we reached a wall that marked the entrance into the jungle. From there we followed our guide and gorilla trackers up the side of the volcano in VERY thick brush. A lot of the brush we walked through were different varieties of stinging nettles, and we were very glad to have worn long pants and tops. Despite being dressed appropriately, being stung was inevitable. After about about an hour and a half of ascent, the trackers informed us we were very close. We dropped our bags and walking sticks, and equipped with only our cameras, we move forward through the bush for another 25 meters or so before we found ourselves in a bamboo clearing. Within that clearing we had a view of 5 members of the Umubano family. There were 3 black backs (teenage males), and an adult female with her baby. We were awe struck. The boys seemed to be showing off and were running around, play fighting and winding each other up by throwing things at each other, or running up and hitting one another and then running away. It was SO human-like! We also observed the baby feeding with his Mom and playing by himself as he swung around on a vine. He also tried to get involved in the older boys play, though it was much to aggressive for him. After about fifteen minutes of observation, the silverback (the leader of the family) came into the clearing. Charles, as he’s called, was most definitely in charge. From the moment he arrived he demanded everyone’s attention – ours, and his families. He was absolutely massive! He showed his authority by snapping some bamboo branches like twigs and hitting the ground before joining one of the adult females. After about another 10 minutes or so Charles really did take charge by deciding that it was time to mate. The female didn’t have much say, and neither did we! We had front row seats and rare glimpse at the mating rituals of gorillas. We are told that a silverback will mate 3-5 times a day… impressive. Anyways, enough description… here are what you really want… the picture of the incredible experience! When we have more time, we will add video as well.
A look at the Umubano group, the family we tracked…
Out of our truck and ready to start hiking…
Beginning our trek through farm fields to get to the base of the volcano…
We past many people working in the fields…
Austin in a field of flowers…
We had to tuck our pants into our socks to avoid red ant attacks…
Time to begin our ascent up the mountain and into the jungle!
The thistles surrounded us and had many victims…
Our first glimpse… we were not permitted to use flash photography at all, so some of the pictures are not as crisp as we would have liked…
Two playful brothers…
Only a few feet away…
Mama and baby…
Baby playing away… (These next two pictures were borrow from a fellow trekker, Dan. Thanks!)
Another close up of baby…
Mama and baby in the background…
In comes Charles in Charge… Woah!
Mr. Charles is not to be messed with…
Charles decides it’s time for some mating fun…
He doesn’t seem to mind spectators!
Lean back, lean back, lean back…. haha!
The female tries to escape to no avail…
Baby wondering what the heck’s going on…
No one could stop laughing as Charles and his partner moved closer and closer to us…
More gorilla shots for your viewing pleasure…
Austin gives the experience a thumbs up!
The crew debriefs and has some lunch…
The team… from left to right: Austin, Bromwyn, Dan, Tessa, myself, guards, Barry and then tracker…
In the jungle, the mighty jungle… Our long trek back…
We made it out of the jungle!
A closer look at the man with the machine gun…
Been there, done that, and got the t-shirt!
Gorilla tracking certificates…
Austin and I fully agree that tracking the gorillas was by far the most amazing wildlife experience we’ve ever had. To be so close was extraordinary. The experience was easily worth the intense vertical, nettle infested, jungle climb up the side of the volcano, and worth the steep $500 cost for the permit. It was just simply amazing.
We have now arrived back in Nairobi, Kenya where tomorrow morning we meet up with a new safari crew. This portion of our African adventure will be done with Acacia tours and over the next 12 days will take us through Kenya and Tanzania, through the Masai Mari and Serengeti. We are enjoying every minute of Africa and can’t wait for what’s next.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home and wishing Marnie a very happy birthday yesterday! Sending much love to everyone and hope you’re all safe, happy, and staying warm.
Until next time,
The Knotty Travellers
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