We arrived in Rwanda on Tuesday afternoon. The first thing that stroke us what how modern compared to Tanzania the airport appeared. They even had wifi.
We were met by my sister Eva. Eva has been working in Kigali for the German Development Agency GIZ since August 2013. She managed an employment center project.
Driving to Kigali, we immediately understood why people refer to Rwanda as the “Singapore of Rwanda.” The roads were well maintained, modern and Kigali appeared to be surprisingly clean. Eva also explained to us everything in the country is very regulated. Sometimes unnessessarily so.
The first day we spent visiting the Genocide Memorial Center and then a visit to Ubaka U Rwanda. The Genocide has has undoubtedly left a ugly scar in the Rwandan society, but having visited the country we would by no means define it. During our stay we read Romeo Delaire’s account of the events “Shaking hands with the Devil” which helped us understand events better. The past will not be forgotten with all the memorials beckoning you to remember, but its also important to acknowledge that Rwanda has moved on from those past events.
On Friday morning Eva, David and I set off to on a long Drive to the Nungwe Rain Forest on the east of Rwanda. We stopped by a museum which had replicas of the Rwandan Kings Palaces. The tradtional ones and the modern ones after the 1950s.
We spend the night in a guest house near the national park and were worken up at 4 am by the loudest thunderstorm we could remember. It was raining like in England! – Guess that’s why they called it rain forest.
Lucky it stopped just after breakfast and we hiked up to do some canopying. Even Dave walked the long step bridge! And he is afraid of heights! My sister and I though did the climb three times for the photo value!
In the afternoon we walked to a tea plantation and in the evening treated ourselfs to a dinner in a 5 star lodge before we headed back to Kigali the next day.
On Monday Dave and I took a motorcycle to the Kigali Bus Station! First time Dave was on a motorcycle and he was terrified. We took a bus to Musanze in the north to the country to see the Gorillas.
The hike started at 7 am; and we had a great guide Francois Birimana, who worked with Diane Fossy and already had guided celebraties like Bill Gates to the Gorillas. After a 2 hour hike we finally found them. The Park Management actually has trackers who tracks the Gorillas early in the morning to find them. So it was not like we were aimlessly running around the mountains.
We spent an hour with the gorilla family. There were three silverbacks in the family which is quite rare and you could see bite marks from fights between them. Also there were two babies. Once which was very young (so little that it did not leave its mothers sides) and one which entertained us a lot but endlessly trying to engage its family members in games.
It was a truley unique, once in a life-time experience which we will never forget.
We left for Kigali the same day only to take another bus to Lake Kivu. Lake Kivu lies between the Rwandan and Congonese Border and is the 10th largest lake in the world. We stayed in a great lodge overlooking the lake from our Balcony. (a wedding present from my sister) and we spend the days hiking and relaxing before making the epic journey back to the UK.
We were absolutly taken by Africa but especially Rwanda. I cannot wait to go back.