Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda - 2007
After spending a week in Kenya, Didi and I flew on to Rwanda, where we were thrilled with the prospect of visiting Mountain Gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans. All I knew of Rwanda beforehand was the genocide of 1994, so I was a bit apprehensive. But the turnaround that the country has made is incredible. Thanks, in part, to President Paul Kigame, the country is moving forward. It has the highest population density of any African country, yet it is probably one of the cleanest. The reason is “Umuganda” - meaning 'Contribution'. On the last Saturday of each month everybody, including the preisdent and government ministers, spends the morning doing work like tidying up the streets, cutting grass and bushes etc. This builds the sort of community spirit of which any country could be proud. Just don't drop any litter on the streets of Kigali, or you'll be made to feel very ashamed.
We were fortunate to be picked to visit the Sabyinyo group of gorillas (one of six groups habituated to human contact). As well as having Guhonda, possibly the largest gorilla in the world, this group is the most accessible, so we only spent 90 minutes of gentle walking before we caught up with them. Being so close to creatures that are so obviously similar to us was delightful. Staring into their eyes feels like locking stares with a slightly hairier version of myself.
Rwanda is a country that will bring forth strong emotions in everybody. The Genocide Memorial will make you weep at the horrors that people can inflict on each other. The Rwadan people will fill your heart with joy at the way that hey have recovered from such a tragedy. And meeting the Gorillas will fill your soul with wonder. It's a fantastic country to visit, but bring plenty of hankies!
