Rwanda

Flying out of Tanzania our farewell glimpse was of the peak of Mt Kilimanjaro rising majesticly above the clouds. Was exciting to get to see this mountain that so many dream about.  Landing in Kigali was quite a contrast from where we had been in Tanzania.  In the center of the city the buildings were modern and the streets were devised with sidewalks and crosswalks.  The motorcycle riders all had helmets on and there were only two on any given cycle.  There was a very large police presence but all appeared peaceful.

Modern high rises in Kigali

Houses started to change and the economic level became more apparent the farther one got out of the city

Out further still residents have fewer amenities 

Other than motorcycles most of the vehicles you see on the roads are tourism.  The local people mostly walk and often quite long distances. Young children walk up to 5 kilometers to school and school starts at 0730 so the streets are busy early in the morning.  People here are adept at carrying all sorts of things expertly on their heads while they walk along the roadside often with a baby tied to their back.

These two women were far from any village so had a long way to go with their bundles.

Coming home from working in the farm with produce, tool, and baby.  No wonder they all have such good posture.

Our main purpose for coming to Rwanda was to visit with the Mountain Gorillas.  You go early in the morning to the ranger station where you have rebooked,usually months in advance, and in groups of eight you are assigned to a gorilla family.  There are eight of us traveling together so we made the perfect group and our Rwandan guides some how got us the sought after gorilla family that has the four month old twins as well as several other youngsters and two silverbacks.  Excitement and anticipation ran high as we set off in our vehicles to our starting point which was in a tiny village where we met our porters and started our climb up into the park.  Trackers start very early through the night and track each gorilla group so that the ranger will know where to take his people and we had been told that we would hike an hour up to the park and than an hour to the gorillas.  It was a grueling hike for a few reasons with the first being altitude.  By the time we reached the gorilla we were at 10000 feet and my lungs felt every one of them. The terrain was every thing from rocky to inches of mud to macheted forest plants and branches.  The only thing it had in common was that it was all uphill and the gorillas kept moving and instead of the original hour they thought it would be once we entered the park it took 3 1/4 making it the hardest 4 1/4 hours I have ever done. If not for the porters I would never have made it. They were absolutely fantastic.  I must admit I did a little praying along the way as well.  The minute we reached the gorillas everything was worthwhile. It was the most incredible experience to be up so close and personal with these magnificent creatures in the total wild.  They would look at us but it seemed like they really did not care that we were in their home and we were welcome to stay for a short while.  You are allowed exactly one hour once you reach the family and that time goes oh so fast.

These two were just having some fun before settling down for a nap

A mom and baby with a silver back on either side

Love this baby face

Silverback has a great face 

One gorilla was sitting on the forest floor right beside our feet and one could have touched her which you would never do.  One of the big risks to these primates is the transmission of disease from humans which is why a distance is supposed to be kept but it was the gorilla who came to us not the other way around.

Eric with the sleeping gorillas.

One of the highlights of this gorilla family was the mother and her twins and not long before our hour was up she got up and gave us the most amazing sight.  The twins were both nursing and the tenderness with which the mother gorilla held those babies and wrapped her arms around them left no doubt that she felt total love in her heart for her children.  It was a totaling heartwarming sight and made leaving the gorillas even harder especially knowing that we had to go down what we had come up.

Mom and twins

I swear she is kissing them

A tender maternal hug.  What a sight to see and in the wild how lucky we are.

We feel so blessed to have had this amazing experience.  Only eight groups of eight get to do this each day in Rwanda so it is a very limited experience.  The money raised goes to gorilla conservation and to the people of the area who desperately need it for infrastructure and jobs.  As an example the porters who was my savior works for 10 dollars a day though I must say mine certainly got more than that as he made my experience possible.  Traveling certainly opens ones eyes to how lucky we are to have been born and raised where we were.