Elsa's Head Guide's Exciting Trip to Rwanda
Written by Charlotte Wednesday, 12 January 2011 00:00
This is an account of my recent trip to Rwanda. Many many thanks go to Peter and Sallie Lilienthal who gave me full financial support for the whole trip. They were guests staying at Elsa’s and their gratitude for my guiding them was to sponsor me for this whole Rwanda trip. Also many thanks to the managers here at Elsa’s who helped arrange for me to see my dream come true.
The long awaited day arrived on the 11th November. I left my home in Nanyuki and traveled to Nairobi by Matatu (bus), After spending the night there I went to Nyayo House and with 2 passport pictures and my I.D was able to collect within a few minutes, my International Travel Permit. I then went to the bus station and found I could book directly through to Kigali leaving at midday the next day.
The next morning I shopped for a few items and then boarded the bus which left at 1.00 pm. We traveled all through the afternoon up the rift valley until as evening came we saw the lights of Eldoret. We traveled through the night with all the passengers sleeping until we arrived at the Kenya Uganda border. We all had to have our documents seen and stamped on both sides of the border before we were free to continue through the night to Kampala, where we arrived at the bus company booking office. Here we were served with food and water at about 2.00 am. We then proceeded through the night with our journey to Kigali.
At around 4.00 am we were at the Uganda Rwanda border and had to repeat all the formalities with the immigration offices and our baggage was checked. This time we were checked to be sure we had NO plastic bags and any electronic goods that looked new were taxed.
We also started to drive on the right hand side of the road. When it became light we could see that we were far away from Kenya and on Rwanda soil and the land was very green with forests and crop plantations. It is as its translated name suggests “The Land of a Thousand Hills”. We also were told to adjust our watches by 1 hour as Rwanda is one hour later than Kenya.
By 9.00 Rwanda time we arrived in Kigali. As I alighted from the bus I was surprised to be spoken to in Swahili by a cab driver. I spoke to him about what I was doing and although I was at first confused about the exchange rate it soon became easy. The first thing was to collect my Gorilla permit for the next day from the Mille Colline (formerly Hotel Rwanda). Next I asked my new friend to take me to one of the Genocide Museums. I chose to visit one of the bigger ones and after a half hour drive we come to what had been a big church.
Now I learned that it is no longer a church but a house for a lot of human skulls and bones. This was the most grievous moment of my life. The main hall is stacked with tons of clothes and belongings of the people who were killed around this church. Further on the ground is neatly arranged skulls and bones and in the middle of the room is a glass cupboard with the same. Underground is a pile of coffins all with skulls and bones, I move on to the next room and all is filled with skulls and bones.
All this is a result of the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The two main tribes Hutu’s and Tutsi had to fight for dominance. They fought for approximately 100 days where an estimate of 800,000 people died.
After this we head back to town so quick. The picture of the skulls and bones will stick on our minds. We get to Kigali for lunch which we did not eat from the experience. We found me a small hotel and I crashed asleep. I woke later in the evening and called the cab driver and we went to dinner in his favorite hotel and we ate fish and chips and some drinks and I got a mobile Line for Rwanda.
We make a plan for him to collect me early the next morning and I set the alarm for 4.30 am.
He collected me at the gate at 5.00 am and we set off for Ruhangeri where the park headquarters are situated and by 7.00 I am at the briefing for the trekking. After the briefing we are split into two groups. I am put in a group of 5 called ‘Susa’ (stinging nettle) and our guide is called Dejou, although he prefers to be called ‘Dee’. After his short briefing we join a truck courtesy of 3 ladies in my group, as we need a 4x4 truck to get to the start of the trek. We stop on the way to buy some food to munch on the way.
After about 45 minutes driving our guide stops and points out that this is where we start trekking. We walk along the trail for about an hour until we come to the edge of the bamboo forest. The walk was steep and slippery but I am too excited to worry. After a last briefing he tells us that it is only 30 minutes to where the trackers have spotted Gorillas. Sure enough after half an hour there are signs of fresh droppings, disturbed bushes and freshly chewed bamboo shoots.
Finally we have yet another briefing and at each of these we have been reminded of the golden rule. “Don’t Look at the Silverbacks in the Eyes!”
We leave our backpacks and just around the corner come across a couple of Gorillas playing and holding hands. This is a fabulous site and we stay with them for a few minutes before pressing on.
In less than a couple of minutes we come across the whole troop. The boss, a big silverback is on his tummy and asleep, his number 2 is about 5 meters away also asleep.
The rest are scattered around a flattened clearing and are very relaxed, we stay with them about an hour observing their behavior. The big silver back wakes up and goes to his number two and teases him.
At one moment I find myself looking at the big silverback and he catches my eye, He growls at me and bares his teeth, remembering the rule I look firmly at the ground.
After all the excitement of being with these remarkable creatures it is time to go and we head back for our backpacks. It is raining and after a short stop to say goodbye to our trackers we head back to the truck. We are tired but excited by the shared experience. On returning to headquarters I rejoin my cab driver friend and we return to Kigali and my hotel.
That night we go for dinner and a few celebration drinks after having booked my return bus for the next morning. All too soon the alarm wakes me for the beginning of my trip home to Kenya.
Richard Morogo
Head Safari Guide,
Elsa's Kopje
