Following a 6 hour drive through Uganda and reaching the boarder controls of Rwanda, I have to say, I don’t believe I was the only one who believed a visit to the London Embassy to obtain visas prior to travel might have provided for a ‘feeling safer’ option (as with Ugandan visas ..) for being sent to a hut adorned with ‘wanted persons’ posters and gruesome images of poachers cruel trophies, and to be screened by a kindly police officer (who meticulously detailed our names, passport numbers and professions into his lengthy register, by hand!), we were then sent to the border gate to be zapped at the forehead with some device to check our temperatures for fevers (good job we all passed that!) then off to another office to complete visa applications, pay money, wait for visas and then jump into Gordon’s truck before heading off … all this whilst surrounded by ‘locals’ staring at the only white people – pretty intimidating to say the least – and maybe not the ‘welcome to Rwanda’ one might dream of!
Arrived at our next location, Parc National des Volcans, nice cottages nestled amongst active volcanoes (yes, active!) and a bustling community – Rwandan people being French (Ugandan mainly English influenced), certainly less smiley then Ugandan and even our ever giggley Gordon seeming less comfortable.
(History and culture bit now ……)
With the Genocide ending in 1994 with over 800,000 people murdered in two months, the air is tense by all accounts, but as Gordon explained, the murders occurred as the two tribes clashed. Now Rwandan people are encouraged to marry within tribes so this can never occur again as two tribes are now interweaved (Uganda is mixed with many tribes so such atrocities highly unlikely). Gordon told us how he comes from one of the main tribes in Uganda and is believed he can never to do anything wrong as most of his people/family are in senior positions/government and therefore highly regarded – I feel this did indeed carry some clout as reflected in the great service we have been receiving at locations en route! He apparently had to pay 8 cows, 20 goats and 3000 dollars to his wife’s family to marry her – seemingly quite a sum – but if the cows reproduce, he gets some back by means of a security plan for longevity of his marriage.
These days cows and goats are not so much the currency (he is maybe mid 40’s?) though if a girl has been educated well, the receiving husband’s family have to reimburse her family with her school fees as they are forfeiting any money her education could have bought to her parents if she’d not married … all very ‘black and white’ so to speak and maybe a tad ‘cold’ I feel but hey, if it works!
By all accounts, his wife’s father has over 40 cows so his wife came from a wealthy family and they both met in higher education!! He told us that if the husband has poor manners, someone is sent to his family to teach him good manners and respect before he can marry … not sure what unsettled our daughter’s boyfriend more, prospect of cow and goat rustling, watching his ‘pleases and thank you’s’ or thinking of her uni fees!!!
Gordon’s life certainly seems privileged compared to most here, for which he is grateful, and he actually pays for not only his own children to attend private school (government school, free save the uniform, books and a good education!!) but two children from other family members …
(Back to travel experience …)
So, up at 4:45am, out by 5:30am for next Gorilla trek in the Virunga mountains; Gordon having visited the Ranger the previous evening asked for the ‘short walk’ again .. bless!
We arrived at what we can only compare to a vehicle frenzied car park with an almost ‘Disney’ feel about it, dancers, tea and coffee, lots of excitable Americans donning flip flops, jeans, multicoloured jackets and one a pith helmet – hardly ‘jungle suitable’ attire but hey … we met our group, a brother and sister of similar ages to our offspring, and a mother – all Canadian – she limping as stepped out of her jeep… Our Ranger, as previously, explained the appropriate behaviour when in the company of Gorillas and shared some of the voices used to calm the the Silverback (to tell him all is safe) and chastise younger gorillas over enthusiastic charging… we trekked through fields and gradually up the volcanic mountain, density and inclines/declines simply not comparable to previous in Uganda – positively a hill like gentle walk though still vines and leaves underfoot and before us, lopped with guide’s sharp machete!
Trackers sent out 2 hours prior and indicated via walkie-talkie that we were close to the nesting gorillas … and that’s where any quick pace stopped … the Canadian mother continued to moan, limp and stop every 10 mins despite encouragement from the Ranger. They had only accepted one Porter (reluctantly after Gordon said she really would need help as it was not a gentle flat walk as they believed a mountain to be!) – this time costing $10/£7 – though on seeing her struggle, our daughter’s Porter and theirs spent two hours up the mountain (and two hours back down) holding her entire weight as we waited patiently for the repeated 10 min pauses to eventually bring us to the Gorillas …. and all this whilst her son tore ahead to ensure he was at the front all the way ….. mmmmmmmm …… now, on arrival at the Gorillas a miracle occurred and the said mother was suddenly cured – as nimble as a spritely imp she zipped amongst the terrain to grab the space nearest to the Gorillas ……even our daughter’s boyfriend, who has far more patience and tolerance than us, was peeved – but we are British so naturally we said nothing! Needless to say, the Gorillas were magnificent, utterly took are breath away at the sheer enormity of the Silverbacks and the fluffy baby balls of fur playing so happily …
We stood so very close but were never afraid with our Ranger knowing all mannerisms and anticipating any nervousness in the beloved creatures or us! Such a memorable, amazing experience….
However, it saddened us that our fellow trekkers gave the absolute minimum tip to the Ranger and their one Porter (despite unravelling a roll of dollars before them …), and completely ignored what our daughter’s porter had endured offering him nothing – for they leaped into their jeep at such a pace (mother included!) not even acknowledging our patience – a two hour walk taking over four …. ho hum …. as the forthright Australians we met on ‘Pygmy’ visit referred to us on our thanking tribes for their dance performance – “you don’t need to thank them, you British are such a begging nation” …. we’re certainly embracing the cultural niceties of the non Africans I have to say!!
Our final destination, today, we drove 4 hours to Lake Kivu – a massive expanse of water in a seemingly wealthy area by comparison (ie, houses have tin roofs rather than banana leaf …) – not entirely sure hotel staff welcoming of white british (first acts of discrimination experienced …), service for lunch etc in excess of an hour for simplest of dishes but rooms comfortable, hot water, plugs and carpet so very welcome after almost two weeks of tiles, hot water if the sun has shone on solar panel and torches …. Friday we head home, flights permitting …. everything crossed for seats on a plane with tyres!
The End Bit …
All in all, what an adventure – Africa never ceases to touch on all the senses and emotions –
The animals we have encountered so free though mindful of poachers; the sights and living conditions of locals – gathering water having walked miles often shoeless; children as young as 3 years wielding gardening tools with the sharpest of blades then playing with a tyre and stick chasing down the rubble roads laughing and joyfully waving at us every single time we drive by; greenery, tea plantations, endless trees in so many shades of green, coffee bushes, beautiful birds with the most amazing calls gently waking us as the sun rises and the clicking bugs sleep;
Sunsets the brightest orange and red any palette could mix; spiders, ants, moths and lizards busy chasing their next meals and the laughs we have shared (with the moments of frustration at more testing times!) from the people we have met; watered down fruit juice and shampoo, loosing luggage, dreadful food and stunning meals, and our sheer exhaustion trekking chimpanzees and gorillas – digging so deep for the last ounce of energy, relieved we conquered those ‘short walks’ … Thank you too, Gordon … you drove us, looked after us and ensured we saw your country and all it contained – and your smile … priceless and it will stay with us forever – AMAZING!!!
This was AFRICA, Uganda and Rwanda.
